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Date: 1/12/2022
LONGMEADOW – In the hours before and after school, students in Longmeadow have the opportunity to have fun and participate in activities from games to homework, all under the care of the town’s Recreation Department.
School-Age Services Director Scott Lettre oversees the Longmeadow Recreation Department’s before-school and after-school programs, as well as summer camp. The programs provide a place for children in grades k to 5 to spend time under supervision, while parents are at work.
“We base all of our programs off of choice,” Lettre said.
The before-school program, called “Early Risers,” takes place in school from 7:15 a.m. until classes begin. Parents drop off their children, who can choose from arts and crafts projects, working on homework or playing games.
In the afternoon, kids can take the bus to the Greenwood Center. While the program there is a little more structured, children still have the flexibility to use the field, play games, build with Legos, use the gym and have a snack time.
“Our main goal is to provide a home away from home,” Lettre said, and to let children, “know that we want them to be here and that they’re safe.”
The school-age services programs are licensed by the state Department of Early Education and Care. The staff of about a dozen people have undergone background checks and have experience working in the field.
In the age of COVID-19, the school-age services have had to limit the number of students who can use the programs. While the programs have formerly had rosters of between 50 and 60 children, the programs have been limited to 30 to 40 participants.
“We’re always looking at programming. We were able to have our summer camps come back last year and we’re working on it for this summer,” Lettre told Reminder Publishing.
Children’s recreation hasn’t always been Lettre’s career focus.
Lettre graduated from Franklin Pierce University 10 years ago with a degree in sports and recreation management. After working in southern New Hampshire for a time, Lettre worked in minor league baseball in Montana for seven years. He recently moved back to the area to be closer to family. Lettre said he decided to focus the next step in his career on the recreation part of his background. He joined the Longmeadow Recreation Department six months ago.
“I love the town of Longmeadow,” Lettre said. “It’s such a wonderful community here.”
For more information on the Longmeadow Recreation Department’s school-age services, visit https://issuu.com/lprd.net/docs/winter_spring_2021-2022_2.