After-school enrichment at Bridge Street reaches all students

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - Twice a week, after the dismissal bell rings at Bridge Street School, the hallways are filled with the sound of bongo drums and the aroma of treats made in after-school cooking classes, thanks to a new after-school program introduced this year.

The program was first organized by a determined group of parents who applied for grant funding from the Northampton Education Foundation and a donation from Florence Savings Bank so a host of after-school activities could be offered to all Bridge Street students, regardless of household income.

"We got a grant from NEF, and part of it was used to make sure that we had scholarships so this kind of program was available to everyone in the school," said Michaela O'Brien, a parent who helped write the grant application. "We have a 30 percent low- and reduced-income population at this school, and we realized that those are the kids who might not have easy access to arts and activities like these."

Every Tuesday and Thursday, from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m., four groups of about 15 students, two made up of students kindergarten through second grade and the others consisting of third- to fifth-graders, take part in a variety of classes.

On Tuesday, the older groups have the option of being introduced to shelter animals housed at Leverett's Dakin Animal Shelter or cooking up some creative and healthy recipes.

"We're looking to educate them about animal safety, the responsibility that goes along with caring for animals and each animal's needs," said Dakin adoption counselor Lisa Austin Kuerzel, who brought kittens in to the school's library earlier this week. "Today we are reading a story about a little boy adopting Scruffy the cat, and afterwards the kids will be making story books."

Meanwhile, downstairs, another group of students carefully constructs "mummy pizzas" on English muffins, complete with olives for eyes and fangs made out of carrot slices. Earlier this year, the class milled homemade applesauce from fresh, locally grown apples.

Other options include classes in fiber arts, drumming, martial arts class, multicultural arts and crafts, Spanish, and sports.

In total, the program serves 70 students; 15 of the students are in the program thanks to the scholarship money provided by the NEF grant and funding from Florence Savings Bank.

"We know that some kids don't always excel at academia of school, so we tried to offer a well-rounded set of activities and interests that might expose kids to new experiences that build confidence," O'Brien said in an email. "Above all, we made sure this program was available to all kids in the school, not just those whose families can afford the class fees."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.