On Wednesday afternoons, Morgan Hill’s P.A. Walsh School
dismisses classes early to provide much-needed planning time for
teachers. In January of this year, the school began a partnership
with two local churches to use this time to provide enrichment
activities for students.
On Wednesday afternoons, Morgan Hill’s P.A. Walsh School dismisses classes early to provide much-needed planning time for teachers. In January of this year, the school began a partnership with two local churches to use this time to provide enrichment activities for students.
Community Christian Church, located across a parking lot from the school, and Morgan Hill Bible Church (15055 Monterey Highway) have combined efforts to sponsor a Kids Club. Sixty Walsh students spend an enjoyable 90 minutes each week; they focus on building relationships, reinforcing good values and sharing God’s love – all while having fun.
Readers need not worry about the perennial separation of church and state issue; this kind of after-school activity is allowed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and also various sections of the California Education Code, which specifically allow use of public school buildings “for daycare programs … supervised by religious organizations.”
Safety is an important consideration. Participants must have signed parental permission slips on file in order to attend. They all wear name badges during the afternoon, and are signed in and out at the beginning and end of the program.
There is no charge to attend; in fact, the two congregations pay a modest fee to the school district for use of the campus facilities, despite the fact that most activities take place at the church next door. The program has several parts:
– It begins with outdoor play time, 30 minutes of relay races, tag and other games.
– Then the students come inside for large group activities.
– They sing and dance along with a video projected against a large screen.
– This is followed by time for hearing a story from the Bible.
– Students then break into smaller groups to work on a craft related to the story they have just heard. For example, recently they studied the Exodus story about Moses and the escape from Egypt followed by an opportunity to create their own posters of the 10 Commandments.
Kim Windsor, director of the Walsh Kids Club, considers the program a big success and hopes to open it to more students next year. Since guidelines call for a low student to adult ratio, more adult volunteers will have to be recruited. Retired people and those working part-time or home-schooling are most likely to have time to participate.
Student responses have been very positive. Some comments by fifth and sixth grade participants at P.A. Walsh include:
– “It’s the best. I come to learn about God.”
– “It’s shown me what’s in the Bible, what God did for us.”
– “I love Kid’s Club. It’s the best.”
– “I used to not know about God, but now I want to pray and learn more. Kids Club is fun.”
Kids Club Consultants, Inc. is a San Jose-based nonprofit corporation. Established 15 years ago, Kids Clubs are now sponsored by 42 churches in 10 school districts between Sunnyvale and Gilroy with a weekly attendance of approximately 3,200 students and some 450 volunteer adults.
The organization works with local churches to provide such resources as proper liability insurance, guidance with curriculum, game-planning and classroom management training. All volunteers are required to submit an application, provide references plus evidence of a current TB test and have fingerprinting done through the Department of Justice.
For more information, contact Kids Club Consultants at (408) 363-0600; for the P.A. Walsh Program contact Community Christian Church at (408) 779-4914.
