Elementary schools in the Gilroy Unified School District
dismissed students early on Wednesday afternoons during the school
year to provide badly needed planning time for teachers.
Elementary schools in the Gilroy Unified School District dismissed students early on Wednesday afternoons during the school year to provide badly needed planning time for teachers. Last year, Rod Kelley School, 8455 Wren Ave., began a partnership with the neighboring First Baptist Church to use this time to provide enrichment activities for students.
In the only program of its kind in Gilroy, 100 Rod Kelley students spent an extra 90 minutes each week participating in enjoyable, educational activities provided by the church. This weekly Kids Club focused on reviewing academic skills, building relationships and reinforcing good character and values.
There is no charge to the students or their parents. The church provides all equipment and supplies and even reimburses the school district for all direct costs incurred. Participation is open to every student in the school regardless of race or religion, and students must have their parents’ signed permission to attend.
A typical session follows this schedule:
- 15 minutes for an opening activity
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five minutes for an opening game
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15 minutes for music and movement
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10 minutes for a lesson using puppets, skits or student participation
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40 minutes for group activities like outdoor games, crafts, discussion and snacks
Pastor Tim Howe of the First Baptist Church was one of the adult participants and was responsible for a group of first graders. He points out that one secret of success is that the ratio of children to adults is 8:1, giving every student lots of personal attention. He says that the Bible stories used with the students fit very well with the school district’s Character Counts goals: fairness, caring, responsibility, trustworthiness, citizenship and respect.
Kids Club is so popular with students that a waiting list was created. Participation is limited only by the number of adult volunteers available.
Readers need not worry about the perennial separation of church and state issue. This kind of after-school activity is allowed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and also various sections of the California Education Code that specifically allow use of public school buildings “for daycare programs … supervised by religious organizations.”
Kids Club Consultants, Inc. is a San Jose-based nonprofit corporation that helped the Gilroy church develop its program at Rod Kelley.
Established 15 years ago, kids clubs are now sponsored by 32 churches in eight school districts between Sunnyvale and Gilroy, with a weekly attendance of approximately 2,700 students and some 400 volunteer adults.
The organization works with local churches to provide proper liability insurance. All volunteers are required to submit an application, provide references plus evidence of a current TB test and have fingerprinting done through the Department of Justice.
Last year’s program at Rod Kelley was received positively by the participants and their parents, and organizers are planning to continue it when classes resume in August. According to a sampling of returned surveys, all parents rated the experience as “good” and felt their children had benefited from it. Among typical comments were these observations:
- She has become more sociable.
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He has enjoyed learning about God.
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She has become motivated to learn more.
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She has been more respectful.
Adult volunteers have found this program rewarding and a valuable way to contribute to the success of Gilroy’s youth, but more volunteers are needed. Also, if more churches are interested in participating, Kids Clubs could be established at other schools in the city. For more information, contact Kids Club Consultants at (408) 363-0600 or Gilroy First Baptist Church at (408) 847-6000.
