Last Week of After-School Program :(

It still hasn’t really hit me yet that the after-school program at the Boys and Girls Club is over.  So many of these kids that I’ve been doing homework with, playing basketball, crafting, Mancala-ing, and picking up from school every day for the past 3 weeks, I may not ever see again!  And I didn’t even really realize this until Thursday or Friday of the last week, as I just went with the flow and excitement of our final celebrations just like the kids did. 

Being the last week of school, none of the kids had any homework and we were therefore able to spend much more time having fun!  We had movie days, a big BBQ on Friday with an awards ceremony providing individualized certificates for every kid, a giant kids vs adults dodgeball game, and we all went to a theme park called FunPlex together!  It was just a week dedicated to having fun and spending time together, and with most of the week being half-days at school, we would all hang out from 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM for the last few days.  And throughout all the fun, I think that I was just as oblivious to the ending era as the kids were.  For them it was an awesome end of a school year that now leads into a much desired summer, and for me it was just super fun experiences while I prepared for summer camp to get started.  It never occurred to me that all the kids who go to the Boys and Girls Club after school wouldn’t be doing summer camp, and that this week was the last time I’d have to spend time with them.

The most surprising thing for me, though, is that I didn’t even know that I was going to be working with the after-school program in the first place!  I was under the impression that we would immediately start working at the summer camp.  Therefore, once I found out that summer camp wasn’t going to start until July, I then started seeing the after-school program as something that had already been going on all year without me and that I have just jumped into at the last minute.  But it became so much more than that.  The kids certainly didn’t see me as a secondary incomer into their lives, but just as a new and welcome addition to their daily routine.  And I am very appreciative of that, and even more appreciative of the time I’ve had with these kids so far.  A little tiny Pathfinder boy named Darius gave me a huge hug at the end of the day, and I tried my best to say my goodbyes to everyone who I knew wouldn’t be returning for camp.

As sad as it is that I may not see these kids again (hopefully I will!), it has been extremely rewarding and educational for me spending time with them these past couple of weeks.  I feel confident and passionate about this non-profit and these kids, and I know that I can be a great counselor for them.  And even better, I’ll be starting camp already knowing about half the kids, and will also get to meet a brand new 20 or so next week!  There’s always a bright side, especially with these little lalas J