Ready – Set – Go and LA’s Best are our year-round before- and after-school programs, respectively. Read below about these programs as well as our seasonal after-school class offerings.
Winter 2012
Tuesday after-school cooking and nutrition classes continue, with our Winter session beginning January 24 and going for 8 sessions to March 13. The Spring session will start on April 24 and run to June. Classes will be taught by Megan Birdsill, who shares her time with EnrichLA as a school garden educator.
Games Club will start on Wednesday, January 25 at 2:30p and will run weekly until June. The Club will be held in the library, and is hosted by Micheltorena parent David Dandridge. Children will play a variety of board games during the club, which is open to all grades.
Fall 2011
Tuesday after-school cooking classes continue, taught by school lunch advocate, caterer and Micheltorena neighbor Jennie Cook.
The “Build Halloween” after-school class is hosted by parents Jordan Crane and Steven Weissman. Enrollment is open to grades 3 – 6. Participants will help build props and sets for the Haunted House, to be featured at the Great Pumpkin Festival in October.
Spring 2011
Crazy for Cooking with Lisa Fontanesi of Kidding Around the Kitchen is happening on Tuesday afternoons, with students from pre-K to 6th grade signed up! Although the garden has just been planted, this class aims to teach the cooking and nutrition portion of the garden’s mission. In each class, students learn about the nutritional make-up of the food they are about to eat, then help Lisa prepare a meal with kid friendly equipment. Crazy for Cooking classes also cover a variety of ethnic foods and traditions, food history and fun facts, as well as kitchen safety. Lisa then adds more materials including books and handouts to the class lessons, while incorporating science and math as often as possible. Lisa Fontanesi, together with Micheltorena and other area schools, is part of Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools program. Of note, Micheltorena was a recipient of $2,000 worth of cooking equipment from this program!
Veggies and crayons and smiles, oh my!
Chess Club. Who needs video games when you can play chess? We had an amazing response to the new Chess Club, which is happening every Tuesday in the library. Students from pre-K to 6th grade are currently preparing for the end of term chess tournament!
Ceramics with the Hollywood Arts Council has begun, with students in grades 4th through 6th participating in this weekly, hour-long class.
The Comic Book Club will be held on Friday afternoons, starting on April 8. The CBC is open to 4th through 6th graders, and will be hosted by parent and comic book aficionado, Al Guerrero. Special thanks goes out to our neighborhood comic book retailer Secret Headquarters, for providing their favorite kid comic classics (click here for the list!), as well as providing a 25% discount on purchased comics for members of the club.
Year-round After-school Programs
LA’S BEST is a city-wide program started by Mayor Tom Bradley that provides safe and supervised after school education, enrichment and recreation program for elementary school children. Children play, finish homework, and have a snack, and partipate in a variety of education enrichment activities. Supervision is provided until 6pm. This program is free of charge to Micheltorena students. Read more about their program here. The site coordinator for Micheltorena is Marline Esquivel.
Youth Services is a branch of LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell before and after-school programs, and provides playground supervision on the campus of Micheltorena for students until 6pm. This program is free. Read more about the program here.
Kidz Klub is offered on Wednesday afternoons, and is sponsored by Oasis of Hollywood. The program “teaches children character values, teamwork, and social skills through faith-based curriculum reinforced with many rewards and lots of fun.” Read more about their program here.
Ready, Set, Go offers before-school care from 6am until the start of the school day. The program is hosted at the school and provides a safe environment for children and ensures they are ready for the school day. The program endeavors to engage children in meaningful and fun learning activities, provides breakfast and involves them in light recreational games and activities. Our site coordinators are Carolina Reyes and Maritza Alvarez.
Micheltorena also offers school sponsored intervention services during after-school, including targeted services for special education and special needs children.
FYI: LAUSD provides free tutoring to eligible students as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. Read more about this program here.