After-school making a difference in students’ lives

Published 2:07 pm Tuesday, November 2, 2021

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By JASON GRIFFIN

Chilton County Schools Superintendent

Chilton County Schools has been able to provide after-school programs for our students in grades Pre-K through sixth grade across the county at no charge beginning this year. The funding was made available through COVID funds and will be in place for at least three years.  Every school area in the county has an after-school program available.  Clanton schools at Clanton Elementary; Isabella and Maplesville schools at Isabella; Jemison schools at Jemison Elementary; Thorsby at Thorsby and Verbena at Verbena. Maplesville students are transported by bus to Isabella each afternoon. The program is every day after school when school is in session and lasts till 6 p.m. each day. Students are provided homework help, remediation for reading, social/emotional guidance and physical activities. In addition, students are provided snacks free of charge through the Child Nutrition program. Certified teachers, support staff and student helpers are employed by the school system to administer the program with the oversight of site administrators.

The program is a win-win for everyone! It gives students the opportunity to improve academically while being given social/emotional guidance and physical activities.  Parent/guardians are afforded the opportunity to allow their students to receive these services free of charge and get an afternoon snack as well.

Our goal is for students to catch up with the academic loss they experienced due to COVID and excel over and above that academically, social/emotionally, and physically. We want our students to be well-rounded in all areas of their lives and this gives us another tool to achieve that goal.