Jackson Heights, Extension team up for new SPIN class

Jackson Heights is teaming up with the Meadowlark Extension District to kick off a new after-school program designed to get more young people involved in the world of 4-H.

Starting Tuesday, fifth and sixth-grade students at Jackson Heights will have the opportunity to par­ticipate in the new, five-week SPIN (SPecial INterest) club at the school.

The new club will meet from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the school through Tuesday, Dec. 15, on a trial basis, with the possibility of similar groups starting at other schools in the Meadowlark district to be ex­plored, it was reported.

The program will be managed by Debra Henry, Mead­owlark 4-H program manager for Nemaha County in Seneca, who noted that if the pilot program is successful at Jackson Heights, it will likely be expanded into other schools in the Extension district.

“It’s something new that’s get­ting started at the state level,” Henry said. “It’s an opportunity for young people to experience what 4-H is all about, and we’re excited about it.”

Adrianne Walsh, Jackson Heights superintendent and ele­mentary principal, also said she is elated about starting the SPIN Club for fifth and sixth-graders in the Jackson Heights district.

Walsh said strengthening relations be­tween the school district and the Extension district is one of the dis­trict’s goals and priorities this year, and the pilot program provided the opportunity to do just that.

“I think it’s going to be exciting for everyone,” Walsh said.

The purpose of the SPIN Club, it was reported, is expanding oppor­tunities for young people not cur­rently involved in 4-H to partici­pate in activities that are part of the 4-H experience. The program’s goal is to encourage participants to learn about subjects of interest to them, have positive interactions with their peers and develop life skills.

Other SPIN Clubs that have started in schools in other parts of the country tend to focus on a sin­gle subject during each program’s duration, Henry said. But for Jack­son Heights, each of the five ses­sions in the pilot program will fo­cus on one particular activity, starting with rocketry on Tuesday.

“A lot of times, a program will have six weeks of maybe a reading club, for example, or a unit on bees and collecting honey. Every week, we’re going to offer something different,” said Henry, who noted that other sessions will focus on photography, Lego robots, Christ­mas crafts and foods and nutrition.

The SPIN Club sessions also have been designed to run for six weeks, Henry said, but for this pilot program at Jackson Heights, it will last five weeks. This is due mainly to the short amount of time be­tween Tuesday’s initial program and the school’s Christmas break, she added.

A total of nine children will be participating in the first Jackson Heights SPIN Club, Walsh said.

Henry also noted that there is also some interest in starting a similar program at Wet­more Attendance Center.