By: Salvador Perez, 6th Grade Teacher
Daniel Boone Elementary School
“ A community school? In our school? It doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“It will increase the operating costs and these people are going to be
using our classrooms and facilities. Who is going to be supervising them?”
“Are the instructors qualified to teach these children?”
These were some of the staff comments and questions that arose at Daniel Boone Elementary when we received the proposal to implement a Community School Program in our school in 2003. A significant portion of the faculty was resistant to the idea of other members of the community “invading our school.” Finally, after several meetings in which the potential benefits of the Community School were analyzed, we decided to give it a try.
It was worth it. After six years of service, the Community School has proven to be an extremely effective way of providing academic and extracurricular activities and services for our students and their families.
Prior to the implementation of our Community School, teachers provided some after-school programs, but these were mostly limited to remedial academic programs.
Through the Community School program, our school now offers a large variety of programs for diverse ages and interests such as the “Stretch and Grow” and the “Clap, Sing and Read” programs for kindergarteners and the Homework Club, Book Club and Drama Club for older students. Soccer, Gymnastics, Yoga and Volleyball classes are available for those students who prefer kinesthetic activity. For our diverse community, we offer computer classes and language programs such as English as a second language, Spanish, Arabic and Assyrian.
I am one of two teachers working in the 5th and 6th grade Homework Club and I love it. It has giving me the opportunity and the luxury to work on a one-to-one basis with some of the most needy students in our school and really make a difference in their education by been available to them when they need me. The Community School program has proven to be an effective way of providing essential academic and extracurricular opportunities for our students and their families.
