Thriving Minds After School Kicks Off at Casa View Elementary

By Mario Tarradell, Public Relations & Marketing Manager

The bustle of backpacks and water bottles, fidgety children and busy parents stirred up a mini-ruckus during the Thriving Minds Parent Orientation meeting inside the Casa View Elementary auditorium.

The gathering, held Sept. 9, served as the official orientation of Big Thought’s 2015-2016 Thriving Minds After School program at Casa View.

At the stage, ready to address the crowd, Judy Danielson, Big Thought’s Thriving Minds After School Program Manager for Casa View, had her typed agenda handy and her trusty Spanish interpreter Daniel Martinez by her side.

Casa View Elementary houses a 99% Hispanic student population so many of the 110 children that attend TMAS each day come from a bilingual home. Big Thought is committed to providing a nurturing atmosphere for all children in the Thriving Minds program free from language or social barriers.

Mary Hernandez, Big Thought’s Family Engagement Specialist, stepped up to the microphone to lead the attendees in a bilingual parent appreciation moment. She asked the kids to thank moms and dads with a hug and kiss, then prompted moms and dads to return the affection.

Hernandez talked about a survey handed to parents before the meeting began. The survey gives parents input on classes, workshops, activities, and asks how Big Thought can best communicate with them. Also, Hernandez discussed the DISD Parent Portal and Dallas City of Learning as tools parents can use to help their children.

Danielson and Martinez ran through the agenda without hesitation, covering pertinent topics such as adult authorization for picking up children after TMAS sessions, child behavior during TMAS, and snacks for kids while at TMAS.

“We are off and running at Casa View Elementary Thriving Minds,” says Danielson. “These first three weeks have been filled with fun activities such as science, theater, fitness, music, soccer, poetry, and New World Kids. It has been great seeing all of our returning families and exciting to get acquainted with many new families. Our staff is very busy bringing new opportunities to our students. We are all looking forward to a fantastic and fun year at Casa View!”

Opportunities for camaraderie, for extended and integrated learning, for social interaction and for creative thinking remain the focus of Big Thought’s Thriving Minds. Transparency is also vital. Parents are always encouraged to pop in and visit their children during TMAS.

Thriving Minds gifts keep on giving when children get home. Tiffany Marsh, sitting at the back of the auditorium with her husband Derome Marsh and their kids Jayden, 11, Niviah, 6, and Keiontay, 9, has big praise for Thriving Minds.

“They are much better at teamwork, more interested in different sports than what they used to be,” says Marsh, whose children have been in TMAS for three years. “They are more creative. Something they may have created in TMAS they will come home and look it up on You Tube to learn how to make more. They come home happy, enthusiastic about things.”

Maricela Martinez agrees. Her children – Bryan, 11, Amy, 9, and Randy, 6 – have also been in Thriving Minds for three years.

“They get home happier and they do their homework,” say Martinez. “They make more friends, they do a lot of activities during the after school program. They have more energy when they get home. They have a lot of fun being involved in the program.”

And with that parents and children marched out of Casa View Elementary, the bustle of backpacks and water bottles shuffling into the warm evening. In less than 24 hours the kids will return re-energized for another round of Thriving Minds.