On a recent rainy Tuesday, more than 20 rambunctious sixth,
seventh and eighth graders crammed into a portable classroom
screaming and chasing each other.
Once the students settled down, they participated in various
activities as part of Community Connections, an after-school
program offered through a grant at Marguerite Maze Middle
School.
On a recent rainy Tuesday, more than 20 rambunctious sixth, seventh and eighth graders crammed into a portable classroom screaming and chasing each other.
Once the students settled down, they participated in various activities as part of Community Connections, an after-school program offered through a grant at Marguerite Maze Middle School.
From 2:30 to 4 p.m., the program offers a venue for students to be active instead of going home and sitting in front of a television or playing video games.
There are 20 kids who regularly come every Tuesday and Thursday, but coordinator Lacee Kortsen has had up to 40 kids in the classroom at once.
“This is open to all students – anyone who wants to come,” Kortsen said. “It’s a recreational activity to give kids something to do. Some parents don’t get home until 6. This keeps the kids busy until then.”
On a typical day, without rain, students play sports outside. Popular games include softball, flag football, “capture the flag,” baseball and “nation.” Kortsen also takes students on field trips to places like an ice-skating rink, the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose and Scrapbook Corner in Hollister.
The grant funding allows the program to be offered to all students for free. In its third and final year, the grant is from the state government. The grant was from the State Department of Education and was for $100,000 each year. Because the grant program has been eliminated from the state budget, Vice Principal Elena Anderson is looking for other areas of funding to continue the after-school program.
“By providing positive youth development activities, we’re hoping the kids will go on a positive path of life and learning,” Anderson said. “The activities are really interesting and kids like them a lot.”
Community Connections was developed by Anderson to meet one of the four objectives of the grant. Maze partners with Hollister Recreation in administering the program. About 10 percent of the grant is spent on Community Connections, Anderson said.
Seventh grader Toni Amendt enjoys the activities so much she’s in her second year participating in Community Connections. She said if the program was around next year, she would attend.
“It’s fun. It’s something to do after school,” Amendt said. “We go on field trips and play sports.”
After-school activities are important because of the ever-increasing incidence of latch-key kids, children who go home to an empty house after school before their parents get home, Amendt said.
“We provide a safe, warm place to go after school, which is important since we have a high number of latch-key kids,” Anderson said. “It allows them to release energy and stress that’s built up throughout the day in the classroom. It also gives them a window to the world and role models, like Lacee (Kortsen).”
Most of the students in the program like the idea of staying active instead of watching television at home. Seventh grader Jose Alfaro, in his first year with the program, said he would be sedentary at home if he didn’t attend Community Connections.
“At home, I’d play video games and get bored,” said Alfaro, saying he wished the program was offered every day after school.
“Even if they had it on Saturdays and Sundays, I’d still come,” he said.
For more information on Community Connections, call Kortsen at 636-4390 or Anderson at 636-4480.
