Vol 2 Issue 8

What’s up this week?

Schoolyard Habitat
A Schoolyard Habitat serves as an outdoor classroom. There are three basic requirements for a schoolyard habitat: water source, shelter/housing for animal life (such as birdhouses) and native plants. It can enhance the learning experience by taking traditional classroom teachings (math, science, arts, language…) outside.

Gifts in the Moment received formal approval from the Peoria Park District at a recent Board meeting to move forward with plans to place the Garfield Schoolyard Habitat on Park District land at Logan Park.  We look forward to working with Peoria Park District and Garfield school.

This month, we applied for the Nickelodeon Big Green Grant on behalf of Garfield/Logan Park, and the artist rendering for Garfield school has been completed and is online!

Pick Your Seat!
At each location, seating is needed in the Schoolyard Habitats.  Students and families at Garfield, Saint Vincent and Metamora High School will be building benches for Saint Vincent and picnic tables for Garfield.  If you or your organization would like to sponsor a bench or table, supplies needed will be purchased and a plaque affixed to the bench or table with your name.  This is a great way to honor a teacher or outstanding student.  Cost of supplies for a bench is 90.00 and 115.00 for a picnic table.  Please contact us if you would like to sponsor a seat!

Exergaming for Health
The Winter session is slated to start Tuesday, January 26th 6-8 p.m. at the RiverPlex. If someone you know could benefit from programming for overweight/obese children ages 8-17, contact us or visit us for an application.
 
A gitm for you
When we encounter the passion possible is a Gift in the Moment (gitm), we are aware that time, circumstances and place are aligned with what we are doing.  Aligned with our talents, abilites and gifts.  We become completely immersed, so absorbed in an activity that we actually all lose track of time.  There are no disctractions, no wandering minds, no past and no future.  Mihaly Cskszentmihalyi terms these moments as flow experiences and "The happiness that follows flow is of our own making, and it leads to increasing complexity and growth in consciousness."  Flow experiences are just one example of the showing of the unique talents or gitms each of us was born with.  Consider the movement of the flow experience-does movement of a moment stop when the activity we are engaged in has passed?  Can we affect the flow of the moment?  Can we change the wave of energy as it passes through us and continues on?

gitms' challenge us to consider that wave of energy.  This energy improves our ability to see each moment as an opportunity to discover our gifts and talents and every moment as an opportunity to learn and be blessed with.  When we are fully aware of a Gift in the Moment or gitm, we are to use of the gift for the betterment of others.  We extend the energy of the moment to another.  Every moment is therefore purposeful.  Our duty is become aware of these moments and give of our gifts unselfishly.  This philosophy is the cornerstone of helping our children move towards a more meaningful life.  We hope you find your gitm's each and every day.  And when you do, share.

Have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

Denise and Kim