February 2016 Newsletter - Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club

February 2016 E-Newsletter
Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club
Mentoring Program
The Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club
have been hard at work over the last
few months to get our mentoring program up and running for this semester.
The main goal of our mentoring program is to connect caring adults with
young people from the Morgantown
community. It is our hope that these
relationships will promote academic
success, encourage healthy behaviors,
build stronger communities, and provide children with a positive role
model. Mentors are expected to come
in at least once a week to meet with
their assigned child. During these meetings, mentors perform tasks with their mentee including
helping with homework, playing different games, participating in art activities, and participating in
large mentoring events that occur
every so often.
If you are interested in having your
child become a part of the mentoring
program, please fill out a form located at the front desk of the Woodburn site, or ask your child’s site coordinator. It is our hope that we can
successfully match every child who
signs up for the program with a
trusted and trained mentor. If you
have any questions about the mentoring program or would like more
information, please contact Danny at
mbgcmentoring@gmail.com.
Family Days
Once a month, the Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club plans a
special activity for children and
their family to complete together. For the January family
day, parents and children
worked on creating homemade
snow globes. Families got to
enjoy some food, while participating in this craft together. A
representative from Unicare was also on hand to run some other craft activities with those in attendance.
For the February Family Day, children and their family will work on different Valentine’s Day related activities. The February Family Day will be held on Friday, February 19th from 5:00-6:30
p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend!
The March Family Day is scheduled for Friday,
March 18th from 5:00-6:30. Parents should be on
the look out for an email with more information as
the date approaches.
Family days are a great opportunity for families to
have a fun, engaging evening together. Parents
who attend family day events with their child will
receive a free credit to have their child participate
in one of our Parents Night Out events. Parents
who have any ideas for family day events or would
like more information should contact Andrew at
mbgcafterschool@gmail.com.
Important Dates to Remember
3/2– Parent Advisory Board
3/30- Parent Advisory Board
3/12– Parents Night Out
4/13- Parent Advisory Board
3/16– Parent Advisory Board
4/27- Parent Advisory Board
3/17– 2 Hour Early Dismissal (Mon. County)
5/10– No School (Mon. County), MBGC Open
(7:30 a.m.– 6:00 p.m.)
3/25- No School (Mon. County), MBGC Open
(7:30 a.m.– 6:00 p.m.)
3/28- No School (Mon. County), MBGC Open
(7:30 a.m.– 6:00 p.m.)
5/26- 2 Hour Early Dismissal (Mon. County)
5/30– No School (Mon. County), MBGC
CLOSED
6/7– Last Day of School (Mon. County)
Parent Advisory Board
All parents are encouraged to attend the Parent
Advisory Board meetings that take place every
other Wednesday from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at our
Woodburn site. Parents from the Woodburn site,
as well as parents from any school site are welcome to attend this meeting. These meetings
serve as the collaborative voice from the parents
to MBGC staff and administration. Upcoming Parent Advisory Board meetings will discuss concerns
about the summer program, ideas for the Woodburn Festival, fundraising ideas, and other topics
relating to our organization. All parents who attend a Parent Advisory Board meeting will receive
a free credit for their child to attend one of our
Parents Night Out events. If you would like to
learn more about the Parent Advisory Board,
please contact Andrew via mbgcafterschool@gmail.com.
Black History Month Art Contest
The Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club is proud to
partner with U.S. Cellular for their 3rd Annual Black
History Month Art Contest. Club members were encouraged to research African-American role models
and their important contributions to society. Club
members then selected one individual and created
artwork showcasing that individual. Throughout the
month of February, community members may go
to the Sabraton U.S. Cellular store to see our club
members’ artwork displayed and vote for their favorite. The top three finalists for the art contest
will receive a special prize from U.S. Cellular.
On Friday, January 22nd, club members got the opportunity to work on their submissions, with
MBGC staff and U.S. Cellular volunteers present.
Throughout the day, MBGC staff members led
curriculum focusing on information relating to
Black History Month. Using some new art supplies generously donated by U.S. Cellular, club
members go the chance to use that new information and create their artwork. Club members
chose a variety of different individuals to draw,
including some athletes, politicians, and important members of the Civil Rights Movement.
Representatives from the Dominion Post were
here to capture the fun and write a short article
about the contest. MBGC would like to thank
U.S. Cellular for their continued support of our
organization and educational programs for children.
Parents Night Out
Parents Night Out has been a wonderful opportunity for parents to go enjoy an evening, without
worry about their children’s’ safety. Once a month, the Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club will be open
and operational on a Saturday evening from 4:00- 9:00 p.m. The March Parents Night Out will be
held on Saturday, March 12th.
Parents have two different options that allow them to drop their children off for these special
events. Parents may pay a small fee (per child) or parents can earn free credits. Parents are able to
earn free Parents Night Out credits by showing their involvement with community, the organization,
or with their children. The list below outlines some ways
that parents can obtain free Parents Night Out.
- Attend a Parent Advisory Board meeting
- Attend a Family Day event
- Attend a club fundraiser
- Attend a parent enrichment class
- Donate goods to the club during special donation drives
- Participate in other special events or activities that the
organization hosts
Anyone who would like more information about Parents
Night Out should contact Andrew or Alexis at mbgcafterschool@gmail.com.
Woodburn Festival 2016
The 4th Annual Woodburn and Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, June 11th at our Woodburn
location. This event will feature different craft vendors from the Morgantown area, activities for children and their families, and refreshments. Last year, children who attended had a blast taking pictures with Spiderman, dunking their favorite MBGC staff in the dunk tank, and enjoying tasty food.
This year promises to provide new, fun activities for all those involved. Anyone who is interested in
helping with this event or that has any ideas should contact Andrew at mbgcafterschool@gmail.com.
Thank You Donors!
WVU Center for Service and Learning
Monongalia County Board of Education
Chestnut Ridge Church
Hott Foundation
Brown Foundation
Literacy Volunteers of Monongalia and Pre-
Riggleman Family
ston County
Karin Family
Tangled Tree Yoga
PopShop WV
Mario’s Fishbowl Darden Restaurants
Dominion Resources
Bon Ton
Girls on the Run of North Central West Vir-
Everhart, Brown, and Associaties
First Comp
ginia
Tanner Family
United Way of Monongalia and Preston
The Gap
County
American Lung Association
Community Foundation
Kroger Company Foundation
Star Students of the Month
Each month, a few club members are recognized as the Star Students of the Month. Star Students
demonstrate a positive attitude, good behavior, and academic improvement. Congratulations to
the Star Students listed below.
January
Brookhaven Elementary- Douglas Eichelberger
Mt.View Elementary– Rhyan Knight, Anna Lemon
North Elementary- Camryn Boylen, Sophia
Schneider
Ridgedale Elementary– Cylus Howard, Billy Rittenour
South Middle School– Kevin Murray, Destany
Simms
February
Brookhaven Elementary– Evan McConnell, Ryelan
Kibbe
Mt.View Elementary- Ella Boyce, Gavin Reiprich
North Elementary– Sydney Fogleman, Kelsey
Crites
Ridgedale Elementary– Megan Johnson, Jolene
Van Winkle
South Middle School– Gabrielle Baker, Colin
Ullery
Woodburn Site– Evelyn Harvey, Richard Lewis,
Tori Hartman, Adrianna Simmons, Sarah Schlues- Woodburn Site– Tristan McGee, Carter Redelman,
selheum, Markus Thompkins
Lamel Harper, Danny Mefford