from the office of Dr. Paul G. Young, Executive Director

Visit our website at: http://www.westafterschoolcenter.org/
This weekly update is distributed via email to the WASC Board of Directors & Staff, Volunteers, School Staffs, Parents, State and National Afterschool Advocates, Providers, and Community Leaders

Are the higher prices of gasoline at the pump emptying your wallet? WE CAN HELP!! Save the cost of your child's lunch each day this summer. Take advantage of the FEED OHIO summer lunch program available at five additional sites in Lancaster besides the air conditioned convenience of the West After School Center.						FEED OHIO Summer Lunch Program   June 3 - August 15 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.  Monday - Friday sponsored by the West After School Center in collaboration with the Lancaster-Fairfield County Community Action Head Start, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the Governor's Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives (GOFBCI).	Six Serving Sites in Lancaster free to any children/youth age 2-18   Eastside Center for Success - East School Playground West After School Center Robert K Fox Family YMCA Cedar Heights Elementary School Playground South Elementary School Playground Tallmadge Elementary School Playground
Q: WHAT DOES "EAT BETTER" really MEAN? Top health experts now recommend that kids get: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day 4 servings of water a day 3 servings of low-fat dairy a day 2 or less hours in front of the television per day 1 hour or more of physical activity a day						Q: Does breakfast really matter? A healthy breakfast (such as orange juice, yogurt and a banana) improves cognitive performance. Kids who eat breakfast will do better in math, vocabulary, short-term memory and spatial memory.	Q: How do I get my kids to exercise? Exercise can be boring. Encourage your kids to go outside. Ride bikes. Throw the ball around. In other words, play. Playing outside is just as good for them as any other kind of exercise, but it's fun.
We thank our volunteers and staff for a great school year of after school programming. As you can see, we are still going strong in mid-May. Several of our students confided (and did) to us that they would cry when their volunteers left this week.
Summer Child Care Program at the WASC  June 3-August 19 $125.00 per week - weekly learning themes
Enrollment is now open for summer childcare at the West After School Center - available for any child ages 5-12 from any school in the city.							Open 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. free lunch is provided
		The West After School Center is celebrating TEN YEARS of programming services for students and families in our community. 1998-2008
Is your child ready to succeed in school? Help your child get a jump start on education ELI - Early Learning Initiative Your 3, 4, or 5-year old may be eligible for Ohio’s ELI is now available for 3, 4, and 5 year old children receiving child-only Ohio Works First assistance. New program changes allow 3, 4, and 5 year old, child-only Ohio Works First recipients to participate in the program regardless of caretaker income. As the caretaker, your personal income or, employment status will not be counted when determining eligibility. Call your local county department of job and family services and get your child enrolled in the Early Learning Initiative. Help your child succeed. Click HERE to learn more or visit our ELI program at the WASC.
					Do you know a student in Lancaster that prefers a private, one-on-one tutor starting this summer? Dr. June Slobodian, a former teacher, school psychologist, administrator, and recently retired professor of education at Ohio University-Lancaster will help us provide that service at the WASC beginning in June. She brings extensive experience in reading diagnosis. Contact us at 740-653-5678 for further information about fees and contacts.
The WASC Youth Media Program Follow the progress of this weekly program by reading the blog at: http://westafterschoolcenter.wordpress.com/ This program is made possible by grant funding from the Gannett and Fairfield County Foundations.
				Although they are just fledgling plants now, later this summer they will become a blaze of beauty in our front gardens. We thank Connie Smith and Becky Eisz from the Ohio State University Extension  Master Gardeners for growing plants, donating and planting them at our gardens this week so that our "curb appeal" will be an especially beautiful and aesthetic experience for visitors attending our 10-Year Anniversary Open House next week - May 22. THANK YOU!
Get to Know a WASC Volunteer	My association with the WASC is: volunteer tutor. How Long?  first year. I was born in: Dennison, Ohio. I have attended school at: Tuscarawas Catholic H.S. and University of Akron My childhood ambition was to be a: a business manager. My job was: V.P. Procurement, American Electric Power The most favorite place I have lived outside of Lancaster is: Chicago, Illinois. My favorite subject in school was: math. When eating out, my favorite restaurant is: Hotel Lancaster If I could watch only one television show, it would be: Sports Center. My favorite style of music is: Rock. My favorite movie is: One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest I relax by: golfing. My tip for good health is: exercise. My tip for doing well in school is: be confident.
Pat O'Brien