WEST AFTER SCHOOL CENTER
MONTHLY REPORT

November 2006

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

Important Information for Parents!

Debby Rockwood, LCS Social Worker Presents:

Personal Safety – Child Assault Prevention Program

Parents will learn how to talk with their children about personal safety.

Wednesday, November 8^th at 7:00 p.m. 

Childcare will be provided.

West After School Center

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

Coming soon to the West After School Center…

Friday Fun Day - November 17, 2006, 4:00-5:00 p.m. — Fairfield County Soil and Water Conservation Program about the Water Cycle with Vicki Kohli

Tuesday, December 12, 7:00pm.  “Christmas with the Puppets” — First United Methodist Puppets Christmas Program.

Wednesday, December 13, 6:30-8:30 p.m. — Habitat for Humanity Holiday Party

Being planned for early 2007 is a visit from Channel 4 Weather Program.

Conferences -- WASC & Latchkey Closed

Veterans Day

West After School Center Hosts

The Strengthening Families Program

The Strengthening Families Program has been designed to:

Improve Family Communication, Increase Family Organization and Planning, Decrease Depression, Increase Children’s Grades and Performance, Decrease Stress, Increase Coping Skills for Anger, Increase Peer Pressure Refusal, Increase Positive Attention, Decrease Family Conflict, Increase Recognition of Feelings

For The Strengthening Families Program, it is important that parents and children attend all sessions.  Parents and children will both attend classes and be provided with a meal during each class.  Strengthening Families will be presented on the following Mondays from 5:30 pm – 6:30pm

November 27^th, January 29th,

February 26th, March 26th, April 30th  

Thanksgiving Vacation - WASC is closed

Nov. 23-24

Family Nite - Strengthening Families Program

The Power of Mentoring

Those responsible for after school programs strive for the highest levels of effectiveness and accountability. Parents, teachers, principals, and after school personnel rightfully expect that each student’s time spent in after school programs is productive. Most often, that means they expect homework is completed, grades improve, and students are always safe and supervised. Program accountability is important — from both the fiscal and programmatic points-of-view.

Research clearly shows the benefits of quality child care.  It also delineates the risk factors for those unsupervised children whose parents are not home between the critical hours of 2:00– and 6:00 p.m. Simply put, children do much better in affordable, safe, welcoming, supervised environments. There are numerous positive correlations upon school attendance, discipline, attitude, academic achievement, nutrition and recreation, and social development for those enrolled in after school programs compared with those that are not.

At the West After School Center, students benefit from an important dimension of program accountability. It is the positive influence of dozens of adult role models—their mentors. All children blossom when provided positive attention from adults. And with most kids, that attention is sought from adults outside the family. No doubt, moms and dads play the most important role in child development. However, as most moms and dads eventually realize, children also listen to important messages when delivered from adults outside the home. Sometimes they listen to them more. It is also important that children and young adolescents have a network of caring and supportive adults outside the family network.

Creating successful mentor-mentee partnerships requires hours of planning, flexibility, and a sense of commitment from the adult mentor. We are fortunate at the West After School Center to benefit from the service of nearly 100 dedicated volunteers.  Many of them have been with our program more than one year—quite a few have been tutoring children for eight years! Others come to us from our local public and private high schools, while some are our former program students now of middle or high school age who are willing to give back a little of what they received just a few years past.

Our adult mentors are guided during the daily tutoring sessions by Academic Coaches. Our 21st Century grant requirements specify that time is dedicated to reading and math remediation. Homework can also be completed with adult supervision from 4:45-5:30 p.m. It is during the time that the adults and students work together, one-on-one or in small groups, that the power of mentoring begins to develop. It is during that special time of the day that the children receive special attention, encouragement, a listening ear, guidance, and a special boost in self-esteem that supports healthy growth and maturity.

The art of mentoring is a powerful, unique human interaction for each participant. It requires time, patience, commitment and willingness to accept others as they are and help them learn and grow. Those who expect young children to grasp every concept quickly or change their behavior and improve attention span overnight struggle as a mentor. Everyone wants to make difference, and experienced mentors know that it takes time and diligence to realize progress. The power of mentoring is realized when the hidden strengths and talents of the mentee begin to emerge. Mentors engage students by informally asking about things they like to do at home, at school, and in the tutoring program. Then they listen and encourage. From that starting point, relationships grow. Soon, the bonds of the partnership become resilient to numerous challenges, and both participants begin teaching and learning together.

From the beginning, the West After School Center Tutoring Program was structured so that one adult was assigned daily  to each student. However, over time, acceptance of the 21st Century grant funds necessitated program expansion to serve additional targeted students at West School. Our mentors have adjusted to many changes and challenges over the years, all the time modeling important life-skills for their young mentees. Our program has grown and been sustained by the power of mentoring. We thank our volunteers for their time, their talents, and their commitment to make a difference in the life of children.

Watch our productions on  the LSN

Channel 6 Time Warner Cable

Healthy Living for Kids

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

We thank our partners…

· Ohio University-Lancaster (Reading Academy)

· The Ohio State University Extension   (Master Gardeners)

· The Robert K Fox Family Y (Summer Lunch Program and Recreational Opportunities)

· Art & Clay on Main (Summer Art Classes)

· Eastside Center for Success (Summer Art Classes)

· Lancaster-Fairfield County Community Action Head Start (ELI Classes)

· New Horizons Youth and Family Center (Conflict Management Training)

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

· Fairfield County Jobs and Family Services (custodial workers)

· The Recovery Center (Family Nights)

· Sixth Avenue United Methodist Church

· Eastland-Fairfield Career Center

· Fairfield Foundation (Kitchen)

· United Way of Fairfield County

MEAL PROGRAM at the WASC

                 This year, 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. Because we no longer partner with Lancaster City Schools for snacks, we must provide our own documentation for reimbursement as a sponsor in this program. As a result, family income documentation must be on file art our center.

We can provide — 1 free daily snack for all program enrollees

                              2 meals (breakfast and supper) based on income verification

                              We can also serve supper to those students under age 18.

Parents, staff, and adult visitors are welcome to eat supper with the students, 5:30 each day, for a modest fee of $3.00.

We than you for your cooperation and understanding with the paperwork requirements as we establish this program and service  to the community.

The flagship program of the West After School Center is the After School Tutoring Program which targets those students needing additional help in reading and math.  But most other programs and services are open to all students and families of

West Elementary School. 

Phone 740-653-5678 for answers to your questions.

Please exercise your right to VOTE!

LATCHKEY OPENINGS AVAILABLE

Looking for a safe, quality program for your child’s care before or after school?  Check us out, stop by 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. Latchkey students receive many of the same benefits as those enrolled in the after school tutoring program. 

ADULT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES at the West After School Center

Want to improve your reading, writing, math, and problem-solving skills?

Do you struggle with fractions and percents and want to improve your math abilities?

Do you want to improve your skills so you can be promoted at work?

Would you like to obtain training so that you can be successful in another career or attend college?

Do you want to obtain your G.E.D.?

FREE classes for adults are now being offered at a variety of Lancaster locations, included the West After School Center, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Don't delay -- call today to schedule your orientation.  1-800-686-3336 or 740-756-9245.  Ask for Nita or Kim Hill.

GED classes at the West After School Center are provided as a community service in collaboration with Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools