Atlantic Gardens After-school report, December 2007
In Partnership with Winn Residential Kids First and Oasis C.E.D.C.
Ms. Clarissa Mickens, a resident of Southern Hills and City Gate staff person, assists children with their homework in the program.
City Gate after-school care program currently has 30 students enrolled at our Atlantic Gardens site, located at 4335 4th street. The age range of our children is 5 to 12 years old, with an average attendance of about 15 children within the 10-12 years of age group.
The after-school program began the week of September 10, 2007. The hours of the program are 3:15-6:00. We are presently enjoying the assistance of two youth workers from our local school communities. These two High School students were with us until December 21, 2007. They were great role models for our students as well as excellent support for our instructors.
Kids enjoy a Thanksgiving feast, home-cooked by City Gate's site manager, Ms. Michelle Newby.
Our afternoon begins with snack for the children, which lasts approximately 10-15 minutes. Their snack time is followed by homework help. Because of the various age groups (5-13), after homework is complete, our approach to enrichment activities are reviewed in sub-steps in both the primary and secondary subjects. For the younger age group, the main focus has been on Comprehension, Spelling and language. Our older age group focus is History and Geography. All age groups work on Mathematic skills daily.
Kids from the after-school program, City Gate staff, and volunteers from all over the city participate in the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walk-a-thon.
An additional piece to our enrichment programming is from 5 pm to 5:30 pm, this includes research, using the internet as a resource, and educational games and activities. Students are given various topics to research that can include Proper Hygiene, Arts and Crafts activities that interest them, homework topics given to them in school for research or essays. The computer activities usually include items that will directly support academic areas that our staff observes needs strengthen as a result of each child's homework. Our older students have also enjoyed learning more about well-renowned African Americans from both the past and present.
Ms. LaShawna Will, After-School Instructor, handles a snake during the field trip to the National Aquarium.
We have had several opportunities to go many field trips. Our participants in the after-school program have enjoyed watching the DC United Soccer team in action twice this year as well as one of the Washington Wizards Basketball games. We were joined by a host of volunteers and other program members for the Homeless Walkathon in late November. Our weekends have been busy with fun-filled adventures to the National Building Museum, Smithsonian and the National Aquarium. We began our holiday festivities with a trip to George Washington University to watch the Christmas Revels. Our program was blessed to have The Stanton River Baptist Church finish the year with a Christmas party. The kids were excited to receive gifts, cards and the love and support and holiday cheer of many members of the Stanton community.
Youth use the computers during the Friday evening Youth Internet Lounge. Youth also are served snacks and have a chance to play Gameboy or Xbox. City Gate staff people provide guidance on the computers and lead mentoring/development activities over the course of the evening.
In the evening, our instructor Ms. Lashawna Wills teaches step classes to kids ages 8 – 14 two nights a week. We are looking at venues where they can perform in spring, like they did in September at the National Night Out. Also, we have recently opened a Youth Internet Lounge, each Friday evenings from 6-9 pm, which provides a place where you ages 12-18 can come to fellowship, use the computers, and receive mentoring and encouragement from our staff. Snacks are provided, and youth have given the Youth Internet Lounge rave reviews so far.
Our site manager Michelle Newby speaks of our progress, struggles, and successes this year
During the early stages our after-school program, we often struggled with our children completing homework during the allotted time, and unfortunately this created difficulties with our overall schedule to include enrichment activities for those students who desired and needed additional academic support. Many of our students did not see the importance of arriving to the program on time, had difficulty focusing on completing homework assignments and others didn't see the need/importance of being prepared for school the next day.
Through conversations with our staff and with our children, we have now been able to find incentives to motivation both the younger and older children to successfully complete all of their homework assignments. These incentives have included everything from computer time involves appropriate games of their choice, simply rewards, parties and more input from them regarding our enrichment activities after all homework is completed. Most of our students are even willing to either skip snack time to get directly to their homework or eat snack while starting their homework.
During the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, we have been honored and blessed to have the ability to share and distribute baskets of food and gifts to over 80 of our after-school families as well as families in needs within the community. The baskets have included turkeys, chickens, canned goods, stuffing, breads and other non-perishable items. We have also been able to assist families in need of clothing of all shapes and sizes. With the winter season upon us, coats have been a major need within the community.
We also have had Urban Hands Mission groups to come in to work in and help with our programs. A group from the Stanton River Baptist Association came this past Monday, December 17th and provided a wonderful holiday party for the children in the after-school program, complete with decorations, presents, games, and Christmas dinner.
It has been our pleasure not only to share ourselves and our expertise with the kids within this community
but the lives of the families that we have been able to touch as well.