On October 30th all the 21st Century afterschool programs came together to celebrate Halloween with a Halloween Bash!
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Acting as mentors, Newark Middle School students went to Perkins School, the combined Perkins and Lincoln School program site, and Newark High School students worked with students at Kelley School.
During program time, students had the opportunity to engage in fun Halloween-themed activities through Cooking Club, Arts & Crafts, and physical activity.
• Cooking Club: Students had the chance to make a popular dessert _ worms and dirt!
•Arts & Crafts: Students used air clay kits to make pumpkins and mini ghosts, DIY trick or treat bags, bracelets and more.
• Recreation: Students participated in Halloween relay races in the gym.
“One of the goals for the 21st Century Grant is to create a community with staff and students throughout the district. This event was a wonderful opportunity to bring all program sites together, fostering mentorship between older and younger students while building meaningful connections and leadership across grade levels,’ said Julia Solan, Director of Family and community Engagement.
Kelley School Site Coordinator Lisa Zalacca said: “Having staff and students from our High School program was such a wonderful experience for our 3-5 graders. It is always powerful when we can all come together as a larger community.”
Jessica Orchard and Lisa Eakins, NMS Site Coordinators said: “We are grateful for our 21st century after school program for creating an opportunity for our programs to collaborate. It was so sweet to see our middle school students supporting our littlest Newark Reds during our Halloween Event. Their kindness,
patience, and leadership remind us that the spirit of our community shines brightest when our students lift each other up.”
“This idea grew from a summer team meeting, and it’s been amazing to see it come to life,” Solan said. “Students from every all our afterschool programs are connecting in meaningful ways. Our older students demonstrated incredible leadership by mentoring and supporting younger students at Kelley, Perkins, and Lincoln — a perfect example of what it means to build community. We are looking forward to continuing this connection and bring families in as well to see what our afterschool program is all about!”