Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Situated in Uster, near Zurich, Switzerland, the WAC (Women’s Activity Club) is a non-profit club designed to provide a location for an international membership to socialize, learn and support one another in an English-speaking environment
Citation preview
Welcome WAC Board 2013-14
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Women’s Activity ClubWinterthurerstrasse 18
8610 Uster043 305 9250
www.wac.ch
The Club is a multifunctional organization whose purpose is to meet the social, educational, and
personal needs of its members. The Club is designed to encourage
international friendship, support, and sharing.
WAC ON TRACK
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
WAC Board of DirectorsGood communication between the
board members and the membership of the WAC is important for the
continued growth and improvement of the club. If you have any concerns
or questions, please feel free to contact us.
President Susan [email protected]
Vice PresidentSima [email protected]
SecretarySwapna [email protected]
TreasurerJudy [email protected]
Activities ChairpersonHeike [email protected]
Special Events ChairpersonLouise [email protected]
Marketing ChairpersonCharlotte [email protected]
Membership ChairpersonClare [email protected]
WAC Office &Learning Tree School
Office HoursMonday - Friday 9:00-12:00
Club Office ManagerJennifer Langkjaer
043 305 [email protected]
School DirectorIda Imbach
043 305 [email protected]
Editor’s Note Stacy Streuli
Well, they say April showers bring May flowers -- but what about snow showers?! After a snowy Easter, I’m certainly ready to see some sunnier and warmer days! I hope you all had a nice mini break, and you’re in luck - not very long until Spring Break arrives!
This month at the WAC we welcome our new Board, and these ladies are fired up and ready to jump right in to create a great year for the WAC! Of course, many thanks again to the outgoing and continuing Board members/chairpersons! Lots of good stuff happening as well, so enjoy April everyone!
April is also the month of the traditional Sechseläuten “six o’clock bells” parade and burning of the Böögg. It occurs the third Monday in April. The day before, there is a large children’s parade, and then on Monday, the 26 Zurich Guilds parade through the streets ending at Bellevue where they “burn the Böögg” which is Switzerland’s answer to groundhog day -- the faster the Böögg burns the longer our summer will be! For those that are new to Zurich and want to witness this spectacle, head over towww.sechselaeuten.ch or just plan to be holding down your spot at Bellevue by 4:30 at the latest. More info at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sechseläuten
Advertising RatesFull page ad: 150 Sfr.
Half page ad: 80 Sfr.Quarter page ad: 50 Sfr.Inserts: 150 Sfr.Classifieds: Members: FREE Non Members 30 Sfr.
WAC Notice board : (one month / max. size A5 / members: free. Please contact office for further information.)
“WAC on Track” Deadlines and ContributionsIf you have a story to share, a fun experience, a recommendation, a recipe or anything else
you’d like to share with other members, please email it to: [email protected].
DEADLINE FOR MAY 2013 ISSUE: 20 APRIL 2013
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Spring is finally here (I think?!) and it’s a time of new beginnings, not least of all here at the WAC. April is the month that the new Board Members take over their
voluntary positions, so you can expect some new faces looking busy around the place! We’re all very much looking forward to the challenges of our new roles and I hope that we can continue to provide all our members with activities and events that our families can enjoy. Don’t be shy at getting in touch to let us know what you’d like to see happen this year.
We’ve got some big boots to fill with a fantastic group of volunteers now stepping down from the Board – thanks everyone for your tireless hard work on behalf of all WAC members.
Check out all the new perks for members that we are offering now, too!
I hope you’ve all had an enjoyable Easter break and that the snowdrops are finally appearing to tell us that winter might finally be over and we can all come out of hibernation once again! Here’s to some Springtime fun!
Sue
President’s NoteSue Mailley-‐Smith
UPCOMING WAC EVENTS 3 April Readers Gone WACky 4 April WAC Dinner Club: Greek 13 April Girls Club: Bruderhaus 20 April - 5 May Spring Break
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Ann
ual G
ener
al
Mee
ting
The WAC Annual General Meeting took place on Thursday, March 21st. The meeting was well attended and most of the outgoing Board and candidates, as well as some of our employees and a handful of members were present. Thanks to all WAC members who placed their votes by absentee ballot ahead of the AGM. A quorum was reached, with 87 active members casting
their votes. 3 votes were unclear but the remaining 84 votes were unanimous in their support of all the board candidates, and the new Board for 2013/2014 was therefore voted in.The evening also featured reports from the outgoing President and Treasurer and a constructive discussion about what the WAC can offer in the coming year.
We finished with a delicious dessert buffet and some social time.
Thank you to those who contributed to the buffet and supported the WAC by attending the AGM.
The Nomination Committee:Carol Conzelmann, Stephanie Weber, Susan Junod, Angie Menendez and Anouk Kummer-Wehli
2013-14
Your New WAC Board
MembersPresident: Sue Mailley-Smith
Vice President: Sima Xie
Secretary: Swapna Patil
Treasurer: Judy Burkhardt
Marketing: Charlotte Stone
Special Events: Louise Gooding
Activities: Heike Adler
Membership: Clare Taylor
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
The past year has once again been busy but I believe good for the WAC. We’ve been very lucky to have a full Board team throughout the whole year, with a good combinaAon of experience and new ideas, which has helped us to run the WAC smoothly.
Looking back over the year, a few things stand out and I’d like to take some Ame to menAon these.
SUMMER BBQAt the WAC summer BBQ, we celebrated 15 years since the WAC became an official registered Club. The weather was hot and sAcky but the atmosphere was light – the event was a great success, with a winning mix of our usual favorites such as face painAng, games, forest play, Mickey’s visit, bingo and pony rides with a few extra things, such as more bouncy castles, a photo studio, zumba and of course the balloon release. The organizaAon of such a big event is quite a challenge, but once again it was a great team effort. We asked various non-‐board members to get involved and help out, and were delighted with the ready support we received. I hope this year’s event, booked for Saturday 22nd June, will once again draw support from across the WAC.
ONLINE SURVEYSAlso new this year was our first online survey, in which we asked members to give their feedback about the BBQ. This is a much more effecAve (and modern) way of asking for opinions. We study very closely the valuable comments and overall results, and hope members conAnue to respond to surveys so the team can keep up to date with members’ thoughts and capture new ideas.
HALLOWEEN PARTY Another first in the past year was the hosAng of the Halloween party at a new external venue. The WAC can easily get very full and the layout is challenging for
hosAng such a big party, and we felt the new venue was great – more spacious, easy to reach and with an appropriately dark and spooky disco room. Our Halloween and Christmas parAes are a big challenge for those who organize them, especially as they come so close together. In the future we really need greater willingness on behalf of all members to help out with decoraAon, Adying up and general organizaAon if we are conAnue to offer such fantasAc, large scale parAes.
NEW WEBSITEA huge project this year was the re-‐launch of our website. Looking much more bright and welcoming, and with constantly updated and hopefully accurate informaAon, we hope that the website will be a more useful resource both for exisAng members, and for those coming across the WAC for the first Ame.
PR EVENTSWe also got the WAC name out there in our local community by taking part in the Uster Welcome Day and in an InternaAonal School Fair, both in September. The effecAveness of such PR events is hard to quanAfy, but we felt it was useful to have a presence.
REVIEW OF MEMBER BENEFITSAt our last Board MeeAng, we took a look at how we can make the WAC even more a\racAve to our members. We are fortunate that the Club and School are well run and our financial results are posiAve, and whilst we always have to ensure that we keep aside some of our profits for unexpected needs we wanted to give back something for the membership. These were the measures we decided upon:
• Ida and the Board agreed that there would be no general increases in School Fees for the upcoming school year 2013/2014
• The Christmas party will in the future be FREE for members, who will sAll be asked to bring along pot luck and volunteer at least half an hour of their Ame. The WAC annual BBQ will of course conAnue to be free to members as well. Halloween is a more expensive party to organize but we will also reduce Acket prices to a flat rate of CHF10 per family (parents plus their kids). There will conAnue to be charges for non-‐members
2012-2013 President’s
ReportCarol Conzelmann
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
• The chance to rent the Clubroom at the WAC is a great benefit for members, and going forward the price will be reduced from CHF50 to CHF25 per half day. Non-‐members will be allowed to rent the Clubroom as well, at the higher price of CHF50
• The WAC Library has unAl now been self-‐funding through DVD rentals. Going forward, there will be a budget of CHF1000 per year to buy Children’s and Teen books
• Classified adverts (text only) in the WAC on Track and the WAC website will be free for members
SOCIAL CLUBSAnother highlight of the year was the start of several new social iniAaAves, just the kind of informal gatherings that make membership of the WAC such fun. The Dinner Club met twice and enjoyed Chinese and Mongolian food, with both old and new members taking part. The Girls’ Night In was re-‐started, offering a chance to have an inexpensive ‘night out’ and try out some new dishes in good company. There are plans for a crah group and of course our long running and popular reading club, Readers gone WACky, is sAll meeAng once a month. For the kids, we have both a Boys’ and Girls’ Club meeAng monthly, again run on an enArely voluntary basis. The members who make these clubs happen are the backbone of the WAC – thank you Susan Junod, Sue Mailley-‐Smith, Alice Knöpfel, Andrea Metz and Nancy Dodds, Jana Parkin and Mirjam Egli-‐Rohr.
Now it’s )me for more thanks – it’s a long list so please bear with me!
Stephanie Weber as our VP has been incredibly busy on behalf of the WAC. Despite living some distance away and having lots of other commitments, Stephanie found Ame to take on projects over and above her official role, including the very successful (and Ame consuming) raffle, launching our first online survey, and helping to design and launch our new website. I have asked Stephanie many Ames for help in the past year, and not once has she said no. Unfortunately however she did say no to another year as VP. And believe me, I did ask her (many Ames!) Thank you for your support Stephanie, and hope you’ll sAll be an acAve part of the WAC, we need talented, dedicated people like you!
Our Secretary Susan Junod has completed 2 years in her role, and has been a joy to work with. Always reliable, very efficient and ready with honest and valuable opinions, Susan has done a great job as Secretary. She also once
again opened her house to the WAC team for our annual get together and launched the popular Dinner Club this year. Thanks Susan for your support and friendship.
Leong See Wong as our Treasurer has managed to find Ame in between her regular visits to the ice rink to keep a close eye on our finances, working with our experienced bookkeeper Liz. It’s not an easy posiAon to fill and we’re very grateful to Leong See for helping out the WAC in this crucial area, and for keeping a close eye on our expenditure.
In Membership, Sue Mailley-‐Smith se\led into her job with the ease of a professional. Warm, welcoming and wise, Sue made new members feel instantly at home, and managed to end many Members’ breakfasts with people already signed up for jobs around the WAC, which is no small achievement! Sue has also been our secret Nom Com weapon; although not officially part of the commi\ee, she has done an outstanding job approaching members and twisAng arms. As she told me, she just expects that everyone is as willing to help as she is. If only it were true!
One of our unsung heroes of the WAC is Heike Adler, who in AcAviAes already has a wide ranging job, but has taken on much more. The Halloween and Christmas parAes just wouldn’t have happened without her, and we’ve had a very acAve social calendar at the WAC with movie nights, crah days, holiday camps and much more, plus of course our long running courses. On top of all that, Heike bought new kids’ chairs and play mats for the clubroom, and cleared out the cellar. The scope of her job is the reason why we’ve decided to split it in the year ahead. Heike will be responsible going forward for courses, the library and playgroups; the Events Chairperson will take care of the big parAes (BBQ, Halloween and Christmas), plus one off events like movie/disco nights and flea markets. We’re very lucky that Heike is willing to serve for a 3rd year and her experAse and energy are truly admirable.
In MarkeAng, Angie Menendez has completed a second year, and combined doing a fine job with being pregnant, as baby Siena was born in December. Angie has been a great person to work with and we will all miss her and her family very much when they relocate to the states in the summer.
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Among our Chairpersons, Judy Burckhardt has once again delivered a star performance taking care of our much loved WAC library. Judy finished spending the addiAonal funds and I for one have very much enjoyed discovering the new books she chose. Thanks to her care over the past 2 years, the Library is extremely well run, well stocked and manned with a great team of volunteers. Thank you so much Judy, and good luck in your new role as Treasurer!
Kalpana Jaiswal worked closely with Heike on Special Events this year, and was very acAvely involved in the Halloween party and in other areas. Thank you Kalpana for agreeing to take on the Chairperson challenge!
In Interior/Exterior, Pamela Stankay-‐Sherry has done an amazing job. With her can-‐do amtude, Pamela has made a very visible difference to the WAC, be it by planAng in the garden, sanding down tables in the classrooms and more recently helping to tackle the horror that is the WAC cellar. I’m delighted that Pamela is conAnuing in her role, this is such a crucial job! Thanks also to her quiet team of helpers who also do their bit to make the WAC run smoothly.
Fortunately we had no big IT crises this year; however it was not surprising given that we had Stephan Junod once more in this role! Stephan has been very generous with his Ame and support and once again, it is great to know we have an expert in this important area – unnoAced unAl something goes wrong!
In Playgroups, we have run without a Chairperson since Danna Levy Hoffmann stepped down from her role a few months ago. However, we owe a big thanks to those who have conAnued to run playgroups, especially Jana, Anna, BeVna and Louise.
Also in Business we’ve run most of the year without a Chairperson, so thank you Heike and Jen for keeping our courses going!
The WAC on Track has been looking fantasAc this year, and Stacy Streuli has given it an amazing makeover and done a fabulous job despite being located some distance from the WAC. I’m sure we all enjoy reading Stacy’s Editor’s note each month, and I’m extremely grateful to Stacy for carrying on with the WOT for a few more months so I can recoup some
energy before taking on PublicaAons from her later in the year. Thank you Stacy!
The WAC relies on volunteers, but also very much on the professional and enthusiasm of our paid staff. Jennifer Langkjaer, our Club Office Manager, iniAated and implemented the launch of our new website this year. It’s been a huge and demanding job and we’re thrilled with the results. Thank you Jen for bringing us into the 21st century!
Liz Weidmann, our bookkeeper, works just a few hours a month for the WAC but as an ex-‐member she supports us very well indeed. It’s great to have a professional taking care of the numbers on a long term basis, thank you Liz for your support.
Our School Director Ida Imbach is a great asset to the WAC. Together with our outstanding team of teachers, she ensures that the school is a great place for our children to feel at home, play and of course learn. Ida also helps out in countless other ways at the WAC and I would like to thank her personally for her support of myself and the Board over the past year.
I’m sure I have forgo\en some thanks, but I am very appreciaAve of all the support and feedback I’ve had during my 2 years as President. It’s been a great pleasure serving the WAC, which has been, and will conAnue to be, a very important part of mine and my family’s life. A volunteer job can be a challenge, without the reward of a regular pay packet (or indeed any pay packet!) However, the friends I’ve made and the posiAve, welcoming atmosphere I find every Ame I come to the WAC make it very worthwhile.
Finally I am absolutely thrilled that Sue Mailley-‐Smith will be our President for the coming year. I know she will prove to be a great leader and bring lots of energy, enthusiasm and new ideas to the job, and she will of course be supported by an excellent team.
I wish you all the very best of luck and hope you enjoy yourselves!
Carol Conzelmann
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
TREASURER’S REPORT 2012
TREASURER’S REPORT 2012
The financial results for the year 2012 are in keeping with the upward trend of the last few years. We have increased our income by a little over CHF10’000. The two largest contributing factors would be the increase from child development and the income from subsidies for the Swiss “Spielgruppe”. Overall costs have also increased in 2012 as compared to 2011 mostly due to the teachers’ bonuses and the increment in teachers’ salaries. That still leave us with a healthy pre-‐audited profit of CHF21’654.
The financial figures for 2012 are summarized below along with a comparison to the previous 4 years. The full, unaudited Balance Sheet and Income Statement for 2012 are available – please ask me if you would like a copy.
Club activity expenses for 2012, have been bought down by CHF5’400 with the operating expenses holding steady. The large decrease in business development expenses is attributed to the salaries for the ballet teachers, which are now recorded under salaries.
There was an overall decrease in other operating expenses. The largest decrease was in the administrative expenses. The auditor's bill is not yet included in the expense calculation.
IT expenses are slightly higher due to the purchase of the "Lager Module" from Bus Pro & the setting up of a new and more user friendly website.
Special events increased because more money was spent on the WAC BBQ this year.
Overall, the WAC profit before extraordinary costs decreased by 20% as compared to the previous year. Salaries expenses increased during 2012, while overall income increased, but not as much as the increase in the salary expenses.
Last but not least, I have had an enjoyable year working with the WAC Board, and I am pleased to have had such a positive financial result.
Leong See Wong FischerTreasurer
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Dear Friends,
I hope everyone is enjoying the Spring and looking forward to warmer days ahead.
The Board and I would like to thank everyone who completed the LTCS Satisfaction Survey. As before, respondents generally seemed satisfied with the LTCS. When asked about overall satisfaction, approachability of teachers, the level of courses offered, assistance with requests or problems and child happiness, 90 percent of responses were either “good” or “excellent” and nobody provided a negative response. Aside from being pleasant, this positive feedback is very helpful for helping the Board and the LTCS staff know that the way they are currently doing things generally works.
There were two other questions about satisfaction, however, that yielded a few less positive responses. One was regarding the WAC location. Here, 80 percent of the responses were “good” or “excellent,” 14 percent responded “average,” and 6 percent provided a rating of “fair.” So, while the location is not ideal for everyone, people are generally happy with it.
One topic that we suspected would be a little less positive was the question of whether school hours are suitable. We had heard previously that the hours, and particularly Wednesday afternoons, posed a problem for some families. A majority of responses were still supportive of the current hours, with 74 percent “good” or “excellent” responses. However, 20 percent of the responses were “average” and 6 percent were “fair.”
Since we anticipated the concerns with school hours, we also asked questions about moving some of the specific classes – specifically, RW4, RW5 and RW6 – from Wednesdays to other days of the week. There were responses on both sides for each class, with some people strongly supporting the proposed change and others
strongly opposing it. In each case, however, there were at least as many respondents who strongly opposed the change as there were those who strongly supported it.
We certainly want to accommodate the schedules of as many people as possible, which is why we added these questions to the survey. But, since the proposed changes seem to inconvenience as many people as they help, we
have decided not to make the changes at the present. We apologize to those families that supported making the change, but we are trying to balance everyone’s preferences, which is why we conducted the survey. It is certainly possible to revisit this issue in the future.
Many thanks again to those of you who helped shaped the survey with thoughtful and constructive comments. We look forward to living up to and exceeding your expectations.
Warmly, Stephanie
LTCS School Survey
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
I hope you all had a nice Easter.
We missed a lot of you at the AGM.
The teachers and I would, once again, like to thank the outgoing board for all their support and we would like to welcome the incoming board and look forward to working with them.
Last month, the end of my message was cut out of the page (had so much to say) so I would like to repeat it this month – thank you to all of you who participated in the survey. Your feedback is important to us.
As you will see from Stephanie’s column, the overall results were positive. An important question was regarding the Reading & Writing classes. The survey results brought us to the conclusion that all Reading & Writing classes will continue next school year on a Wednesday afternoon. However, there will be a slight change – we will be renaming the classes to make it simpler. Our 9 classes will now be RW1 – RW9. Your child’s teachers will give you more information at the Parent-Teacher conferences that are coming up this month.
The Parent-Teacher conferences will take place on the week of April 15 and the sign-up sheets have been posted. The Reading & writing classes will have their conferences on April 10 and 17 to accommodate everyone.
The afternoon classes will also be having their class pictures taken on the week on April 8.
After the conferences we will have our Spring Holidays (2 weeks) and on the first week we are running our yearly Spring Vacation Program. The sign- up sheets are posted.
Enjoy the Spring Holidays!
LTC School News Ida Imbach
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
COM Corner Jennifer Langkjaer
I would like to say a thank you to all of the outgoing Board Members and Committee Chairs. Your contributions, dedication and support are very much appreciated. It has been a pleasure working with you!
Well the weather is slowly getting better and so are the opportunities to get out and about in some warm sunshine with your family!As I'm sure we will still be experiencing some rainy days I wanted to share with you our latest discovery.Zurich's Zoological museum! We discovered this place by accident and the little ones really enjoyed looking at all
the animals. Its only a small place, but it's free and sometimes a nice little adventure to keep the kiddies happy if out and about in Zurich if you don't fancy the zoo itself!It's suitable for smalls as well as older children and they have a lift if you have a push chair/stroller.If going by public transport you need to take the same tram as if going to the zoo from central, just up from HB station, but you hop of at the university and its a short walk from there.
http://www.zm.uzh.ch/index.html
And if your feeling a little peckish after all your exploring, then I recommend stopping by Felix Cafe at Bellevue. If you have never been, you are in for a very scrummy treat indeed!
--Louise Gooding
ZURICH ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM / Zoologisches Museum der Universität
ZürichKarl-Schmid-Strasse 4
8006 Zürich
HOURS: Tues-Fri 9:00-17:00
Sat/Sun 10:00-17:00CLOSED MONDAYS
Price - free
Tram 10/9/6 to ETH-Universitätspital
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Ever wonder what is really happening in the news in and around Switzerland? Particularly local news! Perhaps you glance through 20 Minutes or Blick newspapers, but don’t understand enough German to really grasp the whole story?
A great website I highly recommend is called Swissinfo.ch. It offers news coverage of local and international news in some 10 different languages. No more relying on Google-Translate, or a spouse or neighbour to translate the news for you.
At Swissinfo you can read all the up-to-date Swiss news, and more, from the latest elections and results, to mislabelled free-range/organic eggs on sale in Switzerland, to the recent tragic shooting in Lucerne etc.etc. Just about everything that is in the local news, can be found at Swissinfo, in English!!!
Here is the direct English link: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/index.html
Enjoy staying up-to-date with all the local and international happenings, and most of all, reading about them AND understanding them in English!
Sharon’s Tips
by Sharon Warthm
ann
Postcard from IndiaThe March Girl's Night In was Indian themed, and 9 WAC 'girls' enjoyed a wonderful evening with great company. We started the evening with samosas, salads and Indian nibbles, and then feasted on a selection of rice, naan bread and perfectly spiced curries followed by delicious chocolate brownies. The next Girl's Night In is planned for May, and will be organised by Mimi - theme is to be decided! Look out for more information in the newsletter and on the noticeboard.
The WAC
Winterthurerstrasse 18
8610 Uster
GIRL’S NIGHT IN
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
“We are never so poor that we cannot bless another human being, are we? So it is that every evil, whether moral or material, results in good. You'! see.” Louise Erdrich, The Round House
In March the Readers Gone WACky read The Round House by Louise Erdrich. Joe, a 13-year-old Ojibwe boy, who lives on a reservation in North Dakota, tells the story. His mother is brutally raped near the Round House, the tribal sacred meeting place. Where the attack precisely occurred is unclear (native ground, state territory or “fee land”), and the laws of jurisdiction are complicated. The search for the rapist, and his prosecution are blocked. Even Joe’s lawyer-judge father makes no progress. Frustrated, and frightened for his mother with the rapist still on the loose, Joe decides to take justice into his own hands. The Round House is both a coming of age story and a thriller. The narrative also includes portions of Native American history, and traditional Indian myth told by Joe’s grandfather in his sleep. This patchwork approach reflects the author’s previous books, which often combine multiple narratives with local history and contemporary themes.
Joe narrates the story both as a teenager and as an adult public prosecutor looking back on the past. His relationships with his mother and father, as well as his best friend, are an important part of the story. In Erdrich’s brilliant writing, life on the reservation is vivid and the characters are plausible and engaging. Especially unforgettable are the lovable but lewd 112-year-old sleep-talking grandfather, and the bawdy grandmother, whose talk about sex embarrasses the teenagers.
The book club discussed Native American beliefs and the concept of good and evil, as explained by the Catholic priest on the reservation. In the novel, Joe struggles to reconcile these ideas about justice and vengeance; members felt that his search may reflect truths of the Native American community today.
All in all, the Readers Gone WACky judged The Round House a dark yet compelling reading selection.
Our next meetings and books are:
April 3 March by Geraldine BrooksMay 15 The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka June 19 Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Meetings are held on Wednesday evenings at 8 PM at the WAC. New readers are very welcome! Please call or email Alice Knoepfel for more information (044 912 2326 [email protected])
Readers Gone WACkyAlice Knöpfel
!
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
For the month of March Girls Club worked on their Seasons/Nature badge. We learned all about animals that have been hibernating and are now getting ready to wake up. It was interesting to learn
how bears have to fill their tummies up before going to sleep but squirrels store their food next to them and wake up every 4-5 days for a snack and a moment to stretch. Loads of insects hibernate like flies,
bees, ladybugs, and snails but most surprising for me was to learn that the black fish also hibernates! It just digs into the mud and hangs out until the water gets warmer. After learning about the different
seasons we went outside to look for signs of spring. Turning over rocks to look for bugs, observing the swelling buds on the trees and bushes, bulbs popping out of the earth, and loads of birds overhead. During snack time the girls got to compare 3 different types of honey. Lavender honey was the
resounding winner, followed closely by orange, with pine honey being in the least favorite. Next we made some homemade peanut butter for our pinecone birdfeeders, a bit messy but loads of fun. Each
girl was also given a bulb and vase to observe how roots form. All that along with painting our bat houses from last month made for another great Girls Club. Many thanks to Heike and Natalie for
their helping hands. Next month we will be meeting at the Bruderhaus wildlife park in Winterthur on April 13th at 11am. It’s a potluck for the whole family. Hopefully spring will finally arrive by then!
Girls ClubJana Parkin
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Dear WAC Members,
Here are the new movies that the WAC Library has acquired for April:
Breaking Dawn Part 2 --- the last of the Twilight series of movies.
Looper --- An assassin is ordered to kill his older self (played by Bruce Willis). Can he escape?
Hope Springs --- Meryl Streep plays a wife trying to rekindle the flame in her marriage again.
Pope Joan/Die Päpstin --- the story of how in Medieval Times a woman became the Pope of Rome.
Lost (season #2) --- how plane crash survivors live on a deserted island (requested by members).
Amadeus --- the music & story of Mozart as told through a rival’s eyes. In its day, this film won 8 Oscars.
Here Comes the Boom --- Teacher tries to raise funds for his school by becoming an amateur wrestler.
Hotel Transylvania --- Dracula made a safe hotel for monsters. But when a human discovers it & Dracula’s daughter falls in love with the human, what should Papa Vampire do?
Room on a Broom --- the hit book by Julia Donaldson made into a movie like the Gruffalo.
Barbie Pink Shoes --- newest Barbie film. When Barbie puts on some special pink toe shoes, she is transported into a magical world of ballet where Barbie becomes Giselle and Odette (from Swan Lake).
Wreck it Ralph – when a video game villain wants to become the good guy, he turns his video world into upside-down. Who says that life is pre-programmed?.
As for new books, look out for Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book #7 and Life of Pi. You can read the book that inspired the Oscar winning movie (“Life of Pi”) that will come out in the WAC Library in May. Also to prepare your kids for the movie, “Rise of the Guardians,” you should read to them (or have them read) Nicholas St. North and/or E. Aster Bunnymund: two books which are the basis for the characters in the movie, “Rise of the Guardians” coming out in May. These books are already in circulation in the WAC Library.
Lastly, in April, Jessica Bachofen will become the new WAC Library Chairperson. Hooray for Jessie! I had a wonderful 2+ years being the Library Chair. It was a lot of fun for me. Thank you all for your help & support the whole time. Please give Jessie the same support that you gave me. You have all been wonderful! Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
J Judy
p.s. For those of you who want to know about the latest & greatest movie offerings by the WAC Library, check out the WAC Cellar Door. Posted on it are all the upcoming movies that have already been bought for May, June, & July. Many of the Oscar Films & big children’s movies are being slowly distributed over these 3 months.
LIBRARY NEWSJudy Burckhardt
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
The WAC Dinner Club met last in January at the Han Mongolian Barbecue here in Uster. The evening was again a great success and it was good to see some new faces to the WAC. The 9
ladies who attended all enjoyed the varied all you can eat buffet and some sampled their Mongolian Beers too!
The next Dinner Club will take place on Thursday 4th April
with drinks from 7.30pm and food at 8pm.
We will be trying out the
Poseidon Greek RestaurantAathalstrasse 5, Uster
www.taverna-poseidon.ch
These evenings are great for those new to the WAC who want to get to know other members and also for old timers with older children at school who want to meet other mums and swap
experiences. Why not come and join us and share a fun and relaxed evening out.There will be a sign up sheet on the noticeboard in March or you can sign up via email.
Susan Junod (WAC Secretary) [email protected]
WAC
DINNER
CLUB
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
A big hello to everyone!Rockin' Rascals has been having lots of fun with lots of creative ideas and crafts this last season, from mask making, planting cress seeds and sandwich making!We have lot more exciting ideas to bring into the group and always are happy to receive any feedback from parents about how we can improve the group. Don't forget if any one has any traditional crafts, celebrations, traditions they would like to share with us we would love to hear from you! Please speak to Louise, Annie or Bettina!Look forward to seeing you on Thursday mornings 9.15-11.15! If you would like any more
information or like to included in our mailing list please contact Louise on [email protected]
Playgroup News
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
WAC����������� ������������������ PLAYGROUPSZoom Zoom Zoom !
* Lots of singing,, and moving
* Story time or theme discussion
* Every Tuesday starting at 9:30-11:30
Come make some new friends!
Interested? Ask Jana for more info.
ROCKIN’ RASCALSRockin’ Rascals welcomes kids aged 0-4 and their mom-dad-caregiver
Every Thursday from 9:15-11:15for songs, playing, crafts and snack!
Hosted by Annie Forster, Bettina Ditzen and Louise GoodingFor more information please contact Louise at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: Members, their families and guests are reminded that participation in WAC activities is entirely on their own discretion and/or risk. Neither the Women’s Activity Club nor its representatives shall be held responsible for damage, injury or loss incurred by
the use of Club property or participation in club events.
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Playgroup Snapshots
Photos courtesy of Louise Gooding
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
Lunch Club
A Two Hour Supervised Lunch Break for you and your kids! Mon-Tues-Thurs-Fri 11:45-13:45
Cost: 15chf per child/per day
Parents are responsible for their own child’s sack lunch.
Please fill in a registration form at the WAC or see our website for more info.
THE WAC DAY EXCURSIONS BOOKFor all those excursions around Zurich and beyond, don’t forget the revised WAC Excursion Book, listing great
days out in and around the Zurich area.
Available from the office or library for just 15 SFr.
Mothering Mattersis a non-profit, bi-monthly journal
for English- speaking parents living in Switzerland with articles and information on child-rearing topics, suggestions and practical
tips for child-related activities.
A year’s subscription costs SFr. 33.
For more information, or to subscribe, go to
www.mmjournal.com
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 29:30-11:30 Playgroup11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club
39:00 Library open1:30 Library open 8:00 Readers gone WACky
4 5 6
7 89:00 Library open 11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club4:15 Ballet
99:30-11:30 Playgroup11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club
109:00 Library open1:30 Library open
119:15-11:15am Playgroup11:15 Library open11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club4:30 Library open19:00 Zumba
129:00 Library open11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club4:00pm Ballet
1310-11 Ballet
14 159:00 Library open 11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club4:15 Ballet
169:30-11:30 Playgroup11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club
179:00 Library open1:30 Library open
189:15-11:15am Playgroup11:15 Library open11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club4:30 Library open19:00 Zumba
199:00 Library open11:45-1:45pm Lunch Club4:00pm Ballet
20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30
Volume 18, Issue 1 April 2013
April
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
