There’s growing evidence that an enriching and engaging after school program helps boost the success of students in-school and contributes to important work-ready skills such as teamwork, problem solving and decision-making skills. With this in mind, the Norwalk Education Foundation is offering each of Norwalk’s four middle schools, Ponus, Roton, Nathan Hale and West Rocks $10,000 to put in place a Middle School After School open to all students this spring and next fall. So far two out of the four middle schools have taken the offer, Roton and Nathan Hale Middle Schools.
In the past, each middle school has had some form of NEF extracurricular activities, but they were different and often limited options in each of the schools, and not always open to all students. NEF is offering the support in order to have consistent, quality enrichment programs at all four middle schools that are open to all students and involve parent, student and teacher input. Each school will offer a wide variety of relevant, engaging activities specifically geared to the interests of pre-teens to enrich and connect students’ in-school learning with meaningful extended day activities. Offerings may include River Exploration Sessions by Norwalk River Rowing, Tails of Courage (a dog rescue program), acting, digital media classes like Garageband, homework help, computers, and sports. Another offering will be Middle School Power Hour, an expansion of the successful NEF-sponsored elementary school program. During Power Hour, students do a range of activities connected to books.
The entire community (teachers, students, parents, outside community) will play a role in the program. For example, at each school, a school employee will be the coordinator to managing their own school’s program. Also envisioned is an After School committee comprised of the site coordinator, school staff, students and parents that helps to shape their Middle School After School program. Classes will be taught by a combination of teachers, school staff, parents and community organizations.
Roton PTO President Lisa Thomson is thrilled that the school has signed on to the program. “Because all stakeholders have a say, there is accountability to provide good quality programs. While there have been after school activities at Roton in the past, NEF is creating structure and professionalism and as important, opening up the process and letting the community and parents in to offer their services.”
Nathan Hale Principal Bob McCain concurs, “We are very excited about the NEF grant… through this grant we can offer many wonderful programs designed to help students in three critical areas of middle school development: Social, Emotional and/or Academic. We already have a committee of teachers and parents designing exciting opportunities for our kids.”
The effort is made possible with the support of GE Capital, Marion Moore Foundation and EMCOR Group, Inc. "By investing in the future of our youth, we're investing in our own," stated Frank T. MacInnis, Chairman and CEO of EMCOR. "In fact, the very reason our shareholders and Board of Directors support EMCOR's social responsibility programs is because they recognize that it is not only the right thing to do, but that it also spins the economic cycle in a positive direction. The people we help may go on to be employees, or clients who also favor and support EMCOR. A healthy, safe, well-educated community is essential to the ongoing prosperity of businesses, and enables the interconnections that we have so successfully established here in Fairfield County."
The Norwalk Education Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to improve education for Norwalk schoolchildren. NEF looks for ways to bring innovative ideas and curriculum into the classroom through teacher and technology training, teacher grants for groundbreaking programs and a variety of learning opportunities beyond the school day. For more information about this program, please contact your middle school principal.
