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DENTON – The cafeteria was full of exuberant Denton Elementary School students as they showcased what they have learned during a Caroline County Recreation and Parks afterschool program.
Parents and members of the community were invited to the late afternoon pizza party served by fifth graders on March 6 at the school.
“One of the things that we really focus on is: it's about community,” said Danny Mitchell, Program Services Manager with Rec & Parks. “It’s about everybody working together to build what we have going on.”
Members of the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board and the Caroline County Board of Education were invited. Also on hand were representatives of Choptank Community Health and Santé Eastern Shore.
About 73 students in third, fourth and fifth grades participated in the 90-day program that began late September and will run until early May, four days a week.
Mitchell said this is the first year the grant-funded afterschool program has been held since before the Covid pandemic.
Activities, led by 13 Rec & Parks staff members, are geared towards blending academics with clubs, games, and arts and crafts. They also learned to play music with Boomwhackers®, a set of color-coded tubes that produce musical notes when struck.
About a dozen students demonstrated their skill with Boomwhackers by accompanying a recording of “You can Count on Me.”
Kids could join sports clubs, such as soccer in the fall, basketball during winter and baseball in spring. At the open house, “Mr. Matt” and about 16 students demonstrated their knowledge of the rules and skills of floor hockey.
Projects were displayed on tables and included architectural designs and a mock registration form that prompted students to imagine themselves as national superheroes.
Third-grader Kaycee said she liked the clubs, and especially science club. Mason, also in third grade, showed up in his Little League uniform and said he’s looking forward to the baseball curriculum.
“Any of the kids that are hooked on sports, they're all for it,” Mitchell said. “So, it's not just playtime – academics are built in.” The sports-based clubs and activities, for example, built in statistics and probability problem-solving exercises.
“Anything we can do to extend (students’) learning and expand their experiences is great, and this gives them a nice variety of activities,” said Kirk Howie, CCPS director of student services. “It makes what they learn more relevant.”
“Any time you can supplement or extend learning through activities that kids enjoy beyond the regular school day helps their development,” Howie said.
