Holiday programs a hit

Baw Baw Shire held a number of kids school holiday activities during January.

Sporting clinics and activities such as badminton, squash, swimming, bootcamp, netball and basketball were held at Bellbird Park and the Warragul Leisure Centre. Other activities included a meditation workshop, hair workshops, pool inflatable days, art workshops, hip hop dance workshops, summer movie screenings and street games events were held throughout the month.

An emphasis over these school holidays was the RALPH program held by Gippsland based community group and youth outreach service, Healing the Beat.

RALPH is a fun social and emotional learning program for students. The program focuses on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships and responsible decision making.

Held at The Goods Shed near the Warragul train station, the program provided kids with a range of education focused interactive activities and rhythms using special Djembe drums.

Director of Healing the Beat Sarah Savage says the aim of the program is to provide through drumming and discussion ideas on how to acquire life skills including values, fostering healthy relationships, dealing with peer pressure, identity and embracing our place in the wider community.

RALPH stands for respect, adapt, listen, pause and help. During the five-day program students also made care bags, glitter jars and undertook other creative activities. Glitter jars emphasize to children how emotions can swirl around in people’s minds all at once.

Healing the Beat also provides workshops to schools and other organisations.

Siblings Keira Ingham and Alex Ingham from Warragul have been attending the school holiday programs run by the YMCA for a few years now. Keira had her face painted as a basketball, while Alex opted for the Spongebob Squarepants look last week.

Face painting was a popular activity during the YMCA School Holiday Program with (from left) Lillian Woolley, Remy Butler (above) and Rhye Williams each choosing a different design.

Jackson Claffey runs to the nearest cone during the many running activities this week.

12 year old Arwen Williams made a bag showing the many different sports she enjoys.

Jarvis Law from Drouin Primary School shows off his glitter jar, with many different colours swirling around inside.

Jenae Keera was able to express herself at the Healing the Beat school activity held at the Good Shed in Warragul.

Diondre Keera creates a tag to go along with his glitter jar at Healing the Beat in Warragul.

Jaiden Martin participated in many of the school holiday activities run this week at Bellbird Park in Drouin.

10 year old Zahra Rose Hood works on her glitter jar at Healing the Beat.

Rosalie Uliando-Dalton practices her netball skills with her group at Bellbird Park.

Ruby-Rose Claffey does five knee ups before switching cones for the next activity.

12 year old Millie Law changes places in the brightly coloured teamwork activity this week.