from the office of Dr. Paul G. Young, Executive Director

Visit our website at:  http://www.westafterschoolcenter.org/
This weekly update is distributed via email to the WASC Board of Directors & staff, volunteers, West School Staff, Parents, and key community leaders

	All WASC families are invited to our next Strengthening Families Program Monday, February 26, 2007 5:30-6:30 p.m.	Take advantage of this learning and sharing opportunity and enjoy dinner with your family. Sponsored in conjunction with the Recovery Center.
Looking for a good resource to help students prepare for the Ohio Achievement Tests?  Practice tests for grades 3-8 are on-line. Click HERE
Want to learn more about after school initiatives and funding in Ohio and other states? Click HERE, scroll down and select OHIO on the map of the United States.
	On Monday, March 26, the Columbus Children’s Theatre Touring Company will present “The Reluctant Dragon” at 4:00 p.m. to the students attending the WASC tutoring program. This presentation is made possible through the Strengthening Families Program sponsored by The Recovery Center of Lancaster. "Dragons are a pest and must be got rid of" – that’s what all the villagers say. It doesn’t seem to matter that this particular dragon wouldn’t hurt a fly. But this dragon has a friend with a great deal of good sense. She must convince St. George that violence is not the answer and there are other options than fighting. Family members are welcome to attend this heartwarming and funny tale!
	Mom’s Craft Morning!  Spring is coming! Please join us on Monday, March 12, at 10:00 when we will make some sparkling and colorful eggs for your Easter basket. Call Jane Hart for more information. RSVP on the Family Bulletin Board as you sign your child out of tutoring.
	Dr. Young and Mr. Libbee, Executive Director of the Eastside Center for Success, will be attending the National After School Association Conference in Phoenix, March 20-23. This is the largest conference of its kind in the nation for afterschool providers and advocates. Dr. Young will present the story of the development of the West After School Center at a special session on Wednesday morning, March 21 and participate with Judy Nee, NAA Board President, in a session focused on professional development for principals and after school providers, also on Wednesday. A full conference overview can be seen by clicking HERE
Please read this report -- click HERE downloadable in PDF format.	Readers of our WASC Weekly Updates are encouraged to become familiar with this newly released national report, A New Day for Learning, funded by the C. S. Mott Foundation, designed to initiate conversations about restructuring the learning day for American children. "We have always believed that each generation will be better off than the one before it. However, it is the children in our schools today—this generation—who could begin a slide that will bring down the standard of living for all Americans. Future generations will live in a nation that no longer has control over its economic destiny and cannot assure prosperity for its citizens. This is a stark truth borne out by relentless studies and statistics. Quite simply, unless we profoundly change our thinking and policies about when, where and how children learn and develop, our steady progress as an economy and as a society will end. The Time, Learning, and Afterschool Task Force doubts that current incremental reforms in our public education system can meet the incredible challenges facing our country.  Moreover, this is not just a crisis for our schools. Every institution, stakeholder group and community, as well as every citizen, must understand the critical need to do much more for all our children." to view a 12-minute video, click HERE "No one believes that when the bell rings at the end of the school day, children stop learning. Curiosity bubbles inside the minds of children from the moment they wake in the morning until they go to bed at night. Our challenge is to encourage, connect, and foster learning throughout a child’s day. How do we help children make sense of all the information and experiences in their lives? Policymakers face a challenge: How do we ensure that all children have opportunities to reach their full potential in a competitive world where thinking skills are the most important asset of a society?"