Here at the Al Lenzmeier West Side Boys and Girls and Club, we have started our summer programs and we are pleased to say that our structured summer program schedule is off to a great start!
In the STARS Room, with our K-3rd grade members, we have just started our summer reading program. We have the unique opportunity to have two MN Literacy Council VISTAS for three hours in the morning Monday through Friday to help support our mission. Members first are served breakfast, and then they line up at the STARS room and have a seat on the rug for the morning meeting. During morning meeting, our STARS Coordinator, Dianna Gadea-Rodriguez goes through the expectations and schedule for the day, and then members are put into literacy stations that focus on phonics: sight words, phonemic awareness, and fluency. The VISTAS are just about finished with assessing our STARS to see where they are and then will do a second assessment at the end of the summer to see how they have improved!
We have also spent time putting together an amazing garden in the back of our club. A big thank you to Rachel Keener, Tim Schober, and the Associate Board members for volunteering the time to put the garden in. We have recently hired a new Garden Coordinator to make sure that our produce is well taken care of and a way for our members to be connected to the environment around them. Each week, Sarah has the members come back to the garden where they learn about the plants and help weed the garden. I cannot wait until our first harvest and we will be able to incorporate the food we grow into the food we eat.As part of our program, we also serve breakfast and lunch each day.
Our juniors have been busy participating in our Summer Brain Activities where our Juniors, aged 4th through 6th grade, have the opportunity to continue their studies in writing, grammar, punctuation, and parts of speech. Members have been busy working in literacy stations where members have the chance to practice these skills in interactive and engaging ways. Samantha Hausker, our Education Director has facilitated and created these station ideas based around the Common Core Education Standards.
We, at the Al Lenzmeier West Side Boys and Girls Club, believe that activities that involve all the senses are beneficial to not only the learning process, but key to engagement and retaining important concepts. Members learn education through activities that engage the visual, spatial and kinesthetic learning styles. Studies have shown that the more we use our gross motor skills while learning new concepts, the more engaged we will be and the more we will retain. For instance, the one station that they have been enjoying this month is swat the punctuation. Members compete against each other. The first to swat the correct punctuation wins!
By the end of the summer, they will be publishing their own stories!
Members have also been enjoying our outdoor recess time as well. Members have the chance to have time outside every day and staff plan activities that are engaging and fun for all. To ensure that this is happening at every level, we have equipped our staff with some highly engaging activities from the Playworks Handbook. Our vision is that everyone should have the chance to participate in high yield activities and in the process learn the value of fair play and respect.
In regards to our sports leagues, Rudy Lugo our Athletic Director has done an excellent job recruiting and retaining players and volunteer coaches for our baseball and softball leagues. This summer we have three softball leagues and five baseball leagues with a total of 124 youth involved. In addition to this, Rudy provides high yield activities (triple play) to age appropriate cohorts in the gym throughout the day.
Overall, summer is off to a very successful start. Thank you to all of the staff, volunteers and parents who have helped us create a fun and safe environment to be a part of.
