Issue 20September 2015

We’re not just a gym...

Fall is HereHelp the kids transition back to schoolJuggle work, family, and the back to school scheduleGet your exercise in with more impact

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Summer vacation is coming to an end and school is starting. The Child Care Department at the Centre has spent the last few weeks getting ready for the new school year. The teachers have spent lots of time setting up the room, preparing activities and lessons for the first weeks, and holding open houses. 4K kids will arrive for school on Tuesday this week and 3 Year Old Preschool students begin next week.

As kids begin school this fall they may have a range of emotions just like parents and teachers. They may be happy, excited, nervous, or sad. The beginning of school and a set routine is a big change compared to the flexible, laidback, fun times of summer. As a parent there are some ways to help your child get ready for school, whether it is their first experience or they are going into second grade.

• Feed your child breakfast each day. A hungry child is unable to focus and do their very best at school.

• Have a set routine for at home for before school and after. Following a routine will help your child know what is coming next and what is expected of them.

• Leave something at school with your child that will remind them of you. It can be as simple as a family photo or a favorite book that you read together.

• Always say good-bye and have a routine for doing so. Give your child a hug, wave good-bye at the window, or sing a favorite song. If needed, practice and role-play saying good-bye to help your child. Once you leave, do not return to the classroom unless absolutely needed. It can cause your child to become upset again and make it harder for the next good-bye.

• Get excited when talking about school and volunteer if you can. If your child sees that you are excited and enjoy learning then they will share the same feelings.

• Talk with your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

Good luck this school year to all the kids, parents, and teachers. I know it will be filled with learning for everyone!

Megan LyonsChild Care Manager

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Message FromChild Care Manager Centre

Connections

Highlights3 A Tropical Night for Centre Members

4 Meet Josie Wendt

5 Tips to Eat Healthy While Juggling Work, Family and Back-to-School

6 Meet Evan Suit

7 Rev up your workout with interval training

Issue 20, September 2015

New Richmond Area Centre428 S Starr AveNew Richmond WI 54017715-246-2252www.nracentre.comwww.facebook.com/newrichmond.centre

Board MembersJean Needham, PresidentJill Schreck, Vice PresidentPaul Mayer, TreasurerGary Bakke, Secretary Bill BuellJeff Moberg Marilyn Peplau

Administrative StaffDarian Blattner, Executive Director Jennifer Williams, Operations DirectorAmanda Fall, Business ManagerVince Dreyer, Properties ManagerLarissa Ruud, Youth, Teen and Family ManagerMegan Lyons, Child Care ManagerColleen Davis, Marketing and Communications Manager & Magazine Editor Evan Baczynski, Aquatics ManagerBrian Schroeder, Member Experience ManagerAmanda Voeltz, Fitness Manager

Centre Mission Statement Health, Fitness and Fun for All Ages

3 Core Value Relationships We choose to share lives and believe that every member has a story. We are open to all.

We’re saying “Aloha” to an exciting new season of Family Fun at the Centre! We have worked hard over the summer to update our facilities and create new programs for our members. As we head into fall, we are announcing our next big step in our efforts to bring you the best experience possible. We’re calling it Membership Inclusion. This means we are including many more programs with your membership.

To kick it all off, we’re inviting members with children of all ages to a FREE tropical luau on September 19 from 5:00 to 7:45pm! The Luau is just one of the awesome events now included in your membership at the Centre. Want to find out what else is included in your family’s membership? Join us at the Family Fun Luau.

Wear your tropical attire, and don’t forget your swim suit for fun activities in the pool. After you dry off, try your hand at Pickleball, bounce in our inflatable bouncers, or enjoy crafts and games on the pool patio. You can’t have a luau without food, so we’re serving up a healthy tropical menu for purchase, including a $3 meal deal.

Post your pictures on Facebook and tag the Centre to be entered in a drawing for a Kid’s Night at the Centre package worth $25! We’ll have a tropical photo backdrop for family photos to commemorate all the fun memories you’ll make. We’ll also have opportunities throughout the night to win a concession package for Family Movie Night and a gift certificate for the supply fee for the Family Fun Crockpot event.

There are many opportunities this fall, and throughout the year, to spend quality time at the Centre. Many programs are now offered at no additional cost to Centre Members. We have tried to include a little of something for everyone in our Membership Inclusion; from Kettlebell and TRX classes to Youth Dodgeball League and from Family Fun Movie Night to Basic Swim Safety Classes.

Join us at the Family Fun Luau on September 19 to find out more about Membership Inclusion, get registered for our fall events and programs, and have a great time!

Details and registration forms for the Luau can be found in the Centre lobby or on www.nracentre.com. We are looking forward to the first of many awesome events with our members this fall.

Centre Program Spotlight

Family Fun LuauBringing you more for your membershipBY JULIE GRIEPENTROG, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

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FREE for Centre MembersSaturday, September 19

5:00 PM - 7:45 PMCentre

Exciting things are happening this Fall at the Centre. Check out some of the great programs that are now

INCLUDED WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP!

At the luau you’ll enjoy:

activities in the Centre Pool

Pickleball

crafts

games on the patio

inflatable bouncer

photo opportunities

music

tropical themed concessions

4 Core Value Sustainability As a non-profit, we are committed to developing a sustainable resource engine to power our future.

Centre Member Spotlight

Josie Wendt BY BRITTANEE ZEMKE, 4K LEAD TEACHER

Josephine Wendt is a cheerful, friendly, and smart 5 year old girl. She just finished 4 year old kindergarten here at The Centre. She was in the afternoon 4K class and she said that she made friends with all the kids. Some of Josie’s favorite things to do in 4K included cooking in the dramatic play kitchen, playing with her friends, and drawing in her journal. She had weekly journal drawings that showed what she learned about each week at school, along with her own free choice drawings.

Josie’s family includes her mom Katie, dad Jeremy, and sisters Dottie, Evie, and Phoebe. Josie’s favorite thing to do with her family at The Centre is to go in the pool and swim with each other. She has come a long way in her swimming skills since the beginning of the school year by swimming with her family, swimming during 4K, and taking swim lessons.

Josie’s family also utilizes Kid’s Kove and the girls have a lot of fun playing in there. Her family recently attended the end of the year celebration for all the 4K and 3 year old preschool families where they jumped in the bounce houses, climbed the rock wall, played on the tumbling equipment, and ran around on the playground. They also attend other Centre events when they can. Josie and her family have been Centre members since November 2013.

I am looking forward to seeing my friends, getting to know my teacher more, and seeing all of the teachers I’ve had before. - Wyatt

Seeing my friends again and I like math, reading, and writing. - Dillon

My brother Matthew is starting kindergarten and my best friend Natalie will be in 2nd grade with me. - Gabby

I’m looking forward to the end of school year party. Last year we had an ice cream party with a movie. - Alex

I am excited to go to kindergarten at Paperjack. - Elizabeth

What are you looking forward to as the school year starts?

membersthoughts5

5 Core Value Integrity We hold ourselves accountable to our members, community and each other.

Exercising Healthy

Tips to Eat Healthy While Juggling Work, Family and Back-to-SchoolSOURCE: http://www.healthyeating.org/Blog/Article/1855/4-Tips-to-Eat-Healthy-While-Juggling-Work-Family-and-Back-to-School.aspx

Back-to-school time usually means back to harried schedules that add homework and soccer practice into an already compressed evening for working parents. Making time for healthy meals and exercise can be overwhelming. No wonder that 60% of Americans say with all that they juggle, they only want to spend about 15 minutes prepping meals.

Stock and rely on your pantry and freezerWhen you are busy, you will eat what is around the house or resort to ordering in or using the drive-thru. By stocking your pantry and freezer with some basic staples, you can rest assured that there will always be something to pull together at the last-minute. As an example, it might be tortillas, cheese, a can of beans for quesadillas or burritos served with vegetables from the freezer; whole wheat bread, tomato, deli ham and cheese for a quick grilled sandwich.

Concentrate on a main dish and choose easy sidesIf you do have some time to put into crafting a more-complicated main dish, go with very easy side dishes to round out the meal and make sure all five food groups are present. Baby carrots, frozen peas or a cucumber sliced with rice vinegar are good examples. Already-cooked frozen brown rice, five-minute couscous or toasted whole wheat bread offers a grain. Fruit grabbed from the bowl on the counter hits that food group. Pouring glasses of milk feels like the easiest one of all.

Take a few minutes to plan and rotate through family favoritesEach weekend, take a few minutes to scratch out a meal plan for the week. Make my grocery list at the same time and think ahead about what nights you have commitments. Also determine whether you need to do some batch-cooking on Sunday to get through the week, or if you should pick up a roasted chicken from the supermarket that can easily be added to a salad, quesadilla or served alongside pasta.

Its easy to get stuck in this planning phase. Try to remember the meals that are quick and the family enjoys eating. Getting organized and keeping track of your go-to meals or quick recipes is essential for making this part of the healthy eating process easier.

Know when to fold ‘emDon’t feel guilty about the nights when life gets too hectic and the trip to the grocery store didn’t happen as you’d planned. It’s ok to resort to serving a bowl of cereal or yogurt with granola for dinner. But you know what? They might love those nights. Still gather round the table, set out some fruit to go with it, and have a well-balanced meal with a lot of nutrients. Dishes are a snap and you all get a moment to take a collective breath. Nothings healthier than that!

Other tips:

• Utilize a printable meal planner that includes a blank shopping list

• Take out the crock pot and have dinner ready when you walk in the door. We have a Family Fun Crockpot Meals class coming in October.

• Use our online recipe archive at: www.nracentre.com/seniors/recipes or other sites to find healthy and tasty meal ideas

• Hang a chalkboard that you can post the week’s meals on

• Get the kids involved with meal planning ideas and cooking in the kitchen

6 Big Hair Audacious Goal To become the healthiest community in America

Centre Staff Spotlight

Evan SuitBY EVAN BACZYNSKI, AQUATICS MANAGER

Iconic in the Aquatics Department, you always know when you see the cowboy hat and boots, that Evan Suit is soon to be on duty. Evan and his family have been members off and on for the last ten years or so, but last July, Evan joined our team of lifeguards. When asked why he chose to join the Centre’s team, he shared that he loves the flexibility of the schedule, the job always keeps him busy, and that, while working here, he feels cared about. A lot of other positions available to youth in high school aren’t as considerate. Since his hiring, Evan has been one of the most reliable Centre employees. He is constantly stepping up to take shifts, offering to work special events, and ALWAYS arriving early

for his shifts. This spring, Evan once again stepped up and offered his time to join the Swim School Instructor team, helping out with lessons through the Spring and Summer Sessions. A natural night owl and up until the early hours of the morning, you will see Evan here around five nights a week happily taking on the closing shifts. Although willing to take the morning shifts, he is thankful they are an uncommon occurrence.

Originally from Georgia and Alabama, Evan is a Southern boy at heart. Along with his mother, older sister, and younger brother, Evan moved up to New Richmond before the start of his 3rd grade year. Although a New Richmond resident, Evan attended Salem Lutheran in Stillwater for elementary school and St. Croix Lutheran High School in West St Paul. While enrolled, Evan enjoyed participating in numerous sports and activities, particularly highlighting bowling, track, wrestling, and trap shooting; bowling and trapshooting being his favorites. Since graduating this past May, Evan has enrolled in EMT and Paramedic courses at WITC. He will continue to work here and go to school full time until he achieves his certifications. His long term goal is to move south to Nashville to avoid the cold and snow of Wisconsin winters and to work fulltime as a professional EMT/Paramedic.

When he is not working, attending classes, or doing homework, Evan spends time with his family, often visiting his sister, Katie, and his young niece, Gabby, in Roberts or his extended family in Hudson. In the warmer months, Evan is an avid fisherman. He even saved up enough to purchase his own fishing boat at the beginning of this summer! Before his fall courses started, you were more than likely to catch Evan fishing with his friend and fellow Centre lifeguard, Gage Peterson, at Mary Park. When not on the lake or with his family, Evan enjoys listening to his favorite country music artists and watching new shows on Netflix.

September Centre Bucket ListLooking for things to do in September?

o Every Friday - Romp and Stomp

o Sept 8 & 11 - Parent Child Connections

o Sept 10 - Adult Flag Football League

o Sept 11 - Senior Potluck

o Sept 11 - Teen and Tween Fall Kick-Off Up All Night

o Sept 16 - Early Out Teen Party

o Sept 19 - Centre Triathlon

o Sept 19 - Family Fun Luau

o Sept 21 - Wee Soccer

o Sept 21 - Youth Dodgeball League

o Sept 22 - Swim Lesson Session 2 Reg Deadline

o Sept 23 - Movers and Shakers

o Sept 28 - Strength & Interval Training

Check the event calendar for more details:

www.nracentre.com/event-calendar

7 Core Value Health We focus on healthy life choices and support people in reaching their potential.

Eating Healthy

Rev up your workout with interval training Interval training can help you get the most out of your workout.SOURCE: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/interval-training/art-20044588

Are you ready to shake up your workout? Do you wish you could burn more calories without spending more time at the gym? Consider aerobic interval training. Once the domain of elite athletes, interval training has become a powerful tool for the average exerciser, too.

What is interval training?It’s not as complicated as you might think. Interval training is simply alternating bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity.

For instance, if your exercise is walking — if you’re in good shape, you might incorporate short bursts of jogging into your regular brisk walks. If you’re less fit, you might alternate leisurely walking with periods of faster walking. For example, if you’re walking outdoors, you could walk faster between certain mailboxes, trees or other landmarks.

What can interval training do for me?Whether you’re a novice exerciser or you’ve been exercising for years, interval training can help you jazz up your workout routine. Consider the benefits:• You’ll burn more calories. The more vigorously you exercise,

the more calories you’ll burn — even if you increase intensity for just a few minutes at a time.

• You’ll improve your aerobic capacity. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, you’ll be able to exercise longer or with more intensity. Imagine finishing your 60-minute walk in 45 minutes — or the additional calories you’ll burn by keeping up the pace for the full 60 minutes.

• You’ll keep boredom at bay. Turning up your intensity in short intervals can add variety to your exercise routine.

• You don’t need special equipment. You can simply modify your current routine.

Are the principles of interval training the same for everyone?Yes — but you can take interval training to many levels. If you simply want to vary your exercise routine, you can determine the

length and speed of each high-intensity interval based on how you feel that day.

After warming up, you might increase the intensity for 30 seconds and then resume your normal pace. The next burst of more intense activity may last two to three minutes. How much you pick up the pace, how often and for how long is up to you.

If you’re working toward a specific fitness goal, you may want to take a more scientific approach. A personal trainer or other expert can help you time the intensity and duration of your intervals — which may include movement patterns similar to those you’ll use during your sport or activity — based on your target heart rate, the ability of your heart and lungs to deliver oxygen to your muscles (peak oxygen intake), and other factors.

Does interval training have risks?Interval training isn’t appropriate for everyone. If you have a chronic health condition or haven’t been exercising regularly, consult your doctor before trying any type of interval training. Recent studies suggest, however, that interval training can be used safely for short periods even in individuals with heart disease.

Also keep the risk of overuse injury in mind. If you rush into a strenuous workout before your body is ready, you may injure your muscles, tendons or bones. Instead, start slowly. Try doing just one or two higher intensity intervals during each workout at first. If you think you’re overdoing it, slow down. As your stamina improves, challenge yourself to vary the pace. You may be surprised by the results.

Check out the Strength & Interval Training class starting September 28

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No One Leaves The Same