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In the news: |
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Pasadena ISD’s unwavering objective of keeping students involved in
educational activities after the school day continues with the awarding
of a $75,000 grant to Bailey Elementary from the Harris County
Department of Education’s Cooperative for After-School Enrichment
Program (CASE). “The program has been a success and has become an integral part of our community,” said Sophia Acevedo, assistant principal at Bailey. “Our parents have a safe and affordable place to leave their children after school. “This grant helps us bridge the gap between school and home for our students.” The theme of the campus’ after-school program is the “Busy Bee Club.” The namesake for this program ties in closely with the school’s mascot, the “Bailey Bee.” The coordinators of the after-school program are campus instructors Candy Starr and Jae Lee. With the collaboration of the administration on campus, these two individuals were instrumental in the writing the grant to obtain the funding. The program currently has 110 students enrolled and 25 members of the Bailey faculty assist with the after-school program weekly. To qualify for the program, the parents or guardians of Bailey students must submit an application and meet eligibility requirements. “The coordinators have handled this program 100 percent,” Acevedo said. “They have a positive relationship with parents and students.” Starr said she is excited that the program received the funding for another school year. This is the second year the school has been involved with the CASE program. “In previous years, we had an after-school program,” Lee said. “But it was very limited and wasn’t as extensive as what CASE does. We heard about CASE and we wanted to get involved with it because it’s such a wonderful opportunity for the kids.” The after-school program is conducted in a rotating activity station format where the students move from one activity to another. The students are engaged in activities such as homework assistance, arts and crafts, sports, and cooking. Recently, students in the program had the opportunity to take a field trip to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in conjunction with FotoFest, an international non-profit photographic arts and education organization centrally located in downtown Houston. FotoFest operates an annual classroom education program Literacy Through Photography. It is geared for students enrolled in grades 3 – 12. This program helps students strengthen writing skills, increase their visual literacy and learning skills. These students were able to photograph their accounts with digital cameras donated by CASE. “Just the learning experiences themselves that this program provides is great,” Starr said. “It makes the child more well-rounded.” In the front hallway of the school, there is some showcased artwork that was created by the students in the program. The work has a Texas theme with paintings of bluebonnets and the official flag. In addition, the students are involved in the study of martial arts with Tae Kwon Do lessons given frequently. This resulted in the program having outside interaction with the community with having the uniforms purchased and donated by Emerson Process and Management. Harris County formed the CASE program eight years ago with the purpose of ensuring that every child in Harris County has access to a quality after-school program. Studies have shown after-school programs are instrumental in keeping kids safe; help working families, and increase academic achievement. The annual funding for this program has grown from $152,000 in 1999 to $12.7 million presently. Entities on the federal, state and local levels fund the CASE program. |