News & Events

Some planned activities and events to look forward to this coming month are as described.

Special Activities:

Pinewood Derby CarWASCAR. The Williams After School Club Auto Racing (WASCAR) is our annual weeklong sports-themed event focusing on creative arts, friendly competition, popular mechanics, science in technology, sports history, and teamwork. As part of the weeklong event, each child is provided an opportunity to take part in the WASCAR of the Year and the Auburndale 500 pinewood derby competitions. Preparations have begun for selecting and purchasing each car enthusiast's own pre-cut pinewood derby car for further design and construction. Don't get left out, order yours today!

DragonChinese New Year. On Monday, January 23rd, 2012 the children of WASC breathe fire into the new year by celebrating the "year of the dragon". We will explore the history and culture of the Chinese New Year, followed up with some arts and crafts as we create our own lantern festival. Our celebration will have us wearing red clothes (red, symbolic of fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck). We will decorate the room with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky tokens" in red envelopes, which can be redeemed for a variety of snacks and prizes.

Bistro 141Family Pasta Dinner. Join us for our annual Family Pasta Dinner night on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, as we transform our café into our own little Bistro 141. You and your family can sit back, relax and enjoy the music, ambiance and quality time with your children. Choose your dish from our all-you-can-eat menu provided by a local caterer.

K-Orientation NewsletterK-Orientation. On Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 the parents of the incoming 2012-2013 Williams Elementary School Kindergarten class will have an opportunity to stop in and observe our afterschool Kindergarten program. Our Kindergarten Coordinator and Program Director will be happy to answer any questions with straightforward honest answers regarding afterschool child care and inform you what WASC can provide as the preferred on-site afterschool child care provider for the Williams Elementary School Community. In case you are not able to attend, simply download our Kindergarten Orientation Edition Newsletter for a basic overview of our high quality and affordable afterschool child care program.

This Month In History:

NASASpace Shuttle Challenger. The Space Shuttle Challenger Mission (Flight STS-51L) was the 25th Space Shuttle mission and the 10th launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. It was launched from Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 28th, 1986 at 11:38 AM EST. This mission was highly publicized because it was the first time a school teacher was allowed to travel in space. Christa McAuliffe, a high school teacher from New Hampshire, was to be the first civilian in space. She was selected from more than 11,000 applicants.

The crew of Space Shuttle Challenger consisted of seven astronauts:  Francis R. Scobee; Michael J. Smith; Gregory B. Jarvis; Christa McAuliffe; Judith A. Resnik; Ellison S. Onizuka; and Ronald E. McNair.

The Challenger cargo included two satellites in the cargo bay and equipment in the crew compartment for experiments that would be carried out during the mission.

The Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the untimely demise of its crew, and disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida, United States.

SUGGESTED READING:

Weakfish"Weakfish: Bullying Through the Eyes of a Child". This powerful book, written by Michael Dorn, has forever changed the lives of thousands of educators, parents and victims of chronic bullying. Issued to school systems throughout the country, as well as the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, this book has created nothing short of a movement in the battle against bullying in our schools.

We recommend this adult reading for all parents of children growing up at any age and in any academic or social environment. Bullying comes in all different forms – some subtle, some not so subtle – such as cyberbullying, as well as emotional, physical, social and verbal bullying. After reading this book, you'll never again say, "It's just boys being boys, or just girls being girls!"