Secret Santa

Secret Santa

Yes, this year we will be doing a Secret Santa gift exchange! Hopefully you know what the Secret Santa gift exchange is, because if not, you’ve been missing out on a lot of fun.

Rules: If you choose to participate,

· Fill out a form located in the office; asking you for your name and some of your favorite things.

· This will help your Secret Santa choose an appropriate gift for you.

· After you turn one in you will be participating in this fun activity.

·

By December 12, 2009 (the next inservice) your headguard will let you know who you will be giving gifts to.

· You must give a minimum of 3 gifts

· Gifts must be a minimum of $5 but do not spend more than $10!

· You will have from December 12-19 to distribute these three gifts. At the lifeguard party, you will bring your final gift and will find out who your Secret Santa is. Sounds fun, huh?

When you bring your gift, we will have a cabinet in the office to store these gifts; you can often check this cabinet to see if a present for you arrived.

You must have your form filled out by December 9, 2009 to participate! Let’s only have participators who will take this seriously and actually get gifts!

Christmas Party/ DINNER !!

Christmas Party/ DINNER !!

What: This will be an Ugly Sweater Party….So head to Saver’s or a Thrift Store to pick up an ugly sweater. Prizes will be given!!

When: December 19, 2009 8-10 p.m.

Where: Aquatics Center

Why: There will be many fun activities and will be watching a movie while feasting!

* Santa will Reward you a whole months laps for coming!

Website Renovation

Hello Lifeguards,

As you probably have noticed, the Lifeguard website has been undergoing some changes. It has a new blue look. To match the color theme of water and winter (two birds with one stone). Also, many of the files that are located on the website are being moved to Google Docs. The links will still remain on the website. This move will make is easier for viewing. Now, you won't have to download these files onto your computer to view them; you can just view them right on the internet. Some of the more common links have been moved to the top of the homepage from their old spot on the sidebar.

There is also a whole new section. See the "New to Google Apps" link at the top of the homepage. This is a help page for new users and people with questions. This outlines many of the features that are accessible to you on the lifeguard webpage. You have access to calendars, email, Google talk & more. You can even build your own site as part of the ymcalifeguard.org domain. This page has quick tips, shortcuts and video tutorials about how to use these features.

I hope you find this information useful, and as always, let me know if you have any questions.

Michael

Work Comp and Safety

As we near the end of 2009, I want to thank everyone for your focus on safety and risk management. Jeni and Malia have done a great job of promoting a safety culture and the results are showing. Most important, fewer people are getting injured on the job or in Y activities. We are all about enhancing the quality of life for all we serve and for each of us as staff members. When someone is injured at the Y, we take a step backwards in meeting our mission. This also has major impact on our costs.

In workers comp alone, if we can stay safe and prevent injuries through the end of the year, this will bring us a savings of at least $50,000 in 2011. With budgets tight, these dollars are extremely important to us.

Please stay safe. Be careful as it gets icy outside.

Drive defensively.

Lift appropriately.

Get help, if a job needs an extra hand.

Being safe is a win, win. We stay healthy, our friends stay healthy and we have more dollars to put toward things like compensation and meeting our mission in this community.

Jim Everett

November Lifeguard MVPs

Anthony - Thanks for rotating early and always being in a good mood (Courtney)

Ashley - You are a great headuard. You always put the Guard's needs first, and are always checking on us. Thanks for you hard work!! (Michelle C.)

Ashley - Thanks for always being so understanding, your a great Headguard and I always appreciate your help!!! (Nick D.)

Brad - Thanks for watching my spot so i could go to the bathroom. (Courtney)

Chris! - Thanks so much for being so understanding when I was sick. I really appreciate it. (Sami)

Conner Hoke - Your chilier than a cucumber, Thanks for taking my shift (Nolan NTK)

Danny - Thanks for recommending me for lifeguard of the month. (Spencer)

Jacob C. - Thanks, good job on the quick break (Tyler Stanaway)

J.J - Thx for coming on early so willingly for me! You did me a huge favor and i appreciate it!! (Michelle C.)

Katie - You are always a joy to work with and not to mention an awesome lifeguard ( Kayla)

Kelton - Thanks for taking my shift on Friday. (Spencer)

Michael K. - Thanks for all you do for us lifeguards! (Courtney)

Mike L! - Thank you for accidentaly coming to work when you werent working :) !! and then staying for a no-show. (Bradley)

Nick D! - You are an awesome headguard! And you work really hard! (Kayla and Katie )

Nolan - You are the bomb diggidy . (Coho)

Rachel - Thanks so much for being so understanding when i was sick. You are awesome! (Sami)

Taylor C. - thank you for helping w/ the no show in swim lesssons! i thought it was very caring to offer!(Ashley)

Taylor C. - Thank you for being so willing to help out and work! We need more staff like you! (Danny)

Taylor C. - Thanks so much for coming in and helping out when we were short on the school out day! your a great guard! (Nick D.)

RED TEAM WITH MOST MVP's THIS MONTH!

October 2009 MVPs

Making Values a Priority

MVP cards

October 2009

Antonio - Gracias por coming on early cuando group cam in. - Senor Brad

Amy - Thanks for letting me have a break before 9:30. I love working w/ you & you are a great HG! - Sami

Bradley - Thanks for making work more enjoyable. - Courtney

Braxton - Thanks so much for always being so helpful! You're doing a great job both on stand and off! Thanks! - Nick D.

Chris Holt - Thank you so much for guarding for me when I was sick! I really appreciate it! You are awesome! - Nicole

Colin - Thanks for helping me out with swim meet stuff and being very flexible with rotation. - Nick D.

Courtney - Thanks for rotating early so I could have an early/ longer lunch. - Bradley Edward Warner I

Jacob C. - Thanks, job for the quick break. - Tyler Stanaway

Jacob C. - You are a great guard and always working so hard! You are a great example! - Michelle C.

Jade - You did a great job on the tile at Instructional! It looks very clean. - Brad

John G. - Thank you for taking that 6-9 shift. You made it possible for me ot see the dentist & get my teeth cleaned! - Chris Holt

John G. - Thanks for being very flexible with rotation and taking shifts when needed! Keep up the great work! - Nick D.

Josh G. - Thanks so much for staying on later for me wednesday! - Nick D.

Kamrie - Thank you for working so hard on the slide. - Brad

Kristina! - Thanks for switching me shifts when I really needed a day off! You're SUPER good at "caring"!!! - ?

Kyle - Your doing dreat on stand! Keep up the great work and awesome scan. - Nick D.

Mark(us) - Gracias por coming on early. - Senor Brad

Nolan - You are da bomb diggidy - Coho

Spencer - Thanks for doing something helpful the other day. It's early and I can't remember what it was but thank you! - Brad

Taylor Stump - Thanks for Baby Ruth bars and turtle cookies. - JJ

Zach L. - Thanks soo much for staying until 9:30 for me twice! You are amazing! - Megan

October 10, 2009 In-Service

Remember that the in-service is tomorrow. Like always it is the second Saturday of the month at 7:30 am. It will last a couple hours 'til 9:30 am. We will be focusing on scanning and first aid-wounds. These in-services are mandatory. If you are unable to attend, you will need a legitimate reason. You can only miss one in-service in a 6-month period with an excuse; the rest will be considered unexcused and count as a write-up. Be sure to let the Headguard of your team know if you cannot attend. If you have missed in-services in the past (excused or not), you are required to write the one page paper about the in-service and review the skills with a Headguard. If you have not completed these requirements, it must be done before the next in-service (i.e. tomorrow).

I'll see you all there. There is also some fun business to discuss. If you have any questions, please let me or a Headguard know.

Pay Period End

The Current Pay Period ends today! Supervisor sign off will be by noon on Monday the 12^th.

Week Staff:

If you go to ‘Parameters’ and then select ‘Next Period’ a green dot should be in the circle next to it and click ‘Save’ at the bottom.

Your ‘Edit Time’ sheet will be pointed to the next pay period and you can enter time on the weekend. Let me know if you have any questions.

Tom Hays

Eagle Scout Project at the Y - Food Collection

Hi All,

I have authorized Austin Baum, who is working on an Eagle Scout project to place a food drop off container and several flyers around the facility to help gather supplies for tsunami victims in Samoa. This will probably happen next week.

I am sure that many of us may be able to get into our pantries and help out a bit too.

Thanks,

-Shane

New Rescue Tubes

We have a new batch of rescue tubes at the YMCA. The lifeguard store gave us the best deal on this new set. I've already heard many comments about how glad everyone is to have new tubes and how much lighter these tubes are. Since they are not cracked and torn apart, there are no rough edges to scratch rescuers and victims.

Keep in mind that they don't stay that way. While these tubes will last a lot longer because of the mesh embedded in the lining, they will only stay together as long as lifeguards take care of the rescue tubes. I don't have to tell you that we are in a financial crunch. So we should do everything possible to keep these rescue tubes in good shape. Please do not pick at, drag, or abuse the rescue tubes in any way. While I do agree with Graham Greene's idea that destruction is a form of creation, I do not want to see a new creation come from these rescue tubes. Not only will picking at these tubes ruin them and make them look ugly, it will also void the 3-year warranty that they have. So please take good care of them and enjoy.

All Staff Meeting - Strong Kids

I am excited to announce our first All Staff Meeting which will take place on November 22^nd, from 6:30-7:30pm. Over the course of the hour, this YMCA’s leadership team and volunteers will be sharing critical information which will help you understand key aspects of job performance requirements and the Strong Kids Campaign. Last year, the expectations were increased and data that we collected showed that you all would like more clarification, explanation and training on ways to be successful. This meeting will do that…and in a fun way! We will also have several raffles for attendance and participation in different activities.

This is a paid training. Please mark your calendar now.

Warm Wishes,

-Shane

Pay Day Today!

Good Morning,

Today is payday. Your current paycheck can be picked up at your location later today.

If you have not picked up your prior paychecks, they are available in the Downtown Accounting Office.

Remember direct deposit went into the bank at start of business today.

Thanks and have a great day.

September 12, 2009 In-service

The in-service information is now posted on the website. Take a look at it. Remember if you miss an in-service, it is your responsibility to meet with the Headguard(s) of your team and review the material that was covered. You must turn in a one-page paper about the topics, and if you were not excused from the in-service, you must swim an extra 2,000 yards by the next month's in-service.

Take the time to go-over and understand the material. The videos are always available for viewing, as well. This month covers deep-water spinals, CPR and Oxygen Administration. If you have any questions, be sure to ask. If you feel you need more practice, there is always opportunity for that.

Gadgets?

What are gadgets?

Gadgets powered by Google are miniature objects made by Google users like you that offer cool and dynamic content that can be placed on any page on the web.

Gadgets might come in handy when you're at work (to-do list, currency converter, calendar), at school (calculator, Wikipedia, translation tool), or just passing time (news, blogs, games). You can add gadgets you like to iGoogle and, if you have Google Desktop installed, you can also add gadgets to your computer's desktop.

Why should you care?

I'm telling you this because another change has occurred on the lifeguard website. Visit the homepage and see. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see an empty box. You must make sure that you login to be able to use this new feature. Click the box the words in the box. After you are logged in, click in the box or click the links that says: add personal gadgets. Now you can choose from thousands of little gadgets to put on the home page. There are emails tools, calendars, countdowns, weather tools, games and tons more. You can put whatever you want there. The really cool part is, that only when you are logged in, will you see your gadgets!

Facility Information

A semi-large overhaul has been completed on the lifeguard website. Most of the changes regard the facility information section. Check out this informative area of our website. It is full of facts and figures. It also include much more real-time information, such as the latest oxygen check (shown in the image). The idea was to collect as much information as possible about the facility, the safety checks, and staff training in one easy to use location.

Another change involves the check your information section. It is now called staff records and it is under staff information. Also, the ever popular, scheduling page is also under staff information. Go here to update your availability, ask for time off and check your schedule.

The general navigation of the website has been changed. It may be hard to get used to at first. I encourage you to explore the website once more. After time, the navigation should be much easier to use. It is also much easier as an administrator to update.

If you haven't tried it yet, use the search bar to find what you are looking for. It now has the option of searching all the sites in our domain. This include the phone list, videos, etc. Be sure to Login to ensure that you can see everything that you have access to.

There are a couple more changes planned for the future, including a restructuring of the homepage, that could allow you to put your own gadgets on this page that only you can see. I'll keep you posted.

Policy on Time

Did you know …

Pay period cut-off, which is the 9^th and the 24^th of every month, is the last day for all employees to enter time into Time Centre for the current pay period.

Pay period sign-off, is for supervisors only, for the approval of entered time. There should not be any employees entering time on these days.

TV Family YMCA Employee handbook states:

Employees are required daily to record their time completely and correctly on a timesheet or in Time Centre, our on line timesheet, including absences, working hours and overtime hours. It is your responsibility for ensuring the accurate, timely recording of your working hours and that these hours are reported correctly, so that accurate payment can be made to you.

Lifeguards and Headguard Hard at Work

As many of you know, one of our own Headguards had the opportunity to work at a Boise City pool as the assistant manager. This was an excellent opportunity for him. Not only did he make several improvements to the pool's operations, he got to work with a few other talented YMCA lifeguards. Take a look at this great triumph...performed by one of these lifeguards, one of their lifeguards, and one of our very own Headguards.

Bather Load Update

A Major overhaul is in the works for the Bather Load. On the outside it looks the same...it's a spreadsheet with numbers, but many of the internal processes have been changed. What does this mean for you?

It is going to be possible to see nearly real-time information about the bather load in the pool. Not just lifeguards, but anybody on the internet can see this. It's just a matter of deciding where to put this information. The other major difference is the entry method. Instead of others having to deal with my complicated spreadsheets, now there is a simple form that can be filled out, instantly updating the bather load. You can find the bather load on the Lifeguard webpage under facility information. Not to give too much away about some future plans, but imagine the ability to just type this information directly in skipping the re-entry process and saving paper.

The biggest problem facing the bather loads now is the giant stack waiting to be entered. I've be holding off on entering the data while I've tried to come up with this new method. Currently the bather load is backed-up to the end of June. Hopefully soon this will all be caught up.

August MVPs

Alex - You are always such a positive person to work with. It makes my day go from good to great! You're the best. - Jessi

Alex - Thank you for staying to help fix the boxes and clean up after the late swim meet. - Ashley

Alex H. - Keep up the good work!!! - Jeremy

Dear Amy - Thanks for Sending Me Home When I was Sick, You Rock - CoHo 4 prez

Andrea - Not Sure where to start so I will Just Say this U ARE THE BEST! Thaks - Jeremy

Andrew White - Thanks for helping me out in my moment of need - Tyler Stanaway

Andrew - Thanks for staying after hours to help clean up the swim meet. - Ashley

Ashley - Thank you so much for always being positive and nice! You carry so much weight here & are always great! Go on a vacation! - Jessi Knuth

Ashley - You handled the emergency on Tuesday really well. You are an awesome example and made it really easy to stay calm. - Michelle C.

Austin - Thanks for helping me clean after the swim meet. - Sami

Austin - Thanks for helping fix the boxes and also helping with the late swim meet! - Ashley

Brad - Thanks for helping keep the pool clean. - Mark

Brad - Great work on the gym injury. - Rachel

Brad - Thanks for all the good work. Keep it up. - Rocky

Bradley - You are my favorite headguard! Thanks for making work better. - Courtney

Brad - You are by far my favorite headguard! You make my shifts go by much faster. - Courtney

Brad - Thanks for making the Y a great place to be. - Amy

Brad - You're an awesome person/ Headguard. - Mark

Brad - Way to run drills to make sure everyone is alert & focused. - ?

Brad - Great head lifeguard. Keep it up!!! - Jeremy

Chelsea - Thanks 4 making sure the pool was safe during the party. You are awesome. Thanks!!! - Marsha

Chris Holt - Thank you so much for taking the initiative to come in early and learn how to put the timing equip. together. You're awesome! - Michelle P.

Chris - Thank you for wanting to help out with the Idaho State Senior Swim Meet. You make the day fun for all who swim & volunteered. You are a life saver! - Darcy

Chris Holt - Thanks for cleaning so much today. You took a ton of initiative. - Brad

Conner - Thanks for working hard all the time. You take extra initiative w/ incident reports & helping injured patrons. Great job & keep it up. - Mason

Conner Cook - Thank you for taking the 9:30 pm shift when nobody else would. - Danny

Connor Cook - Thanks for always being so helpful with closing duties! It was really nice of you to stay and clean up after the late swim meet! - Ashley

Danny P. - Thanks for taking talking with me. I really appreciate all you had to say about me. You are a good friend. - Michael K.

Darcy - Thanks for all the help with the swim meet. - Tyler Stanaway

Garret - Thanks for subbing for me - you're a lifesaver! - :)Caitlin

Jacob C. - You are a great guard and always working so hard! You are a great example! - Michelle C.

Jacob C. - Thanks for the quick break - Tyler Stanaway

Jade - Thank you for being so helpful when there was a major mess @ the instructional. - Danny

Jason - Thanks for always being so willing to clean when you are not in rotation! - Rachel

Jeff - I appreciate your professionalism. You're a great lifeguard and you will me be missed. Best of luck. - Michael J.

Jeremy - Thanks for making work more entertaining! and rotating on time/early! You are a great lifeguard! - Courtney

John - You do an awesome job! Thanks for caring so much. - Michael K.

John - Thanks for coming so early (1hr) on to your shift. Your a team player!! The patrons love you. - Laura

Josh G. - Way to take initiative! A great help! - Tyler Stanaway

Kamrie - Thank you for working so hard on the slide. - Brad

Kayla Bartling - Thanks for all your help, the shift went much easier. - Tyler Stanaway

Kayla - Thanks for always working hard to keep this place clean! You're the best! - Ashely

Kayla - You did an excellent job communication with josh during your drill. Great leadership! - Chris

Kayla - Doing a great job. Keep up all the hard work!! - Jeremy

Kent - Thanks for all your support! - Michael K.

Kortney Belnap - You have subbed so much. You are awesome! - Michael K.

Kristina Carlisle - Thanks for coming on when we were in need, sorry to wake you. - Tyler Stanaway

Kristina Carlisle - You are awesome! Thanks for your help. - MJ

Kyle - You responded really well to that difficult, overly vengeful whitecap! Super.D.duper SKILLZ! - Anthony

Laura - I just wanted 2 say...1. I think...well I know you are AMAZING! 2. You are SUPER dependable. 3. You are an amazing worker, and girl. 4. THANK you 4 being you! - Marsha

Laura! - Thank you so much for finding me a sub! Your Awesome! - Sarah

Lauren - Thanks for working so hard lately! I appreciated all of your help tonight! - Ashley

Logan - Thanks a bunch for helping set up the surprise swim meet when you were off the clock! - Michelle

Logan - Thanks for coming in early when we needed more guards. I really appreciate the help! - Mason Carter

Mark - Thanks for helping me out at the last minute on tue!! Made my day!! - Laura

Mason - Thanks a billion for coming on early for me! You're the BEST! - Michelle C.

Mason - You are amazing. Thanks for the support & care you show your guards. - Conner Hoke

Meghan C. - You rock, thanks for coming on early. - Conner Hoke

Michael K. - Thank you for all your training. Without it I wouldn't be able to recognize a patron in need. - LK

Michael K. - Thanks for helping out with that problem kid. - Brad

Michelle P. - Thanks for all the hard work on SILC. It was a great enjoyable event! - Michelle C.

Michelle P. - You are awesome! Thank you for everything! - Michael K.

Michelle P. - Thanks for all the help with the shirts! - Tyler S.

Miles - Thanks for taking a shift on Saturday when we were really short! - Ashley

MJ - Thanks for coming to headguard even when you weren't supposed to. Your presence was appreciated! I always enjoy working with you! - Michelle C.

MJ! - Thanks for coming in on your day off to cover the Headguard shift! - Kristina Carlisle

Molly - Thank you for being so helpful when there was a major mess @ the instructional. - Danny

Nick D. - Thank you so much for helping us set-up for the senior games! You are the best! - Michelle & Darcy

Nick - Thanks so much for your help & support during the Idaho State Senior Swim Meet. You are awesome! - Darcy

Nicole - Thank you for helping clean the slide during your break. - Brad

Rocky - Thanks for doing such a great job Friday night :) You are a great YMCA staffer!! - Staci

Rocky - Your ballons on Sunday were a joy! Your doing a great job!!! - Katie

Scott - Doing Great. Keep it up!! - Jeremy

Shalene - Thank you for your great attitude and for taking on a nasty duty with a smile! - Michael J.

Shane - Thank you so much for staying when we were short! It definitely helped! - Ashley

Shane - Thanks for all of your help! - I know I can always count on you. - Tyler S.

Shane - Is a huge help and an outstanding guard. - MJ

Shelby - Great job at making a save on 4-14. - Danny

Spencer - Thanks for rotating to me early so I could eat my lunch. - Brad

Taylor C. - Thanks for helping me out. - Tyler S.

Tyler L. - Way to be an awesome guard! Always so helpful. - Tyler S.

Tyler L. - Thanks for taking the initiative to clean without being asked! - Rachel

Vaughn - Thanks for being so willing to help out and taking Conner's shift. You's a sweetie poo!!! - Danny

Zach W. - Thanks a bunch for taking me shift! You are always so willing to sub & I know everyone really appreciates that! You are great! - Michelle C.

Zach - You are my new favorite person. Thanks for letting me skip you! - Michelle