Thank you to everyone who attended our annual Community Partners Luncheon. This luncheon recognizes local partners who have helped us support the youth and teens in our Youth Opportunities Unlimited Programs. Our community partners got to sit and talk with many of the students they have helped to support, received recognition awards, and enjoyed heart felt speeches from students of the YOU Programs.

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One of our favorite STAY adventures this year was the community luncheon, because we got to meet so many new people and eat at the Puritain. Most of our sponsors that fund STAY were there. They had so many  amazing stories to tell and were super nice. We each sat at a table with different sponsors and had table topic slips to help start conversations. After a while, they served us a delicious lunch of their famous chicken, french fries, and carrots. It was so good! After the lunch came, we heard two inspiring speeches from our very own Yanel Avila and Roylynn Wilson. We even got to meet and hear from Manchester’s  new Mayor, Joyce Craig, who is really sweet and down-to-earth. We definitely enjoyed getting to know all the people who make STAY possible. Thanks, everyone!

On Tuesday, February 5th, the STAY Program went to the McIntyre Ski Area for a full day of fun!  The weather was warm- it felt like Spring. We were supposed to go skiing in January, but the trip was canceled because of rain and ice. My class at Parkside was picked up first thing in the morning, and we shared a bus with Hillside. 
Because of donations from the schools, Y members, and businesses, like Salvation Army and Savers, all of us got to choose a pair of snow pants, gloves, and a coat to make sure we stayed warm during the trip. We had the choice between skiing and snowboarding- I chose snowboarding. The gear, including the boots and helmet, was already set up waiting for us.
McIntyre split us all into groups for our lessons. The snowboard instructor was very nice. We first learned to snowboard with one foot. We also learned how to turn and stop. It’s important to know these skills, so you don’t crash into anything. I figured it out really quickly, and it was enjoyable, until I took a tumble down the hill. 
One of my classmates, Brea, had a major wipe out. I saw that she had fallen when I was riding up the ski lift. The ski patrol and other kids were trying to help her get safely down the mountain. I was snowboarding down the hill, when I realized that the group was still there. I lost my focus and couldn’t turn in time to avoid them. I hit a pot hole and fell down.
As I saw that my STAY friends kept falling, I got a little nervous and decided to stop for the day. It was okay though, because there were staff and other kids in the Lodge playing games. I started a game of Apple to Apples. McIntyre was very generous and gave us all pizza, lemonade, and fruit punch for lunch. When the day came to an end, all of us walked out in one piece (even Brea). As Miss Barney says, “Nobody Died!”, so the day was a success. However, some of us almost died of laughter because of how much fun it was. I am looking forward to all of the future adventures, and I am so happy that I am in STAY!

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By: Jacob Salem

For our December Adventure Trip, we visited the Allard Center YMCA. To start off the day, we all received a sticky note with our schedule for the morning of where we were supposed to go throughout the day. I got gymnastics, art, and Zumba, which were all things I really wanted to do! I had fun exploring all the activities I was able to participate in and hanging out with Mrs. Rush, Jenneh, Mary, Tysheanna, and Nyanaroup. All of them were great leaders during the trip. I mostly loved hanging out with my favorite STAY teachers- Mrs. Rush and Miss Barney. 
After the morning activities, we all gathered in the new Teen Center area for a gift exchange and lunch. Lunch was a delicious taco meal with chips and all the toppings you could think of. After lunch, we played a game to determine which gift we would receive. I ended up with a toy, but traded it for a set of perfume and nail polish. I’m so grateful to whomever donated all the gifts so that we could have such a fun exchange at our Christmas party. The ultimate wish I wanted was to get along with most of the people on the trip, and I got exactly that! I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be in STAY and think it is the best program I have ever been a part of.

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By: Makayla Proulx 

The November Adventure Trip of ice skating and going to Pizza Hut to practice our manners was super fun! I got to try ice-skating for the second time and loved it. Unfortunately, I had to use a bucket to keep my balance most of the time, but it was still a blast. I raced with my friends and won every time. We also got hot chocolate to enjoy halfway through our visit to Conway Ice Arena, and it was super hot but still delicious. This was my second time ice-skating with friends, and I stayed out on the ice almost the entire time! I’m glad my friends made it on the adventure, and we were able to ice-skate together. 
After we went ice-skating in the morning, we traveled to Pizza Hut for lunch. We had to be “proper” and use our manners throughout the lunch, because that’s what we had trained to do in our STAY classes that month. It was totally worth it! The food was good, and I got to sit with my friends. We talked a little in between stuffing our faces. My friend was excited to see that there were breadsticks at the pizza buffet! Overall, it was a pretty great trip, and all those who were able to go enjoyed trying something new and getting a tasty meal. Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible! 

By: Alex Shepard

For our second trip of this school year we got to climb up and down Mt. Majors. It was difficult. It was not just a little hill. . . it was a huge mountain! We had to find the path markers as we climbed up rocks. It was a big challenge, especially since I had never climbed a mountain before. Most of the group was scattered, since some people were a lot faster than others. Some people didn’t know exactly where to go. Thankfully there were other hikers that helped direct us where to go, and we made it to the top!
I didn’t know much about the earth until I got to the top of the mountain and saw Lake Winnepesake below and the trees, hills, and other mountains in the area. When we got to the top, we were able to rest for a bit and have lunch with a stunning view. Even though it was a beautiful sunny day, it got pretty chilly at the top of the mountain. After staying up on top for a bit, we took a group picture and headed back down the mountain.
The way down was a lot shorter, but it was super steep at the beginning. Some people fell a little, but no one was seriously injured. When we got to the bottom of the mountain, we had to wait in the parking lot for the buses to show up. Even though this trip was very challenging, I enjoyed it and loved that I got to experience something new. I’m looking forward to future new experiences in STAY!

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By: Khaliege David

The first field trip we went on this year was to the Y in Goffstown. The main idea behind this trip was teamwork. Our first challenge was to walk across a tightrope. One person would be walking across and two others would be standing by as “catchers”. They were there to help pick us up if we fell. It was a lot of fun, and everyone got a turn. There were other team building activities such as having to balance our entire group on a single platform and working together to walk on blocks with two other kids. We had to figure out how to communicate with each other so we could get it to work.
After lunch, we played a game with all of STAY. There were two teams, and each team had to pass the ball to every team member before we could throw it towards the other team. Once you threw the ball, your team had to get into a tight circle, and someone from the team ran around us. That was how you scored. It was so much fun! Hayden and I were also able to play many games in the GaGa pit. It was a super fun day, and I can’t wait to go on more adventures with my STAY family!

By: K.H. Draco III