Wadsworth Elementary's KidZone program currently has 17 members. The program meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 pm.
Because of the sponsor's backgrounds, School Counselor and teacher (formerly Youth Counselor), we often incorporate SEL lessons in our sessions. We put a great emphasis on developing our students’ character. Our goal is to help students understand that everyone excels in different areas, but we can all be an overall “good” person. Additionally, we’ve provided activities to focus on mindfulness and making healthy life choices.
One of our highlights so far was our holiday celebration in December. The students enjoyed receiving the gifts that were purchased for them and having an extra special meal. Afterwards, we took a field trip to Flagler Palm Coast High school (many of the students had never been to FPC). Our students took a small tour of the athletic facilities. We also stayed to watch the girls’ JV and varsity basketball games. We even invited the parents of our participants to attend. Despite the fun the students had, the highlight was going to the concession stand to order snacks.
Although our original plan was to focus primarily on Science, the sponsors decided it was more important to focus on academics as a whole. We provided tutoring, homework help, and extension learning activities (iReady, Imagine Learning, Brain Pop, Freckle Math, etc.). Each week, we conference with every student to discuss grades, progress, missing assignments, and the support the students believe they need to be successful. In addition, we conference with the parents and teachers to put additional safety nets in place to help the students succeed in both academics and behavior. Of our 17 students, 13 of the students have made grade improvements and/or maintained passing grades for all core subjects. We’re so proud of their accomplishments and will continue to provide the support for the remainder of the school year.
