Kids Color Blasted For South Avenue Elementary Fundraiser June 10th

Sitting in a PTA meeting at 8 pm in the elementary school cafeteria, hearing from a representative from the kids' library that their budget is about to get cut - again - (did you see what's been going on down there?), you don't feel like there's the brightest of forecasts. Another bummer: hearing at a City Council meeting that the Board of Education is fighting for hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, dollars of unpaid funds that was designated for the Beacon School District from the state, but didn't make it down here to Beacon.

Here in the office of A Little Beacon Blog, we get pitched from time to time about fundraisers that are happening for different schools. From roller rink nights, to this most recent Color-A-Thon from the South Avenue Elementary PTA, parents community-wide are trying to get untraditional with their fundraisers, to go "beyond the bake sale." Often they seem fun, yet we hear about them at the last minute - if we hear about them at all.

So a couple of things: 

• We're going to dedicate a Guide to Beacon City School Fundraisers, to capture these opportunities, and try to illustrate where the money is going. Because that's the exciting part. You get to be a part of long-lasting, sometimes permanent change within the walls of one of the six school buildings in Beacon's school district. If you are such a person who runs a campaign, please email editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com as far in advance as you can, and spread the word to others to email in their dates and where raised funds will go.
• There is a fundraiser going on RIGHT NOW that you can participate in! You get to sponsor little racers who are going to get blasted with colorful powder as they run, and you could even BE a color blaster! This is to raise money for park equipment, landscaping and classroom supplies (like replacing super old books, or upgrading smart boards).

It can be hard knowing what is going on inside the walls of the kids' schools, even if the teachers, administrators and PTA are doing very well with internal promotion of flyers and Morning News Shows inside the walls. But if you hardly go inside the school, you won't see any of it. That's why we at A Little Beacon Blog are trying to bring that from the inside of the schools, out to you.

South Avenue Color-A-Thon Walk/Jog Run
Registration Starts: 9 am (new walkers/runners welcome, $30 Registration)
Race Starts: 10 am
Ends: Noon
Race Route: On neighborhood streets surrounding South Avenue School
Enjoy! Food, music, games!

What Is a Color-A-Thon Fundraiser? 

You may have seen the puffs of color - neon pinks and blues and yellows - rising in the distance through the trees and behind some houses for a cause you vaguely heard about. It's the rising trend of color-a-thons, marathons accompanied by color powder, similar to the holiday Holi celebrated in India. Known as the "festival of colors," it signifies the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil. Groups are embracing it as a fundraising method to make a big difference in a cause at hand. The Beacon High School just had one, as did the Newburgh Illuminated festival.

The South Avenue Color-A-Thon is a new thing the South Avenue PTA is trying out. They get together with an official Color-A-Thon race program, who then manages the registration bags of running T-shirts, color blaster powder, and prizes. It's important to me that my kids know what they are fundraising for, and aren't just fundraising to get prizes for each dollar level. So with this fundraiser - I knew exactly what we were fundraising for, and it has been a great teachable moment for my kids, as they could see exactly where their fundraising efforts would go - to the park! To the classrooms!

This time, with my awareness of the rising trend in color-a-thons that I know of from A Little Beacon Blog's 5K Race Guide, I knew this could be a highly engaging fundraising effort. Yet for the first year, how many people will turn out? There may be a few sitter-outers who watch the pictures in social media the day of the event, vowing to come next year. Don't be that person! You can make a difference to change that right now.

Fundraising for a New Gazebo on the Playground, With Extra Going to Equipment and Classrooms

South Avenue has a great playground that kids would play on all day long if they had their choice. Over the years, the PTA fundraised for and got a new basketball hoop, swings, and a Buddy Bench. This year, they are aiming for a gazebo or pavilion, a covered structure that has seating on the inside. The kids will be able to take their learning experience in the class outside by going to this pavilion, and also play on it during recess and after school. 

The color bag "blast pack" the racers get includes a t-shirt, bottle of powdered color blast, rainbow wig, and ... a weird emoji thing. 

How You Can Get Involved

Donate to a little racer: So far, I know of the sponsor links for two little racers, and one general South Avenue account if you want to donate at-large and not to one child specifically. YOU can donate to any of these little people. And if you want to add your link for last minute donations, add your link in the comments below and we will put it on this list!

• Little Racer Ruby: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377219
• Little Racer Fiona: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377070
• All The Little Racers - South Avenue's General Racer: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377664

Volunteer!

• Color Thrower: There are spots open for color throwers (you'll get to throw color at the runners!!)
• Games: People are needed to run some games
• Registration table/food table
• Set up/clean up (set up 8 to 9 am and clean up noon to 1 pm)
• And more!! Everyone is welcome to come and help.

Register to Race!

• Kids can register at the event to be racers. Registration starts at 9 am and is $30. Our inside sources says that they may not get an event t-shirt, because almost all of the t-shirts have gone to pre-registered racers, so have your kid wear a white t-shirt, prepared to get blasted with color.

To volunteer, contact Erica Way at way.erica@gmail.com or Cara Heaton at cara_heaton@yahoo.com.

The wig and sunglasses might have come as prizes with our color registration bag. 

Some of the prizes that just showed up include colored shoes - a reminder to get excited about running or walking in this race!

Is Fundraising Still Going On?

Heck yes! With these online donations, you can give money up to event day! If you are a parent whose child is in the race, here are some ideas to meet or surpass your donation goal:

• Take pictures of your child in racing gear (aka tennis shoes and any T-shirt), and add a note from your child about how excited they are.
• Share a link on your Facebook page, asking long-distance friends and family for support.
• Have your child call a donor and thank them personally.
• Email your own people with updates and if you've almost reached your goal.
• Include the link to your child's donation page so that people can easily donate online.

And remember, if you don't know of a child to sponsor, you can sponsor the whole school using the general link above. And know this: This isn't the last you'll hear of color-a-thons. I Am Beacon is having one, and there are more and more for adults. So watch our 5K Races Guide, as well as our future Beacon City School District Fundraising Opportunities Guide. 

Thank you!

Must-Watch Morning Show: Mr. Burke's The Morning News at South Avenue Elementary School

There's a new morning show that you need to know about that doesn't contain a lot of commercials and depressing news or outlandish demonstrations: The South Avenue Morning News. Actually, it does contain outlandish demonstrations, thought up by one man in the basement library of South Avenue Elementary School: the famed Mr. Burke. I'm told by my 7-year-old that The Morning News airs at South Avenue Elementary School every morning (have not fact-checked this yet, but it does seem to broadcast often), and for those of us not inside the school walls every day, we can see some of the best episodes on YouTube. The show is actually not new, as it has been produced out of South Avenue's library and additional locations such as stairwells, the outdoors, and school hallways for a number of years.

UPDATE 5/5/2017: We have confirmed with South Avenue that The Morning News is indeed shown daily to kids on their smart boards in each classroom. That's a LOT of ideas and editing!

Other parents who are super in-the-know already know about this Morning News show, but I only just discovered it when doing research for South Avenue's (hopefully) mega Color-A-Thon fundraiser mini-walk/race coming up on June 10th: South Avenue kids are currently fundraising online for the South Avenue PTA, who is raising money for new playground equipment, library needs, classroom supplies and other things that teachers need but can't always get due to constant budget cuts.

Take a minute right now and binge-watch The Morning News! It's incredible to see what Mr. Burke comes up with down there in the library, as he invents different characters who make recurring appearances in different episodes, which also feature homemade props, editing, and music.

If you have a little one at home, show these Morning News episodes to them. They may be amazed to watch on YouTube and get excited to share their day-to-day with you!

Mr. Burke delivers a PSA about the South Avenue PTA's Color-A-Thon video. He snores through it at first, then sees the videos of kids being blasted with color powder, and tries to recreate with crayons falling on his head (ouch)!

In this Morning News, Mr. Burke reads letters from imaginary students. This one is from "Not Getting The Reference" after Mr. Burke may have made a reference to Chim Chim Chiminey and perhaps a simile. Mr. Burke then turns into a chimney sweep in order to give a refresher as to what a simile is. Don't know what a simile is? You should watch the video. Then you'll remember!

Have you ever tried to make a Homework Machine? My dad and I did one time, and Mr. Burke here has done it! But what happens when he takes it into a Test Taking room?

If you like the Lego Movie theme song, "Everything Is Awesome," then you will love how Mr. Burke covers it, but with idioms. What's an idiom? Mr. Burke explores an Idiom Of The Day here in this edition of Morning News for South Avenue: "Chewing the Fat."

Another idiom mystery for you..."hitting a brick wall."

Mr. Burke  took the kids on a virtual field trip to his kitchen to harvest his first honey from his bees in 2015.

I know you're hooked, and you want more episodes. Subscribe to Mr. Burke's channel here on YouTube for the latest postings. You might even catch outtakes, because believe it or not, Mr. Burke does not seem to get it right on every scene, and does several takes.

Beacon Library Hosts Filmmaker Series for Middle Schoolers with Reel Life Film Club

Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison libraries have teamed up for Reel Life Film Club, a new film series for middle school students. The Reel Life Film Club is an opportunity for middle school students to view award-winning documentary films and talk about them with the filmmakers.
 
The next screening will be in Beacon on June 2 at 6 pm at the Howland Library. The club will be viewing the documentary Racing Dreams (2009). The film follows three young racers as they compete in the World Karting Association's National Pavement Series. Writer and director Marshall Curry will be on hand to talk about his film with the kids. This movie has won Best Documentary at six film festivals.
 
The third film, Spellbound (2002), will be shown on July 7 at 6 pm at Desmond Fish Library in Garrison.
 
Pizza will be served at the events and registration is encouraged: For Racing Dreams, at Howland Library on June 2, call 845-831-1134; For Spellbound at Desmond-Fish on July 7, call 845-424-3020. Like the libraries’ Facebook pages for up-to-date information.
 
For more information, contact Michelle Rivas, Howland Library, community@beaconlibrary.org, or Karen Thompson, Desmond-Fish Library, kat@highlands.com, Maureen McGrath, Butterfield Library, jbl.libraryservices@gmail.com.

Beacon City Schools Budget Vote and Election of Board Seats May 16, 2017

The Voting Details

WHEN: Tuesday, May 16, 2017
TIME: 7am-9pm
WHERE: Beacon High School for all voters living in Beacon, or Glenham Elementary School for voters residing in the Town of Fishkill or the Town of Wappinger
DETAILS: Find more details about what is in the proposed budget here.

The School Budget Vote and Election will take place on Tuesday, May 16, 2017.  Polls are open from 7 am to 9 pm. Beacon City School District will have four propositions on the ballot. They are as follows in general form, as shared on the BCSD Facebook page and Budget newsletter for May 2017. All tax-paying citizens are eligible to vote.

1. The first proposition is the budget.
2. The second is the proposition to purchase school buses.
3. The third is to have a student board member hold a non-voting seat.
4. The fourth is to authorize the district to transfer money to a capital reserve. The money in a capital reserve would be used for future capital projects. The district is planning a capital project in the near future, and this reserve will be used to help keep the school taxes the same.

Details of what is in the proposed budget can be found here in a newsletter from the Beacon City School District.

There will also be a board election of four seats.
Three Board Members are for running for three-year terms running from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020. The candidate who receives the largest number of votes cast will also fill the remainder of a vacant term for six weeks, commencing May 16, 2017, and expiring June 30, 2018. Vote for up to four candidates.

Board Members up for re-election:
Anthony White
Kenya Gadsden
Craig Wolf
Kristan Flynn

Location & Eligibility
Voting takes place at two locations: 

• Beacon High School, for all registered voters who live in the City of Beacon, and
• Glenham Elementary School, for voters who reside in the Town of Fishkill or the Town of Wappinger. 

For help in determining your voting location, please call (845) 838-6900, ext. 2032.

Career Fair at Beacon High School - Booming With Businesses - Join In For 2017

Beacon High School's Career Day was teeming with businesses last year in 2016, and they are actively booking visiting pros again for this year's event, to be held on Thursday, May 25, 2017. Last year, over 70 professionals in their fields set up information tables at Beacon High School to explain to students the ins and outs of their work. Students checked in throughout the day, during scheduled time periods between 10 am and 2 pm. The Career Fair's main organizer and school counselor, Michele Polhamus, was "floored" by the turnout. "Our students' parents (from grades K-12) and the greater community were so responsive and have been most supportive of the Career Fair!"

The Career Fair is gearing up again for 2017 and is accepting business applicants. To participate, you can contact Ms. Michele Polhamus, School Counselor, at 845-838-6900 Ext. 3025 or by email at polhamus.m@beaconk12.org.

Success of 2016 Career Fair at Beacon High School

Participating professionals who donated their time to present to kids ranged from Entrepreneur to Journalist to Radio Producer to Artist to Illustrator to Police Officer to Attorney to Land Surveyor to Tattoo Artist (one of the most popular).

at left, Tom Cerchiara, founder of TEC Land Surveyors. TEC is based in Beacon and serves architects, engineers and state and local departments while employing a number of people.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Sarah Crow, Freelance Writer for GQ, MTV.com, xoJane, Bridal Guide, and others. Sarah is based in Beacon and writes for the websites of major magazines. Her college major was in Digital Publishing.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Jerry Goodman, freelance Cameraman for shows produced for CBS, HGTV and others. Jerry is based in Beacon and commutes into NYC and other cities to film on location.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Specialists in Aviation.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

An aspiring graphic design student inquiring about internships.

Kitchen Cuts is Back: Sunday, May 7 - Book It Now for $16 Kids Haircuts

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Back by popular demand, the girls from Your Presence Salon are taking a road trip, leaving their Poughkeepsie location to visit A Little Beacon Space in Beacon on Sunday, May 7. They'll be cutting your kid's hair from 10 am to 4 pm for $16 a head, while the kids and I do face-painting at our table. It's even bigger than last time, in order to accommodate so many little faces. Face-painting is $1, the proceeds from which are being donated to the Kindergarten Teacher Teams in Beacon City Schools.

The first two Kitchen Cuts events raised about $60, which A Little Beacon Blog matched to bring a total of $130 donated to the Kindergarten Teacher Team at South Avenue School. We have gotten the paint out again in order to ramp up efforts to donate this amount to the other three elementary schools.

The day is super fun, and is a great chance to get your entire brood's hair cut - boys and girls - short and long hair. We have cut bangs for the first time (the child's first time, not the stylist's!), long locks for the first time, and used the mini-flat iron to create little Goldilocks out of the girls. This time, we are bringing in an actual hair chair, originally purchased from the Beacon Buy Sell Group to serve as my daughter's desk chair in her room (more fun than sitting in a regular chair, right?).

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Walk-ins only. Cash or credit. See you soon!

Calico Ball Now Accepting Ad Sponsorships for Dance Brochure

The Calico Ball, started by the late, great, local legend Pete Seeger 28 years ago, is a dance residency for all third-grade students across the Beacon School District, led by the Vanaver Caravan dancers. Students learn about different cultures around the world and perform in a global dance festival. For the past eight years, BAEF (Beacon Arts and Education Foundation) has sponsored this event, providing joy, amazement and education to hundreds of children. Spaces are open now for business or individual sponsorships to advertise in the dance program. The deadline is May 26, 2017.

Art Programming in Public Schools Diminishing

In order for artistic enrichment to be provided in the Beacon City School District, funding from outside sources is required as state and federal funding have decreased. According to the BAEF website, "In recent years, the amount of state aid has decreased dramatically. Consequently, it has become increasingly difficult to fund innovative educational programs that provide a richness to the educational experience of students."

BAEF’s goal is to support programs and activities that would not otherwise be achievable through available public funds, as well as to encourage the educational development of BCSD students and staff. Their mission is to foster community involvement and partnerships in the public education process. The Calico Ball is paid for with funds that BAEF raises. That money comes from annual fundraisers like the brochure ads and donations from the PTO/PTAs, as well as a grant that Vanaver Caravan researched and applied for, according Anna Bergin, a co-chair of BAEF this year.

Since BAEF's inception in 2004, they have provided over $100,000 to bolster arts education programming in the BCSD. Financial support has paid for:

• new sound equipment in the high school auditorium
• a new kiln for the high school ceramics studio
• teaching artist residencies in the schools, including the I’m Tired Project at Rombout Middle School
• musical instruments
• arts supplies

Business and Individual Sponsorships In The 2017 Calico Ball Program

Businesses and individuals can buy an ad in the Calico Ball program by clicking on this form to find ad sizes and prices, and then making your ad purchase/donation directly through BeaconArts by clicking this link or by sending in a check, which is a fiscal sponsor for BAEF and this project. Support from the community helps the Calico Ball continue year after year, and contribute to the experience that is living in Beacon, NY. The ad deadline is May 26, 2017, so get on it!

Beacon High School Presents The Who's Tommy - A Rock Opera

Opening Friday, March 31, to send March out with a bang, The Beacon Players present TOMMY on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 pm, with a Sunday matinee at 2 pm. Once again, the students of different departments in the Beacon High School have worked together to put on a fantastical show (see more about their work on a past production of Peter Pan). "[When the show opens], our canvas will be full of bright lights, rocking music and an amazing journey you won't want to miss!"

"Pinball Wizard" will be performed in its full version, along with several other favorites from The Who's rock opera, which first opened in 1969, and tells the story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy and his relationship with his family.

The costume crew - comprised entirely of students - stitched three decades' worth of outfits. So it's not just the student performers who get experience in the school performance, but all of the departments creating the rest of the show that goes on around the stage - the costumes, the set, the lighting, the sound, and much more.

While practicing the musical number "See Me, Feel Me," the crew running the Beacon Players' Instagram account broke into song, which we will leave you with here, in our city at the base of Mt. Beacon.

Gazing at you, I get the heat.
Following you, I climb the mountain.
I get excitement at your feet.

Buy your tickets online here to make sure you have them in hand, or wait and buy before the show at the box office.

Snow Day and 2 Hour Delay Bus Backup Plan

February has us in the thick of Winter, and for parents, that can mean one thing: thwarted schedules due to 2hr snow delays in the morning, and unexpected afternoon early dismissals with cancelations of all after school programs.

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This little email message from the Beacon City School District can wreak havoc on your day, especially when there is no snow or rain forecasted, causing parents to miss medical appointments, cancel work meetings, miss work deadlines, cancel work opportunities because they can't show up to work on time,  etc. etc. etc.

For parents of small children who cannot walk home, or stay at home by themselves, this can mean a thwarting of schedules. For parents of older kids, this can mean wondering how or what will occupy their children's time, especially in the afternoon, when after school activities are canceled. People who work near Main Street know that after school foot traffic really picks up after 3pm when kids get out of school.

One reason for a bus backup plan can be busing your child to a designated daycare center. If weather conditions are such that don't have you worried about actually having your child on the road because there is not one drop of snow or rain - as have been the conditions of most weather situations of the 2hr delays and early school dismissals for the 2016/2017 Beacon City School District - then you may fare better with a busing back up plan.

Says Jane Savage, a parent of older kids in the Newburgh District: "Snow delays and unplanned early dismissals definitely impacts the family, but we have back up plans. Like sending the kids to the neighbor's house so that my husband and I can both get to work. Having older children and delays are a bigger impact because you want to make sure your kids make the bus versus getting home early to just let themselves in." 

Many families in Beacon do not have bus pickups at home because they live within the bus zone, where the District feels that the kids can walk to school. So parents of young children must drive the kids to school. Relying on neighbors can be difficult if those neighbors are also working parents and need to be at work, or are out of town themselves. A rotation plan can of course go into effect where everyone rotates who is going to cancel their meetings or go into work late.

Delays can have a far reaching domino effect on other people, which can be especially frustrating on days when there is not one drop of forecasted precipitation. Says Meredith Ginn Carr, a mother in Fairfax Country, Virginia: "For us, a 2 hour delay really knocks off our routine and my 1st grader usually has an off day at school on those days. Last year when I was pregnant and in the 2nd trimetser, I had 4 doctors appointments effected by 2 hour delays. Basically, if I had scheduled a morning appointment, it guaranteed a delay."

Busing Backup Plan

You will need two things for your Busing Backup Plan in Beacon:

• A supervised place for the bus to drop off your child. If that is a daycare center like Rose Hill or Kids Place, then the center needs to have your child's medical and all forms on file that they would for any enrolled child. If your child goes to Beacon's After School Program through the Recreation Center, that program is held in the public elementary schools and also gets canceled during early dismissals. So, having your child enrolled in at least one day of after-care at another facility that does not close down when the Beacon City School District does, which has happened on sunny days, may be a good idea.
• Fill out the Transportation Request Form from the Beacon City School District's redesigned website, that makes forms like this easy to find. You can also click here to be taken directly to the page that contains the PDF of the form.  If your child is going to a private daycare center or school, you will need to fill out this form each year. The deadline to re-submit the form is April.

Busing for Emergency Drop-Offs

On the form mentioned above, there is not a box that indicates if you need it for an as-needed basis. There is only the option to select every Monday, or every certain day of the week, or All Days. Write in what you need. As-needed can include pre-planned emergency evacuation drills, unplanned weather delays, carbon monoxide leaks, etc. You must designate what you want done with your child in instances like these, with your choices being: Walk, Bus, Pickup.

You will fax the bus form to Gail Morgan in the Registration Department. Once she processes, the Transportation Department is supposed to call you to confirm that your child is on the list. If you don't get a call, you could call them, or you could walk your form into the Registrar's office at 10 Education Drive, and have them fax it to the Transportation Department while you wait, to make sure that they did receive it and did process it. Then you'll know the only department left you need to followup with is the Transportation Department.

Two 2-Hour Delays and 2 Sick Kid Days Equals Blogging Logjam

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When the school district calls for a two-hour weather delay for snow one day and subsequent rain the next, I've learned to let it go. It used to rile me up, being that I'm from the snow belt of Cleveland. That got me used to actual snow or frozen boilers being the reason for delays or closures. But after experiencing a reverse tizzy last year, when the district did not call a snow day on the one day that it actually did snow toward the end of the season, when all of the other districts around us did call a snow day, which compelled me to make a complaint appointment with the superintendent, I've learned to let. it. go.

Which leads us to this post, letting you know that last week's two 2-hour delays, and my son's double sick days at the start of this week, has led to a delay of some pretty good articles coming out. Normally, I'd take the 2-hour delay as bonus time for getting writing and picture uploading done, but (surprise!) I'm also newly pregnant, so I took the time to sleep in because in these early weeks, I've actually felt quite unwell when hungry! You'll find me at any grocery store re-stocking up on food, like Stouffer's Mac 'n' Cheese and a really amazing frozen chocolate mousse pie at Key Food, or the ready-made healthy food bar at the Beacon Natural Market. (One must balance the diet, after all!)

But know this: There is a Holiday Decoration Special blog post coming up — got a picture of your house all lit up? Email it to editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com for consideration! Also on deck are a couple more articles you'll like. 

Stay tuned! In the meantime, I'll be over here co-engineering Hot Wheels tracks.

Happy Back to School in Beacon! #FirstDayBeacon

It's an exciting day here for kids and parents in Beacon! School has started and kids are psyched. Why? Because there is so much to do here! From producing plays, to being the first to experience Beacon's first daily After School Program for K-5 with enriching options like baking class, bird class, yoga, and junior engineers, to sports programs, to signing up for new classes offered in the high school curriculum. To follow even more photos, do a search for the hashtag #firstdaybeacon and #artsforsmarts. The day has inspired a fresh movement to donate to the Beacon Arts and Education Fund, the efforts from which which has a huge impact on our schools in terms of purchased materials, including new sound equipment in the high school auditorium, arts & education teaching artist residencies in the schools, musical instruments, arts supplies

Enjoy this celebration of school in pictures, which doesn't nearly represent all of the families who make up the diverse Beacon City School District.

Onward to another year!

This article is presented by A Little Beacon Space, where you're invited to Kitchen Cuts and Face Painting, an event for ragamuffins to get a quick hair cut for school, and get a little face painting done! Details here.

Beacon Launches After School Program in 3 Elementary Schools

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If the new, official After School Program is anything like the successful re-launch of the years-long dry Beacon Pool, then Beacon residents and students in the Beacon City School District are in for a treat. The After School Program, developed by the City of Beacon Recreation Department, will serve students in grades K-5 from 3pm to 6pm in Beacon's three elementary schools: Sargent, South Avenue, and Forrestal. Glenham, the fourth elementary school that Beacon kids attend, already has an After School Program through the Fishkill School District. Kids will be able to select from programs ranging from art to baking to yoga to engineering to bird study (bird study!) in the After School Program, which has opened registration for enrollment.

The program is directed by Mark Price, the director of the Beacon Parks and Recreation Department, and Nate Smith, City of Beacon assistant recreation director, and takes place at each of the schools. When asked about why the program was launched, Mark replied: "Our community and feedback! I have had the joy and privilege of working for the City of Beacon for the last eight years. In that time we have watched some of the most important programming lapse, with the closing of the Beacon Community Center and Martin Luther King Cultural Center, their after school programs. Some of the most continual feedback I have heard from our community in that time has been the hope for the return of after school programming in the schools. Here we are! So with the support of both the City of Beacon and the Beacon City School District, we are going to give it a try and make Beacon just a little bit better."

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The After School program will incorporate the creative talent available from parents and other residents of Beacon. Tapping into the community in this way has long been a dream of many: Interim Superintendent Ann Marie Quartironi mentioned it to me during a parent meeting, and Mark Price himself, who had used private After School Programs in the area for his own children, was immediately on board. Says Nate about his role with the program: "I have been working in recreation programs with school-aged children my whole career. I was a summer camp director for several years and ran after school programs in Monticello for almost two years. I love working with school-aged children and giving them an opportunity to do some really fun and enriching stuff."

If the promotional Instagrams have indicated that this program is special and designed for residents who like variety and stability in their child's lives, then the actual curriculum will have you wishing you could sign yourself up. Says Nate about the new program: "I am excited to be a part of this project and bring this type of programming to my community. There are so many talented people in Beacon. I know that children, including my own, will benefit from exposure to the arts, nature and a variety of athletic activities that they might not have otherwise."

Take a look at the initial schedule for Session 1, which runs from September 12 - November 11, 2016:

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Please note that this schedule was taken from the City of Beacon's website on 8/2/16, and may have changed. Please see the website for Beacon's After School Program for the most up-to-date listing and details.

Different classes are run on different days at select schools. Instructors include those you know from local businesses, offering a wide range of classes. Five Hens, a local baker and specialist in dark chocolate, will help kids learn about measurements and adapting recipes, the science involved in baking as well as a general knowledge and an appreciation of food. Audubon New York’s For the Birds program teaches environmental awareness and appreciation of nature through the study of birds. Students learn about their local, natural environment through indoor and outdoor lessons as well as a conservation project designed to enhance a bird habitat. Junior Engineers is a hands-on program that will bring together a variety of engineering elements. Students will use robots, computer coding, mechanical advantage, LEGO blocks and motors to solve problems.

There are four sessions offered throughout the year:

Session 1: September 12 - November 11, 2016
Session 2: November 14, 2016 - January 20, 2017
Session 3: January 23 - April 7, 2017
Session 4: April 17 - June 15, 2017

Pricing is based on signing up for a consistent day of the week through an entire session, and is $125 for each type of day. For example, if you sign your child up for every Tuesday, the price is $125 to go on Tuesday for the entire session, with a slight discount available to those signing up for five days.

As you are planning after school activities, use A Little Beacon Blog's Kids Classes Guide to see how you want to balance all of the opportunities available. It includes free options from various programs, sports registrations, and other classes available in Beacon as well as Fishkill and neighboring towns.

Parents, start your calendars!