By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the American school system. Keeping kids at home not only pushed back learning opportunities, but also important social ones. To help make up for some of those losses, USD 428 Great Bend offered its REACH program for the first time this summer. Some 130 students, grades K-5, participated in the month-long event.
"We're talking a lot about learning loss coming out of COVID," said Great Bend Assistant Superintendent Tricia Reiser. "This was one of the things we wanted to do to provide an opportunity for kids to stay in school and work on their socialization and provide some enrichment activities for them."
All students in the district, grades K-5, were invited to participate in the program at either Park or Eisenhower elementaries. The letters in REACH stand for recreation, enrichment, academic, curriculum, and health. Throughout July, the students did a little in each category. They spent time at local businesses and made trips to the Barton County Fair and a museum in Hays. They went hands-on at an event at the Cavanaugh Soccer Complex.
"The truck day was really cool where they had different trucks that came to the soccer parking lot," Reiser said. "Kids got to climb in the trucks and learn about all different careers with that."
The students capped off the program at the end of July with a business venture via the Lemonade Wars that pitted Park Elementary against Eisenhower Elementary. Approximately $1,800 was raised, and after holding a little back to celebrate, the students decided to donate the money back to the community. The Park REACH students gave $200 to each of the five elementary schools in town. The Eisenhower students donated $360 each to the Great Bend Zoo and Golden Belt Humane Society. The program came to a close with a viewing of "Sing 2" at Golden Belt Cinema 6.
Reiser said the first year of the program was a success for students and staff, and it may return for another summer.
"The kids loved it, and we're going to reevaluate it," she said. "There are all good indications we'll have a program similar to this
"I want to thank all the community resources that helped make this program a success. They said 'yes' when we called them and asked them if they wanted to be a part."