Sun, Sand, and Sea Recap

Sun, Sand, and Sea has just wrapped up at Via West, and we had an amazing time learning all about the different bodies of water and ecosystems.

We made sand dollar necklaces, sea bird sand art, and nature prints. We also rode horses, had a water balloon fight, and decorated the Via West parking lot with some awesome chalk drawings.

We had the best time ever on our field trips to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, laser tag arena, and the Surf Museum.

We also learned with iPads, danced the night away at King Triton's Ball, and, of course, we spent some time by the pool. To see more pictures from this week, please visit our Facebook page.

80s Week Recap

We have just returned from a wild and crazy trip back in time to the 80s! We made Care Bears, Pac Man cake, Star Wars cupcakes, computer models, Orange Julius, and 80s album covers.

We did some Madonna karaoke, played a live Pac Man game and a rousing round of Family Feud, watched E.T. under the stars, and took some moonwalk lessons to prepare us for our Michael Jackson dance and improv.

We took amazing field trips to the Intel Museum, Nickel City Arcade, and Blue Light Cinemas.

We also rode horses, learned with iPads, hung out by the pool, and impressed each other at the talent show. To see more pictures from this weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

New Orleans Square Recap

Bonjour from the French Quarter! Via West just wrapped up an exciting Mardi Gras themed week with New Orleans Square. We made and ate scrumptious King cake, beignets, and red beans & rice.

We learned all of the different Mardi Gras traditions, took some jazz lessons, and we made some amazing beaded masks for our Mardi Gras festival and dance, as well as shoe box floats to bring home.

We took a field trip to the Poor House Bistro, learned with iPads, enjoyed the talent show, and spent some time relaxing by the Via West pool.

 

To see more pictures from this weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

All American Extravaganza Recap

Via West kicked off the summer the patriotic way with our All American Extravaganza! We learned and sang some good old fashioned patriotic songs like America the Beautiful and This Land is Your Land.

We made Native American headdresses, catch-it cones, and American flags. We also had a visit from local firefighters and participated in our nation's pastime: baseball!

After a rousing tailgate BBQ at Kelley Park, we watched the San Jose Giants baseball team take out the Lancaster Jethawks with a 7 to 0 win!

We also rode horses, re-enacted the signing of the Constitution, learned with iPads, and enjoyed the talent show.

To see more pictures from this week, please visit our Facebook page.

Are You Ready for Overnights?

The NDSC newsletter this month has a great article about whether this is the year to try out an overnight program for your special needs child (link below). Keep reading to see what Sandy Keefe, our Associate Director and Health Care Manager, had to say about the first time that she sent her daughter to an overnight program:

"Twelve summers ago, I drove to Via West Campus (then Camp Costanoan) to drop off my daughter Allie, who has Down syndrome. She was 9 years old at the time, and so excited about the swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, dances and talent shows she could share with her friends with developmental and physical disabilities.

Today, Allie and I live at Via West--I work as the associate director and health care manager, and Allie is a junior program staff member. We continue to enjoy typical outdoor recreational activities with friends, but she is even more thrilled with the value-added programs provided at the campus now. She loves the culinary arts and nutrition sessions, has gained valuable information from our iPad and fitness sessions, continues to improve her social skills and leadership, and thrives on the life skills, community integration and vocational lessons.

Despite serious cardiac issues, a seizure disorder and significant gastrointestinal problems, Allie is able to enjoy all of the programs on campus, plus field trips to exciting destinations such as Santa Cruz Boardwalk and San Francisco Zoo, because of the strong nursing care provided by Via West Campus.

Like any other special needs parent, I struggled with the decision to send my daughter off "on her own" for a summer program. If you are looking for a summer program for your child (5-22 years old) or adult (18 years on up) with Down syndrome, please consider the recommendations shared by the National Down Syndrome Congress to guide your decision. And please feel free to contact me directly (skeefe@viaservices.org or 408-867-1115, ext. 106) to talk about how your son or daughter would fit into our program."

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Cinco de Mayo Recap

Hola amigos! Via West celebrated Cinco de Mayo last weekend to close out the 2012-2013 weekend program season. We kicked off the fiesta with some Mexican flag and jeweled paper banner crafts and a movie to teach us about the history and the different traditions of the Cinco de Mayo holiday.

We played some rodeo games, rode horses, made Mexican hat magnets, learned how to make tamales, and we threw a wild and loco Mexican carnival!

After a grand taco bar dinner and getting pampered with manicures and makeup, we danced the night away at the Mexican Fiesta Dance.

We also made colorful tissue flowers, learned with iPads, and enjoyed the talent show.

To see more pictures from the weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

Wild Wild West Recap

Howdy partners! Last weekend, Via West took a trip to the Wild West and our participants had a darn tootin good time learning how to act as proper cowboys and cowgirls. After kicking off the weekend with a western style campfire, we rode horses, learned how to square dance, and got up close and personal with some animals from the petting zoo.

Deli Dave and the kitchen staff provided us with a Chuck Wagon lunch, and then we had a visit from Clover the Cow, learned how to milk cows & goats, and we even panned for gold.

 

Later, we participated in some rodeo events, like the bull lasso, and then we put our square dancing skills to the test at our hootenanny of a Barn Dance. We also played some cowboy games, learned with iPads, and enjoyed the talent show.

To see more pictures from this weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

Wide World of Sports Homecoming Recap

We had quite the rush of adrenaline last weekend at Via West as our adult participants joined together to learn about and play 3 different popular sports! We kicked our Sports Homecoming weekend off by hand crafting gorgeous corsages and boutonnieres to wear to the homecoming dance.

We learned the finer aspects of football, basketball, and baseball by practicing sports drills in each. We also squared off against each other to put our skills to the test in campus wide football, basketball, and baseball games.

After delighting in the wonderful food provided by Deli Dave and the kitchen staff at the homecoming banquet, we dressed up in our Saturday night bests and danced the night away.

We also made some fun take home projects, such as felt footballs, learned with iPads, and enjoyed the talent show.

To see more pictures from this weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

Zoo-Fest Recap

Lions, tigers, and Via West staff members, oh my! Things got a little wild at the March 8th Zoo-Fest weekend, as we surrounded ourselves by all things four-legged, no-legged, covered with fur, and covered with scales. We kicked things off Friday night with our opening campfire, and then jumped right into all of the animal fun on Saturday with a field trip to the Happy Hollow Park & Zoo.

We got up close and personal with all sorts of creatures, revved up our adrenaline with the roller coaster and other rides, and had fun hanging out with and making new friends.

 

Once back on campus, we spent some craft time painting animal key chains and stitching zebra puppets to bring home. Afterwards, we all let our wild sides roar with the Animal Ball.

 

On Sunday morning, we played an animal name game, went on a camouflage and endangered animal scavenger hunt, learned with iPads, and expressed ourselves through the talent show.

To see more pictures from the weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

Be My Valentine Recap

Love was in the air as Via West celebrated Valentine's Day with our adult participants during the February 22nd weekend. We kicked everything off on Friday night with a card-making party! Everyone created decorative boxes and special Valentine's cards to exchange with each other and with friends and family at home.

We spent some time on Saturday morning learning the culinary art of making fancy croissants with ingredients like chocolate, strawberries, jams, and even jalapenos!

We took a fun-filled field trip to the Sweet Passions Bakery and spent the rest of the afternoon at Roosevelt Park enjoying various games and exercises.

Once back on campus, we prepared for the Sweethearts' Ball with spa time for the ladies and some time in the gym for the men. Everyone had a wonderful time dancing the night away and spending time with friends.

On Sunday morning, we packaged and priced our fancy croissants to sell to parents and caregivers at our check-out bake sale, spent some time learning with iPads, and showed off our skills at the talent show.

To see more pictures from the weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

Wild Science Weekend Recap

Via West kicked off the new year last weekend with our Wild Science Weekend. We spent time in our laboratory concocting all sorts of wild and crazy experiments, including learning how to use salt to make ice cream in a plastic bag!

We took a field trip to the San Jose Tech Museum where we played and learned about lights, rockets, earthquakes, and more.

Once back on campus, we held our own science fair where did more experiments and made fun take home projects, like lava lamps and crystal pictures. The weekend would not have been complete without the dance and talent show. We also went on a scavenger hunt, learned some cool science iPad apps, and fired off some baking soda bottle rockets.

To see more pictures from this weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

Via West Thanksgiving Recap

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Via West! We just spent a fantastic holiday weekend at Via West full of football, friends, and food! We went shopping at the Via West Market to select ingredients to make stuffing and pumpkin pie for our Thanksgiving feast.

We decorated masks to be sold at this year's Via Ball since the theme is Mardis Gras Masquerade.

 We made journals and photo albums, and we practiced our football skills. We then stuffed all of our Thanksgiving turkeys with our homemade stuffing.

We made vases to use as centerpieces for Thanksgiving, and we put our football skills to good the test with a campus wide scrimmage.

Everyone then dressed up to sit down to our wonderful homemade feast (thanks to Deli Dave and the kitchen staff!), and we shared what we are most thankful for this year. We finished the night off by dancing away all of our calories at the Turkey Trot!

To see more pictures from this weekend, please visit our Facebook page.

Last Days of Summer Recap

We just kicked off the 2012-2013 weekend season with The Last Days of Summer! We had a blast celebrating the last of the warm weather. We learned how to make seed balls to plant in the ground and we made suncatchers and pinwheels as well. We rooted through the Via West garden and dug up some delicious vegetables that we then cooked for our summer bbq extravaganza!

We splashed around in the pool, learned on iPads, showcased our talent at the talent show, and had a fun-filled dance under the stars. 

We had an epic showdown of men versus women in the Via West baseball game. While the men made an amazing comeback, the defensive skills of the women allowed them to prevail!

To see more photos from this weekend, please visit our Facebook page. To register for a private pay weekend program, please click here.

CSI Week (Kids) Recap

Something fishy is going on at Via West! Mr. Fluffy McFluff Fluff has met his untimely demise, and our CSI detectives must now track down the culprit!

Participants had a fantastic time last week working the Via West crime scene investigation, outlining bodies, and playing a live clue game. We made high protein smoothies to energize us for the manhunt through campus, rode horses, and took a much needed break to relax by the pool.

We took two amazing field trips to the Sheriff's Department and the Fire Station.

We danced one of the nights away and everyone showcased their abilities at an incredible talent show.

To see more pictures from this week, please visit our Facebook page.

Medieval Madness Recap

Hear ye, hear ye fair knights and ladies of Via West! Medieval Madness week is sadly over, but such fun was had by all! Participants ate giant turkey legs by the fire and jousted and decorated the maypole during an unforgettable Renaissance Fair.

Everyone learned how to embroider, make candles, and ride a horse just like in the olden days. After learning our own Shakespeare play for a performance, we took a field trip to picnic and watch others tackle the Bard's work at the Shakespeare Festival.

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook page.