Let's go for the stars

Elementary aged children have been on the main campus of Mission First this summer, Mondays-Fridays for 7 weeks, for an educational enrichment program. They are getting much more than an education, however. They are getting encouragement and confidence for the school year that’s to come.

Take Chad, for instance. He is an upcoming 1st grader whose attitude has completely changed over the course of the Oasis summer program. His “I can’t” attitude is now one of excitement, energy, and desire to learn. His mom has noticed the change in him, too. She has thanked Ms. Claudette and others for their assistance in helping her son grow in more ways than one this summer. His maturity level has increased as well as his confidence. In the beginning, he wouldn’t want to walk in by himself. Now he will. Through this program, he has been pushed and encouraged.

“If I help the parents and teachers help the parents with whatever this child is experiencing, we can get through this together. Not you just fighting by yourself. I got your back,” Ms. Claudette has said about coming around a child and their family. During the school year, families come around one another, too, with carpooling students each week in order for them to get their time at Mission First.

While summer break can sometimes mean vacation for your brain, that’s not the goal at Mission First. Students are learning every day here. They are reading and writing summaries about what they’ve read, increasing their artistic skills through crafts, and stretching themselves by learning multiplication tables through catchy and upbeat songs. The teachers want the students to be ready for the school year. Ms. Claudette wants them to maintain their current academic levels but also push themselves, “Go past the ceiling. Let’s go for the stars.”