North Country This Week

NORWOOD -- A State Education Department Grant is helping keep youngsters at three local schools engaged in learning and enrichment opportunities after the final bell rings through the Extended Day program.

The funding allows Lisbon, St. Lawrence Central and Norwood-Norfolk schools to offer after-school programming to third through eighth grade students.

At NNCS, their focus is on fourth through eighth graders, according to Karen Haggett, a district teacher who is in her first year  running the program.

The funding helps pay for staff, materials, transportation and field trips, she said. 

"It's all free to students and we've never turned anyone away in our district," Haggett said.

This is the third time that NNCS has been awarded the state grant, with funding expected to last until 2026 before needing to reapply. 

This year, nearly 120 students are enrolled in the program, which began Sept. 21 and returned to an in-person format after being virtual due to the pandemic. 

Students are broken up into smaller groups of about 20-25 based on grade level and interests and are supervised by teachers, teacher aides and teacher assistants. 

For the first half of the two hour program, Haggett said students receive academic support for homework, practice skills they’ve learned, or play games that encourage learning. 

“It’s a safe place that supports and challenges kids,” she said. 

Haggett said the district offered numerous field trips pre-pandemic, but with the many restrictions the number of outings has been limited for now. 

However, there is still plenty going on to keep the students engaged and entertained. Students can be found burning off energy during athletics and games, or using their creativity to make crafts. 

Some upcoming activities Haggett has planned for students include woodworking, origami and even cooking. 

Local organizations chip in to create a diverse learning environment for the program.

For example, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) supports a snack program and teaches students about insects and nature. Students are exposed to some vegetables and other foods they may not normally see. 

Clarkson University offers an engineering program where students build a toothpick bridge that competes against other local schools to see which one is the strongest.