44 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • NOVEMBER 30, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
kids & education
SpoSnpsoonresdo rbeyd by
Students enjoy an
after-school feast
in Ridgewood
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
editorial@QNS.com / @QNS
Last week, elementary school students
enrolled in the Ridgewood YMCA and
Maspeth Town Hall aft er-school programs
celebrated Th anksgiving together
with their families and YMCA staff at P.S.
305 Learners and Leaders.
On Friday, Nov. 17, children from both
aft er-school programs joined a YMCA
Zumba instructor for a dance session
before being served dinner from a buffet
of food prepared by the families and
staff members.
Many parents cooked homemade dishes
for the celebration, while other brought
in food from local stores and restaurants.
Staff from the nearby YMCA program at
Grover Cleveland High School came to
support the feast by serving the food to
students and families.
“Both programs were able to come
together in the true spirit of the fi rst
Th anksgiving feast,” said Alexandra
Reyes, Youth and Family Director at the
Ridgewood YMCA. “All of the food at the
event was delicious, but of course the best
thing served at the event was the smiles
on the participants’ faces.”
Th e Th anksgiving event was organized
by the Ridgewood YMCA, with assistance
from Deborah Villanueva, the parent
coordinator at P.S. 305.
Th e Ridgewood YMCA aft er-school
program at P.S. 305 Learners and Leaders
provides families with a safe place for
their children to stay aft er school. Th e
program is free, and is fully funded by a
New York State Advantage Grant/OCSF.
In the program students are able to complete
their homework as well as participate
in educational activities to complement
what they learned in school day,
with an added focus on social and emotional
learning.
For more information on the
Ridgewood YMCA aft er-school program,
contact Lucy Parks, Communications
Assistant, at 540-810-5531, or La-Vena
Francis, Executive Director, at 212-912-
2190, or visit ymcanyc.org/ridgewood.
Smart Student BANKING1
Open your Student Checking2 Account and/or Savings Account and enjoy:
1
2
®
3
®
3