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The ADVANCE, November 10, 2021/Page 4A
School Systems Join Forces to Reinstate
Afterschool Program in Toombs County
GET MOVING — Students in the Toombs County After School Program at Toombs County Middle School participate in a unique dance activity as
a part of Physical Education Enrichment.
CREATIVITY FLOURISHING — At Lyons Primary School, students in the Toombs County Af
ter School program work on an art project to provide a creative outlet for enrichment,
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Toombs County
and Vidalia Boards of Edu
cation pledged $200,000 to
reinstate and fund the after
school program, which was
previously funded through
the 21st Century Grant.
These school systems
are partnering with the
Toombs County Fam
ily Connection (TCFC)
to continue the program
that began years ago when
the prior Toombs County
Family Connection Di
rector applied for the first
21st Century Grant and
received $3.5 million. Cur
rent TCFC Director Paige
Williamson explained,
“She (the previous direc
tor) really decided to go for
this grant on a wing and a
prayer, and somehow, she
got it.”
Upon receiving fund
ing, the TCFC worked
with its fiscal agent,
Toombs County Schools,
for the next decade to
serve students with work
ing parents who may have
been going home to empty
houses until their parents
came home. These stu
dents, known in the educa
tion setting as “latch-key
children,” were housed in
Fyons Upper Elementary
and Toombs County Mid
dle Schools each afternoon
to complete homework
and other activities until
returning home to their
parents.
Within three years of
the establishment of this
program, Vidalia Schools
joined the partnership and
began to offer the same
program on their campus.
These programs were re
ferred to as the “21st Cen
tury Program” within the
schools and served stu
dents from Kindergarten
through 8th grade.
The partnership was
successful throughout the
years, as TCFC handled
oversight and hiring of
workers while the school
handled fiscal responsibili
ties and liabilities. Within
the initial year of the pro
gram, the budget had a lot
of excess money. This mon
ey was used to purchase
various supplies, such as
iPads and band equipment.
Williamson shared that
the goal of these purchases
was to “cultivate new op
portunities and possibili
ties for the students within
the program.” She provided
an example of this through
students’ enjoyment of af
ternoon art classes, which
many did not normally re
ceive during the school day.
The program remained
strong until another 21st
Century Grant was applied
for and not received prior
to the 2019-2020 school
year. “We were heartbro
ken - it was so abrupt,”
Williamson commented
on the subject. Yet, the pro
gram was restored through
the enthusiasm of Toombs
County Schools Superin
tendent Barry Waller.
“Mr. Waller really ral
lied and gave the program
$75,000,” Williamson
said. The rest of the fund
ing came from fundraising
efforts, with community
members having donated
a total of $50,000 to ensure
the program was held.
“I think that is the
epitome of a strong part
nership between the com
munity and the schools be
cause our community was
on board 100%, Churches,
banks, businesses, and in
dividual donors all gener
ously gave,” she empha
sized.
Yet, with the conclu
sion of the 2019-2020
school year and the wide
spread pandemic, the af
terschool program fund
ing through 21st Century
failed to be restored. In re
sponse to this situation,
the local school systems
have given $200,000 each
to the continuation of the
programs, now known as
Toombs County After-
school and Vidalia Team
ing Center.
“For both school sys
tems to step up and both
Boards of Education to
commit funds to be invest
ed into these students who
otherwise may be going
home to empty houses in
the afternoons, to provide
opportunities and invest
in the kids is incredible,”
Waller explained. “A few
years ago, when we found
out we were not getting
that 21st Century Grant,
we could have thrown our
hands up and given up. But
it was not a hard decision
to make to help our kids;
it was difficult to get the
money. Now, with CARES
funding, we have the op
portunity to provide that.”
Vidalia School Super
intendent Dr. Garrett Wil
cox shared his inspiration
for the contribution by
discussing the success of
the program with students.
“We’ve seen the value
and watched the program
grow over time and it’s a
great opportunity for kids
that might not be involved
in athletics or other op
portunities to gain some
structured supervision and
academic help,” he said.
“It’s another opportunity
to build a relationship with
somebody that might sup
port them as they move
through the educational
process.”
Wilcox continued to
share that he had recently
witnessed 5 students who
graduated and stayed close
with staff they met through
afterschool long after their
K-12 educational career
ended. “It is true mentor
ship,” he concluded.
Williamson also dis
cussed this mentorship,
as she witnessed firsthand
its power through her
work as an afterschool art
teacher prior to becoming
TCFC Director. “When
you spend time with kids
in that 1:10 ratio for 12
hours a week, you’re go
ing to really get to know
them and their families,”
she said. She is still in con
tact with two students she
mentored. These students
have contacted Williamson
for many things through
out the year, including help
with opening checking ac
counts, building resumes,
or getting into college.
“They’re living proof
that the program works
when you invest your time
and energy,” she shared. “I
know these students feel
the love and care that the
afterschool workers and
the community have for
them because I see it every
time I go into the schools.”
Williamson explained
that the goal of the pro
gram this year is to focus
on academics as well as
social and emotional de
velopment. To accomplish
these goals, TCFC and
the schools have partnered
with Toombs County Pre
vention, Treatment, & Re
covery to teach students
awareness and life skills.
“If there was a word for our
mission this year, it would
be ‘connection, ’” William
son summarized.
Waller reinforced this
point by noting the enthu
siasm of the many teachers
who choose to work with
the afterschool program.
“They see it as an opportu
nity to be more hands-on
and intentional,” he said.
“It would be easy to be
tired and want to go home,
but they see it as a second
chance to touch kids’ lives.
All teachers build relation
ships with kids, but with
this different environment,
it is easier to build that con
nection.”
According to William
son, it is important that
students see that teachers
are human. Through this
program, students are able
to witness that fact, and
administrators say this re
alization changes the per
spective and behavior of
students. “They respect
you after spending that
kind of time with them,”
Waller added. “When
you tell them to do some
thing, they do it because
they know you care about
them.”
Because of the money
pledged by the schools,
the Vidalia Teaming Cen
ter and Toombs County
Afterschool Programs are
able to continue to form
these important connec
tions and bonds, as well
as get academic assistance.
To continue this work, the
TCFC and schools plan to
write and apply for anoth
er 21st Century Grant to
ensure the program is not
eradicated after this year.
Currently, the pro
grams can hold a total of
145 students, but currently
have 110 students enrolled.
These students are sepa
rated into groups based
on grade level, and these
groups are limited in ca
pacity. The programs have
established an objective
rubric to determine who is
accepted into afterschool if
there is a competition.
The program runs
Monday through Thursday
from 3-5:30 p.m. During
this time, students partici
pate in outdoor time, an
hour of academic studies,
and an hour of enrichment,
and receive a snack, which
is provided through USDA
and the school,
“Honestly, I don’t
think either school or enti
ty could pull off a program
like this without the other,”
Waller concluded. “Both
schools could have taken
the CARES money and put
it in other places separately,
but we see that the most
important thing is our stu
dents. That’s what made
both school systems able
to commit funds: minds
focused on what’s best for
the children in our com
munity.”
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