Cairns Youth Mentoring Scheme
Monthly Newsletter

June 2009 : Volume 9, Issue 3

Brought to you by Centacare Cairns

Brought to you by
Centacare Cairns

Coming Events

Wednesday 3rd
Action Group Meeting

Wednesday 17th
Mentor Skill Builder

Thursday 2nd
Action Group Meeting

Monday 20th
Mentor Training Information Session

Saturday 25th
Mentor Training Workshop

Thursday 6th
Action Group Meeting

Program Evaluation

CYMS has a fantastic opportunity to have the Scheme evaluated by a skilled James Cook University student. The purpose of this is to evaluate the CYMS program to improve the existing program and its efficiency. We are also very interested in the experience of mentors and wish to improve the programs ability to support them. We hope to interview as many mentors, mentees and parents and guardians as we can.

In order to improve CYMS, it is vital that we have your opinion and learn from your experiences. We cannot do it without you! If you would like to take part in a thirty minute to one hour interview, please contact the Scheme. Mentors will be interviewed by John Shay (the evaluator) and another interviewer and mentees and parents and guardians will be interviewed by the CYMS Co-ordinator or John Shay.

The success of this evaluation depends on your support!  I look forward to hearing from you.

Contact Us >>

Resources available for use

As the Cairns Youth Mentoring Scheme is housed at the Flexible Learning Centre (Clarke Street) there are fantastic resources available for matched mentee and mentor pairs. These resources can be utilized during school days from 3.00pm to 6.00pm. They include:

• Half court basketball court and basketballs
• Manual arts room with work benches and some hand tools
• Sports equipment is also available to be utilized at any time and anywhere. This includes: Basketballs, Soccer balls, Footballs and Cricket set

Please book these items in advance with the CYMS Co-ordinator. Mentees and mentors are welcome to utilise these resources in pairs or groups with other mentees and mentors.

Recipe of the Month

Pack your picnic basket with these fresh baguettes tied up with string, then simply unwrap and dig in.

Chicken Caesar Baguette

Ingredients:

• 8 slices prosciutto
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 4 single chicken breast fillets, halved horizontally
• 1 x 45g can anchovy fillets, drained
• 250g (1 cup) good-quality whole egg mayonnaise
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 (about 340cm each) large baguettes (French breadsticks)
• 3 baby cos lettuces, leaves separated, washed, dried
• 80g shaved parmesan

1. Place the prosciutto in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel. Set aside to cool. Break into medium-sized pieces.
2. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Thinly slice diagonally across the grain.
3. Coarsely mash the anchovies. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and anchovies in a bowl.
4. Cut the baguettes lengthways (do not cut all the way through) and spread with the mayonnaise mixture. Divide the lettuce, chicken, prosciutto and parmesan among the baguettes. Press to close. Cut each baguette crossways into 4 portions. Use kitchen string to tie at regular intervals to secure filling. Serve.

Print this recipe >>

Forward this to a friend >>

Recipe from www.taste.com.au

Thank You

CYMS would like to thank the following for their support over the past few months:

• Flexible Learning Centre for use of their resources and support to the CYMS team;
• Far North Queensland Volunteers for assisting the Scheme with volunteer interviews and mentor recruitment;
• Emmy Kerrigan from Atlas Projects for assisting with the CYMS eNewsletter; and
• Nicky Jurd from cityofcairns.com for maintaining the CYMS Website;

Pass it on

If you know someone who may be interested in receiving this newsletter, you can easily forward.

Please send info, photos and stories for the next newsletter. Any/all items of happenings, what you are doing, what you hope to do, what you missed out on doing.

All items are of interest to other mentors and mentees. Email the office or call us on 4041 5844.

If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please, simply unsubscribe from this newsletter. In order to protect your privacy, the distribution list that has been compiled for this newsletter will not be used for any other purpose and your name and contact details will not be disclosed to any third party.

Brought to you by
Centacare Cairns

Co-ordinator's News

Hi ,

All good things do come to an end and sadly CYMS will be saying goodbye to Erna on June 30. Erna has been the Scheme’s administration assistant for one and a half years and has been a valuable resource. The Scheme can no longer fund the administration position for the remaining funding period to December. Erna will be sadly missed by both Centacare Cairns and the Flexible Learning Centre Staff. We wish Erna well in her future endeavors.

Furthermore after 3 years in the CYMS Coordinators position I will be leaving CYMS for a Team Leader position with the Youth Support Coordinators Program for Centacare Cairns. I am very excited by the prospect of new challenges and working with a new team. I will provide updates on how the Scheme will operate through this transition period. I will continue to be in the CYMS coordinators position until Friday 3rd July.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with many community minded mentors who devote time and resources to support young people in need. Participating in the mentee mentor celebrations has been a warming experience which will be missed.

On other news, thank you to all those who supported the Trivia Night fundraiser in April. A whopping $3700 was raised through the silent raffle, raffle and trivia night ticket sales. Thank you to Ron Livingston who did a fantastic job of hosting the event. Also thank you to the Action Group, Reef Hotel Casino and the many generous organisations that donated prizes. Without your support this event would not have been possible.

I hope to see many mentors participate in the Mentor Skill Builder on June 17th. This is an opportunity for mentors to network and provide support and friendship to each other.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Kind Regards, Anita Andacic CYMS Co-ordinator

Coming Events

CYMS says Farewell to Erna

As the saying goes ‘All good things must come to an end’. My time as Admin Assistant for CYMS will end on the 30th June 2009. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Anita, all of the staff at FLC and Centacare for making me feel welcomed. I shall leave with nothing but happiness and fond memories of the time I spent with them. To the mentors I hope my assistance in their inquiries was helpful to them. To the mentors that I have come into contact with at the celebrations and once at training, I feel privileged to have met them. I would like to say goodbye and good luck.

Recent Events

Thank you to all those who supported the Trivia Night fundraiser in April. A whopping $3700 was raised through the silent raffle, raffle and trivia night ticket sales. Thank you to Ron Livingston who did a fantastic job of hosting the event. Also thank you to the organisations that supported the Trivia Fundraising Night:

• The Reef Hotel Casino
• Mantra Esplanade
• Queensland Rail - Kuranda Scenic Railway
• Big Cat Green Island Cruises
• Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
• Reflections of Port Douglas
• Artist Kelly Hill
• Artist Claire Souter
• Paradise Palms Golf Club
• Go Bowling
• Blondie’s Kuts and Kurls Hairdresser
• Cairns Wildlife Dome
• Quick Trim Men’s Barber
• Gordonvale Naturopathic Clinic
• Lenard’s Raintrees
• Re-Joovns Body and Soul Massage
• Shoetopia
• Lorraine Piercy – Clinical Hypnosis
• C’est Bon French Restaurant
• Go Bowling Cairns
• Half Moon Bay Golf Club
• Birch Carroll and Coyle
• Rainforestation Nature Park, Kuranda
• Ocean Spirit
• Nail Lovers Raintrees
• Daintree Discovery Centre
• Cairns Tropical Zoo

Bevan and Draegan’s Day Out

Imagine an invigorating walk through a rainforest alongside a rushing creek in our tropical wonderland we call Cairns. Well recently my mentee, Draegan, and I went on an outing to Crystal Cascades just west of Cairns. Most locals know about this fabulous spot and in the summer it is very busy with walkers and swimmers.

In April however it is just that bit cooler so whilst the car park was pretty full there weren’t that many swimming. We started our adventure with a soft serve ice-cream form the van in the car park. Draegan worked out that if you pushed the ice cream down in to the cone it lasted longer.

The walk up the hill was great exercise and was broken up by stopping and watching others enjoying themselves along the creek and in the water. Of special interest was a group of young boys who thought they were Indiana Jones or perhaps Tarzan. They used a rope tied to the far bank of the creek and climbed up the rocky sides high above the water. Then when they had summoned up the courage they would launch themselves into the creek some 5 or 6 meters below. We decided that wasn’t for us.

In a few places Draegan spied some large spiders in really big webs strung between various rocks and branches. Someone told us they are called golden orb spiders and Draegan was keen to tell several interested people where they were to share the sight of their yellow and black legs and large web.

Eventually we found a spot where there was a fabulous pool with a good depth of water and rocks all around. At the upstream end there was a rushing waterfall which Draegan was thrilled to be able to slide down and into the swirling foam below. He’s a good little swimmer and we had a lot of fun climbing up the slippery rocks and being washed down or climbing around the top and sliding down into the pool below.

After we had exhausted ourselves swimming in the current and sliding the waterfall we enjoyed throwing bits of biscuit into the water to feed the fish. There are heaps of fish in the creek and some of them are about a foot long. So if you want to enjoy some fun in a beautiful area with you and your mentor or mentee go to Crystals and experience the thrill of nature.

By Bevan and Draegan

The Search for Suitable
Mentee and Mentor Activities

Identifying appropriate inexpensive activities and venues for mentee and mentor activities to take place can be tricky work. Within the formal six month program activities are not to take place in a mentee’s or mentor’s home. Mentees and mentors can pick up or meet each other before an activity at each others’ homes but no activities are to take place at the homes of mentees and mentors. Therefore it is important to hold suitable activities in the community.

The safety of the young person and mentor is paramount, therefore it is important to have activities in public places where there is mobile coverage and other people about. If camping is an activity that you would like to do please contact CYMS first as a consent form needs to be filled in. If you are having difficulties identifying appropriate activities, please contact the CYMS for suggestions and clarification. Suggested activities include:

• Going to a beach where surf life savers are present
• Going to the skate rank at the Esplanade or picnic at the lagoon
• Going for a bike ride - remember your helmet. Check out the Council website and search for bike tracks http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/content/root/index.html
• Checking out the local parks or Botanical Gardens. Bring a Frisbee. Remember the CYMS has some sporting equipment for loan
• Having a game of mini golf at the Yorkeys Knob driving range
• Going fishing at the Palm Cove Jetty or Trinity Inlet. Try contacting other mentees and mentors and have a group activity of fishing
• Visiting Lake Placid and looking for turtles
• Contacting Conservation Volunteers and organise to plant some trees. Phone number is: 4032 0844
• Op Shop or Dump Shop shopping. See who can get the best item for under $5
• Checking out the Cairns Historical Society or the Cairns Art Gallery. The Art Gallery has free admission the first Saturday of every month. There are also exhibitions at the Tanks. The Timeout section of the Cairns Post will let you know what’s on
• Checking out SWAMP. This is a Flexible Learning Centre, after school program, where youth can explore their own interests in areas of technology (animation, game making, robotics, PS3 fun, etc). CYMS mentors and mentees are welcome to visit this club together – just give Linda, the program co-ordinator, a call a few days in advance. Call Linda: 4080 9258 or email: lsaun36@eq.edu.au
• Building something in the Flexible Learning Centre manual arts block on any school day from 3.00pm—6.00pm. Contact the CYMS co-ordinator first to book the room
• Visiting your local library and check out the new releases
• Visiting a motorbike shop, car yard or camping and fishing shop to check out what’s new and what you would buy (if you win lotto)
• Contacting agencies like the Fire Brigade or Weather Station and visit to explore their functions
• Exploring Rusty’s Markets on a Saturday or Sunday morning – try an exotic fruit you have never seen before
• Walking the red arrow or blue arrow. The red arrow is also a great place to view planes departing and arriving at the Cairns Airport.

Activities should be FUN for all involved. They are also a learning opportunity and have the potential to expose a mentee to education, training and career paths.