WEST AFTER SCHOOL CENTER
NEWS & OPINION

July 2008

Our mission is to provide opportunities that enrich the educational, social, and cultural experiences of students and families in our community.

620 Garfield Avenue, Lancaster, OH  43130  --    740-653-5678  --  740-653-2402 FAX

Attention all Students — Join Us for Lunch Until August 15

Plan now to take advantage of the free summer lunch program being offered Monday-Friday during the summer months, 11:30-12:30 p.m. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded program that provides meal reimbursement to child care centers for serving nutritious meals. The objectives of CACFP are to:

· Improve the diets of children by providing nutritious meals.

· Help children develop good eating habits that will last through the years.

Again, ANY CHILD under age 18 can participate, regardless of enrollment status for the school lunch program.  The Summer Lunch Program will be expanded to Cedar Heights, South, and Tallmadge Schools this summer, thanks to grants received from the Governor’s Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives and the Children’s Hunger Alliance. Besides our center, lunch serving sites will be open at the Eastside Center for Success (East School), the Robert K. Fox Family YMCA, Cedar Heights, Tallmadge, and South Elementary Schools.

Email:  pyoung@westafterschoolcenter.org

Visit us at www.westafterschoolcenter.org

Dr. Paul G. Young, Executive Director

Mrs. Jane Hart, Student & Family Coordinator

Mrs. Julie Bibler, Tutoring Program Administrator

Mrs. Chris Kuttler, Office Manager

The Cedar and Tallmadge Community Learning Centers

                 Starting in August, the West After School Center will expand child care services and 21st CCLC programming for targeted students to the Tallmadge & Cedar Heights Elementary attendance areas. The WASC is working with Tallmadge School officials to make this satellite center a reality. Therefore, the Tallmadge Community Learning Center will first enroll students for before or after school childcare. Families that qualify for Title XX childcare support can enroll under a co-pay system developed with Fairfield County Job and Family Services. Participation rates will be made as affordable as possible.  The WASC is pleased to be working in the Tallmadge area and to further expand our mission and address needs within the city of Lancaster.  An official announcement about new 21st CCLC funding should me made in early July.

SUMMER CHILDCARE at the WASC

The West After School Center is accepting applications for its summer childcare program (safe, clean, affordable, and air-conditioned). The center will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the needs of working parents (based on adequate participation levels during those hours). Meals and snacks will be included in the weekly cost of the care. Any school age child (entering grades 1-6) from Lancaster or surrounding areas may register. Families that are eligible for Title XX benefits may have a portion or all of their weekly costs reduced. This program service will begin Tuesday, June 3 and operate until Friday, August 15. The WASC will be closed July 4. Students will be able to participate in daily fun classes and activities at the WASC, take walking field trips, and maintain and advance their learning skills throughout the summer. To inquire about weekly costs, attendance requirements, and price breaks for siblings, contact Aime Azbell at the WASC, 653-5678. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The program can accept 54 students and about half those spots have already been reserved. Act now to reserve spots for your children.

Eat Better, Do Better

Have you been listening to the clever commercials on the radio sponsored by EatBetterDoBetter.org? If not, tune in and encourage your children to do so as well.

Eating better is all about making good choices. Research shows the kids who do eat well do better is school. That’s the message in the commercials. They focus listeners attention on eating proper amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins — all in moderation.

Help all kids eat better and do better this summer. Get your children involved with our summer lunch program, help them eat better, exercise, and enjoy a summer of good health and happiness—instead of allowing them to become a coach potato and graze from the refrigerator.

Summer Playground Enrichment Activities

             Hey kids!  Join Alexis Lape, former West School student, Lancaster HS graduate, and now a scholar-athlete at Miami University on the West School Playground during lunch this summer and learn how you, too, might learn skills, taught by Alexis, that could help you reach your dreams and become a scholar-athlete in secondary schools and college. Join her for lunch, exercises, tips, and discussions about planning preparing now for success in school and athletics. This opportunity is made possible by a grant from the Children’s Hunger Alliance. Call 653-5678 for dates for this program, or stop by the WASC, enjoy lunch, and learn.

Creating a Vision for Afterschool Programming

             In May, the Board of Directors of the West After School Center celebrated 10 years of afterschool programming service to the Lancaster community. What began in 1998 as a visionary dream became a reality. The process of sharing the vision became a critical element in the development of goals, quality programming, sustainability, and the multi-faceted usage of a non-profit independent community center. As increasing numbers of stakeholders became involved, we discovered that visioning is difficult—but very important—work.

            Now, as we plan for growth and expansion in the next decade and beyond, visioning remains an important part of the work of the members of West After School Center Board of Directors and staff. These individuals regularly talk about the WASC vision, explain it, clarify it, and help citizens in our community embrace it. Visioning is not something that can be done in isolation or developed and placed on a bookshelf. A vibrant vision and mission statement becomes the driving force of any organization. Our vision hasn’t changed. We see a future where our children attain the skills necessary to successfully graduate from high school. Therefore, our mission, that of “providing opportunities that enrich the educational, social, and cultural experiences of students and families in our community”, will evolve as it is deemed necessary by the Board of Directors to assure that our goals are realized. Research shows that for non-profit organizations to succeed, the framework does not always remain the same. As our mission evolves, our stakeholders must remain open to modifications in program structure, methodologies, instructional techniques, and facilities. But our bottom line remains the same. We are here to support young people as they become successful learners—during those critical hours after school.

            What do we see on the horizon?

· Collaboration with school officials, Head Start, early childhood program leaders, and resource providers to create seamless learning experiences during school and after school for challenged learners and families.

· Expanded afterschool programming (for students and families) and food service operations in targeted elementary schools in Lancaster and the surrounding community.

· Acquisition of additional facilities, community partnerships, resources, and better ideas.

· Attainment of higher quality programming, services, and goals.

As we look ahead, the “best-case future scenario” is that our programming becomes so successful that we put ourselves out of business. That scenario will require constant dialogue about the vision, environmental modifications, courage, evolution of philosophy and thinking, strong leadership, and public awareness of our intended outcomes. We can achieve this goal—particularly when numerous people clearly see what needs to be done and help realize mutual dreams—especially those of the young learners and families we are dedicated to serving.

Visioning requires strategic planning, clarification, constant attention, and continuity. Traditions have value, but they also can cloud a vision. We know that Ohio will change, the city of Lancaster, our schools and neighborhoods, families, and children. So will our board of directors and stakeholders — but not our vision. Help us make it very clear for every young learner—and every member of our community. We can’t afford to allow it to be lost—or to accept anything less than our best-case scenario.

Watch our Television Show on  the LSN

Channel 6 Time Warner Cable

New episodes air at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.  Look for our "Anniversary Show" and others this summer.