DECATUR -- Since the Decatur School District implemented its SPARK program during the 2015-16 school year, students at Northside Elementary and Decatur Middle School have shown growth in their learning abilities while fostering an environment that encourages them to expand their horizons.
SPARK stands for "Strengthening Personal development And Reinforcing Knowledge." The program is funded through a federal grant from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. The 2019-20 school year will be SPARK's fourth year of a five-year cycle. SPARK provides free after-school and summer care for Decatur students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, although most of the students are Elementary or Middle School students.
Andrea VanSandt took over as the SPARK program coordinator in August 2018. Since that time the after-school and summer programs continue to evolve into something in which Decatur students want to participate. This program helps to keep kids in activities and nurtures growth rather than hindering it.
Summer SPARK is a continuation of the after-school SPARK program. For three weeks in June, the SPARK staff planned fun, high-interest projects and activities for students. The primary focus was to create a safe environment for kids to be kids. As the SPARK team of teachers planned the activities, they looked for ways to reinforce learning but never wanted it to feel like the kids were at school.
A big factor in the success of this program is a great staff, which VanSandt called the "dream team." For each group or activity, the SPARK program had an excited and experienced staff member to lead it.
"The SPARK program pared down the number of activities offered so the staff could integrate some new routines and rituals that the program will use in the fall to keep us running smoothly," said VanSandt. "We realized that our after-school program had too many 'moving parts' and the kids can have just as good of an experience with less pressure for the staff."
When making their lesson plans for the summer program, VanSandt and her staff had to find ways to maximize the learning possibilities while keeping the basics as simple as possible.
"We simplified our program to have: 1) a game-time which had daily character challenges and fun team games. Some days the games were whole-group and sometimes they played team games. Their favorite day was the day Ms. Stacy brought eggs and they had egg tosses and relays! 2)We created a cozy reading room with comfy chairs and softened the lighting; 3) we rearranged tables to feel more like summer camp or vacation Bible school; 4) we created a gathering area in the cafeteria which gave us space for a whole group morning meeting and then our youngest kids had an hour each day of free choice center play with a play kitchen, assortment of blocks, playdough, paint and puzzles," VanSandt explained.
The staff wanted to provide time and space for socializing and a more relaxed schedule than the students would have during the school year. The SPARK program averaged 45 kids each day and was partnered with the summer meal program to provide free breakfast and lunch each day for the SPARK kids and anyone ages 18 and under who wanted to eat with them.
The first week, all of the students visited the Old Spanish Treasure Cave in Sulphur Springs and then ate lunch in the park. The second through fifth graders painted a few rocks and hid them in the Sulphur Springs park for local kids to find and rehide for other young visitors to find.
The second week, the kindergarten, first- and second-grade kids went to Lake Atalanta to play on its unique playground and then visited Imagine Studios to learn about art techniques and created their own canvas paintings of a jar of fireflies.
The third through fifth graders toured Kyya Chocolate Factory in Cave Springs. They learned about entrepreneurship, business startup, the process of chocolate making from cacao bean to chocolate bar and how the business supports farmers and businesses in some of the poorest countries in the world. Each student got to sample a few of the many varieties of chocolate bars Kyya sells in Northwest Arkansas.
The older students were led by Coach Dan Meyer. Meyer's class kept its own schedule for the week, other than eating breakfast and lunch with the group. They visited Arkadia and Gator Golf in Fayetteville to learn about the history of video gaming and how the design has changed over the years.
At Gator Golf, Meyer's students got a behind-the-scenes tour with the founder and owner and got to see original blueprints of the course and each hole. They learned about the science and math that goes into making a good mini-golf hole and the art design that goes into making that hole look fun and inviting.
On the last week, they had a visit from a popular photographer. He came and talked to them about photography and editing and brought his camera and drone to share. The kids visited the area around Crystal Bridges and Compton Gardens in Bentonville to take pictures and then edited one to print as an 8x10 and frame as a keepsake
"These kids gave up their summer break to participate in the SPARK program," VanSandt said. "We wanted to give them a few unique experiences while they are here, and I believe we succeed in our goals."
General News on 07/03/2019