Girls with Goals fills need of Otis Elementary students
FREMONT ― Otis Elementary School is going beyond traditional curriculum by offering an enriching afterschool program known as Girls with Goals.
This program for girls in third and fourth grades not only focuses on academic subjects but also aims to impart various skills like crafts, community involvement, and setting personal goals.
Girls with Goals is limited to Otis Elementary and has approximately 22 girls attending monthly. This group, which began nearly a year ago, already has created Christmas ornaments and organized an animal food drive for the Humane Society.
Club first modeled after Men with Manners
“There was a club named Men with Manners, and a few girls expressed their interest in having their own club," said Kourtney Jared, a third-grade teacher at Otis Elementary School. "As a result, we initiated Girls with Goals in January of last year."
To become a member, girls had to complete an application and undergo an evaluation to ensure they could serve as role models for other students.
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For January, the group is creating Valentine's Day cards for older residents of the area. In February, they will give the cards to residents of Bethesda Care Center and other care centers.
“We have made about 300 cards so far," said Jennifer Heilmann, who is co-advisor of Girls with Goals a Title 1 teacher."We are going to walk to Bethesda since it's so close and then distribute them." School staff also will drop more cards off at other facilities.
Girls learning how to crochet
As part of the Valentine's Day project, the girls are learning the art of making crocheted hearts, which will be attached to the greeting cards. The girls also designing paper cards. This initiative aims to spread love and joy among older residents while also providing the girls with an opportunity to develop their crafting skills.
Jared said the purpose of crocheted hearts is to provide people in the care centers with something they can touch and feel in their pockets, reminding them they are loved and remembered.
“I love being kind, and this is why I enjoyed Girls with Goals," said Jayleanna Gamble, a fourth-grader. "I enjoy crocheting when you get better at it, it gets easier.”
Gamble plans to continue to crochet on her own at home and during winter recess she can crochet with Lynn Quick, the recess monitor, who helps the girls with their needlework skills.
One student who is a leader for the group is Rylee Holley, now a fifth-grader. Rylee has been with the group since it started and supported creation of Goals for Girls. She has become an inspiration for many younger girls. Even when she moves on to sixth grade, she expressed her desire to return and share her experiences with the younger girls at Otis.
“I think it is great that they look up to me," she said about being a role model already.
In addition to the group's collective endeavors, the girls also have individual goals that range from improving their reading skills to becoming more helpful at home and excelling in their homework assignments.
Besides their group project, Jared has arranged for other influential individuals to speak to the girls. One such person is a doctor, who attended Jared's second-grade class when she was younger. There was also The Cookie Lady and several other spokeswomen.
“It's just so important to me that girls know that they can do anything,” Jared said. “I want the girls to know the importance that they have, like their ability to achieve anything, and that they can accomplish anything and any obstacles they may face.”
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Girls with Goals club at Otis Elementary OH uplifts members, community
