(Note: One in a series of stories examining key changes made by Natomas Unified to serve students since the District’s formation nearly 25 years ago.)
Two Rivers Elementary School did not exist when Natomas Unified was born in 1992, but over the past three years the campus has created a model after-school enrichment program serving hundreds of students annually.
Spearheaded by Two Rivers’ PTA, the program offers weekly, hour-long classes that have ranged from keyboard typing to using Google documents, playing chess, learning to dance, flag football, and a smorgasbord of others.
Recently, Two Rivers schedule of after-school classes included Beginning Ukelele, Gardening, Beginning Knitting, Kickball, Line Dancing, Beginning French, Paper Airplanes, Board Games and Art.
Two Rivers also offers after-school reading clubs and reading enrichment for students on both ends of the learning spectrum – those needing help with comprehension and accelerated students seeking a challenge.
Kids potentially can discover an activity, interest or hobby that will become a lifelong passion.
“We can expose children to so many more things that they normally don’t get to do in a school day,” Principal Colleen Perry said .
Rocco, 7, said he signed up for the gardening class because “I really like to garden and plant things.”
“I can eat the food that grows,” added Gianna, 8.
Not far from Two Rivers’ outdoor garden, Charly, 10, was learning to knit because “my family members do this, so I wanted to learn so we could do it together.” No stranger to the after-school program, he has taken classes on cooking, bugs and board games in the past, he said.
Interviewed on the opening day of her knitting class, Kaiden, 9, gave a thumbs-up about how things were going. “Kind of good, but I’m nervous,” she said.
Perry said the after-school program also expands the campus community and contributes to Two Rivers’ culture. Parents and community members often volunteer to teach after-school classes, for example, and students can meet new friends.
“It’s really a great program, it’s something we’re really proud of, and it gives kids a different arena to be successful in and another way to participate in school,” Perry said. “Maybe if they struggle academically, they might be really amazing at kickball.”
Elsewhere in Natomas Unified, after-school options vary from campus to campus, in type and availability.
One after-school activity available to all elementary schools, however, is team sports. Beginning this year, 4th– and 5th-graders were offered the opportunity to sign up for flag football, volleyball, soccer or basketball, depending upon the season. Nearly 50 percent of all students in those grades participated this year.
