St Ursula’s recently started four new clubs to stimulate their children after school.
“At St Ursula’s, the cost of aftercare is included in the school fees and that is why we decided to start four new after-school clubs,” explained Belinda Espag, the school’s marketing manager.
The school believes in not giving the children too much homework in Primary School because, as Belinda said, “Children need to be children”.
They decided on a chess club, a reading club, an arts club and a gardening club because of the benefits that each of these had for the children.
“Chess is very good for children as it teaches them coordination, planning and focus.”
The Grade 1s only learn how the pawns should move, but as they get older they learn more about the game.
The gardening club has already started in various classes. Each class got to plant seeds, which, as they sprout, will be transplanted into the school’s veggie garden, where the gardening club will tend to them.
The arts club has apparently had remarkable feedback and the arts classes are now offered four times a week. Each project focuses on a new form of art media.
The last club, the reading club, is offered three times a week, and is split up by age group, because each age group has a different form of the reading club.
For the younger ones, the teacher reads a book to them. The older children each read their favourite books and when finished they swap out with their friends.
The seniors have a book club where they choose one book and after everyone has read it, they discuss it.
The younger children also participate in projects related to their book. For instance, the Grade 2s to 4s are reading a book about a lost dog, “so we had them make lost dog posters to put up around the school.”
Each reading day has 12 to 20 children reading.
