At the end of a school day most kids can’t wait to get on the bus and go home, but not Larc’s kids. On the days when Larc’s After School Activities Club meets, students can’t wait to join friends and go on an adventure!
“These kids work so hard all day at school and they can’t wait to take a break and have some fun!” says Activities Club Coordinator and Secondary Teacher Stacie Halscheid. The Club has taken trips to farms, parks, bowling alleys, diners, shopping malls, the Fun Plex, We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym, Phillies’ Games, and more. The After School Activities Club is open to all Larc students and takes place once a month from 3pm-6pm. Larc staff members join in the fun so that each student has an adult with them.
One of their favorite trips is going to Haddonfield where students can walk from store to store. Individually, they decide which stores they would like to go into and where they would like to eat. They love having the ability and the freedom to choose!”
– Stacy Halscheid
“It’s about getting out into the community, spending time with friends, and trying new things…having new experiences,” says Susan Weiner, Larc Executive Director. “We’ve been providing respite services to families for over 22 years. This is an extension of that program. It’s a win for everyone. While families get a little break and some downtime, their kids get to go out with their friends and have fun.”
Larc also has an After School Art Club that meets once a month. This club started a couple of years ago when paraprofessional and art enthusiast Melissa Stratton approached Ms. Weiner. “I saw how much our students enjoyed the art projects we did in class. I know how much I love creating and exploring through art, and I knew our students would love it too,” Ms. Stratton explained. “Susan was as excited as I was to get it started.”
The Art Club provides the kids with different sensory and movement experiences using various types of art. The latest project included water colors and lemons. Students dripped lemon juice on their paintings to create unique shapes and designs. Some adventurous students had extra fun tasting the lemons too.
“These experiences are so important to our students,” explains Ms. Weiner. “Friends, adventures, art, activity…they are what make our lives rich and full. We will continue to find ways to give our students these types of experiences as we strive to make each day better than the one before for our boys and girls.”
