Essays Grades K - 2
Columbus Family Academy - New Haven
Gabriela Gonzalez, 2nd Grade (Winner)
I learned in after school how to read more in English. I like to learn to read because then I can get to level 30 and get to third grade up and go to college and get a job. Another thing I learned in after school is to make a bunny I like it because then you could play bunnys with somebody. Another thing I learned in after school is to sing. I like to sing because when I grow up I could be a singer. Another thing I learned in after school is to cut a crown. I like it because then I can help little kids cut a crown, and we do math homework and I like homework because you learn and pass grade and your parent will be happy.
The best teachers of after school Ms. Coniyer, Ms. Nunes, Ms. Nawee. I love to learn.
Farmington Extended Care and Learning – Farmington
Robbie LeClair, 1st grade (Winner)
Learning About Dodge Ball
West District and Union Schools helped start the dodge ball tournament three years ago. We celebrated it because of lights on after school. This was the first year we celebrated lights on after school. Now we celebrate it on Veteran’s Day. During our last game Lily was left alone. The ball hit her right in the face! Even though she got hit in the face she didn’t hit the kid who hit her. Lily made a good choice and showed good sportsmanship. Lily tried her best and Miss Sarah gave her an MVP award and a bag of airheads. Lily is a good teammate. I had fun learning about traditions, sportsmanship and trying your best.
Dunbar Lighthouse - Bridgeport
Kelmiyah Perry, 2nd grade (Finalist)
At after school program I learned to dance. I learned the African and spiritual dance. It is fun to dance but you have to do it right. I learned to cook during cooking class with Mrs. Queenie. I learned how to make pizza bagels. I learned how to play baskball in the gym with fly and Tyrell. Tyebrea is the one who help 2nd grade with our homework. Tyebrea and Mrs. Barbara also teaches us about black history and how to write a good poem. Mrs. Barbara does arts and crafts with us sometimes we colored flowers and butterflies together.
Jamilex Cabral, 2nd grade (Winner)
In after school program Tyebrea teaches me dance. In dance we learn how to dance African, hip hop and all different types of music. Ms. Barbara is artistic. She teaches us arts and crafts. I really want to be a artist, that’s why I look forward to paying attention in her class. I love food. Good thing Ms. Queene is teaching us how to cook. She’s always telling us to wash our hands before we cook. The most active part of the after school program is gym. Fly and Tyrell teaches us gym. I play hoola-hoops and jump ropes in the gym. Those are my two favorite games to play in the gym. Ms. Jackie teaches me how to be nice. She always tells me to treat others the way I would like to be treated. The best part of the after school program is when all the teachers takes us out to swim and do black history programs at other schools. This is what I learn in the after school program.
Kaiire Johnson, grade K (Finalist)
I like afterschool because you can read books and color and play in the gym. I learned my numbers.
Adventures in Learning – Windsor
Sydney Fulton, 1st grade (Finalist)
1. I learn about worms.
2. I learned how to make The World green
3. I learn how to recycle.
4. I learn some stuff from a movie.
Essays Grades 3 – 5
Farmington Extended Care and Learning – Farmington
Meghan Graves, 3rd grade (Winner)
In EXCL I learned how to be a good friend. I learned how to be a bathroom buddy even if you don’t want to. When I was in the middle of a game my friend Madison came over and asked me if I could be her bathroom buddy. I was just about to say no but I remembered if I want to be a good friend you have to say yes. So instead of saying no I said yes. I also learned not to be a bully but to be a friend. If you get angry at someone and you want to hurt them remember: be a friend not a bully! I learned to not just play with my friends, play with everyone. Me and my friend Camille always play together. So one day I asked Camille if I could play with someone different. One more thing I learned was if you want a friend be a friend. On the first day of school and you don’t know anyone always remember if you do you will have a lot of friends.
Julia Furmanek, 4th grade (Winner)
In EXCL, I learned many important things but, I think the most important thing I learned was to be a good role model. There are many ways to be a good role model so I’ll tell you a few. The first thing that makes someone a good role model is the “Give me five” signal. The “Give me five” signal is an important part of being respectful, listening carefully and last of all signaling others to be a good role model too. All you have to do to show the “give me five” signal is raise your hand as high as you can raise it. This sign is easy to see and this is good because it spreads the word twice as fast.
Another way to be a good role model is to be responsible for your own actions. All you have to do is use body control, think about your actions before you do them and be honest when you make a mistake. Also, another thing you can do to be a good role model is having body control. All you have to do to have body control is control your actions. For example: Instead of dancing around like a monkey in line, stand straight and look forward.
The last way to be a good role model I am going to tell you is to stand up and help. All you need to do is, instead of doing nothing like everyone else, do something. Be the better person. For example: If someone is being hurt by someone else, instead of letting that person be hurt, stand up and say something! You can say something like: “Stop! You’re hurting _______!” or “Please don’t do that.”
Now you know how to be a role model. When you are a good role model, you are a good citizen, and being a good citizen is an important thing to be. I hope when you are a good role model other people will follow your example.
Jeffrey Duan, 3rd grade (Finalist)
Something I learned at EXCL was to make different friends. One friend I made almost at the start was named Tristan. He was really humourous and a nice friend to hang out with. He was one of my BFF’s (Best Friend Forever) ever since. Another friend I made almost at the start was named Brian. He was always fun to be with, and was really silly. A friend I also made at EXCL was named Camille. She had a lot of manners and was funny, too. One of the last friends I made at EXCL was named Madison. She was hilarious, like my other friends, but serious other times and also a good friend. West District is a great place to make new friends. I’m so glad I chose to go there!
YMCA Hopewell, Chestnut Hill - Glastonbury
Amanda Naylor, 4th grade (Finalist)
Hello, my name is Amanda Naylor and am in the fourth grade class and I go to the Hopewell YMCA after school program. All we do at the Y is fun! Fun! Fun! One of the fun things we do here is making green playdough because it was the week of St. Patrick’s Day. I liked this because we got to make the green playdough not just playing with it. We get options at the YMCA program like if we want to go outside on the playscape area we can go in the field or play knock out with the ultimate basketball players or just play on the play area. Don’t you get hungry after school and want a snack? Well, I do too. Every day we have a delicious snack and sometimes we celebrate birthdays and get special treats for snack. I think going to the gym is another thing that is fun at the YMCA because when you take your first step into the gym you have lots of choices. I mean you can play knock out or football or free play. You can get out really easy if you have a good person behind you and they shoot before you do. When you do your homework DO IT! You want to do it because if you do it fast and quick but still get the answers right than you can go to the gym. I really love are director Pauline Fortier because we get to do music, play, sing, do crafts and of course have as much fun as you want. The most best thing in my opinion is friends there at the YMCA with you to play with you. Don’t you agree? Please pick mine to win because I truly love everything about the YMCA and think it would be good to win for the Hopewell After School program!
Green Street Arts Center – Middletown
Ally Vasquez, 4th grade (Winner)
In Green Street, I have lots of fun. For one I have different classes every day which are Making the Band – Monday, Arts and Science – Tuesday, Drawing – Wednesday, Photojournalism – Thursday and Friday we go to a different school which is Macdonough and there I have Mural. Green has lots of opportunities for you.
The best part I like about Green Street is their classes. My favorite class is Photojournalism with Mrs. Ross. I like that class because we get to make posters, and write about people. But the best part is when we get to use the camera’s and interview people.
Another reason why I like the Green Street Arts Center is because of another class called Mural with Mr. David a.k.a. D. Jack. I like his class because we get to paint and painting is my favorite type of coloring/drawing. And also because when we’re done we put our objects on the walls and let everybody see what we created.
And finally, the last reason why I like Green Street is because of the class called, Art and Science with Mrs. Lindsey. I like this class because we get to make all sorts of things by using recyclable things. Like for example, clothes, egg cartons, shoe boxes and more. I like this class because it’s unique and it gives me a chance to show my creativity without me being so call weird to my peers.
That’s why really like the Green Street Arts Center. If someone was to come up to me out of the blue I would definitely recommend this after school program to them. Green Street is the best. I love it!
P.S. We also have an hour to do homework, with special help from their workers.
Mountain View Fun Club (Bristol Boys and Girls Club)
Arianna Strand, 4th grade (Finalist)
In the after school program we learn a lot of things like respect. We learn sportsmanship and teamwork. Also we learn new works like flabbergasted which means surprised. We learn things like how people like Michel Sutipar which is the director of the program are important. I go to the Mountain View Fun Club part of the Bristol Boys and Girls Club (BBGC). The teacher’s names are Miss Amanda, Mr. Chris a.k.a. Crisco, and Miss Liz. Mr. Chris is very funny and also very nice. Miss Amanda and Miss Liz are also very funny and they are fun to play with. We do something called Youth for Unity which is where we learn about how we are all different.
Also we do something called Fetch. Fetch is about a T.V. show called Fetch and in Fetch we make stuff, so competitions, and have fun. The teachers do something called helping hands which we get when we are helpful this helps us to learn to help. Also the teachers do something where we get fun club dollars. When we get fun club dollars we can save up to cash in on Fridays for prizes this helps us learn to do our best. We also learn about friendship. I have a BFF in the program named Myranda and we learn even if we don’t like somebody we still need to be nice to them. Also we learn about sharing. Here are a few more things we learn in the BBGC. One thing we learn is the BBGC Mission Statement. The mission statement is: To inspire and enable all young people especially those who need us most to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The Mission Statement teaches us to learn exactly what it says in it. One more thing we do is something called Manners Matter. Manners Matter is an alphabet of manners. This helps us learn our manners. Those are the wonderful things I learn in the Mountain View Fun Club!
Dunbar Lighthouse – Bridgeport
Jaylynn Cabral, 6th grade (Winner)
The Ralphola Taylor Community Center offers lots of activities for children to do in the afterschool program. Activities like dance, gym, piano lessons, guitar lessons, and cooking class are offered every week. In dance they teach you dances like African, spiritual, and hip-hop for anyone who wants to participate. In gym they let you play basketball, tennis, and jump rope and in gym you could get great exercise. In piano lessons they teach you how to play a piano and how to use one. In guitar lessons they teach you how to play a guitar and learn the notes. And in cooking class they teach you how to make food and how to use the materials while you’re cooking.
In the afterschool program we are now getting music lessons. We have guitar and piano lessons twice a week, I am doing piano lessons because I want to impress my mom and the afterschool helped me do that. In piano lessons they have beautiful music and my mom likes quiet and relaxing music, and she always wanted me to play the piano or the violin and I picked piano. Hopefully I get to practice for a very long time to become a wonderful player.
Sport is the big part of afterschool program because in gym students have fun and have great exercise. In gym we do sports like basketball, tennis, and jump rope. Basketball is when all the boys get together and play. Jump rope is when all the girls get together and start jumping. And when we play tennis all the girls and boys get together and play. Exercise is very important to the afterschool program. That’s why we have the activities because we want the students to be strong and full of energy.
We are learning how to cook wonderful meals in cooking class. We learn how to make foods like pastallios, pizza bagel, and pig in a blanket. They teach us how to be careful while working around a stove and using utensils. Cooking is something I really like to do, and I really like to become a better cook for my mom.
Essays Grades 6 – 8
Columbus Family Academy –21st Century After School Program – Dance Club – New Haven
Keomelys Gloss, 6th grade (Winner)
Wow! I can’t ask for more. This is the best dance team ever. It is like falling in the hands of god when we dance with Ms. Ortiz. She makes it so much easier to learn the dance moves. Having this after school program is a blessing. We all get to show the talent that we have. There is no judgment and you are treated with respect. Being on the dance team helps us build confidence. We practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays and dance to specific songs that the team picks out together. The coolest songs that we dance to are Down, Temperature, Tic Toc, and lots more. Sometimes things get a little bit too frustrating during school. It all turns out to be a wonderful day when it’s time to dance with the great dance teacher Ms. Ortiz and our whole team. These days are the days that we know that at the end of the day we have dance class and that we are committed. We all feel that this is serious and something we have to stick with! It is something awesome. I can’t ask for more! It makes us very happy having our first dance team at Columbus. In conclusion I would like to say that without Ms. Ortiz this would never be possible. We all thank her for being so special for all of us!
Alexis Rivera, 6th Grade (Finalist)
My name is Alexis Rivera and I am a student at Christopher Columbus. I am involved in my school dance team which is part of the after school program. This program is very important to me! Not only because I get to hang out with my friends, but because I love to dance. Also everybody on this dance team works together. Like they say, there’s no I in team and the dance team really lives up to that. Another great thing about our school dance team is that when we’re in rehearsal it’s a judgment free zone. Which means we don’t judge each other, this is important because then everybody feels safe and comfortable. This program is conducted by one of the best teachers in our school, Ms. Ortiz. She is smart, an amazing dancer, and a great role model. She is like our second mom. She helps us with anything we need! She gives us advice with any problem that we have. She’s just an amazing person. There’s no one like her. We usually perform for our school at assemblies but next year we are looking forward to possibly competing in competitions. Ms. Ortiz is the main choreographer we have a captain and a co-captain and we usually help too. From what I have said you may think that were the perfect group of people, but each and every one of us understands that were not perfect. That it’s ok to make mistakes because we’ll learn from them, together. This team is very special to all of us it shows us about team work and that we fit in somewhere. When we are in dance club were in an environment that is safe for us, we are with people that we love to be around. The dance team is like our life and we live and breathe it. We think about it almost every second of the day it’s like our pulse. A lot of people think that it’s just some after school program but it’s more than that. We put a lot of work and time into it and we only practice twice a week being on this team is not easy juggling it with school and other things, it is difficult but we make time for it because it’s so important to us. In conclusion we are not just some ordinary after school program we are a team and we take it seriously, we are a group of people that love to dance this program lets us do what we love and we want to show the world our talent and what we got!!!!
Easter Seals Goodwill Family Learning Center – New Haven
Stephanie Martinez, 7th grade (Winner)
The after school program I attend is called The Family Learning Center. At my after school program there is plenty to do. Some of the things we learn are math, reading, and writing. You may be having some difficulty with either of these subjects, but the Family Learning Center is here to help!
At the Family Learning Center math is very important. Everyone experiences problems in math, but if you have the FLC on your side there is nothing to worry about. Tests, quizzes, and projects, there is nothing too big or small to get help with at the Family Learning Center. There is no better feeling than getting a perfect score on a test or quiz and the only way you can achieve that is by coming to The Family Learning Center. They make learning fun for everyone and will have you coming back for more.
We also learn about reading. We read books of all kinds, easy books and more advanced books. We have read title including, Mysterious Miss Slade, Junie B. Jones, and Charlotte’s Web. The Family Learning Center helps you to understand it all! At the FLC, they want the best for you. They do whatever it takes to help you climb to top and achieve your goals. They help us to understand that reading is a skill that we will need to succeed in life and they want us to use them for help.
Writing is also big at the Family Learning Center. We learn that reading and writing go together. We can’t do one without the other. At the Family Learning Center we do all kinds of writing. We have done narrative writing, descriptive writing, and poetry, too! We play games to learn parts of speech, literary terms, and sentence structure. We are able to enter writing contests to show off our skills! Learning about writing at the FLC is so much fun; we don’t even know we are learning.
I would just like to say that my after school program is very interesting. There is never a dull moment and we learn so much. The Family Learning Center is out key to success! If you want happiness and you want a future then the Family Learning Center is the program for you!
Dunbar Lighthouse – Bridgeport
Niko Bledsoe, 8th grade (Finalist)
The Ralphola Taylor Community Center offers lots of activities for children to do, such as basketball recreation, guitar lessons, piano lessons, and much more. But from all of the years I have been at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center I have learned a whole lot. What I have learned is to become a better basketball player, I have matured through my years at the center and still continuing to grow. I have really learned a lot at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center and the people there are excellent role models to young children.
I have been playing basketball at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center since I was a little kid and through the years I have been improving my skills, accuracy and much more. The Ralphola Taylor Community Center has helped me become an incredible basketball player. I don’t consider myself the best but my years at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center has helped me to become better. Through the years I have developed my jump shot, my 3-point shooting, my layups, my free-throw shooting and much more. I’m still developing and I hope that I continue to get better.
I have become a mature student throughout my years at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center and I am still continuing to grow. I don’t consider myself grown or an adult but I’m still growing and maturing and I think as long as I stay at the Ralphola Taylor community Center I will continue to mature. I have been more mature about many things that have come my way and I owe it all to the Ralphola Taylor Community Center.
There are many good role models at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center that have helped me to become mature. They have been a great help helping me with my basketball skills, problems, and personal issues. They always help me with my homework and try to help me get my grades up. The Ralphola Taylor Community Center is full of role models.
There are many activities to do at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center. They have helped me mature and there are many great role models. I look forward to going there every day to get my homework done and to become a better basketball player.
Justin McArthur, 7th grade (Finalist)
The after school program is a great place to be I learn how to do a lot of things. The three things that I learned is how to play basketball, how to be respectful and how to cook.
The first thing I learned was how to play basketball. I remember when I first came to the center I wasn’t good at basketball. When Fly, our basketball coach, taught us how to play and did drills with us I got better each day. I worked on my jump shot every single day and I’m better than I use to be.
The second thing I learned in the after school program is how to be respectful. Ms. Barbara, the coordinator of the after school program, tells us to be respectful to one another. She teaches us about respect. I got taught a lot of things in life and the main thing is to have respect for one another.
The last thing I learned in the after school program was how to cook. We have cooking class every year in the after school program and I like it. We make different types of food and I enjoy it because we learn how to cook. Now I can make certain things at home just because of cooking class.
In conclusion, I love the after school program because I’m learning to become a good basketball player, how to be respectful and a hard worker, and how to be a good cook. I’m going to take everything I learn here to help me in high school and college. The daily practice in academics and sports might take me to the NBA.
Dejarae Langley, 6th grade (Winner)
I have been attending the Lighthouse program at the Ralphola Taylor community Center for six years, since kindergarten and now I am finishing sixth grade. I have learned many important things at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center. I myself have learned to be a good citizen because that’s being enforced by the afterschool program. Some other things I have learned are dance, tennis, and golf. I also participate in holiday celebrations like Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Black History Month. These activities are helping me become a better person.
In the afterschool program I learn to be a good citizen. I learn to become a good citizen by treating people the way I want to be treated. I help people with things they need help with such as homework, or saying a word in a book that is hard for them to read. I also try to do my best on my work. No matter how hard it is, I still try to accomplish my best. The staff in the afterschool program staff are always encouraging me to be the best I can be and I am trying hard to be a better listener.
I have been dancing in the afterschool program since second grade. The instructors for dance teach mostly all the girl’s 3 – 6 grade different types of dances like Hip Hop, Spiritual, and African. In dance we are now doing African and in February which is the month of Black history. Black History Month is when all of the people that are in dance do a performance in front of other people. Sometimes we even go to different schools or places to dance like City hall, The Cline, and the Ralphola Taylor Community Center.
We learn to take part in other celebrations like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. When we celebrate Halloween we get treats in the afterschool program and we learn to share with each other. Thanksgiving is when we all gather up group by group to feast in the cafeteria. We each get up to get the food that we want to eat then after we are done eating we can eat dessert like cake, brownies, and cookies. It is also a time when we come together as a group to help each other feel special in their own way. At Christmas time we learn to share and we also learn how to become a part of the community by going to tree lightings, and meet the police chief and the Mayor.
I am learning many wonderful things here at the Ralphola Taylor Community Center. I am learning to be a good citizen so I can be a productive member of my community. I am also a great dance because of all the dance lessons I am receiving. Maybe one day I will become a dance teacher here.
Essays Grades 9 - 12
YWCA STRIVE Program – New Britain
Karen Maisonet, 12th grade (Winner)
The city of New Britain has been home to my family and me for almost eight years. Growing up in New Britain can be tough there are many factors that can distract a young person and guide them though the wrong path. The transition from elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school can be rough on pre-teens and teens. For the pre-teens you enter a whole new world where the eighth graders look like giants and the seventh graders pick on you cause you’re the new young ones. The pressure to fit in for young people is very strong especially for girls. During my middle school career, I found comfort in a very wonderful program offered at the YWCA S.T.R.I.V.E which stands for Strength Teamwork Respect Individuals Vision Excellence. This program helped me blossom. I got the chance to meet girls from all over New Britain because the program brought girls from the three middle schools together. S.T.R.I.V.E became my safe zone.
During my first year at S.T.R.I.V.E, the program met three days a week, then the second year it ran the whole week after school from 3:30 pm till 6:00pm. At S.T.R.I.V.E our counselors, Mrs. Karen, Mrs. Lorisse and Mrs. Jennifer prepared healthy snacks for us, and then they helped us with our homework. After the homework was completed, we sat in a circle and had group discussions. Mrs. Lorisse was all about empowering women and she would always perform beautiful poems like “Phenomenal Women” by Maya Angelou. Mrs. Jennifer was the youngest. She was still in college, Mrs. Jennifer helped us with self esteem issues, and she always encouraged higher education. Mrs. Karen the coordinator was like our mom, her caring and gentle spirit made us feel right at home. Mrs. Karen made S.T.R.I.V.E more than a program. It was a sisterhood. In class discussion, we spoke about different topics like sex, drugs, domestic violence and even bullying. We also had sleepovers, overnight camp trips, and field trips to different places. The program also offered dance classes, acting classes, and we even received a babysitting training. The program in addition gave us the opportunity to meet people from other countries and bond with them for a day. Beside all the fun activities, we also got involved in the community; we provided our volunteer service to shelters and other organizations in New Britain. STRIVE kept us so busy and involved in the community we did not have any distractions in our life.
Becoming a STRIVE girl was the best decision I ever made. I am currently a senior in high school about to enter college. This program taught me many useful skills, like public speaking, problem solving, and leadership skills. These are abilities that I have used as a high school student and now prepare to use them in college. STRIVE gave me a head start from every other girl because they gave me the confidence I need to be a successful young women.
Project Learn – Bridgeport
Julian Ashong, 12th grade (Winner)
The Greatest Sound of Bridgeport
There are many songs in the world and each song impacts me in many ways, but I will like to tell you of a song that impacted the way I learn. My after school program is like a song, there are so many in the world, but my after school is the C key in my life. It teachers me life’s greatest lesson: hard work.
For many who understand composing and reading a song, the C key is the most important and beginning key in a piano, to parallel that concept to life, my after school care does the same. It is the place that I help others to learn about a subject and I can also learn through every child that I help. I don’t know of any other program that has the same sound like my project learn. Those who compose this melody are the people to thank, because they not only open doors, but they help teen agers like me get through the hard economic time.
Even though I will be going to college next year, as a senior, my after school has prepared me to understand that life is not easy. Hard work is the basic principle that we try to teach each child. When you work hard, all will go your way. And I know that even if I leave the doors my after school continues to open will always be open.
Dunbar Lighthouse – Bridgeport
Charlie White, 9th grade (Winner)
Hello! I am a participant of the Ralphola Taylor Community Center’s afterschool program. At the afterschool program I learned about sportsmanship interaction and to better my skills in homework. I hope what I learned here inspires others to either come here or just learn some life lessons.
The first topic I am going to describe is sportsmanship. At the afterschool program, when we have gym and are playing basketball it helps the kids work as a team to try to defeat the other team. Afterwards, we probably say “Good game” or “Nice shot” or “Good pass” or “Good block.” These are things to tell our opponents that we appreciate them sacrificing their bodies to go out to make a good pass, block or shot or even a steal. Sportsmanship is one of the important things we learned head on at the afterschool program.
The second topic I am going to describe is interaction. How you interact with other people is the key to a good life. When kids interact good with other kids there is a chance they might become friends and maybe help each other with homework. It is good to interact with everybody around you because you get to know some people and you find out who you should hang with and who you shouldn’t hang out with.
The last topic I am going to describe is homework skills. The afterschool program helps me with my homework skills. When I ask the instructor for help they help me in a good way so that I understand and I may not have to ask again! My homework skills are what have kept my grades constantly good for the whole school year.
I learned many important things at the after school program that can help me be a better student in school and a better person.