Puppets and Physical Crafts After School at Troup!

The after-school programs at the Augusta Lewis Troup School are now fully up and running! I’ve had the pleasure to see many sessions with a program from Fortunato Puppets. This after-school program meets twice a week, and they are preparing for a grand puppet production in a few months! I have listened to these students in second through fourth grade patiently and successfully read through a funny script. Soon, they will create elaborate puppets for these roles so that they can perform the play. I have loved seeing these students get so focused and enthralled when given a script to read. During an earlier puppet session, every student made a simple puppet out of paper plates, colored pencils, and a chopstick. They crouched behind a table (“curtain”), and performed improvised skits. Because they have been given the opportunity and the means, these students have been able to let their creativity come through. I am very excited to see their final production in a couple months!

The Eli Whitney Museum has also brought a fantastic after-school program here to Troup. This program gives students the knowledge and the materials to make fun creations. At their first session here at Troup, the Eli Whitney staff taught students how to create a small balancing toy. Using wires, small pieces of wood, and plenty of decorations, they made fun, unique, complicated, beautiful creations. A high point for me in all of this has been seeing these students show their parents upon pickup, and witnessing their excitement and pride in what they have created. Each Monday afternoon, students in this block make a new craft using some type of physics, whether a top to spin or a wooden bird to “fly” over another figure. The Eli Whitney program has been giving these students the tools, directions, and guidance to discover their capabilities.

These are two of the many after-school programs that are now at Troup thanks to the partnership with United Way! Students are offered programs every day after school until 5pm. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, many programs begin at 4pm after one hour of supplemental math and literacy instruction. This instruction is required for all of those who play basketball, are in the band, or are in programs such as Little Scientists or Poetry. I hope to share more about other afterschool programs here at Troup in the near future! In the meantime, does anyone remember any activities that you did in elementary school that had a lasting impact? How can we keep guiding students toward growth, knowledge, and maturity? We hope that these programs continue to show students their potential, provide fun experiences, and keep them interested through the afternoons.