September 1979

AGASSIZ.COMMUNITY SCHOOL NEWS

Those of 'you who are new to Cambridgeor to the Agassiz neighborhood may bewondering, well what is a CommunitySchool anyway?

A COMMUNITY SCHOOL is a neighborhoodprogram which seeks to provide interesting and meaningful activities forpeople of all ages in the community.It uses the elementary school building as its base and other neighborhood buildings and facilities whenever possible. (The Agassiz Community School presently has the use of aHarvard-owned building at 20 Sacramento Street, now called the AgassizCommunity Center.)

.he COMMUNITY COUNCIL is the governing body of each community school.Every member of the community belongsto the Council and may come to Councilmeetings each month. It is the jobof the Community Council to createprograms which reflect the needs andinterests of the people in the community,. In some neighborhoods, thismeans programs for teens and adults.In others, there is a focus on programs for senior cit izens. In theAgassiz neighborhood, we have tendedto focus on the program needs of elementary school-aged children by providing an extended-day cooperativek indergar ten, af ter -school act iv i t iesprograms for K-3rd graders and 4th-8th graders, and evening sports activities for pre-teens. (We also haveevening programs for adults, which wehope to expand this year,)

The AGASSIZ COMMUNITY COUNCIL has alsoerved as a neighborhood forum forach issues as: zoning, neighborhood

safety, MBTA Red Line extension efforts,and other community development issues.

COMMUNITY SCHOOL NEWS, Cont.

The OFFICERS of the Agassiz CommunityCouncil are:

Brian Kullman-chairpersonHarry Pskowski-treasurerJulie Snow-secretary

The Council meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 8:00 p.m. in theAgassiz School l ib rary. Our firs tCouncil meeting this year will be onWednesday, September 12th. Join usand share your ideas about the CommunitySchool program or any other concernsyou might have about the Agassiz neighborhood.

The AGASSIZ COMMUNITY SCHOOL STAFF forthis year includes:

Ken Basler -Julie Snow -

To be hired -

Smiley Winter -

Robin Winter -

Diane Williams

Stephanie Weissman -

Martha Rogers -

CoordinatorProgram CoordinatorCooperative Kindergarten Teacher

After-schoolActivities ProgramAfter-SchoolActivities ProgramAfter-SchoolDay Care ProgramAfter-SchoolDay Care ProgramAfter-SchoolDay Care Program

plus specialists who will be hired toteach afternoon and evening courses forpre-teens, teens, and adults.

OFFICE HOURS at the Agassiz CommunityCenter will be from 1:00-5:00, Mondaythrough Friday. You will be able toreach either Ken Basler or Julie Snowduring these hours by calling ^98-9056.

COMMUNITY SCHOOL NEWS, Cont. on page 2

Page 2 The Agassis Whistler September 1979

COMMUNITY SCHOOL NEWS. Cont.

This fall, the PROGRAMS offered byThe Agassiz Community School willinc ludet an Af ter -Schoo l Act iv i t iesProgram for children coming one, two,or three afternoons a week, an After-School Day Care Program for childrencoming every afternoon, a Program ofCourses and Special Activities for 4ththrough 8th graders, and an EreningProgram including adult courses andsports for teens and pre-teens.

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES PROGRAM(for children in K-3rd grades)This program will run every afternoon,Monday through Friday, from 2i30 to5»00, in the Agassiz School building.Children may register for one, two, orthree afternoons a week. The focusof this program will be on providingchi ldren with st imulat ing, creat iveact iv i t ies, which wi l l vary throughout the week. Act iv i t ies wi l l inc lude!sports, arts and crafts, science,drama, music, quiet times, free play,and specialties such as gymnasticsand pottery. The staff wi l l inc ludeSmiley Winter and a new staff member,Robin Winter (no relation;)* In addition, two of our wonderful work-study students, Margo Hall and Kimberly

Pike will be back with us again thisyear.

The cost of this program will bet$22.00 - one day$44,00 - two days$66,00 - three days

payable at the beginning of each 12week term. REGISTRATION will be fromMonday, September 10th through Fri-diy, September 14th (M, W, Th, F from2Q0 - 5*00» Tues from 2Q0 -otOO) inthe Community School room at school.(Please use the Community School roomdoor on the side of the school.)We will register up to 40 childrenper day in this program, on a firstcome first serve basis.

AFTER-SCHOOL DAY CARE PROGRAM (forchildren in K-3rd grades)This program will run every day,Monday through Friday, from 2! 30

O0MMUNITY SCHOOL NEWS. Cont.

to 5»30 (pick up children by 6:00at the latest), in the AgassizCommunity Center at 20 SacramentoStreet (three doors down from school).

This program has been developed inresponse to the growing needs ofworking parents in this neighborhoodfor after-school day care for theirchildren. The program will focus onthe needs of children who are out ofthe home five days a week. As inthe Activi t ies Program, our aim wil lbe to provide children with a broadrange of creative, st imulating activit ies during the after-school hours,but in this program we will alsotry to provide such things ass quiettimes, spaces which feel homelike andnurturant, and perhaps a greaterpresence of famil iar ritual or routine to help children feel "at home"away from home. Activities here willalso include: sports, arts and crafts,science, dance and drama as well asspecialties such as gymnastics, etc. •

The staff of this program willincludet Diane Williams, StephanieWeissman, and Martha Rogers pluswork-study students and interns.

This program will run on release days,and a decision on vacation coveragewill be made in the fall by parentsand staff. The cost of this programwill bei $15.00 per week, payableat the beginning of each month,

REGISTRATION will be from Monday,September 10th through Wednesday,September 12th (2!30-6i00) at theAgassiz Community Center, 20 Sacramento Street. If, at the end of theregistration period, we have more than33 applicants, we will have to do alottery to pick the chi ldren for theopenings (space limitations meansize l imi ta t ions, unfor tunate ly) .Parents who do not make it into theprogram will be able to register theirchildren in the Activit ies Programfor three, and possibly more, afternoons.

COMMUNITY SCHOOL NEWS, Cont. on page 3

-Page 3 The Agassiz Whistler September 1979

COMMUNITY SCHOOL NEWS, Cont.

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND COURSESfor 4th through 8th graders.This program will begin on Monday,October 1st and will include DROP-INhours in the "Game-Room" Barn behindthe Agassiz Community Center as wellas a variety of courses which will

meet one or two afternoons a week andinclude: pottery, photography, pr intmaking, batik, etc.

We will also be scheduling eveninghours for gym hockey, basketball,and hopefully judo, which will alsobegin in October.

EVENING PROGRAMThis year we would like to expandour Evening Program to include coursesfor adults in the Agassiz CommunityCenter. The first of these courseswill be on PARENTING and will be taughtor led by Nancy Hawley and WendySanford. This will begin in Octoberand will be further described in the

/^October Whist ler.

WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS FORCOURSES. Would you like to learnt lifedrawing? pottery? Photography? Wouldyou like to take dance or an exerciseclass? How about disco dancing? Shallwe play volleyball again? We need toknow your ideas and interests in orderto really make an exciting program foryou in the fall. PLEASE CALL eitherKen Balser or Julie Snow at 498-9056any weekday afternoon with your ideas.

Our one exception to our Octoberschedule are the rehearsals for theLitt le Orchestra which wil l resumeon Monday, September 17th in theAgassiz gym, and will be held everyfollowing Monday from 7t30-9t30 p.m.This orchestra is made up of adultmusicians from all over Cambridge andthey are quite wonderful to listen to.Visitors to rehearsals are alwayswelcome and we are graced with one or

^^two free concerts by the Orchestra(each year. Anyone in terested in

joining the Orchestra can call GertrudeSpiller at 876-8506.

SACRAMENTO FIELD UPDATE:

Last April the Cambridge City Councilvoted $460,000 for the taking, by eminentdomain, of Sacramento Field from Harvard.The amount of money was based on a 1978appraisal of the land. Since that actionby the Council in April the city has reappraised the land and the new figure isnow set at about $700,000. ( In 1977 theland was valued at $200,000 1) If the Cityis to move ahead on this issue it mustcome up with an additional $200,0004,

In Sept. or Oct. the City Manager willbe going before the City Council witha proposal for a bond issue that willcover the additional monies needed forSacramento Field and a number of otheropen-soace projects in the city. We arehopeful that the Council will pass thisproposal. More information will be mailedbefore the above Council meetine so thatresidents can be present and speak on theneed for open-space in this neighborhood.

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