Registration open for after-school program
Information meeting slated for Aug. 11
An information meeting about the local Boys and Girls Club’s Prime Time After School is scheduled for August 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the BGC of El Dorado on Northwest Avenue, and registration for the program is open now.
The Prime Time After School is a relatively new addition to the BGC’s offerings, as is the Smackover BGC facility, which opened earlier this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Anthony FarrisKing, who was the Prime Time director before he became the Smackover facility’s director, said the pandemic has added a few challenges for the BGC as they’ve gone about their summer program, but diligence has been key.
“Kids will be kids, so it can be hard to social distance kids,” he said. “They have specific eating spots. We do games where they’re not touching things; for example, we play kickball. It’s with a ball, but they aren’t using their hands. If we play pool or video games or board games, we’re sanitizing after each use. Things haven’t actually changed that much; it’s just making sure we’re diligent.”
Farris-King said he’s hoping that since schools will be reopening on August 24, all the BGC facilities in Union County (which include the BGCE at 1201 N. West Ave. in El Dorado, the Smackover BGC 1406 Lisbon Road in Smackover, and the BGC Teen Center 1401 E. Center St. in El Dorado at what was formerly known as the Wetherington Unit)
that offer after school programs will be able to expand their capacity. During the summer program, which is currently ongoing, only 100 kids could be served across all three Clubs.
“When school starts, being that the schools are allowed to have 200, 300, 500 kids in their facilities, hopefully we’ll be able to get back to our regular numbers,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to that in the Smackover facility.”
The Prime Time program is open to students in first through sixth grade in the El Dorado and Smackover-Norphlet school districts. For El Dorado students at Hugh Goodwin, Yocum and Northwest elementary schools, along with those at Washington Middle School, where the Prime Time program is being introduced for the first time this year, BGC staff will meet them where they’re at, literally, by coming to their schools to deliver the program.
Those children in El Dorado who prefer to come to the BGC facilities, including teenagers, also have that option. Regardless of whether they participate in the Prime Time or regular after school program, Smackover BGC attendees of all ages will be bused by the SmackoverNorphlet School District to the facility; El Dorado children who participate in the regular after school program will be bused by the El Dorado School District.
“It gives kids a place to go if their parents aren’t off work, gives them a chance to decompress after they’ve had a long day at school … It gives them a place to release, get some relaxation before they go home,” Farris-King said. “They also get that extra homework help they need. Some parents, grandparents might not be familiar with the new ways of teaching, like the ‘new math.’ We take it on ourselves to learn the curriculum so we can tutor them. It’s going to be a huge benefit, especially here in the Smackover-Norphlet area, because they haven’t had something like this.”
Registration for the Prime Time After School program costs $15 per family. There is also an $8 per day or $40 per week charge for participants. BGC Prime Time staff will visit schools Monday through Friday from dismissal time to 5:30 p.m.
Registration for the Prime Time program is open now. To register, email Farris-King at afarrisking93@gmail.com or stop by the BGC El Dorado facility on North West Avenue to fill out a registration form in the foyer.
The BGC requests that those who attend the August 11 meeting or stop by the facility wear a face mask, per Governor Asa Hutchinson’s mask mandate.
To learn more, visit eldoradokids.org.