Educational Insights: March 10,2008
March 11, 2008
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting with a number of local civic and community leaders about our 21st CCLC “CHAMPS” program. This interaction revealed at least one unanimous outcome: our community needs a before and after school program for our students! Every individual who shared their thoughts about the program expressed its value in Garden County. This provides the incentive to continue working cooperatively in order to maintain this invaluable program for our youth.
Following a recent visit from an external evaluator, the following
highlights were noted:
- The program is organized and directed by a certified teacher.
- Her educational background and interest in science improves the quality of the program.
- High expectations are maintained.
- Attendance at the program is continuing to grow.
The grant requires community partnerships to promote the program’s goals and heighten its effectiveness. Community resource sharing is a huge asset to a high quality school-age program. It is reassuring to know that our community partners value the need for CHAMPS. We continue to seek partnership opportunities in the future to benefit our students. It can be in the area of volunteering time in the program or donating resources.
Another area equally important to the program is parental involvement. This is not easy to achieve as parents/grandparents generally work long hours and have little time to devote due to work and home responsibilities. However, we will continue to promote parental engagement in our CHAMPS program. It could be in the area of sharing talents or hobbies. It has been suggested we incorporate more of the arts in our program. We welcome any community members or parents with an interest in music, drama, dance, or art!
Garden County relies on the common commitment to youth in maximizing our potential. Communities that combine available resources and focus on the success of all young people are bound to have positive outcomes! Building community connections to improve conditions for all who reside here is our goal. Please consider working with our CHAMPS program to increase the unity between the schools and our community. Collaboration is likely to reveal ideas to strengthen the community and shared commitment for increased support for our youth. We all have the responsibility for our own community. It’s all about connectedness!
-Dr. Paula Sissel,
Superintendent/Elementary Principal
