What a great day to be planning (celebrating) for April vacation, because we WILL BE OPEN! We are very excited to respond to the requests of so many working parents with full days next week. It is also a great opportunity to do some creative play, exploration, and more! (I am happy to say I will be purchasing MORE toothpicks, gum drops, glow-in-the-dark stars, and other crazy supplies to ensure that next week our kids learn and discover through a variety of fun activities!)
We are in the fourth quarter; although many of our students are suffering from cabin-fever, we still forge ahead! We are seeing so many improvements in reading/writing, math and BEHAVIOR! (Although it is not always graded, it is critical for success!) We have several new students, and I’m happy to report we have been able to bring back some former students thanks to scholarships! One of the young girls returned with her paperwork, ran into my office and yelled, “I’m HOME!” It is nice to know that our kids have that sense of belonging.
Highlights this quarter:
- We just completed our first 6 week class of financial literacy for elementary students! Eight students participated with new volunteer, Cathy Dean! They had a great time while learning some important basics!
- Our OSEEC team continues to teach Science lessons to our kids on Thursday afternoons.
- Students from Brown University have been providing health/nutrition activities on Fridays through their CHAP program.
- 24 of our students participated in the BIG SKATE with Big Brothers/Big Sisters! Thanks to Jen Martin, Tom Furey, who made it happen; and all our JWU students who volunteered to chaperone!
- Our Youth Leadership Development group continues to progress! We recently had our “Etiquette Dinner” with several of our students. The etiquette dinner is NOT about “pinkies up” and lace doilies! It is an opportunity for our kids to experience a more formal dining experience in order to develop the social competence they need to adapt to higher level educational and professional settings.