Activities

At FirstLine Schools we nurture children’s social and emotional development through a variety of activities inside and outside of school. In partnership with New Orleans Outreach, students participate in enrichment classes and an extended day program that runs until 4:30 or 5:00pm Mondays through or Thursdays.  Students choose from a broad menu of gardening, cooking, sports teams, dance, music, visual arts, outdoor education, drama, and more.  All children participate in these activities at no cost.

In addition to enrichment classes and extended day programming, a calendar of experiences is specific to each grade from 5 through 8,  The experiences are designed to nurture aspirations by broadening students’ awareness of the possibilities in life , helping them feel comfortable in a variety of environments, and providing a way to learn different social norms for different settings. Experiences range from talent shows, sock hops and canoeing in Tickfaw to visiting museums, historical sites and college campuses.  Many of the grade-level experiences at FirstLine Schools are tied into our unique Edible Schoolyard program.

New Orleans Outreach

Much of FirstLine's community and enrichment activities are coordinated with our long-time partner organization, New Orleans Outreach.  New Orleans Outreach, begun as a program within New Orleans Charter Middle School, links volunteers and community resources with public charter schools. This year, over 2,000 students from 7 partner schools benefited from the work of Outreach volunteers.  Outreach gives public school students access to meaningful experiences that inspire them, develop their interests and broaden their horizons outside the core academic program.  Outreach recruits, trains, and places teachers, artists, and volunteers in the classroom during the school day, afterschool, and in the summer.

In partnership with Outreach, FirstLine offers a range of enrichment classes and extended day programs. Students choose from a broad menu of sports teams, dance, music, visual arts, outdoor education, drama, and more. All children participate in the activities at no cost to families. Click on the navigation to the left to learn about some of FirstLine and Outreach's community partner organizations!

 

The Edible Schoolyard (www.esynola.org)

Taste an orange you just picked off a tree or bite into a watermelon. Serve your parents and grandparents basil pasta – you and your friends grew the basil and then prepared the dish. It’s all in a day at the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans at Green School, the first replicationof a California project begun by Berkeley food legend Alice Waters (who often visits our garden). In this nationally acclaimed program, students work in the garden with teachers: planning the garden, planting it, tending it, harvesting its bounty,  and helping to cook and serve the harvest. The Edible Schoolyard, which is fully integrated into the curriculum, also features visits and activities with regional farmers/fishers and some of the city’s leading chefs. Students develop an appreciation for local food and culture, understand teamwork at a new level, learn the joys of fresh and green, and develop healthy eating habits.

Sports

Our sports program offers numerous opportunities for students’ personal development:  learning the lessons of teamwork, the importance of practice and preparation, and working hard to achieve our personal and collective goals. Students at our schools can choose from football, basketball, lacrosse, baseball, volleyball, track and field and soccer. Additionally, our partnership with A’s for Aces provides academic/ literacy support, life skills and tennis instruction at Ashe (www.asandaces.org). In 2009-10 Green Charter School’s flag football team went undefeated on its way to winning the city championship, and at Ashe, the girls basketball team and boys baseball team were both top contenders.

The Arts

Students take a range of dance, visual arts, and music classes.  A comprehensive New Orleans-centric dance program combines elements of jazz dance, ballet, and African and Haitian movement.  The various dance groups perform in school events, community festivals and even specially choreographed unique works for performance in the Edible Schoolyard. Visual arts classes are also offered, with painting, drawing, sculpture, and multi-media projects.  The music programming is in its early stages, with choral music and music history offered this past year.