Holyoke Public Schools - After School

The CONNECTIONS After School Program at the schools operates Monday through Thursday, from October through June. Each day the program begins at 2:52 pm and runs until 5:50 p.m. The program also provides support to El Arco Iris, a community-based youth program in Holyoke.

In addition to homework support, snack and transportation for eligible bus students, participants will be able to chose from a wide variety of Enrichment Club activities. These activities include: Gardening, FitMath/Sports, Nature Education, Health Careers, Robotics, Culinary Arts, Youth Council, Girl Scouts, Jewelry Making, Outdoor Adventure, Hip Hop Dance, Hip Hop CD Production, Art, Science, Jr. Achievement and much more.

Storytelling Club students are acting out Little Red Riding Hood.

The Storytelling Club is a new activity in the CONNECTIONS Program. Children listen to folktales, learn how to tell them and play with story in every way--retelling, singing, acting, costuming, chanting, listening, creating dialogues, making up stories, creating pictures to illustrate scenes and having a ball. It's a perfect oral literacy activity; the children are learning to improve their speaking and listening skills. The club was created by Holyoke's professional minstrel storyteller, Mary Jo Maichack, of Maichack Arts.

(Photos courtesy: Mary Jo Maichack).

Storyteller takes a turn being an interested listener.

The CONNECTIONS Program is offered in the following seven school-based sites.

Please click on the links below to read the Parent/Guardian Letter (containing Club Descriptions and Registration Form), and Program Schedule. Register your child today.

Program Site/Location	Grades Served	Additional Students Served
Sullivan Parent/Guardian Letter, Club Descriptions, and Registration Form Schedule	6-8	Not applicable
Kelly Parent/Guardian Letter, Club Descriptions, and Registration Form Program Schedule	5-8	(also serves Morgan 5-8 students)
Donahue Parent/Guardian Letter, Club Descriptions, and Registration Form Program Schedule	6-8	(also serves McMahon 6-8 students)
Peck Parent/Guardian Letter, Club Descriptions, and Registration Form	2-5	Not applicable
White Parent/Guardian Letter, Club Descriptions, and Registration Form Schedule	2-5	Not applicable
Morgan Parent/Guardian Letter, Club Descriptions, and Registration Form Schedule	2-5	Not applicable
Holyoke High Program Schedule / Registration	9-12	(also serves Dean Technical High School students)

For more information, contact Jorge L. Castellano, Director of After School and Out of School Time Programs
at 413- 534-2168.

The CONNECTIONS Program was one of two after school programs nationwide to become a recipient of the 2008 William S. White 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program of Distinction award by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

The William S. White Award has traditionally been awarded to an individual who has dedicated his/her work, time, and effort in the service of children, schools, and communities. This year, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program, the Mott Foundation has opted to recognize 21st CCLC programs that have demonstrated a commitment to providing quality programming that exemplifies t he goals of the 21st CCLC grant and has demonstrated an ability to sustain and grow the program over a number of years.

Our application was read by a panel of nationally recognized afterschool stakeholders and was judged to be outstanding in these areas.

Click here to read more

The priorities for the use of 21st Century CLC Program funds

Provide creative and innovative interdisciplinary, hands on, student centered programming that supports and contributes to academic achievement and youth development for all students.
Integrateschool day and out-of-school-time programs to promote shared learning goals, teaching and support strategies, and staff recruitment and training activities.
Provide programs that address explicitly appropriate grade-level state and local learning standards and support students’ academic performance.
Contribute to student performance goals outlined in school improvement plans.
Create and maintain a school and community-based infrastructure that establishes procedures to improve outcomes for children and youth through successful program implementation and oversight.
Establish procedures to evaluate program effectiveness through the collection and analysis of data.
Promote efficient use of public resources and facilities through effective partnerships between schools, community-based agencies, adult community learning centers, and other public and private entities.
Address the multiple needs of children, youth, and their families through increased supervision, safety, and access to support services.

Mission of the CONNECTIONS Program

The mission of the CONNECTIONS Program is to enhance the knowledge, skills, and interests of participating students, to support their social, emotional and physical development and to strengthen their connections to peers, teachers, the community and the natural environment through a balance of academic, enrichment and physical fitness programming.

Philosophy of the CONNECTIONS Program

The staff of the CONNECTIONS Program is committed to providing a safe, supportive and stimulating learning environment for participants. Staff is encouraged to model effective communication, to engage in constructive problem solving and conflict resolution, to develop relationships with students based upon mutual respect and to encourage students to become engaged, connected and contributing members of the program. The program is also committed to providing youth participants with opportunities for leadership through the creation of youth councils at each program site.

How the CONNECTIONS Program is Evaluated

The CONNECTIONS Program is held accountable by the Massachusetts Department of Education for helping program participants improve in the following areas:

The quality of homework
Math Communication skills (In the FitMath Club only)
Reading comprehension
Verbal Communication skills
Behavior in the Classroom
Analysis & Problem-Solving
Initiative
Peer Relations
Relations with adults

Input is solicited from students’ school day teachers as well as after-school staff through the use of a survey tool (SAYO) developed by the Department of Education’s 21 st Century CLC Program staff. In addition to the SAYO survey, the program is evaluated through the use of an observational survey tool that directs the attention of the observer to the elements of the program that are linked by research to successful outcomes in the areas outlined above.

The results of our evaluation process over the past several years have been very positive and indicate that the CONNECTIONS Program has been effective in supporting academic achievement and youth development for program participants.

For a copy of the full Evaluation Report for the 2007-2008 program year, contact Jorge L. Castellano, Director of After School and Out of School Time Programs at 413- 534-2168.