(Left) Lucas DeLong, a CM1 student from North, works in the cloud. (Right) Students from the ELO Potter Brainery, an after-school program for third and fourth graders in East Liverpool City Schools, with high school teacher Ryan Feeney on an arts and crafts project. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
EAST LIVERPOOL – East Liverpool City School (ELO) has launched an after school program called ELO Potter Brainery for third and fourth year students in LaCroft and North.
The programs, which include a variety of academic and physical activities, are made possible by a $196,000 grant to the Ohio 21st Century Community Learning Center.
According to a press release from ELO City Schools Director of Communications, Megan Hernandez, “The 21st Century Nita M. Lowey Community Learning Centers (21 CCLC) program provides an academic support opportunity for children attending the schools. with poor performance. The Ohio Department of Education's Office of Improvement and Innovation administered CCLC's 21st grant. This government-funded scholarship program supports quality extracurricular learning opportunities and related activities for students attending eligible schools.
The program, which runs Monday through Friday from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Lacroft Elementary School, includes free snacks and meals for students each day.
Students enrolled in this program are exposed to a variety of arts, STEM, music and fitness while learning to speak Spanish and developing social skills.
Each day, students have a physical education class that includes Zumba, yoga, or a RAM fitness program, as well as an art or education activity, depending on the day.
Hernandez noted that several other area schools have tried similar programs, but this is a first for ELO Community Schools.
"It's basically helping to reduce learning loss from COVID, " Hernandez said. "Furthermore, we found that school is the safest place for many of these children. So the longer they stay in school, the better. They get dinner and three hours of homework help and enrichment.
This program can accept up to 50 students on a first-come, first-served basis. There are currently three places available.
Students must attend 60% of the program. Participants who do not attend 60% or participants with behavioral problems will be removed from the program.
Hernandez notes that they have different enrichments every day and the program is like a camp. These are things that children do not face alone, so this program will enrich them.
According to Jennifer Galanis, program coordinator, the scholarship funding covers everything needed for the program: from salary, everything they need in school, food, resources they may need to order, people and programs needed to showcase the talents theirs to the students.-Student .
Students study yoga. They will start practicing karate from December. They studied music with one of the high school teachers and took art lessons.
The Beaver Creek Wildlife Organization visits live animals once a month to give a presentation on the different animal species in Columbiana County. Outback Ray will be introduced to students and students will take a field trip to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Midland, PA to see Rudolph Jr. OSU Extension also works with STEM students.
The students were just starting to learn Spanish, which was taught to them by their high school Spanish teacher.
Galanis noted that all of this is covered by the grant.
The grant is for five years, with the program running from October to April each year with a summer component.
In addition to physical and educational enrichment, on Fridays students also have the opportunity to develop their social skills in the club, where they are introduced to board games and learn how to play board games to help them develop skills such as switching and with each other. have a good time. others, says Galanis. The program also has a book club and a math club, and these are chosen by the students.
Bryn Powell, a fourth-grader at North School, says her favorite activity is probably crafts, and her favorite activity is the reindeer she worked with. He also said he would like to learn Spanish.
Layla Parson Jones, a fourth-grader at LaCroft, says her favorite hobby is activities that involve games. He also said he loves Spanish and how they taught him to speak different things and go to the gym for RAM Fitness.
Galanis notes that cooking classes are being added to the schedule. Cooking classes are scheduled to begin in January, where students will learn how to cook sushi if they wish. Galanis also planned to teach them how to make soup.
Students in this program will attend Christmas on the Hill at ELO Municipal Schools on December 10th.
Prisoners who were extremely sick have been often moved to hospital ships, but poor supplies precluded any distinction between prison and hospital ships.