This week kicked off our kids summer literacy camp in partnership with LifeSmart Education. I am writing this a little prematurely because I am headed to Michigan tomorrow, but there us already so much to report on! The first day was definitely a learning curve, as with most first days of anything. Since this is a partnership with another organization, I was unsure of how involved I would need to be. I have mostly just been needed and check-in and check-out and to help serve the kids lunch. There is a fairly wide range of understanding, even in the small grade range of K-2. However, the kids are taking everything in stride and rising to the occasion! It is good to see the kids so enthusiastic about coming back everyday to learn more

We are also in the process of preparing for our community wide, family friendly field trip to the John Beltz retreat center. This will include a potluck, hayride, nature walks, and learning about plants and animals! I am looking forward to participating in a fun outing with the Riverview community. I hope to see a lot of the kids that came to summer reading and get to know some of their parents better.

As the school year approaches, the office is busy helping get kids enrolled in school and connect them with resources for new clothes and school supplies. In mid-August, we will host a backpack distribution in partnership with the Heart to Heart pantry. Apparently, this is always a very popular event! Because I have taken some time off throughout this program, I get to stay a little later to fulfill my hours. This is exciting to me because I will get to see what some of the school year specific programming looks like. For instance, homework help is really popular throughout the year and I am looking forward to seeing what that program looks like.