October, 2007

Volunteers and Staff from the Springfield YMCA visited James Caldwell School on Monday, October 29 as part of its first annual “Core Values Week.”  Y staff and volunteers spent time with each class from 3rd through 5th grade to discuss the Y core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility, and how children can incorporate them into their daily lives. 

The YMCA staff encouraged discussion among students in each class to help them understand the Y core values. Students were asked to create slogans, songs or posters to illustrate how they can incorporate the core values into their daily lives. 

Posters were displayed in the classrooms and around the school; students were also encouraged to wear colors each day during the week representing each of the values. 

To culminate the week’s activities the children wrote what they learned and presented it to their parents or guardians.  The YMCA gave each child a t-shirt to celebrate the event.

              This collaboration between Caldwell School and the YMCA is only the beginning of an initiative to help instill basic core values in our community’s children, helping them to grow as individuals and a community.  The Y plans to visit Sandmeier School at a later date, to extend this initiative. 

All Program curriculums for youth at the YMCA actively incorporate the values into daily activities, as well as program goals.