Our system is probably going to add a recreational hour to the school program for a number of students who are geographically distanced from the school community. This extra hour is one that will ease parents' childcare needs while providing students with increased academic and social-emotional support and opportunity. This extra hour, if well organized and led, has the potential to bridge an opportunity gap, a gap that exists, in a large part, related to a geographical divide.
While many students in our school community can easily access the school from early morning to early evening, students who are live a long distance from our school do not have that opportunity. That may mean they have to miss out on teachers' extra help sessions, playdates, recreational teams, and more. Providing transportation and oversight for an extra hour a day opens up all kinds of positive opportunities in the academic and social-emotional realms, realms that have the potential of bolstering relationships which, in turn, will bolster opportunity and success.
I am excited about this change, and look forward to supporting it in ways that help my students achieve with happiness and success.
