Pride Time After School Program

Thomas Harrison Middle School’s Pride Time after-school program returned this semester, Monday through Thursday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., under coordinator Jim Raisch—providing academic support and enrichment activities for about 85 fifth and sixth graders.

This program began at Thomas Harrison about three or four years ago, and did not run the first half of the school year in fall 2016. If someone does not volunteer as coordinator, Pride Time will not occur.

Pride Time, named for the school lion mascot, is split between academic support and rotating enrichment activities. As coordinator, Raisch is responsible for hiring academic tutors and finding volunteers to teach enrichment activities. All students will be accepted to this program if they fill out an application to participate.

The first hour is academic support, separating kids into groups with paid volunteer community members, college students or those with teaching degrees. Students can receive help with homework, participate in teacher requested tutoring or read independently.

Enrichment activities in the second hour vary depending on available volunteers and offered skills. These activities offer skills students do not learn in the classroom. “[The program serves to] continue the goal of our school being more than just a school…a community center for students,” said Raisch. “I hope they’ll gain an appreciation of learning…more than just what they learn during the school day…learn some responsibility…[and develop] social skills.”

“It’s a good opportunity for parents,” adds Raisch. Pride Time is a safe and supervised environment for kids whose parents work late. “It provides a safe space to have fun and participate in things they might not have had the opportunity to participate in if they went home on the bus at 3:30 p.m.”

Raisch wants to provide diverse opportunities for students. “In the past I think some of the opportunities beyond the academic piece were just supervised recess in the gymnasium or outside,” said Raisch. “So, I’m trying to incorporate things that are appealing to more of a general audience instead of just, you know, the sporty kids.”

Secondary Education major and James Madison University student Ana Harrington works at the program Mondays and Tuesdays with the same seven or eight students. “Since we’ve had such a warm winter we’ve been able to take the kids outside a lot…we know they’ve been sitting in class for six or seven hours and they just want to be outside and get their energy out.”

Enrichment activities are open to program workers or community members with different skills. “I encourage people to come up with a class topic that they’re passionate about that they would like to share with the kids,” said Raisch. The activities often differ, having included in the past: outdoor activities, knitting, sowing, and visits from the SPCA where volunteers bring animals to teach about animal care.

“A lot of the kids who do knitting do it every single time and they’ve actually been making some really cool stuff like hats and scarves,” says Harrington. She plans to teach the kids origami during enrichment.

Said Raisch, “This is the most intense in terms of days per week and hours.” A program called Blast for seventh and eighth grade students is offered once a week for reading support.

Long term, Raisch would like to further the diversity of community involvement. “[Short term goals are] just that the kids are having fun you know…participating willingly, and that they’re safe and they’re developing friendships,” said Raisch.

The interview process for staff includes a brief phone interview, along with paperwork and medical checkup. “Typical stuff for working in a new environment,” says Raisch. Teaching staff from Thomas Harrison or those who hold teaching degrees make 24 dollars per hour, and student workers or those without degrees earn 11 dollars and 50 cents per hour. Hours are flexible, with staff working all different hours during the program week.

Many students in Pride Time are in the English as a Second Language program, since Harrisonburg has the highest rate of immigration in Virginia. Pride Time gives them the opportunity to practice basic interpersonal communication skills with other students, or native English speakers.

Harrington has students in her group from South America, Russia and Africa who are learning English as a second language. “[The students] test you on your explanation process,” said Harrington. “You try to use really simple words that they’re going to know and speak slowly, things like that that you aren’t normally aware of.”

“Me personally, I love the ESOL kids. Because of the relationship I’ve built with them, I’d like to become more involved with teaching English as a second language, maybe getting a minor in that,” said Harrington. “I really gained a strong interest in that so that’s probably one of my biggest takeaways. Just kind of a newfound appreciation for these kids who come into the country and don’t know English and how they kind of do it all themselves. They get on and [they really commit].”

For Harrington, Pride Time has shifted her professional goals. “This experience has completely changed my outlook on who I want to teach and how I want to teach,” she said. “The more you get to know a student or a person that you work with...on a personal level. It really really benefits the way that they’re going to have their experience. I think like a relationship building aspect and differentiation how you treat everybody based on their past and their experiences is a good skill that I’ve learned by being there.”

Raisch sees a wonderful opportunity for students training to become teachers. Says Raisch, “I think [Pride Time is] beneficial for students who are studying education to come and be a part of the program. It just kind of gives them an idea of what to expect once they become a teacher.” Harrington has learned a lot from helping at Pride Time such as classroom management, behavior management and understanding how to get a group of people to listen quietly.

“Jim’s done a great job running it,” said Harrington. “It’s all thanks to him that we have it. He’s been a really great help. He’s great with the kids and he deserves a lot of credit. They’re really funny around him [and] they love him.”