Let Them Be Kids-Yellowknife

BUILD DAY WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!

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Schedule of Events: Saturday September 25, 2010

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8:00 a.m. Set up.

8:30a.m. Registration opens. Coffee, tea, juice and snacks are available for morning volunteers.

REGISTRATION TABLE The registration for both sites will be in the NJ Macpherson school. We will have tables where you can sign in, complete your waivers and obtain your work team assignment.

PARKING: THERE IS LIMITED PARKING AT BOTH SITES. We are asking people to use the school turnaround at NJ Macpherson for dropping of people, tools and equipment only. Parking will be limited to what is available on the streets around the school sites. Please carpool or make arrangements to We have additional parking for the Montessori site at St. Pat’s Church. .

FOOD: We are planning to feed you right! Vegetarian options are available. Coffee, juice and water will also be provided.

9:00 a.m. Build Day Begins.

REMINDER: all volunteers must check in at the registration table.
If you have not registered on the website yet, please do so at www.yellowknife.ltbk.ca

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch is served for volunteers and children at the NJ Macpherson site. All volunteers working at the Montessori site will be transported back to the NJ Macpherson Site for lunch. Work at the Montessori site should be completed prior to the lunch break volunteers can have lunch and are welcomed to continue assisting with projects at the NJ Macpherson site until completion of the project.

2:00 p.m. Opening of the park ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony begins at the NJ Macpherson site. NOTE: this time is flexible and update as to the expected time of completion of the project and subsequent start of the opening ceremonies will be provided at 11:00 am through CJCD broadcasts. The ceremony could begin as early as 1230.

Once the ribbon is cut its: PLAY TIME

Post Ceremony: Clean up

Firefighters Memorial Parks - BUILD DAY: Saturday September 25, 2010

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We have arrived to this exciting moment! The plan to make a fun, safe, all accessible place for kids and families to gather is in full action. Work crews have started to prepare the site for our Saturday build day. Read on below to get a scope of the day’s events and what you need to bring. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday at the registration table!

Please print and fill out the attached wavier and bring it filled out, but unsigned, to the registration table on Saturday, this is the only way you will be able to work. By having it filled out in advance it will make the process of registration smooth and easy…so we can get to the work of building a playground and better community.

Yellowknife broadcast live around the world! Our project is being broadcast live on the world wide web. As a Let Them Be Kids community our project is being featured on their internet broadcast network. Tell your family and friends to watch the action and celebrate with us, just have them go to www.ltbk.ca to see our exciting work, LIVE!

IMPORTANT:

On build day, we will need:
Tape measures
4’ levels
Torpedo Levels
Impact guns
Cordless Drills and bits 21/64 and 5/32
Buffer/grinder
Wheelbarrows (LOTS OF THEM)
Rakes (LOTS OF THEM)
Pruning Shears for Shrubs
Wrench or ratchet sets ½”, 9/16” ¾” and 5/16”
Sledge hammers
Large Tarps (LOTS OF THEM)
Ladders (6 or 8 foot step ladders)
Extension cords – fairly long
Painting supplies

If you have any of the above, could you please bring it? If you do, be sure to mark it well with your name so you go home with it.

We have met our goal for phase one of both the project at the Downtown Montessori site and for the all accessible playground at the NJ Macpherson site!! A HUGE thank you to all of you who donated your time, materials, and money. This would not be possible without your interest and dedication. In the spring, when weather permits, we will continue with phase 2 of the project.

General Update

The school grounds have been prepared for our big day on September 25th.

The old equipment at the downtown Montessori site has been removed. Old equipment at the NJ Macpherson site will be removed on Saturday. We look forward to seeing you on the build day!J

We have well over 120 volunteers signed up!! We have been contacting you to confirm details.

Thanks to the Let Them Be Kids Foundation, there are other projects like ours occurring. Take a moment to view their website at www.ltbk.ca and become familiar with their awesome organization. See how this all volunteer non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing the joy of play to kids acts as a catalyst in communities across Canada.

NJ Macpherson School NEW Accessible Play Structure!

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Yellowknife Montessori School NEW Play Structure

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Pictures from our Dot Mocracy Events!

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The Let Them be Kids Yellowknife Committee held our Dot Mocracy Events on Thursday July 8th. Events took place at both locations.

At the NJ Macpherson School playground, children had a chance to experience what it would feel like to be in a wheel chair and see how accessible the playground actually was for someone with a disability. Children could also experience the feeling of vision loss, with a pair of specialized glasses which limited their vision. The children experienced the disability and realized how challenging it would be for someone to utilize the existing playground structures at the park. After the children took part in this activity they had a chance to then choose the equipment that they feel would be the most accessible for all people.

The Yellowknife Montessori School had the Summer Camp children choose which equipment they would like to see in the new playground. The children were pretty excited to be able to give their input to deciding what equipment the playground would have. The children also helped to build the ribbon that will be cut at the grand opening of the playground by tracing and cutting out their hand prints, all the hand prints will be joined together to be cut at the grand opening of the playground on September 25th.

Yellowknifer Newpaper - Friday, July 2, 2010

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GOALS of our LTBK project!

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1. To provide safe environments that promote healthy lifestyles and physical fitness through active play.

2. To create an all-accessible environment that unites the members of our community through play.

3. To provide leadership opportunities that will guide individuals to a life time of positive leadership and community involvement.

4. To build hope and empowerment within our community and foster the belief that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when we work together.

Annoucement Day

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OUR ANNOUCEMENT VIDEO

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LTBK ANNOUCEMENT DAY!

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Mark your Calendars!
BUILD DAY EVENT – 2 Locations
Saturday, September 25th
Let Them Be Kids Canada Day

THE NEED…we believe that everyone should have the right to play. We are addressing the need for an all accessible playground, so all children and families can participate in the fun that a park provides.

THE BIG NEWS…we have been granted a NATIONAL LET THEM BE KIDS HELPING HANDS AWARD!! What began as a long term fund raising project for the schools has been transformed into a 3 month project! The award provides a 50/50 matching grant towards the purchasing of playground equipment, as well as support, training and resources to help make this community project successful. Every $0.50 we raise will result in $1.00 in buying power! We are half-way there!!!

THE ACTIVITY…Volunteers will come together to raise two playground structure in one day! We will rejuvenate the grounds; beautify the areas, and more!

THE IMPACT…The goal is not only to enhance the lives of children by providing a safe and stimulating play area, but also to create a social hub where all residents can connect, to foster pride and ownership within the community by working towards a common goal and legacy, to model active volunteerism, leadership and democracy to our children. The desired outcome is a more tolerant, united, welcoming community, empowered to create positive change with an increased capacity and more enriched fabric.

Volunteers can expect…
Hands on work
Free food and drink
Fun, uplifting day
To make a difference
Overwhelming feeling of pride

Volunteer opportunities...
Build playground structure
Clean up
Help with kids activities
Food
First Aid
Registration

REGISTER NOW TO VOLUNTEER!!

PENNIES for PLAY

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As we continue on with our fundraising efforts we are asking that everyone save their pennies over the Summer Holidays (June to September). The total of the pennies will be used to help build our playgrounds.

Kids: Ask your aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors to save up their pennies and give to a great cause!

Pennies can be dropped off at the Yellowknife Montessori School or NJ Macpherson during the first week back to School. The deadline for drop off will be on Friday, September 3rd. Both Schools will combine their totals for the good of the greater cause!

Lets work together to make both these projects a reality!

NWT Montessori Society & NJ Macpherson School Win National Award!

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The NWT Montessori Society and the NJ Macpherson School have partnered and have been chosen as a national award winner, a group of volunteers from Yellowknife will re-develop the park at NJ Macpherson School and the Yellowknife Montessori School on September 25, 2010. This initiative will receive strong support and leadership provided by Let Them Be Kids organization.

These “Playground Champions” will spend the next three months engaging their neighbourhood and all of Yellowknife in re-designing and improving the parks located on Range Lake Road and 5212 52nd Street. “We are very excited to be part of this project. These parks will provide accessibility to all children and families, so that everyone can participate and enjoy the fun that a park provides” says Tanya Murphy, Executive Director of the NWT Montessori Society.

The improvement plans includes the creation of a new playground for the Yellowknife Montessori School and an all accessible playground for NJ Macpherson.

Although the planning will occur over the next few months, on September 25th, it is hoped that hundreds of Yellowknife residents will volunteer to be a part of a one-day event that will see the communities dreams come together and the parks built!

Let Them Be Kids has partnered to help build stronger communities across Canada and help bring affordable fun and play to all children and families. Yellowknife is selected as one of the communities to receive the Let Them Be Kids-Helping Hands Award, providing support and resources to help make this community project a success.

“This is going to be an exciting and wonderful day for our community,” says Tanya Murphy. We are grateful to Let Them Be Kids for helping us get started and for their tremendous support in challenging us to do something good for the kids in our community.

“We are proud to award Yellowknife as one of the Let Them Be Kids-Helping Hands award recipients for 2010. It is clear that the organizing committee is passionate and driven, and it is also clear that the community of Yellowknife is a special place. We are looking forward to the awesome job that the community will do for the kids on September 25th” said Ian Hill Chairman of the Board of Directors for Let Them Be Kids.