October 1, 2003
Blair school busy place after hours
Programs and projects provided by Community Learning Center
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
These days, there's no shortage of projects and programs, enthusiasm and excitement at Blair Elementary School.
Students, parents and community members keep the school busy after hours, coming together for fun as well as educational events.
This fall, Community Learning Center coordinator Julie Hay has a packed calendar, keeping track of multiple events and activities she has organized for the school. Presiding over a monthly board meeting for the program last Friday afternoon at the school, Hay dished facts and figures about the program. Successes include elevated reading and math scores for students who participated in the program more than 30 times during the previous academic year.
"The kids who are coming are improving in school in addition to the fun things they are doing here," said Hay, starting her second year as CLC coordinator for the school.
Hay also discussed program after opportunity after outing that are available at the school. Want help writing a resume or to improve parenting skills? She set up a class for adults to do just that. Other opportunities for adults include volleyball and a self-defense class held last week drew nearly 50 participants ages 4-50 years old.
"We had people come from the community who aren't even part of the school, they read about it in the paper," Hay noted about the self-defense class.
Area teens can attend dances on Friday nights while children have multiple opportunities for tutoring and mentoring at a variety of after school programs. A partnership with the Grand Traverse Boys and Girls Club provides an on-site, after school club that includes homework assistance, field trips and a variety of self-esteem building programs.
The programs are not just for the school year. This summer, the school hosted English as Second Language classes for multiple ages and an opportunity for Mexican citizens to update their documentation.
"More than 50 kids attended a free soccer camp this summer," noted Hay.
Blair Elementary School is on of five area schools that are in the third and final year of a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. The other schools are Interlochen Community School and Sabin, Glenn Loomis and Traverse Heights elementary schools. Identified as at-risk schools, the grant funds a variety of community outreach, educational and enrichment opportunities for students and families in each school's district.
As a byproduct of all this activity, they have provided a sense of community for everyone involved.
"It is so nice to see all that enthusiasm because when you have so much enthusiasm in the school, it comes down to the kids," said Janet Chouinard, a member of the Blair CLC board.
Chouinard and her husband, Rob, illustrate another strength of the CLC paradigm: building bridges between the school and the community at large. The husband and wife team head the men's and women's groups, respectively, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Both have been involved with Blair Elementary School and the CLC board since its inception, helping guide and shape its programs.
"We have fund-raisers in our group and we need to reach out to the community and share them instead of just keeping them here," noted Janet Chouinard.
"It's just amazing here, I can't believe how it's grown," added Rob Chouinard of the myriad CLC programs offered at Blair Elementary School.