Childwatch Hours

Monday - Friday: 8:00-11:30am

Mon., Wed., & Thurs.: 5:00-8:00pm

Tues.: 5:00-7:00pm

Happy New Year to All of You!

I hope 2010 brings you all the Love, Joy, Hope, and Health that you all so very much deserve. As we start another year here at the wonderful facility that we call the YMCA, I am grateful to you for the opportunity to work for an organization that serves the community in so many different ways and makes a difference in the lives of so many community members.

With the dawning of a new year, everyone's mind is possibly on a new routine, cutting something out, or maybe shedding a few pounds. My encouragement to you today is to make small changes that over time will have a very lasting impact. Lasting change more often than not comes with small steps that you can maintain over a long period of time. These changes are woven into your lifestyle. Possibly for you its losing ten pounds, for others its learning to be more patient with the kids, or maybe to declutter the house. All of these can be done, but to make these changes and to stick to them over the long haul, you may want to set small goals that you can actually achieve. If you want to lose ten pounds, do just a little more activity than before. Walk a few blocks a day and maybe at the same time drink only one can of pop a day instead of two. Make that your new lifestyle for a month or two then add a little more. If you wish to declutter the house, take one closet or room at a time and work on a new one each month. By this time next year your house will be free of junk and you will have accomplished something. You get the picture. I will leave the patience with kids part for you to figure out. So with almost anything, take a few small calculated steps with a real plan and bring real change to your world. The thing is we all know what to do in all of these instances but we don't put a real plan together to make it happen. So this year, make a plan, take small steps every day to move closer to your goal, and at this time next year you can look back and say, I accomplished it!

Speaking of completing a plan, I would like to congratulate Jack and Jill Preschool teachers on a great accomplishment. In December the Iowa Department of Human Services awarded Jack and Jill with a "Five Star" rating on the states Quality Rating Scale. Leslie Haynes and her staff started participating in the state's voluntary rating program in 2007 and have moved from the "Two Star" rating up to its highest rating of "Five Stars". We are proud of the extra work Leslie and her teachers have put in to make our Jack and Jill  Preschool one of the very best in the state of Iowa. Out of 483 rated centers participating we are one of only 36 who have achieved this top ranking. In Southwest Iowa Region 3 (23 counties), 86 have been rated and Jack and Jill is one of only 4 who have reached this level. Again, congratulations to Leslie and her staff on reaching this highest level!

Have a very Blessed New Year. 

Dan