HAMMOND – Maywood Elementary 3rd grade teacher Kathy Nelson was delighted to be invited to the Boys & Girls Club’s recent Parent/Teacher Appreciation Day.
“This is awesome. It sends a point that we’re doing something right,” she said.
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Betty Johnson, BGC education coordinator, told the half dozen teachers and five parents at the ceremony that the clubs are important and so are they.
“Without our parents and teachers, we would not have a club,” Johnson said. “We appreciate everything you do, and we want you to know we are here if you need us.”
The five clubs in Northwest Indiana, and clubs around the country, had a week of activities to call attention to what they do. The theme was ‘”Open the Door. Take the Tour,'” and the clubs encouraged communities, families, friends and supporters to experience first-hand the difference the organizaation was making in the lives of their young people.
“Our youth are the heart of the community and it’s our responsibility to provide a place that will positively influence and guide them during critical out-of-school hours,” said Anne Flannery, president/CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana. “More than 11 million youth have no place to go after school and the Boys & Girls Club offers a place where kids can learn, grow and be successful in school and life.”
Hammond Club director P.J. Jones added that the impact on children is felt in many ways.
“We want them to use the wisdom to know the difference between right and wrong. They get that from their parents and teachers,” he said. “This (event today) shows we are working hand in hand. As far as we are concerned, every day is Parent-Teacher Appreciation Day.”
Wallace Elementary 2nd grade teacher Leatha Oloyede was there because of her student, Bryana Vivanco, 8.
“I was very excited to be invited here, I had no idea the Boys & Girls Club did anything like this (event),” Oloyede said. “It’s nice to be appreciated.”
Layla Macon, 8, is a third-grader at Lafayette Elementary. Her teacher is Crystal Nelson.
“I really appreciate my teacher because she is nice,” Layla said. “She’s more than a teacher – she’s a friend, in a good way.”
For more information about BGCNWI, call (219) 881-1060, or visit bgcnwi.org.