Helping Students THINK
Hundreds of students in the Bassett Unified School District will once again be getting a little boost this school year.
For the third year in a row, the THINK Together after-school program is being offered at district schools Edgewood Academy, Don Julian, Sunkist and J.E. Vanwig elementaries, as well as Torch Middle.
“(The program) has a lot of benefits,” said Don Julian Elementary Principal Salvador Flores.
Students enrolled in THINK Together receive homework help and take part in physical and academic enrichment activities every day.
At Don Julian, THINK site coordinator Samira Sanchez said the program has been so well received at the school that she now has a waiting list of more than 20 students.
The program has a limit of 100 students per school. Students are separated into four groups with students from kindergarten through sixth-grade.
Sanchez said the program works better since having more access to the teachers and their curriculum.
“Because we have access to the teachers, we can help reinforce what they learned in class,” she said.
The program is now also more in line with state standards.
Students enrolled get about an hour to work on their homework or a journal topic or other activity, then take part in a physical activity with the CATCH program.
CATCH, Coordinated Approach To Children’s Health, focuses on giving students some physical activity that involves everyone to participate and work as a group.
For the last hour of the program, students take part in an academic enrichment activity, which ranges from an arts and crafts project to a discussion that focuses on a certain subject.
On Sept. 11, students worked on projects pertaining to the 9/11 attack seven years ago and what it was about – from the twin towers of the World Trade Center to the wars in the Middle East.
Sanchez is always sure there is structure in the activities so that students can not only learn to be good students but also good citizens.
Third-grade teacher Michael Jephcott has a few students in his class enrolled in the program.
“Overall, it’s been a positive influence on students,” he said. “(The students) are getting guidance from other adults besides their teachers.”
Students also receive a healthy snack and learn about proper nutrition.
On Fridays, the students can learn about extracurricular activities like sports and drama, and join a club within the program.
Elijah Soriano, 8, said his favorite club is the sports club because he loves to play soccer.
This is the second year in the program for the third-grader who said he likes getting help with his math homework.
Cheryl Bean, assistant superintendent at Bassett, believes the program has been received well at the schools by students, teachers and parents alike.
“I think the parents see it as a big help when they are trying to provide other things to students at home,” she said, “they know their students are in a safe environment and their time is productively spent.”
THINK is a nonprofit organization that is funded with state and federal grants, as well as from investments from private individuals, corporate and foundations.
The program serves more than 30,000 students in four Southern California counties, including eight districts in Los Angeles County, such as Baldwin Park, Azusa, Bassett, Duarte and Pomona unified.
According to THINK, a recent independent research conducted by Hoffman, Clark and Associates, both parents and teachers note that students enrolled in THINK show substantial growth in homework completion, grades and self-esteem.
For more information about Bassett Unified, call (626) 931-3000. For THINK Together, visit www.thinktogether.org.
claudia.palma@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2110
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