Applause!

A new column about great things happening in local childcare programs.

This quarter we want to applaud two of the School Age Child Care programs in Putnam County and their interesting and out of the box thinking:

At Mt. Tremper Outdoor Ministries, in the Kent Elementary School, the students in the after-school program can take part in an “Edible Creations” club.  Each week the students are taught how to create delicious and fun food.  In the past they have created a snowman made of graham crackers, marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate chips and licorice.  Last week, the students created “sushi” using bananas, fruity pebbles and whipped cream.  Cut the bananas in coin shapes, roll in whipped cream and the cover with fruity pebbles.  If you wanted to make this a healthier snack, you can try using yogurt in place of whipped cream, and fruit, coconut shreds or nuts.  The students love this club and are excited to take part in it every week!

At Town of Putnam Valley Middle School, the students recently took part in compiling questions and interviewing candidates for a new staff position with the after-school program.  As most of the students have never been on an interview before, the students used the internet to review questions that may be asked on an interview.  The students then added their own “spin” and added questions about things they found important.  Some of the questions consisted of: “What sports do you like to play?”, “What do you do in your spare time?”, “What is your favorite video game?”, “What is your favorite subject at school?” and “What do you want to be when you grow up?”.  The students, with the help of Director Lisa Kroohs, then used the answers to pick the candidate they felt would be best suited in their program.