See what has happened since Aussie X pitched the Dragons in 2011. Hint: Big things!

The Aussie X -perience was a HUGE success during the week of March 20-23rd. Students in grades 1-8 were able to x-perience Australian culture through great coaches and even picked up on the game of Cricket. The “goodonya mates” were heard all over the school and playground all week. Keep practicing those fielding, batting and gaming techniques because you just never know when we’ll start having a Merici Cricket team!!

We look forward to having the Aussie X team return to our school to offer professional development to our teachers; for our primary and junior play day and for an upcoming “Parent/Student Cricket night”. Stay tuned for further information!!

http://www.dpcdsb.org/MERIC/The+Aussie+X.htm

“The Aussie X” is a program whereby instructors teach kids a bit about three sports that are played in Australia; footy (Australian Rules Football), cricket and netball.

But the purpose of the program goes far beyond sports, it in essence is designed to teach a number of life skills to students of all ages.

Organizers of the program say “At Aussie X, we believe in the importance of getting active in order to achieve maXimum happiness in one’s life.

“We believe in making physical activity fun for everyone, no matter a person’s level of skill or ability!

Aussie X provides three new and unique sporting experiences that are infused with the intriguing and entertaining Aussie culture, designed to captivate imaginations and inspire movement and laughter all at the same time.

“The programs provide participants with a feeling of exhilaration and joy whilst getting active, resulting in an extraordinary experience that has a lasting impact that can be carried with anyone throughout their life.

The new skills, rules and game play levels the playing field for all participants to feel encouraged and confident to simply ‘Have a Go’at getting active.

The Aussie X is a sports and cultural program that teaches students, teachers, campers, camp leaders and Corporate teams how to play Aussie Rules Football “Footy”, Cricket and Netball.

“Highly trained instructors visit your organization fully equipped to deliver an action packed sporting / physically active experience like no other.”

And although the program is Australian born it comes with a very distinct Canadian flavour.

The program actually originates in Toronto and they also have offices in Alberta.

During their three days at St. Jerome the students had a very enjoyable time and school Principal Karen McGregor explained how they discovered Aussie X and why they were invited to come to Kirkland Lake.

We are excited to welcome the Aussie X team to St. Jerome School.

As a school community we are committed to active living and are looking forward to a sporting experience that will reinforce the message of the importance of being active. The students will participate in Aussie rules football (footy) and netball, two unique

Australian sports that promise to have the students moving and laughing. Hosting Aussie X was made possible through the students’ fund raising efforts and we want to thank our parents and the community at large for their support! A special thank you to Mme. Foy who teaches at our school for discovering Aussie X while watching “Dragon’s Den” and suggesting that we invite them to St. Jerome.

Since its inception the program has branched out to the world of adults and specifically to the corporate world.

The organization has partnered with a number of team building experts to hold seminars for businesses.

http://www.northernnews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3582864

Sooner or later, young people get bored with hanging out in the backyard! With just a few minutes of planning, you can help keep young people get  active – and stay entertained – in fun, out-of-the-ordinary ways all summer long! Try these ideas to get the whole family moving:

Go for a hike. Find a trail through the woods and keep your eyes peeled for natural finds. “Take the time to look at birds’ nests, ant hills and even moss on trees,” says Dave Thoensen, who runs Tamark Day Camp in Lincolnshire, Illinois. “Young people really get a kick out of nature.” Other interesting things to spot: woodpecker holes in trees, animal droppings or deer, squirrel and fox tracks.

Join a sports league. There are lots of groups out there that provide fun, active sporting experiences during summer. Aussie X creates local Footy and Cricket competitions that keep young people engaged and active throughout summer. Not to mention the countless – sports camps that are out there to get involved in. Check out Aussie X summer footy league here:

Get buggy. Look for interesting insects in your own backyard or at the local park. “You can pick up a bug box from a hardware store,” says Thoesen. “They’re cheap, the holes let bugs breathe, and they have a magnifying glass on one end.” Get the young people to set out the boxes to contain different bugs and then get a close-up view of their eight-legged friends. Plus, get more tips on searching for bugs with these tips.

Have a scavenger hunt. Make a list of 20 activities in your neighborhood, suggests Dana Harden, owner and director of Lake of the Woods Camp for Girls and Greenwoods Camp for Boys in Decatur, Michigan. The list could include activities like drinking from a water fountain, climbing a tree or throwing a basketball into the net on your driveway. Arm the young people with a Polaroid or digital camera (with young children, Mom or Dad can play photographer), and then spend a few hours finding the objects or performing the tasks on the list and taking a picture of them. Once the young people have completed all 20, help them make a keepsake poster of their pictures.

Toss rocks. Since you probably don’t have horseshoes on hand, collect rocks from the backyard or a local park. Each family member can personalize their rock with their name or a different marking. Then set a target about 10 to 12 feet away and take turns throwing rocks at the target to see who comes closest.

Take a bird tour. Write down a list of birds that are common to your area and then go in search of your feathered friends at the park (bring binoculars!). To attract birds, cover pinecones with vegetable shortening and then roll them in birdseed, says Thoensen. Hang your homemade birdfeeder by a string on a tree branch. Then back away, watch and wait while robins, cardinals and sparrows come to feed.

Run relay races. You’ll need four to six players, so you may want to invite the neighbors over. Split the group into two teams for a tag relay, says Harden. But instead of just running back and forth, make the challenges a little more interesting with multiple steps. For example, each person could start with step one: build a model rocket. Then they run to the designated spot to do step two: sing the family’s favorite song. Next they run to a table for step three: eat a cookie. Once the player completes all his tasks, he passes the baton to the next person who then follows the same steps. The first team to have all their players complete the challenge wins.

Silly jumps. Mark a starting point on the lawn and then take turns jumping in funny poses to see who can get the farthest. Try jumping doing the splits mid-air, spinning around on lift-off or flapping your arms to stay airborne.

Create an obstacle course. Use your lawn chairs, cardboard boxes or cones to set up an obstacle course in your own backyard. Then get the young people to run through it. Use a stopwatch to see which family member makes it through in the best time.

Throw the dice. You’ll need two small (5×5 inch) square boxes from a moving or packaging store for this activity, says Penny Warner, author of Young people’ Outdoor Parties (Meadowbrook Press). These are your dice. On one die, write a different activity on each side, such as ‘do a cartwheel’ or ‘walk 10 steps backwards’. On the other die, write mental challenges, geared to the young people’ ages, such as ‘say the alphabet’ or ‘spell your name backwards’. Each person rolls the dice and does the two challenges at the same time, like walking backwards while spelling your name backwards. “Because there are a multitude of combinations, it’s endless fun,” says Warner.

Play wacky golf. You don’t need expensive clubs or golf balls to have a game with the young people. In fact, it’s even more fun when you equip them with unusual “clubs” like a baseball bat or hockey stick and different sized balls. Or, try a baseball or small beach ball, says Warner. Then set up buckets and tin cans around the yard and enjoy the fun of each family member trying to get a hole in one.

Play Frisbee. Create a game of Frisbee basketball by hanging a basket from a tree limb close to the ground. Arm the young people with mini Frisbees and see who can make the most baskets.

Go for a ride. If the young people are older and have mastered bike riding, you’ll all get a thrill pedalling on a trail through the woods. Look for a fairly smooth dirt trail and don’t forget that every family member should be wearing a helmet. Plus, get more biking tips.

We are so pumped about the news. We have been nominated out of over 4500 grant receiving organizations for our Youth at Risk Trillium Project.

Three Toronto Organizations Named Finalists for 2012 Great Grants Awards

Ontario Trillium Foundation recognizes projects’ outstanding impact 

TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2012 /CNW/ -

NEWS

The Ontario Trillium Foundation today announced that FoodShare Toronto, Jumblies Studio, and Youth At Risk are finalists for the prestigious 2012 Great Grants Awards. The awards recognize Ontario organizations that have demonstrated exceptional results, innovation and a lasting impact on the communities they serve.

The three not-for-profit organizations have been selected as finalists in the environment, arts and culture, and sport and recreation categories respectively. A total of eight 2012 Great Grants Awards recipients will be recognized in the presence of Hon. Michael Chan, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, at a ceremony in Toronto on March 23.

FINALIST PROFILES

FoodShare Toronto

Jumblies Studio c/o Jumblies Theatre 

Youth At Risk c/o Ontario Australian Football League 

QUOTES

“We are very proud of Jumblies Studio, FoodShare and Youth at Risk, and are excited that, with these nominations, their work in the community will now be acknowledged across Ontario. Their efforts go to the heart of the Foundation’s own work: to support good ideas and help foster community connections that improve people’s quality of life.”

Bahadur Madhani, OTF Grant Review Team Chair for Toronto

“An inspiring experience, creatively, emotionally and spiritually. I’ve been exposed to people and ideas that have changed the way I think about art and community.”

Testimony from a participant in a Jumblies Studio activity

“Our mission is to use Australia’s unique sports and culture to level the playing field for kids and inspire healthy lifestyles, laughter and confidence. We are so proud to have achieved this through our Ontario Trillium Foundation grant where we impacted over 11,000 kids in youth-at-risk zones across the GTA.”

Emile Studham, Founding Director, Aussie X

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario Trillium Foundation Great Grants Award finalists were selected from among some 4,500 groups that received OTF support between April 2006 and December 2010
• Eight Great Grants Awards will be presented on March 23 in Toronto:

- One award for each of OTF’s four funded sectors: arts and culture, sports and recreation, environment, and human and social services
- The Minister’s Award
- The Chair’s Award
- The CEO’s Award
- The People’s Choice Award

• OTF grants funding to approximately 1,500 organizations each year.

Read more about the story here:

Learn about our new CORPORATE TEAM BUILDING EVENTS!!!

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