WEST AFTER SCHOOL CENTER
NEWS & OPINION

April 2008

Our mission is to provide opportunities that enrich the educational, social, and cultural experiences of students and families in our community.

620 Garfield Avenue, Lancaster, OH  43130  --    740-653-5678  --  740-653-2402 FAX

FAMILY FESTIVAL EVENT COMING SOON

Thursday, April 10 2008, at 4:00 pm

The West After School Center will host the Matt Jergens Comedy and Juggling Show. All families are invited to this FREE event. The Family Festival is sponsored by The Recovery Center & Kaleidoscope Entertainment.

To learn about Matt Jergens and see a short video, visit: http://www.mattjergens.com/

Email:  pyoung@westafterschoolcenter.org

Visit us at www.westafterschoolcenter.org

Dr. Paul G. Young, Executive Director

Mrs. Jane Hart, Student & Family Coordinator

Mrs. Julie Bibler, Tutoring Program Administrator

Mrs. Chris Kuttler, Office Manager

WASC Will be a Sponsor of the Summer Food Program, Starting June 2

Plan now to take advantage of the free summer lunch program being offered Monday-Friday during the summer months, 11:30-1:0– p.m. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded program that provides meal reimbursement to child care centers for serving nutritious meals. The objectives of CACFP are to:

· Improve the diets of children by providing nutritious meals.

· Help children develop good eating habits that will last through the years.

Again, ANY CHILD under age 18 can participate, regardless of the current enrollment status for the school lunch program.

Strengths or Weaknesses?  Which Do You Nurture?

Everyone has strengths — those attributes that make us feel energized and alive when we do them. When we are engaged in activities where our strengths can be developed to the fullest, our curiosity and passion seem to have no limits. When adults discover meaningful ways to use their strengths in their professional work, they enjoy fulfillment and happiness in professional and personal relationships.

Children innately have strengths. Our job is to nurture them. But to do that, we need to rethink much of what we have traditionally done in school which is focused on remediating weaknesses. We’ll get the same results if we continue doing we’ve always done. We need to retrain our minds to look for human strengths rather than weaknesses. We must reconfigure the time devoted to telling kids don’t know (and tearing them down with high-stakes tests) to a celebration of what they do well. The affect of high-stakes testing causes too many ill-effects for children– frustration, anger, depression, and complacency toward learning. Common sense must prevail and reverse current trends. We must help children discover their innate talents and sense of purpose. We need to build kids up rather than tear them down.

Many children excel at sports or arts activities and really feel good when they are engaged in them. These kids typically receive lots of recognition and positive attention. For others, academic study comes easily and is a strength. They receive feedback, reinforcement, and recognition from traditional education practices. Still, there are many other children whose strengths lie in an ability to form relationships, and they deserve opportunities for recognition and nurturing like all others. 

No doubt, reading, writing, and math are important for every child to learn. But there is so much more. We want all our children to be able to reap lifelong rewards in areas of their strengths—and those may not be contingent upon complete mastery of reading or math. For many, stronger abilities will be evident in science or nature, physical activities, business, the arts, or hands-on vocational work. Regardless of strengths or weaknesses, our job is to help every child attain full potential and happiness rather than a state of mediocrity.

At the West After School Center, our goal is to enable our students’ improvement of their social skills. We encourage each child to interact with adults using good eye contact, courtesy, and to use complete sentences when responding to questions. We help them develop relationships with adult volunteers by demonstrating ethical character, concern for others, and ways to make friends. Children who develop strengths in relationships and learn the skills of friendship-making will be equipped for success in the adult world, regardless of their academic prowess.

Today, there is much, much more for children to learn than when older generations were in school. But the values and virtues that make life fulfilling and worth living, regardless of age,  must be developed. We must encourage children to get off the couch, get away from their televisions and computers, and learn to interact appropriately with adults and each other. We must encourage and nurture social development. The greatest gift we can give children, during school and after, is the opportunity to practice their skill development in a safe environment, to make mistakes, and to learn from positive roles models. We must nurture strengths and teach appropriate ways to interact and socialize with other human beings.

Join us as we teach, coach, mentor, guide, reinforce, and nurture the strengths of relationship building that will equip our kids for a lifetime of success and happiness.

Watch our Television Show on  the LSN

Channel 6 Time Warner Cable

New episodes air at 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays.

Healthy Living for Kids

"STUDENTS MAKING Art R TOPS"

S.M.A.R.T.  ART

Encourage your child to draw!  Submit your child's or grandchildren's art creations in JPEG form via email to: pictures@westafterschoolcenter.org

Include the artist's name and age. Copies will be made and added to the West After School Center Student Art Gallery, posted on the WASC Website (www.westafterschoolcenter.org), and featured on subsequent episodes of Healthy Living for Kids. As the pictures tell, kids are very creative and love art at the earliest age!

Good health involves the mind, body, and soul!

S.M.A.R.T.  ART

Friday Fun Day Swimming

Robert K. Fox Family Y

Friday, April 18, 2008

4:00-5:30 p.m.—busing provided

Children do not need to know how to swim.

Encourage your child to learn while enjoying the fun and recreation!