An intriguing educational program began at San Martin Gwinn
School in November. Students at this elementary school in the
Morgan Hill Unified School District have the opportunity to remain
after the regular school day to participate in a non-denominational
program, Kids Club, which teaches the basics of Christianity.
An intriguing educational program began at San Martin Gwinn School in November. Students at this elementary school in the Morgan Hill Unified School District have the opportunity to remain after the regular school day to participate in a non-denominational program, Kids Club, which teaches the basics of Christianity.
Until recently, this practice probably would not have been allowed by school authorities, but a law passed during President George W. Bush’s administration opened the door to such instruction. Basically, it mandates “equal access.” If school facilities are made available to any outside agencies (like the Cub Scouts, for example), they must be made available to religious groups on the same basis.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Morgan Hill’s West Hills Community Church has begun offering the Kids Club program on the school campus each Wednesday from 1:55 to 3:30pm.
The church meets all the legal requirements for using school facilities: rent payment, finger-printing and background checks of volunteers, and liability insurance coverage. All students participating must have signed parental permission slips.
At this time about 35 children are attending, only three or four of whom are from West Hills families. They are served by approximately 10 volunteers each week.
Kids Club offers a variety of activities: music, Bible study, snacks, play time and crafts, and there is no charge for participation. Some activities are held for the whole group at once, and others are separated by grade. The fifth- and sixth-graders are also separated by gender.
A New Tribes curriculum is being used that is completely non-denominational. It teaches the basics of Christian history and doctrine without assuming any prior knowledge of the subjects, starting with answering questions like “What is the Bible? How is it divided? How many books are there?”Â
Among its objectives are the following:
n Provide a safe environment for young children to come after school.
n Meet children’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
n Teach the importance of studying God’s word.
n Provide an opportunity for young children to bring their friends.
n Reach out to families through their children.
Debbie Kenyon, Minister to Children at West Hills, says her own children attended San Martin Gwinn when they were elementary school age, and she helped in the classrooms. This experience led her to recognize that many of the children at that school could benefit from enrichment activities like Kids Club.
Although SMGS is the only Kids Club operated in South County, there are 16 schools involved in South San Jose, one with 160 children attending. Kenyon would like to expand the program to other South County schools if there is sufficient interest.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Contact him at cf****@sv**********.com or write to him at P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, Calif. 95021.
