“Migrant kids could benefit from grant - Tampa Bay Online” plus 1 more

Migrant kids could benefit from grant - Tampa Bay Online

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 08:32 AM PST

Staff photo by JOHN CEBALLOS

Fourth grader Luciano Valencia prepares to make his move during a chess match at the Redlands Christian Migrant Association Wimauma Academy.

Staff photo by JOHN CEBALLOS

Cynthia Wortmann, right, gives students in the RCMA Wimauma Academy's art class some pointers. Art is one of the classes offered as part of this spring's Majors program.

Staff photo by JOHN CEBALLOS

Amanda Roa, a dance instructor from the Patel Conservatory at the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa, teaches a class how to do the salsa.

Staff photo by JOHN CEBALLOS

Rosa Rodriguez, right, reviews a math-based art project and riddle created by third grader David Garcia.

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By JOHN CEBALLOS | South Shore News & Tribune

Published: February 9, 2011

Updated: 11:36 am

WIMAUMA - Once a week many of the students at the Redlands Christian Migrant Association's Wimauma Academy put down their pencils and slip on their dancing shoes or try to checkmate their opponent.

These students are part of the school's Majors program.

According to Heather Hanson, program specialist at the academy, the school allows its elementary school-age children to sign up for the Wednesday afternoon extracurricular activities.

"Every nine weeks we rotate the activities, which helps keep it interesting for the kids," Hanson said.

Activities this spring include chess, art and dance classes and learning labs that place an emphasis on reading and mathematics.

Teachers, volunteers and teaching assistants at the academy conduct the classes each week.

"We're always on the lookout for anyone interested in coming in and sharing their talent with the kids," said Charlotte Bethany, an Exceptional Student Education teacher at the school.

Bethany said the program is always in need of supplies the school can't always afford.

"We had someone who wanted to teach a ballet class, but we didn't have a ballet bar for her," Bethany said. "We'd also love to get new lights for our stage where we do some of our musical productions."

That's why Bethany has spearheaded the school's efforts to earn a $10,000 grant from Bealls.

The Bealls and Whistles for Schools grant program seeks to help Florida schools pay for supplies and programs they may not be able to afford through regular funding.

"I found it to be a unique grant in that you had to be creative," Bethany said.

Schools across the state had a chance to submit an application to their area Bealls store. Each store selected a winner, and those winners are in the running to be one of 10 Florida schools that will each receive $10,000 through the grant program.

The RCMA Wimauma Academy — which provides child care and education to children of migrant farmworkers and rural, low-income families — was selected as the winner from the Bealls store in Ruskin.

Winners of the statewide prize will be announced in April.

"They had a well thought out plan, and we felt that they did a great job demonstrating their need for the grant," said Patrick Durrence, general manager of the Bealls store in Ruskin. Durrence said he will perform some community service at the school as a reward for the RCMA Academy winning his store's competition

Bethany said the grant will go a long way toward making sure the Majors program — which is in its fourth year — continues at the school.

"For a lot of these kids, their big excursions are either going out to the fields or going down to Walmart," Bethany said. "The program allows them to do things they're not normally exposed to."

jceballos@tampatrib.com

(813) 627-4762

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KEEPING KIDS ON TRACK THE SECOND HALF OF THE SCHOOL YEAR - New Orleans Times-Picayune

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:03 AM PST

Published: Wednesday, February 09, 2011, 6:00 AM

Remember that first day of school—new backpack, white sneakers, blank notebooks, sharp pencils and a spring in your child's step. Now the shoes are scuffed. The backpack's funky. Notebooks are dog-eared. Pencils are God-knows-where. And that spring has decelerated to a shuffle. The proverbial honeymoon is over. But half the school year still remains.

Time to square your shoulders, reconnect with your start-of-school commitments, and help your child march into the second half of the year prepared for success. These five tips can help.

Evaluate Your Own Attitude- We parents should never forget that we are our child's first and most important role model. If your child's enthusiasm over school has waned, he may be taking his cue from you. It's natural that the activities leading up to Christmas distract from school routine. But it's time to reenlist. Remember the visions of school success that danced in your head in the fall and send the message to your child that you're excited to see how proud he's going to make you, between now and June.

Check His Equipment- Start with the backpack. After eighteen weeks, it's probably due for a good sponging. Begin by vacuuming the interior and all the pockets. Then wash it inside and out with warm water and a couple teaspoons of dishwashing liquid. Is it time for some new tennis shoes? Does she have any idea where her school hoodies are? A cute new outfit or two might do wonders for her attitude those first days back.

Refresh Supplies- How are his binder and folders holding up? Are the holes broken, the rings gaping with papers falling out? Are the supplies you thought he'd use going to waste while there are others that might do the job better? Take a trip to the office supply store and replenish what he needs. Let him pick out some fun pens and sticky notes. Hey! You might even hit an after-holiday sale.

Set Second Half Goals- How were those first two report cards? If the grades were good, talk to your child about how she plans to keep them that way. If they left something to be desired, discuss some things she can do to bring them up. Help your child think about what he wants to accomplish over the next five months. Memorize his multiplication tables? Conquer long division? Set reasonable, reachable goals that your child can understand and talk about ways to achieve them. Help him break them down into attainable steps and use language that lets him know you believe he can reach them.

Revisit Your Start-of-School Commitments- Remember back in August when you determined that homework would be done before video games and bedtime would be at 8 p.m.? It's normal to have strayed away from those commitments over the holidays. But it's important to recommit to them now. Talk about your commitments. Put them in writing to steel your resolve. It wouldn't hurt to talk about some resolutions you've let slip and how you're determined to get back on track with, say, nutrition, exercise and getting enough sleep. Let him see we all have to regroup and recommit sometimes.

Remember there isn't a child in the world who doesn't want to succeed. As much as they may act otherwise, their deepest desire is to make us proud. Let them know you expect great things from them and take these easy steps to put them on track to make it happen.

Mimi Greenwood Knight is a freelance writer and mama of four who lives L'autre Cote du Lac (Uh, that's Across the Lake) with her husband David and way too many animals. Her articles and humorous essays about the many adventures of parenting have appeared in national magazines, devotionals and anthologies (including more than a dozen Chicken Soups.) as well as on a spattering of web sites. She enjoys Bible study, butterfly gardening, the lost art of letter writing and is entering the technical age kicking and screaming.

Contact Mimi at mimianddavid@att.net

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Kids Shoes

Wednesday, February 9, 2011