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Thankful for Community with MoCoRec

Montgomery County Maryland sent this bulletin at 11/05/2024 04:00 PM EST

| November 2024

Winter Program Registration Begins Nov. 13

Prepare for Montgomery County Recreation’s winter registration, which will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, for County residents for most programs and activities! Registration for senior programming (including Bone Builders) will begin at 9 a.m.

To ease your experience on registration day, plan ahead! Log in to your ActiveMONTGOMERY account ahead of time to make sure all your information is up to date. Have you heard about the ActiveMONTGOMERY wish list feature? Create a personalized list of programs in your account that can be recalled quickly for reference or to purchase on registration day. Click here to learn more.

Winter offerings include fitness, sports, visual and performing arts, therapeutic recreation and more. Programs and the GUIDE are now viewable online. While online registration is encouraged, registration will also be available by mail, drop-off or in-person. Need help on registration day? The administrative offices at 2425 Reedie Drive, 10th Floor, Wheaton will open at 6:30 a.m. on registration day. You can visit any other location during business hours.

Starting this winter, virtual bone builders registration will be handled by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Registration will take place through Eventbrite, beginning Monday, Nov. 18.

For more information about registration, visit the website or call the customer service team at 240-777-6840.

Join MoCoRec at the Montgomery Village Community Meeting on Nov. 14

Showcasing Our Services: Music in Me with Jane Pinczuk

For the past 10 years, Jane Pinczuk has brought her passions for music, dance and community to Montgomery County Recreation as a contractor through her nonprofit organization, The Music in Me Foundation. The organization, with which she serves as founder and CEO, specializes in building health and wellness and self-esteem for participants of all ages. With classes ranging from American Sign Language, Drum Circle, Hip Hop and more, Jane says her hope is that every participant can discover their own superpower.

“We believe that everybody has a special gift inside,” Jane said. “It’s just a matter of tapping into it. As we go through life, we tend to discover our superpowers through challenge. I always tell people to embrace those challenges.”

Jane says The Music in Me Foundation was inspired by her late daughter who found tremendous success as a journalist and filmmaker despite battling illness and isolation throughout her life.

Jane has led many classes with students from our Excel Beyond the Bell Elementary afterschool program, but just a few years ago following the COVID-19 pandemic, she was asked to bring her program to seniors in Montgomery County. What initially started as eight students in attendance eventually grew to a group as large as 60 participants. Jane’s Senior Superpower Dance Circle classes provide participants with magic wands to use as both a percussive instrument and a dance tool to build creativity and confidence.

“I’d rather have people get all of the steps wrong and just feel the music,” Jane said. “People can feel anxious walking into a room and not knowing what to expect. Even if you’ve got a walker or a cane, you’re going to find something to do in our classes and we make it fun.”

Amid all the craziness that can happen throughout our day to day lives, Jane said she feels as though the classes take place on their own little paradise.

“Nobody thinks twice about dancing together and forming relationships. It’s so natural and I feel blessed that I have this work.”

Jane said she is grateful for both the connections she has made with staff and participants through Montgomery County Recreation as well as the freedom she receives in putting her classes together.

“I feel like Montgomery County Recreation is the Lamborghini of recreation departments,” Jane said. “I’ve worked in many places, and I have to say I’ve never worked with nicer people who are so tapped into the community. Montgomery County Recreation has become an extension of my family.”

Fall Celebrations with MoCoRec

October was a particularly active month at Montgomery County Recreation as we held a number of fall events for the entire family to enjoy.

Fall festivals were held across many of our recreation centers and featured activities including pumpkin and face painting, moon bounces, games, music and more. Our floating pumpkin patches at our indoor swim centers allowed young swimmers to 'pick' out a pumpkin in the water and then decorate it back on land with their families. While not a traditional pumpkin patch, our aquatic version has become an extremely fun yearly tradition!

Other fun Halloween-related events last month included haunted houses at Long Branch Community Recreation Center and Clara Barton Neighborhood Recreation Center, a Candy and Costumes Community Skate at White Oak Community Recreation Center, our Therapeutic Recreation Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun Dance at Holiday Park Senior Center and more!

View the photos from all of our spooky fall events on our Flickr page.

Therapeutic Recreation Programming Featured on New Inside Recreation Podcast Episode

Recreation is for EVERYONE and here at Montgomery County Recreation, we provide accessible programs, leisure skills and social opportunities for individuals with disabilities through adaptive classes and events, as well as inclusion (mainstreaming). Our Therapeutic Recreation (TR) programs help participants gain confidence and have fun while providing a positive environment to play.

Our goal at Montgomery County Recreation is to enhance the health, well-being and quality of life for all County residents of all abilities.

Registration for all upcoming TR events, classes and programs can be found through ActiveMONTGOMERY. Learn more about TR at Montgomery County Recreation on our website.

To request inclusion support for general programming, please send your registration information as soon as possible, prior to the program, to rec.inclusion@montgomerycountymd.gov with your request for reasonable accommodation (examples: sign language interpreter, disability training for staff, braille/large print, lower staff-to-participant ratios, adaptive equipment, etc.).

In Episode 9 of our Inside Recreation podcast, we discuss the impact these events and programs have on participants and family members and how to learn more. The episode is available on most major streaming platforms including Buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel.

We're Hiring at MoCoRec!

TeenWorks and MoCoRec staff with Natali Fani-Gonazalez

Join our team at Montgomery County Recreation! It's a great time and opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of residents in our community. Check out the list of our current open career and seasonal positions and apply today:

Recreation Coordinator (Countywide Programs)
Recreation Specialist (Community Center Director)
Recreation Supervisor (Countywide Programs)
Lifeguard (Recreation Assistant III)
Program Assistant (Recreation Assistant I)
Program Assistant II (Recreation Assistant II)
Program Coordinator/Assistant Program Director (Recreation Assistant VI)
Program Director/Assistant Site Director (Recreation Assistant VII)
Recreation Leader I/Facility Leader I (Recreation Assistant IV)
Recreation Leader II/Facility Leader II (Recreation Assistant V)
Site Director (Recreation Assistant VIII)
TeenWorks (Recreation Assistant I)

Upcoming Events with Montgomery County Recreation

We have a lot of great events planned at our Montgomery County Recreation centers! Make sure to check out the full calendar on our website.

Friday, Nov. 8, Free Movie Night ('Migration'), 7- 9 p.m. at Long Branch Community Recreation Center
Saturday, Nov. 9, Bloom at Good Hope Concert Series featuring Cristian Perez & the Guitar Renegades, 5 - 6 p.m. at Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center
Monday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day. Senior Centers and Administrative Office are closed for the holiday. Recreation and aquatic centers are open.
Wednesday, Nov. 13, Winter Program Registration Begins, 6:30 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 14, Montgomery Village Community Meeting, 7 p.m. at Lake Marion Community Center
Sunday, Nov. 17, Chevy Chase Fall Festival, 12 - 2:30 p.m. at Jane E. Lawton Community Recreation Center
Thursday, Nov. 28, Thanksgiving. All centers are closed for the holiday.

Celebrating Two Years of The Rec Insider!

Since The Rec Insider's launch in November of 2022, we have been able to share information on our many programs and services to you, our residents!

Missed an edition? You can view them all online here. Make sure to encourage your friends and family members to subscribe to get the latest information from Montgomery County Recreation.

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