WEST AFTER SCHOOL CENTER, Inc.
 NEWS & OPINION

November 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

Fun Programs at the West After School Centers…

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. Jane Hart

Tallmadge CLC Site Administrator

 Email:  pyoung@westafterschoolcenter.org

Visit us at www.westafterschoolcenter.org

 

In tribute to Michael Jackson, students at the Cedar CLC are learning the dance moves to Michael Jackson’s famous album, Thriller, under the tutelage of site director Moses Garcia.

Cup Stacking—Cedar Heights parent Diane Warner is challenging students at all sites to improve eye-hand coordination with cup stacking—a sport or just plain fun? BOTH

Art with Ashly Draper—always a favorite, weeklong, monthly learning activity at each of our four centers with certified art teacher Ashly Draper.

 

After School Programs See Student Gains with LEAPTRACK Learning Programs
The curriculum focus for our 21st CCLC afterschool programs utilizes the LeapTrack Grade-Level Classroom and Resource Room Kits from LeapFrog Schoolhouse. Students enjoy the integrated assessment and interactive instruction and progress at their own rate through multiple learning levels in Reading, Math, and Language Arts. LeapTrack delivers hundreds of engaging learning activities specially designed to promote student desire to learn with audio assistance, immediate feedback, and the option to repeat instruction as often as needed. Best of all, LeapTrack provides opportunities for student learning that are directly related to specific skills students need to learn. Visit any center and observe our students learning!
 
Each afternoon across the U.S., 15 million children--more than a quarter of our children--are alone and unsupervised after school. The parents of 18 million would enroll their children in an afterschool program, if one were available. These are some of the key findings from the nation’s most in-depth study of how America’s children spend their afternoons. America After 3PM was sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. The 2009 report, conducted for the Afterschool Alliance, surveyed nearly 30,000 households across the United States. The survey finds that 8.4 million children participate in an afterschool program, an increase of nearly 3 million children over the past five years. While this is encouraging, there is still work to be done. The number of children left alone after the school day ends has risen to 15.1 million children - an increase of 800,000 children - since the 2004 edition of America After 3PM.
In Ohio, 851 households were surveyed for this study. Among those households, 34 percent qualified for free or reduced price lunch, 3 percent were Hispanic and 13 percent were African-American. According to U.S. Department of Education data from 2005-2006, the total school enrollment in Ohio is 2,015,421, which is the foundation for all statewide projections in Ohio After 3PM. America After 3PM was sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. Between March and May 2009, 29,754 parents and guardians responded to survey questions about their after school child care arrangements during the 2008-2009 school year. RTi, a market research firm, conducted the survey and analyzed the data for the Afterschool Alliance. Additional information from America After 3PM is available at www.afterschoolalliance.org.

LeapTrack Resource Kits

 

Top 10 States for Afterschool Programs

Hawaii

Arizona

New York

California

New Jersey

Virginia

New Mexico

Florida

Texas

North Carolina

What Fear and Faith Have in Common

For sure, they have much more in common than the letter F. Fear and faith share a future that hasn’t happened yet. With fear, the future is negative, while with faith, it is positive. Since neither have happened yet, it makes sense to approach the unknown with faith and confidence in our abilities to capably deal with what will happen instead of assuming the future can never be better than the present.

These social and economic times are tough for us all. Adult reactions to our current fiscal and political challenges are strongly shaped by our outlook – fear or faith. Times have forced us to reassess where we are, what we are doing, and where we want to go. But most importantly, and perhaps without our knowing, our kids are watching and learning how to face their future. They are learning how to deal with the major decisions they will be forced to make by how their adult role models are choosing to respond to challenges now.

We can choose to believe that the sky is falling or the sun will rise again tomorrow. Why not choose that great things will come our way – and teach our kids how to make good things happen? Even if we fear that our individual efforts are powerless to change nation’s economic condition, we can create a better local community environment by collectively initiating random acts of kindness that produce a better future for everyone. Unfortunately, too many people are paralyzed by a fear of failing and anxiety of the unknown. Filled with self-doubt that they might fail in new ventures, they cling to ideas and habits that support the status quo. Nothing is easy, but a fear of change saps the energy, hope, and inspiration that can smooth the ruts of negativity.

Faith and a belief in a better tomorrow lead to powerful actions today. Our kids will notice how we think and what we do, say, and act. When we expect good things to happen, they do. We can create our own positive stories with happy endings. We must teach kids how we do it. It is imperative that our kids watch us model this important lesson. Each of our own happy, final ending will depend on how well they learn it.
 

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.

CHILDCARE OPENINGS AVAILABLE
at the WASC, Cedar CLC, East CLC, and Tallmadge CLC
Looking for a convenient, safe, and high-quality alternative to your child’s current care before or after school? Check us out, stop by any location for a visit, or call and speak to one of our staff members. We open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. Childcare students receive many of the same benefits as those enrolled in the after school program.

WASC CACFP MEAL PROGRAMS
The West After School Center is registered with the Ohio Department of Education as a meal sponsor with the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Snacks and meals meet the prescribed dietary and serving size requirements for growing school-aged children. We encourage busy families to take advantage of our supper offering, save money, and assure your child receives a nourishing evening meal each day.

 

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 After School Network

 

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

 

Fairfield Foundation (Kitchen, Healthy Living for Kids)

 

United Way of Fairfield County

 

 

 

 

Cedar CLC students learning the dance moves to Thriller with site director Moses Garcia
 

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
Mark your Calendars
Sunday, November 1 Daylight Savings Time Ends   Remember to set your clocks back one hour
Wednesday, November 4 Ohio AfterSchool Network Quarterly Meeting 9:30 Vineyard Church, Westerville, WASC Site Directors attending
Friday & Wednesday November 6 & 25 Parent Teacher Conferences   Schools are closed; Afterschool programs closed; be sure to review the progress reports for student participation in our afterschool programs
Wednesday, November 11 Veterans' Day   Celebrate this special day by visiting our schools' assemblies
Monday-Tuesday, November  23, 24 No Volunteers with the Afterschool Programs - childcare open   Afterschool and childcare programs will remain open.  Staff and students only.  No volunteers.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

November 25, 26, 27

 Thanksgiving Vacation   All WASC isites are closed - all programs
Monday, November 30 Afterschool and childcare programs resume   Volunteers resume their assistance with students following Thanksgiving break