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Jennifer Harrell loves knowing that her children will have a place to play chess, stack cups and play other great games once the school day is over. Shes even happier that its the same East Elementary School that son Max, 9, and daughter Macy, 8, know so well. They get to get their pent-up energy out before they go home, Harrell said.
New Canaan elementary school students will get to play again now that the town Recreation Department is running the Before and After School programs. The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday for the Recreation Department run the programs, taking over from the elementary schools Parent-Teacher Committees.
The Parent-Teacher Committees stopped the separate before- and after-school programs in January because of concerns about cost and insurance. Under the Recreation Departments setup, teachers will be paid as part-time town employees to run the programs, and they will be self-sustaining, Assistant Recreation Director William Kapp said.
Kapp said it makes sense for his office to run the programs because he is familiar with the programs policies. Its quite familiar to us, and we know the procedures. It was a natural progression to have it go to Recreation Department, Kapp said. Its a win-win for all. The coordination of the three schools (programs) was bound to happen.
West School PTC President Gretchen Russell said parents are happy with the move. We are so pleased that the Recreation Department is providing our families and children the opportunity to participate in enriching and rewarding extracurricular programming, she said.
Harrell said the after-school programs give kids a place to socialize and build a rapport with their classmates and teachers outside of class. The program also encourages a sense of community in New Canaan and is convenient for parents who may not have the time to pick up their children and take them to programs outside the schools. Its good to see theyre doing something good that has broad educational value, Harrell said. Were excited about the Recreation Department stepping in to pick up the slack.
Will you enroll your child in the New Canaan Before and After School program? Let us know by leaving a comment below or on Facebook. Contact reporter Melvin Mason at mmason@mainstreetconnect.us.
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