The Winthrop Middle School Fun After School Program is a unique academic and recreational program available to all students in the Winthrop Middle School free of charge. While it is definitely NOT babysitting, this program gives the students a safe place to be after the school bell rings.
The day starts when the school bells ring. Students go to their lockers then come down and sign in. After a short free time, it's study hall. One of our main goals is to offer academic assistance. we have staff and volunteers (many of whom are from the high school), available to help team members with assignments. The teachers are very supportive and communicate with us daily. in the past 5 years, we have seen a dramatic improvement in the grades of team members who come to us on a regular basis as well as a decline in disciplinary actions. It's the perfect opportunity to get all of the homework out of the way. Next is snack and free time.
We provide a relatively healthy snack including juice. The menu varies everyday (selections such as veggies, fruit, apple crisp, popcorn, and muffins with fruit). After we clean up from snack it's club time. Clubs are the activity choices for the day. They range from chess, cribbage, and checkers to craft, cooking, foreign language, modified sports, and games. In the winter we are limited on our outside activities but we do offer "snow stuff" (snow bowling, snowman building, and sledding). Inside physical activities are fitness (tae bo, yoga, and relaxation), walk n' talk (on the measured walking trails in the building), and climb (did you know the empire state building has 1,576 steps which is 69 trips up and down our stairwell!).
Once we've cleaned up from clubs, it's Team Time. This is an opportunity to work as a member of a team to accomplish a common goal. It might be Scatagories or charades. Sometimes it's just a chance to sit and talk or maybe play table games.
We also do community service projects, field trips, monthly movie nights, sleep overs, and activities with the grade and high schools. We've even done projects with other departments within the school including singing the National Anthem at a Portland Pirates Ice Hockey game.
Team members may attend full time, everyday, or as their schedule permits.
There is always something for everyone to do. This is definatley a great place to have fun after school!!