Melrose Leadership Academy After School Assembly
When parents toured Melrose Leadership Academy during the current school year, many asked about our after school program. Parents, grandparents and guardians asked if our students learned about different cultures. We were asked if our children were engaged and challenged. Most people wondered if there were enough physical activity.
Melrose Leadership After School Program Assembly
Nobody asked if the parents were expected to dance at our twice annual Expos. Until Wednesday night, I am not sure if we had been and since I am scared to dance, I probably would have remembered. My daughter would have remembered, because she is scared to watch me dance.
When the older folks were too slow to move onto the stage, the younger people moved down onto the floor and we became more comfortable. (I think we enjoyed ourselves.) I often tell prospective families, Melrose Leadership is not for everyone. We are often pushed past our comfort zone into something magical.
We nudge our children early into the inevitable zone of discomfort, because we know something special awaits them. The kindergarten group nervously adjusted their hats before their first performance. The kids fidgeted. They noticed that the performance was different than rehearsal. On stage they were often frightened.
By the second and third grade, the performers are excited. They anticipate the inevitable magic. In the other photos from backstage, you can see how the students help each other prepare. The adults also show our young people how to move through the difficult spaces of discomfort.
Please view the photos from the performance at this link. I may edit some of them, because now there are more than 100, and that is a lot of photos. If you notice some obvious error, please send me a message directly.
Also, since I am the MLA Historian, I would appreciate comments on all Melrose Leadership posts, either on my blog posts or the Melrose Leadership Facebook page.
Thank you,
bf
I loved it. Not only was it great to see all the kids perform, it gave me the opportunity to see some of the wonderful activities they are participating in during the afterschool program. Thank you to all the afterschool program staff and thank you to Bryan Farley for taking the time to document so many MLA events and share the photos with the families.
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Thank you Julie for sharing your experience as well as the compliments. The school also seems to have something more to offer. I probably see more, because I also look through many of the photos that are never published. Even the families in the background help support the experience of our school.
only based on after school program not everyone can afford it so we wont attend again not fair!
April,
You raise some important points. At our school, not everyone is happy all the time. When my first child started attending four years ago, the after school programs were “free” or nearly free. Now during the fourth year, with both of my children at the school, we pay for both children to attend the after school program.
There are many parents and other community members who have worked hard to make the program available. I wish these people received more credit, especially since their work often goes unnoticed. Do we eliminate the entire program, because we are unable to provide free after school for everyone? This might create a situation that is more unfair.
As you suggest, it is is probably unfair that everyone can’t attend the after school program. At least at Melrose we consider these questions. Everyone should have the opportunity. It troubles me that more people are not able to attend. All the children miss out.
Should everyone in California have the opportunity to attend a dual immersion Spanish bilingual district school? If so, what should MLA parents do with their children?
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