Sunday, March 31, 2002

A place to continue learning

After-school program preparing for upcoming academic year

Where can students go to learn to cook, play games, create arts and crafts, use computers and participate in various community service projects all under one roof? One answer is the Fayette County School System's after-school program.

Approximately 1,400 elementary and middle school students are enrolled in the after-school program at various schools throughout Fayette. Daily attendance records indicate that about 1,200 students are taking part in the program on any given day. The after-school program is so popular with parents that many schools keep waiting lists throughout the school year since enrollment caps are needed to maintain program quality.

Prior to the end of each academic year, the after-school program holds preregistration dates for parents who want to enroll their students for the following school year. Preregistration is necessary to determine if there will be enough students to offer a program at a particular school.

Preregistration dates for the 2002-03 school year are set for April 18-May 3. Parents can register at their child's elementary or middle school during regular school hours. Students who will be transferring to Cleveland or Sara Harp Elementary can register for the new schools at their current school.

Tuition costs are $8 per day. In addition, there is a $35 application fee for each child entering the program. Program hours are from the end of school to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

After-School Coordinator Julie Simpson says she believes the program's greatest strength is its human relationship factor. She says her staff is dedicated to engaging students in activities that will help them experience positive academic and social growth.

"We have employees with a mission and a vision to enrich the lives of students, not to just be baby sitters," she said. "We service the entire county by offering activities that our student population needs instead of doing what is convenient for us and we support our staff by providing training so that they can continue to meet student needs."

Staff members have opportunities throughout the year to participate in a variety of training activities that surpasses the number of training hour requirements set by the state. Since the focus of the program is on human relationships, Simpson says the staff is encouraged to get to know both the children and their parents to help ensure that all needs are being met.

"We have a team atmosphere where staff members are selected because of their love for children and their enthusiasm," she added.

A minimum of 25 students per site are required to start an after-school program. If the number of students at a particular school should drop below 25, parents are given a 30-day notice before the program is closed.

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