24 NOVEMBER 30, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Ridgewood and Maspeth after-school
students celebrate Thanksgiving feast
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Last week, elementary school
students enrolled in the Ridgewood
YMCA and MaspethTown
Hall aft er-school programs celebrated
Thanksgiving together with their
families and YMCA staff at P.S. 305
Learners and Leaders.
On Friday, Nov. 17, children
from both after-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
Thanksgiving 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.”
The Thanksgiving event was organized
by the Ridgewood YMCA, with
assistance from Deborah Villanueva,
the parent coordinator at P.S. 305.
The 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. The 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.
BUZZ
Photo courtesy of Ridgewood YMCA
The students from the Ridgewood YMCA and Maspeth Town Hall afterschool
programs enjoying their Thanksgiving feast.
Glendale school celebrates
Thanksgiving in style
The students of St. Pancras
School in Glendale gathered
together last week to break
bread with a pre-Thanksgiving
Photos courtesy of Donna Rufrano
feast. Students, teachers and parents
enjoyed an aft ernoon of good
food and company as they prepared
for Thanksgiving.
