Summer Camp Learns about the Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Our summer program kids had so much fun learning about the life cycle of the caterpillar to butterfly. With the help of several St. Ann Center staff the kids gathered some caterpillars and a lot of leaves and branches put them in a large plastic container with holes punched in the top…and then they waited.

Each day they checked the container and watched as the caterpillars ate the leaves and pooped…and boy did they poop. They learned to clean out the container and make sure the caterpillars had plenty to eat and someplace strong to attach themselves to so they could make their cocoons.

The caterpillars attached themselves to the top of the container and began to spin their cocoons. The children got to see the whole process. Once the cocoon was formed they waited. It turned out they waited about 12 days; that was the average wait.

Right before their eyes a magnificent monarch butterfly emerged ever so slowly from its chrysalis (also called a pupa.) The kids also learned some new words! When the butterfly’s wings were dry they took the butterfly out of the jar and took turns letting it land on their hands, or shirts and noses! When it was time, they released the beautiful butterfly outside so it could start the life cycle all over again!

It certainly didn’t take long and they were lucky enough to experience the full life cycle of the butterfly. The summer program learned many new things this summer. Our next summer program article will be about Mad Science!

 

Jewelry making is art, therapy and a whole lot of fun!

Susan G. and her jewelry creations!

Suzanne Leberman is St. Ann Center’s jewelry teacher and works one-on-one with many clients creating beautiful wearable art. St. Ann Center offers jewelry classes for a small cost to any client interested in learning to make their own jewelry.

A new client named Susan G. started attending St. Ann Center in November. She was recovering from a brain aneurysm and part of her therapy at her rehab facility was stringing beads so naturally when she heard about the Suzanne’s jewelry classes she was intrigued and signed up right away.

When Susan began the jewelry making classes her jewelry was beautiful but very simplistic and followed an easy pattern of 3’s. As Susan progressed her jewelry has increased in beauty as well as design complexity. She has steadily moved beyond set patterns and advanced to creating lovely necklackes, bracelets and matching earrings. Suzanne says that she has really witnessed a change and definite progress in Susan’s abilities since she started. It’s exciting to witness such change and improvement in the health of our clients.


This is one of the first jewelry pieces that Susan created.



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 This is one of the later pieces that Susan created



 Susan (St. Ann Center Client) and Suzanne L.(jewelry teacher) 

African Dance comes to St. Ann Center

This week a very inspirational dance group came to St. Ann Center to entertain and share their talents with the clients, kids and staff!


The DanceCircus and Xalaat Africa Drum and Dance for Life dance groups is an dance corp that trains junior and senior high school students in modern and African dance and modern and African drumming. For two weeks during the summer the group performs for Boys & Girls Clubs, senior centers, care centers and community sites.

We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to experience their wonderful dancing and drumming skills. Everyone was entertained and had so much fun! The little kids were just dancing in their seats and waving their hands in the air. The clients were trying to clap along to the beat of the drums and the staff was cheering! Some of the St. Ann Center kids were asking how they can get involved in this wonderful group.

For more information about Dance Circus check out their website at http://www.dancecircus.org/.
Check out the dancing on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/stanncenter?feature=mhsn

Taking steps to prevent memory loss

Study hopes to prove exercise could help many

e-mail print By Kelly Hogan of the Journal Sentinel

July 25, 2011
Long before Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed - before it robs one of language, judgment and temperament - a person capable of normal daily activities starts to have trouble remembering things.

This early form of memory loss is considered a harbinger of Alzheimer's disease, which affects upward of 5.1 million people in the United States.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are studying whether exercise can stall this form of memory loss - called amnestic mild cognitive impairment, or aMCI - and stave off the progression of Alzheimer's disease.  Follow this link to read more! http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/126130108.html

Mary, Mary...Oh How Your Garden Grows

Mary is a massage therapist and "gardener extraordinaire" at St. Ann Center. Although Mary is an amazing massage therapist she also works as the landscape gardener. Each spring, summer and fall the grounds at St. Ann Center are full of beautiful blooms thanks to Mary and her many client helpers!

There are different types of flowers and colorful explosions sprouting up all around the center. Mary is very happy to let us know that the majority of plants and flowers were shared from other’s gardens. Most of the plants are perennials and they spread each year. Mary spends time digging and transplanting and weeding each day. She’s always happy to share a helpful gardening tip.

Mary has a great ability to bring the outside in. Throughout the year Mary cuts blooms and brings them into the Center to add a special caring touch and sometimes lovely flower aroma to the clients. Many clients also help Mary do different gardening activities. Pam (pictured at right) is a client at St. Ann Center who helps Mary cut blooms and makes them into lovely flower arrangements.

Mary was also most recently named winner of the St. Ann Center Employee “Maggie Cary – Recognize a Winner Award!” Here are some of the wonderful things Mary’s co-workers said about her:

• “She is filled with warmth and love.”

• “She keeps St. Ann Center a beautiful place in various ways. Not only does she tend to the atrium, garden, and grounds, her decorations during the holidays are lovely too.”

• “She is always ready to listen to concerns you may have and has an attitude to help out whoever needs it!”

• “The beauty that is gifted to us truly creates a peace filled environment.”

St. Ann Center is very blessed to have Mary McCanna care for it’s grounds as well as its clients, staff and visitors!

How much can one older woman survive?

More, apparently, than we might think. Real life example:

Many years ago Clementine S., at the age of 60, met with an assortment of daunting medical crises, any one of which might well have been enough to wipe out a weaker woman. But weak she was not.

She had two brain aneurysms. Then came 10 hours of surgery, followed by a massive stroke. The stroke left the right side of her body paralyzed and also deprived her of speech. Then she was stricken with meningitis, for which was given strong antibiotics. But she proved to be allergic to the antibiotics. At times, during these ordeals, physicians expressed to her daughter, Sheila their concern that Clemmie might not make it. She was near death several times. But after seven months in the hospital she began to rebuild her life. As a right-handed artist who could no longer use her right hand, she began, hour by hour and day by day, to paint the flowers she loved, using her unaccustomed left hand.

Years ago she had studied art with Sister Thomasita Fessler of Cardinal Stritch University and she had not lost her talent, her training, or her desire to paint. She began to feel like herself. She returned her hair to its original brown, with the help of the St. Ann's staffers, and she looks younger than her years. She also began water therapy in the warm waters of the St. Ann Center pool, two days a week. She can float on her back, kick with her left leg, and paddle with her left arm. Staff members assist her in dressing, and help her in and out of the pool as needed. One called her "An inspiration to all of us."

Clemmie passed away a in 2006 but she always serves as a reminder of the optimistic human spirit so alive in many of the clients at St. Ann Center.
Written by: Dorothy Austin
An excerpt from her obituary(Published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from 4/3/2006 - 4/4/2006)

“Her incredible strength, spirit, and positive attitude allowed her to overcome a multitude of serious medical challenges including 7 continuous months at Columbia Hospital beginning in July 1987. Two brain aneurysms, a stroke, and meningitis, afflicted her at that time, and left half her body half paralyzed and robbed her of her speech. Yet, Clemmie remained a joy to be around and a great inspiration to all those who knew her. She loved life and cherished each day as a gift. Her smile would light up a room and her hugs were strong and plentiful. Clemmie will be so deeply missed by many, many friends, but her spirit and love will most certainly live on forever - in the hearts of all those who knew her.

Special thanks to all friends and staff at St. Ann Center, Milwaukee, where Clemmie loved to swim in the warm water therapy pool.”

Crazy Tie Day

Every Friday Danny Crivello (Milwaukees 1st Golden Idol) plays a concert in the park for the children, adults, staff and community of St. Ann Center. But today, in honor of Father's Day, it was Crazy Tie Day. Everyone was was dancing and shanking it to the fast paced lively music. Friday concerts are always a great way to start the weekend. You can check out our online photo album to see photos from the the days festivities.