Press Releases
When Temperatures Dip, Parents at St. Joseph School in Avon Lake Organize Indoor Enrichment Clubs as an Alternative to Recess
AVON LAKE, Ohio, March 7, 2011 - Winters are long and cold in Avon Lake, and it is a challenge for schools to find constructive ways for their students to spend recess when they can’t go outside.
Fortunately for students at St. Joseph School in Avon Lake, parents from the St. Joseph Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) are volunteering their time and talent to organize enrichment activities during indoor recess.
For five weeks in the middle of winter, children in the first through eighth grades have the opportunity to spend time out of their classrooms participating in parent-led groups with their peers. These activities include chess club, dance club, bead fusion, board games, basketball shoot around, knitting, scrap-booking and Junior Great Books, a book club for 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders.
“The St. Joseph PTO feels that it is important for our students to have constructive ways to expend their energy when they can't get outside. These parent-led clubs enrich our students’ lives academically, socially, physically and creatively, but all the kids care about is that they are having fun,” said St. Joseph PTO President Megan Scheatzle.
Students in Dance Club will even have the chance to demonstrate what they learned when they perform in the school’s end-of-year talent show. When the weather warms up, students will go back outside for recess, but new skills will have been developed and friendships strengthened from their weeks of indoor recess enrichment.
About St. Joseph Parish of Avon Lake
St. Joseph Parish of Avon Lake (www.stjosephavonlake.org) is a Catholic community committed to celebrating the Eucharist and encouraging stewardship as a way of life. A member of the Diocese of Cleveland, it was founded in 1949 and has grown to its current enrollment of 1,750 registered families. St. Joseph Parish’s dedication to Catholic education is demonstrated through St. Joseph School which serves grades K-8 and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The Parish is the only Catholic Church in Lorain County that currently offers a Sunday evening Mass at 5:00 PM, providing parishioners and the community with more options for attending Sunday Mass.
St. Joseph School fourth graders enjoying bead fusion during indoor recess enrichment
St. Joseph School third graders in the gym for basketball shoot around during indoor recess enrichment
