Boys & Girls Club Licensed Child Care Director Charisse Balicki has a daily blog in the Kids Klub. (BOYS & GIRLS CLUB SUBMITTED PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield Director of Operations Kellie Brown said when the Club learned that they were not opening any time soon, the staff wanted to find a way to create a fun virtual learning environment for club members and friends.
Each staff member has been creating their own virtual program once a week, Brown said, adding that they know the days are pretty packed for students with virtual schoolwork, so their emphasis is on fun.
Education Director Hannah King, for example, fills her page with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities. She also creates a specialized program once a week, making kits to give to 50 children during the Boys & Girls Club meal giveways, so they can create a project with her.
Visual Arts Director Jocelyn Erickson does the same thing, creating once a week kits, with materials for students to follow along.
Licensed Child Care Director Charisse Balicki also does a daily blog. This week, she highlighted Kindergarten Coordinator Trudy Mazza, who read a story to children that was posted on YouTube and on the club’s Facebook page.
Brown said the Club has received a lot of positive feedback about its virtual learning activities, which they started the week after schools shut down. “It’s been great, and really well received by the community,” she said.
One of the most successful online activities they have held was when the Easter Bunny came to visit them, and encouraged the kids to do a scavenger hunt inside their homes on Easter Sunday. Brown said kids were sending in videos of household items collected during the scavenger hunt.
Brown said the staff encourages children to send in messages and videos.
“It’s great to know that our kids know we’re still here for them,” she said, adding that alll of the activities and videos are available to all children, not just members of the Boys & Girls Club, at www.bgcwestfield.org.
Brown said she wants the community to know that when the governor says child care can open, so will the Club.
“We are opening. What that will look like, can’t say. It is our hope that we will be here for summer programming come July,” said Brown.
Meanwhile, the Club provides over 350 grab and go dinners a day Monday through Friday. Recently, Club administrators put in an order for pre-packaged food to give out on Fridays for the weekends
Brown said they also ordered 4,000 takeout containers, and once a week will prepare a hot meal for families. “That’s kind of new and exciting for us,” she said.
Brown said that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has been wonderful in its support of the meal programs at the Boys & Girls Club, to allow them to feed the kids and keep it going. “No matter what happens, it’s our mission,” she said.
“If there are any families in the community with children that are unable to get to sites due to transportation issues, please call us at 413-562-2301 and we’ll make sure they get some food,” Brown added.
Grab & Go dinners are handed out Monday through Friday at the following locations:
