Hour of Code at AYC: December 8-12, 2014

December 8th to 14th is Computer Science Education Week. To mark this, the AYC will be participating in the worldwide Hour of Code event, to give our kids some experience of the fun and challenge of computer programming.

The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics.

For more information, see http://HourofCode.com/us

We are planning three sessions on Monday 8th, Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th, between ~4:30 and 6pm.   These events will be held in the Computer Lab of the West Medford Community Center (WMCC). They are open to ANY Medford students between 8-14yrs.  

If you are interested in volunteering to help, please email  medfordinthemiddle (at) gmail.com indicating which afternoon you can be there.

If your child is interested in attending, please email medfordinthemiddle (at) gmail.com with the following details: 

- Student Name

- Age / Grade

- Day to attend

HourofCode participants should arrive at WMCC  (111 Arlington St, West Medford) by 4:30pm to get set up.  Participants are welcome to come to WMCC directly from school and participate in regular AYC activities (homework, snacktime, etc.) until 4:30pm. The WMCC is served by #7 bus from Brooks (Harvard@ Arlington Stop) and by #5 bus from the middle schools (Harvard @ Arlington Stop). 

Please note that the WMCC Computer Lab will ONLY be available to HourofCode participants on Mon, Wed and Thu afternoons this week.

Looking forward to some coding fun!

The AYC is managed by Medford in the Middle (MinM), on behalf of the West Medford Community Center (WMCC).
 
Posted by: Deborah and Maria, MinM Co-Directors

West Medford Afterschool Youth Club is Open!

The Afterschool Youth Club  (AYC, note our new acronym!) is currently accepting members for the 2014-2015 school year. 

Please see our online enrollment form at http://tinyurl.AYCenrollment.   The enrollment form  contains information about hours of operations, bus service, membership eligibility, enrollment requirements and costs.  Please read these details carefully; there are some changes from last year.

Please note the following changes in particular:

• The AYC will open on Fridays for special youth events only.
• On Mondays through Thursdays, there will be a stronger emphasis on homework, reading and tutoring in the early afternoon. Kids who come during this time will be expected to work on homework quietly (no electronic play) or leave. 
• Special programs will typically commence after 4pm and will be open to members who register for those programs (more details on these programs to follow separately). 

The AYC is managed by Medford in the Middle (MinM), on behalf of the West Medford Community Center (WMCC).
 
Posted by: Deborah and Maria, MinM Co-Directors

Special Club Programs for February and March 2014

We look forward to welcoming all our youth back to the Club after the February school break. 

Special programs continuing in February and March include:

• On Wednesdays @5:15-6pm: "Karate with Loring." Mr. Loring Greene is an experienced practitioner and teacher of martial arts, and is also on the WMCC's Youth Committee. So far this weekly program has been a hit! Loring introduces kids to the techniques and discipline of this martial art, offering themthe opportunity to build fitness as well as focus. 
• On Fridays @ 3:45-5pm: "Math Games with Brian." Mr. Brian Collins, Autonomy Engineer at the famous Draper Labs in Cambridge and current President of WMCC, brings energy and excitement to all things math-related. Recent afternoon activities have focused on solving Rubik's cubes and understanding the math behind their design. Riddles, number-centric puzzles and more are part of the fun.

Our TLC student Leaders have some great ideas for additional special activities which will be starting up in the next week or two. These include music discovery, oil painting, creative communication and public speaking, and intercultural awareness.

We also aim to organize opportunities for the youth to develop computer admin and web-design skills so that they might take on the development of a Club website. 

Deborah and Maria, Co-Directors

Tufts Literacy Corps partners with MinM and WMCC!

We are very excited to announce additional staffing for our afternoon youth programs at the West Medford Community Center (WMCC). We have gained the support of a fabulous bunch of students from the Tufts Literacy Corps (TLC) who will be on hand to assist our Youth with homework as well as lead more focused activities.

Every afternoon, Monday through Friday, 2-3 student Leaders will be present as well as one or more adult volunteer Leaders.   We invite families to come along and meet our team, and encourage Medford youth to take advantage of this great resource! 

Deborah and Maria, Co-Directors

New school bus service to MinM@WMCC

As of Wednesday, January 8th, the afternoon #5 middle school bus will be stopping on Harvard Ave @Arlington St., right by the WMCC.  Note that this is a different bus from the #14, which serves most of West Medford otherwise.  We hope that many MinM club members will take advantage of the new #5 bus route and stop. 

We are grateful to Medford Public Schools for accommodating our request for a bus-stop near the WMCC.

Special Programs for January 2014

We are happy to announce special MinM programs starting  or continuing in January 2014:

• On Mondays @4-5pm Dr. Anne Thompson, Professor Emerita of English, will continue offering "Plays, Poems, and Stories: Writing with Anne."  This popular weekly program provides middle-schoolers opportunities to develop their creative ideas and hone their writing skills for different literary genres.
  
• On Mondays @5-6pm, Mr. Loring Greene will be offering "Karate with Loring." Loring is an experienced practitioner and teacher of martial arts, and is also on the WMCC's Youth Committee. We expect this program to be a hit, especially during the cold months when outdoor time is curtailed, as it offers the opportunity to build fitness as well as focus. Martial arts can also help kids develop discipline and socialization skills.

We look forward to announcing additional special programs shortly.

Deborah and Maria, Co-Directors

Medford in the Middle @WMCC reopens January 6, 2014

Happy New Year! We hope this finds all MinM families happy, well and rested after the vacation, despite our recent extreme weather.

Afternoon youth activities at the West Medford Community Center (WMCC) will be starting up again this coming week:

• Medford in the Middle (MinM) @WMCC will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3-6pm. 
• The regular WMCC Homework club will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-6pm. 

Once a kid is registered as a MinM member, he or she is eligible to attend either or both programs. Please register at http://tinyurl.com/medfordinthemiddle

Youth members are encouraged to come to WMCC straight from school - i.e. at 3pm or directly from their MPS bus stop. MinM offers snacks between 3-3:30pm and basic homework time is scheduled from 3-4pm, before any special programs start.

MinM@WMCC is served by MPS middle-school bus #14. Currently the nearest stop is Boston Ave @Harvard Ave, but we are hopeful that a closer stop will be added in the very near future -- we will let you know as soon as that happens.

We look forward to seeing all MinM youth members back at WMCC soon!

Deborah and Maria, Co-Directors