WEST AFTER SCHOOL CENTER
NEWS & OPINION

December 2009

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

Congratulations to Julie Bibler who will become the Interim WASC Executive Director beginning January 1, 2010. The WASC Board of Directors offered the position to Ms. Bibler following their November monthly.  Julie is a Lancaster High School and Ohio State University graduate, Lancaster resident with diverse work experience. Since 2006, she has worked as the WASC program site director and looks forward to six weeks of transition time with Dr. Paul Young, outgoing WASC Executive Director, who is leaving to become the Interim President and CEO of the National AfterSchool Association, based in Washington, DC. Congratulations, Mrs. Bibler -- the Board, staff, students, families, partners, and stakeholders of the West After School Centers look forward to a smooth leadership transition and great things ahead in 2010.

Julie Bibler. Interim Director

West After School Center

Dr. Paul G. Young

Executive Director

 Mrs. Chris Kuttler

Office Manager

 Mrs. Julie Bibler

WASC Site  Administrator

 Mr. Moses Garcia

Cedar CLC Site Administrator

 Mrs. Nan Rowe

East CLC Site Administrator

Mrs. Michelle Ritchlin

Tallmadge CLC Site Administrator

 Email:  pyoung@westafterschoolcenter.org

Visit us at www.westafterschoolcenter.org

15^th ANNUAL GIFT OF TIME

Sponsored by the Fairfield Association for the  Education of Young Children

There is no gift more special than time spent with your loved ones! Bring your child and join in some holiday fun including

CRAFTS, TREATS, and PHOTOS with SANTA!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

10:00am-1:00pm

Lancaster High School

1312 Granville Pike

Cost: FREE!

WHY?…Family FUN!

ALL CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT

Questions? Please call April Romine @ 740-205-8048

FREE FAMILY FUN NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

DEC. 14, 7 p.m.

Come and enjoy and evening of magical fun as the group "Believe" from the First United Methodist Church performs at the West After School Center on Monday, December 14, at 7:00 p.m. Music, magic, and zany skits will entertain young and old in this uplifting show.

This program is a creative outreach ministry of the Lancaster First United Methodist Church. To learn more about them, visit at http://www.crossroadsevents.com

Leadership Transitions

The process of replacing one leader with another can be one of the most important challenges non-profit boards face during their terms of service. Few other challenges are as visible or critical as when one leader departs and another assumes new responsibilities. The eyes of every board member, employee, parent, student, volunteer, business partner, and community stakeholder are focused on protocol, decision making, procedures, differences in style, transition management, history, and the vision and effectiveness of the outgoing and incoming leaders’ agenda.  After-school program leadership transitions reveal the true character and competence of those leaders and their governing boards.

The leadership transition occurring at the West After School Center will be as seamless as possible. Although the timing of this change was not fully anticipated, the inevitability of change was. The Board of Directors is diligently consulting and envisioning what is best for all stakeholders.  The transition presents a remarkable opportunity to move forward with confidence, energy, fresh ideas, and a renewed understanding of the complexities, challenges, and changes that every nonprofit must address. Effective leaders plan an exit that is positive, timely, graceful, and focused on achieving ongoing goals and mission objectives.  A seamless transition is the ultimate leadership responsibility.

The WASC Board of Directors has successfully addressed transition challenges during its 12 year history. There will be others in the future. The development of our mission and the expansion of programs has become a replicable model for other community-based after-school programs. Likewise, what is learned during this leadership change presents opportunities for role modeling and sharing with other nonprofits across Ohio and the nation. 

This is also a good time to proudly reflect on past experiences, challenges and successes. As we do that, each of us must commit to share the vision and values that have made this an incredible mission and assure its continued success. Change is a process, not an event. Change takes time and requires patience. When boards work with synergy and consensus in support of their leaders, they strengthen leadership capacity, reduce anxieties, and support the learning curve of the new leader, thereby ensuring a highly successful transition. 

I have been extremely proud to have been involved with the West After School Center since 1997 and serve as the Executive Director the past five years. I have received numerous plaudits that infer that success at the West After School Center has been “my” doing. But that is the wrong inference – it has been “our” doing, truly a proud community endeavor. The West After School Center will always be true to my heart. My learning  experiences will greatly influence my perspective as the new leader of the National AfterSchool Association. Together, we can only expect and be fully satisfied when this leadership change becomes mutually beneficial for all.

Paul G. Young, Ph. D.

Executive Director

Watch our Television Show on  the LSN

Channel 6 Time Warner Cable

New episodes air at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

POTENTIAL CHILDCARE PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES

for the HOLIDAYS

Do you need childcare on Dec. 21, 22, 23, 28 29, 30 during the upcomng holidays? (Grades K – 5) If so, the West After School Center may be able to help. With sufficient enrollment, we can provide care from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $25.00 per day and pre-payment is required. All paperwork must be completed prior to the first day of care. Snacks will be provided. Participants must pack their lunch. Call 653-5678 for more information or stop in for the necessary paperwork.

MEAL PROGRAMS

at the WASC

Busy parents can take advantage of the availability of supper at the WASC, East, Cedar Heights, and Tallmadge Monday-Friday, throughout the year.  The snacks we serve are free, and the supper  program (5:30-6:00 pm) is open to any child in our programs or others that would sign up for supper, based on qualification requirements similar to the school lunch program. The WASC is a sponsor of after school meals for the centers serving children at East, West, Tallmadge, and Cedar Heights Schools.

Need Assistance During the Holidays?

The West After School Center staff is willing to help with referrals and contacts with various agencies to assure that your holiday needs are met.

Schedule an appointment with one of our trained counselors and see if you might qualify for benefits.

We Thank Our Partners

The Ohio State University Extension   (Master Gardeners)

The Robert K Fox Family Y (Summer Lunch Program)

Lancaster-Fairfield County Community Action Head Start

New Horizons Youth and Family Center

Fairfield County Family, Adult, and Children First Council (21st CCLC Program Support)

Lancaster City Schools

Ohio Department of Education

Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Fairfield County Jobs and Family Services (custodial workers)

Sixth Avenue United Methodist Church

Sherman Rotary

First Presbyterian Church

Eastland-Fairfield Career Center

Fairfield Foundation (Kitchen, Healthy Living for Kids)

United Way of Fairfield County

Today, kids don't enjoy many of the same opportunities as older adults likely did.

Support your community's after-school programs.  Kids should not have to go home alone and care for themselves without adult supervision.

The West After School Center is an independent, non-profit, community-based before and after school child care center licensed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

This newsletter is from the office of Dr. Paul Young, Executive Director