“Lights On” for 21^st Century After-school Program

 The 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (21^st CCLC) for Margaret Daniels Primary and C. D. Franks Elementary Schools celebrated “Lights On”, a family night picnic, on Wed., Oct. 15, in the MDP cafeteria. 

Special guests for the program were the Hope DrumBallet, a performing group developed in the Hope School District’s 21^st Century After-school program.  DrumBallet, comprised of Hope students from grades 5-12,  is in its tenth year of performing and has been the winner of many state and national awards, including the prestigious President’s Committee for Arts & Humanities “Coming Up Taller Award” in 2006.  The students and sponsors traveled to Washington, D.C., to accept this award, which is presented for outstanding after-school programs throughout the U.S. and Mexico.

DrumBallet, co-sponsored by the Southwest Arkansas Arts Council and directed by Repha Buckman, entertained the Ashdown students and their families with several drum musical presentations, some of them original compositions by the student performers themselves.  Then the students and other attendees were invited to try their hands on the drums under the tutelage of the DrumBallet performers.

The 21^st CCLC at MDP and CDF, now in its fifth year, is an after-school program that offers help with homework, enrichment, and social skills.  Its goal for the school district is to bring more students into the proficient level on benchmark testing and build student confidence and self-esteem.  The program began on Sept. 15 this year and meets Monday through Wednesday from 3:00 to 5:30.

Student participants are selected for the program from teacher recommendations.

 Program supervisors are Brenda Tate and Rosalie Tabler, and instructors/leaders for the students are Charlene Bush, Frances Hamburg, Mary Carson, Christine Flynt, Denise Schwartz, Phyllis Veazey, and Brenda Hill.  Becky Wilson serves as manager, and Cindy Grimes and Sharlotte Wright also assist in the program.

            The Ashdown 21^st CCLC students will be enjoying an outing to the Pumpkin Patch in New Boston, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 18.