Photo (left): Students attending the 2013 Middle School Summer Program, part of the Middle School After-School Program, and funded through a variety of grants, donations and fees. (Photo submitted)
HUNTINGTON – Shannon Madden found surfing the Internet in late August and early September to be a nail biting experience, as she waited for word on funding for Gateway’s after-school programs.
It was worth the wait.
Not only was Madden’s Middle School Program refunded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, but her bid to expand the program to Gateway’s Junior High School also came through—one of 9 new sites funded in the state out of 26 applications.
Gateway Regional Middle School (grades 5 and 6) will share a three-year $150,000 grant with two other middle schools in Western Massachusetts, through a joint application made by the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton, which writes and manages grant funding to Gateway’s site. Having been a prior “Exemplary” site, the Middle School will be one of 4 new “Demonstration Plus” sites in Massachusetts. In order to be eligible for this status, Gateway’s site had to meet stringent criteria set by the state, including attendance levels, hours of operation, staff professional development and students served. They also had to have previously served in a mentoring capacity to other 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs or other out-of-school time programs in the state.
The new grant to Gateway Jr. High School (grades 7 and 8) expands the program to now serve students in 7th and 8th grade. This three-year $134,000 grant (also won by the Collaborative on Gateway’s behalf) will fund the start-up of this new site, with funds earmarked for the school year and summer programming.
Madden, who has served as Gateway’s After-School Program Coordinator for the past 12 years, couldn’t be happier and is quick to share the credit for its success. “This program is thriving due to the tremendous support of parents, teachers, guidance and administrators at Gateway.” Now that the grant awards are known, she has begun fine-tuning her budget and hiring staff. Both programs will be offered Monday through Fridays. Some of the activities offered to students will include dance, music, Blue & Gold Committee, flag football and ultimate Frisbee, art club, homework help and a running club.
Megan Coburn, who added Middle School Principal to her Gateway duties last year, has been impressed by the program. “The after school program is a huge part of the middle school experience and the students really look forward to participating in it,” Coburn said. “Shannon and her staff collaborate with the middle school staff to ensure that the academic portion is truly an extension of what they are learning in the classroom. In addition, the after school program spearheads many of the “fun” initiatives at the middle school like school spirit days, the middle school dance and the after school field day. It is a very well run program that allows the students get academic support and to participate in enrichment activities like dance, drumming, future inventors, art club, hiking, and fishing.”
Madden says she cannot wait to get the Jr. High (grade 7 and 8) site up and running, and is excited to continue to work with participants for two additional years. Principal Jason Finnie is also thrilled to have the Jr. High be one of the new sites. “This grant is an important step in providing more hands-on opportunities for students to apply what they’re learning,” he said. “It will provide additional answers to the timeless student question of ‘when am I ever going to use this?’”
Registration forms will be available through Breaking News (Gateway’s weekly e-newsletter) and will be distributed to students in their homerooms. The programs are funded through a combination of grants, donations and optional parent fees (no student is turned away due to inability to pay).
In the words of Coburn, “We are so grateful to be able to provide our students with this truly enriching program and I know the students can’t wait for it to begin!”
