Grilled Cheese Gazette - December Edition

It's the most wonderful time of the year... Swift Holiday parties are almost here!

Mark your calendars, Holiday parties are almost here! This year, thanks to Synergy Physical Therapy and Axway Inc, we will be adopting three classrooms which means we will have three opportunities for you to get in the holiday spirit, build gingerbread houses with the kids, and watch them open gifts from their wish lists. These events are truly some of the most magical programs Swift offers, you don't want to miss them! 
12/16/22 at Palomino Intermediate 
12:25-1:25 - 5th grade - Sign up HERE
12/16/22 at Palomino Intermediate 
1:05-2:05 - 4th grade - Sign up HERE
12/23/22 at Wilson Elementary 
9:00-10:00 - 5th grade - Sign up HERE

Musicians in the Making
​ By: Manya Madala & Jessica Berman

Recently, Horizon High School student Inkeri Holappa led an after-school program at Palomino Primary! We had the chance to talk with her about what the whole process looked like. Inkeri is passionate about music and is the president of the choir at her high school. She felt inspired to share her passion for music with Swift, in hopes that some of the kids would be able to connect with it as well. In the planning process, she brainstormed many ideas for projects and activities. Ultimately, she settled on making maracas! She tailored this project for the kids, making it straightforward and easy to follow. The maracas were made of plastic easter eggs filled with beads with two spoons taped around them. The kids loved this! After everyone finished their maracas, Inkeri played some music for them and demonstrated shaking the maracas to the tempo of each song. The kids immediately picked up on this. They split into groups and each group created its own song. The kids had the most fun with this creative aspect, and everyone enjoyed performing their songs for one another at the end. Inkeri loved planning and leading this program. She looks forward to doing it again and would recommend that other teens try coming up with their own programs as well! Thanks, Inkeri!

Camp Swift’s Impact on Me!
By: Andrew Pitts

This past summer I had the privilege of volunteering as a counselor in the first session of Camp Swift. I was a co-counselor in the Youngest Boys ‘A’ Cabin (YBA for short). My co-counselor and I were responsible for eight campers' safety, from ages 7 to 9. We had our hands full, for sure, but it was one of the best and most exciting times of my life. I learned a great deal from camp including communication and leadership skills. My time with campers definitely had a huge impact on me. I felt like I really became a more thoughtful person, as being in charge of eight kids really helped me to think about the safety and spirit of the campers and not just myself. I also felt that my time at camp really helped me feel the importance of community. I felt welcomed by everyone at Swift and that made me want to give the same feeling of welcomeness to the campers and make sure they have a great time through a community that really cares about them.
One experience from camp that really impacted me was with one of the YBA campers named Pete. Pete was nine years old at the time and he wanted me to teach him to swim. Pete wanted to pass the swim test so he could go into the deeper part of the pool. I spent forty-five minutes with him on the first swimming day teaching him the basics. On the second swimming day, he felt he was ready for the swimming test. I was amazed by the goals that he set for himself and his determination. He failed that attempt, however right after we went right back into practicing the basics. I was inspired by the spark that he had in his eyes and on the last swimming day, he passed the swimming test with ease and completed his goal. I was so proud of him and it really highlighted my time at Camp Swift!

Thank you for giving!

We thank everyone who donated to Swift during Giving Tuesday! We were blown away by the support of our community! All donations from the day will be directly returned to the kids through creative programming and impactful mentor relationships. 
A very special congratulations and thank you goes out to the Teen Leadership Board for going above and beyond in their fundraising efforts. They set a goal of $10,000 and raised $14,171! We are so proud and grateful for you all! The Young Professional Board will now be pied in the face and complete the ice bucket challenge to acknowledge the TLB's achievement!

Mentorship Corner

“Set an example. Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you-- not because they are nice, but because you are.” - Unknown