09-07-2010 Park Board Other - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Week 8 — Kid's Choice Craft: Different for each park End the summer with all the games kids love. Be creative and make each clay a different theme and let the kids help pick them out. Have a costume contest or color day. Send the kids off on a high note that will them excited to return next year! SPECIALISTS A variety of specialists visited the Playground Program sites this summer. All specialists except the Art Specialists visited each site once during the summer the Art Specialist visited each site weekly. This summer specialists included: Lino Lakes Police, Centennial Fire and Wargo Nature Center Naturalists. The children thoroughly enjoyed the visits by Officer Brandon Young, Firefighter Tracy Zarembinski and a variety of Naturalists. STAFF Twenty -one staff were hired to work the Playground Program this year in the following positions: Summer Coordinator — 2 Head Leader — 5 Leader — 8 Assistant Leader — 6 Of the twenty -one staff hired 7 were first year staff. Staff ranged in age from just completing their sophomore year of high school to completed college. BUDGET As I started preparations for the playground program this summer I did my best to remain budget conscious. When thinking of art projects I wanted to use the supplies that we had available to us at Marshan and still give the participants an unique craft. With the help of the summer coordinators we came up with several one of a kind crafts that we were able to mass produce for minimal cost and give each participant an excellent experience. The preservation of equipment at Marshan, specifically the gator skill balls from the mice worked out great this year as I didn't have to throw out any balls this spring. Overall the budget went exceptionally well this year ending with some money left in the account. I would like to use remaining funds to purchase equipment and craft kits for next year. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2011 Overall for 2010 I would keep the structure the same offering the same number of sites and keeping prices where they are at. After the program ended I sent out an e-mail asking for feedback regarding the playground program as well as promoting Blue Heron Days. There were a few suggestions that came back that I think would be benefi- cial to enhance the playground program. For the most part residents had great things to say about the playground program and are looking forward to having their children participate next year. One suggestion would be to have the participants take part in more service projects. This year as part of our 4th of July theme week, participants wrote a letter to service members as part of Operation Gratitude. If we could partner with the new assisted living facility that is being started in Lino Lakes it would be great to have another week of projects the kids could "donate" to the assisted living facility if they are interested.