Mr. Eck returns from Thanksgiving, Texas

I LOVED Thanksgiving so much!  It is my favorite holiday and I know all the students enjoyed being out of school for the 5-day weekend.  The week after was also very eventful for me since I turned 29 on the 29th.  To celebrate, I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and went with my family to the airport to fly to Texas.  OK, it wasn't really for me; my little brother was married in San Antonio so we went there for that.  The wedding and reception were excellent and we also did some tourist activities, including visiting the Alamo and the "river walk."  Near-record high temperatures accompanied us the entire time with most days in the high 70's.  The heat with humidity was a real treat for us country folk from Idaho!  Anyway, I'm glad to be home and back in the lounge to enjoy everyone's smiling faces.  Dec. 18 is the last day to turn in complete PLATO courses for credit to be awarded this semester.

Salute to veterans

Happy Veterans' Day!  To all who have served or are currently serving and their families:  thank you for your bravery and sacrifice!

FREE DINNER (pizza & salad) this Thursday don't forget!

We are getting very excited about this week's parent event.  All parents and family members of participants are invited for dinner at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday (room 1104).  We hope to see lots of new and also some familiar faces.  A brief explanation of the after school program/21CCLC grant will be given.

Parent Event next Thursday

We will be having a FREE PIZZA AND SALAD DINNER for all families of 21CCLC participants next Thursday, November 15 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the high school room 1104 (use west entrance and parking).  Please join us and see what the "after school program" is all about while enjoying some free vittles!  Don't cook next Thursday and come have pizza on us!

4-day weekend

As there was no school last Thursday and Friday, the lounge was closed and participants enjoyed four whole days off.  We'll be hearing some good stories about traveling, etc. in the coming days.  Mr. Eck camped at Bruneau Sand Dunes and I had an excellent time!  It was cold and windy, but we found a few moments of calm to climb the dune (it was the small dune on the way out to the real dunes...no one would go with me to hike the big dunes so I was disappointed a little.  I'll have to take some of my scouts out there to conquer the big dunes).  Well, anyway, here's to a full five-day week at the lounge and this is Mr. Eck, signing off...with a little bit of sand in my ears!

MyBigCampus

Check out our group on www.mybigcampus.com!  It's called 21CCLC After School Program.

"Lights On"

We are pleased to announce this year's first parent event, "Lights On After School Program."  Food will be served, so bring your family and enjoy checking out the after school program at 21st Century Community Learning Centers.  This event will take place Wednesday, October 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.  Use the west high school entrance, left down the first hallway to room 1104.  All participants and their families are invited.  See you there!

Homecoming week

Happy Homecoming!  This week has been very interesting as the students have been doing their funny dress-up days.  Monday was camoflauge, Tuesday fashion disaster, Wednesday class colors, Thursday nerd, and Friday pink.  Middleton students are very creative:)  A little friendly foosball competition has begun between a participant and a certain Ag teacher who has visited the lounge a few times (I won't mention any names to protect the non-winner's feelings).  The homecoming game is Friday night at 7:00 against Emmett.  The lounge will be open Friday regular hours after the carnival--some participants have said they will be here so we will be open.  Go Vikings!

PLATO

PLATO is here!  We have been waiting while some technical issues were being resolved, but now have all students that want to be enrolled in their courses.  They have been enthusiastically waiting, so I think that means they will have plenty of motivation to get things rolling and make up their work. 

Week 2

Things have been going so well at the lounge/after school program.  Last week was our first week of service this year and an average of about 10 participants attended each day.  One ping pong ball has already been destroyed, which indicates that everyone is actively participating!  The lounge will be closed this Friday, September 14 as Mr. Eck will be traveling to Preston, ID for his cousin's wedding.  (Yes you're right--the hometown of Napoleon Dynamite:)  Normal hours will resume on Monday.  A special tribute goes out this week as we commemorate the anniversary of all who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center towers were destroyed.  Although most of the current 21CCLC participants hadn't even started kindergarten in 2001, it's good to reflect and teach about that historic moment as it defines us all as Americans.  It's truly great to live in the "land of the free and the home of the brave!"  Have an excellent week.  

Up and running

The lounge has been open for almost an entire week now (a short week thanks to the holiday:) and things are going well.  Some good friendly competition has begun in ping pong, pool, and air hockey.  We are setting up enrollments in PLATO for students to work on their credit recovery.  Invite your friends to come check it out!

WELCOME BACK FALL 2012

Well, I hope everyone had a fantastic summer!  School is now back in session, and that means the 21st Century Lounge will be opening again soon as well.  Our first day in operation will be Tuesday, September 4 beginning at 3:10 pm.  Students who want to join us need to fill out a green registration form, which they can pick up in room 1104 any day on or after Sept. 4.  Our schedule format will be similar to last year; snack from 3:10-3:30, academic lab from 3:30-4:30, enrichment from 4:30-5:15 with the bus leaving at 5:20.  Feel free to email me with any questions keck@msd134.org.  Let's have another excellent year!  --Mr. Eck

Year End

Well, here we are--the end of the school year!  The 21st Century Lounge enjoyed an excellent first year at the new MHS site.  This year, several students recovered credit for many courses (and a few seniors will hopefully drop off the last of their assignments today!:)  Games of pool, air hockey, foosball, and ping pong have been both won and lost.  Late work or other homework has been caught up or completed.  The bean bags are now broken in and the Xbox has watched lots of students jump around in front of it!  We enjoyed parent events with good food and an opportunity to meet families.  All in all, this has been a fantastic year!  We have eaten snacks, been academic, and been enriched in some way every day for the past eight months.  We even completed our Harry Potter movie marathon.  And so, as the year draws to its close, I hope all our participants have felt the taste of success as they have worked academically.  I hope they've been enriched socially and mentally.  And I hope they are ready to have an excellent summer and then come back with renewed determination in the fall.  As for the seniors...best of luck to you in whatever you pursue.  Thanks to all for a fantastic year in the 21st Century after school program!

Open House Tomorrow (with food)

We are hosting another open house for families of 21st Century after school program participants.  Please come see what the program is all about and enjoy free dinner at the same time:)  It will be tomorrow (Tuesday, March 20) from 5:30 to 6:30 at Middleton High in rooms 1104/1102 (enter through the west doors and follow the signs).  Hope to see you all there!!!  Mr. Eck can NOT eat an entire 6-foot sub sandwich alone!

Is it spring or not?!

The weather may be undecided about whether or not we have conquered winter, but most students are starting to display beginning signs of spring fever!  From questions like, "Can we have class outside today?" to fashions like shorts with a sweatshirt, it's clear the end of the school year is fast approaching.  Here at the lounge/after school program, many students are feverishly working to complete their PLATO courses before the end of the year.  We are almost finished with our Harry Potter movie marathon.  We are attempting to organize an RC Car building enrichment for after Spring Break.  Our open house was a pizza-eating success and we thank all participants and family members who attended.  We will be hosting a few more of these events before the end of the year, so keep your ears open if you missed the last one.  And so we keep going, snow one day and 60 degrees the next!  Welcome to Idaho:) 

PIZZA and SALAD NIGHT!

Come 1 come all you PIZZA monsters!

5:30-6:30 TONIGHT at MHS MAIN BUILDING!

6 Days till Pizza Night!

Our open house event is coming up quickly!  On Wednesday, February 29 from 5:30-6:30 free pizza will be available for participants and their families.  So don't make dinner next Wednesday!  Come check out the lounge at the after school program and enjoy dinner on us!

Well, lots of people are coming out to the lounge and working on all kinds of academic subjects.  Mr. Eck has taken to sitting in the cafeteria on one of the lounge bean bag chairs to read a book from a NOOK.  This could possibly be the first time that a teacher (or anyone) has lounged in a bean bag in the MHS cafeteria!  Some students found it amusing enough to post pictures on social networking sites.  Others stopped by to ask, "What are you doing?"  This question gave me a chance to let a few students know what kinds of things we do in the 21CCLC after-school program (which was the intention).  I did learn one new thing from this experience:  the bean bags we have in the lounge are HUGE (almost too big to fit through a door) and HEAVY (I got a nice workout hauling it down to the lunchroom)! 

PIZZA!

We will be hosting an open house on Feb. 29 from 5:30-6:30 and--that's right--there will be free pizza!  All participants and their families are invited to attend.  Come check out the lounge and enjoy dinner on us!  More information will follow in the coming weeks.

Welcome Back and Happy 2012

The lounge has wiped off the dust after being closed for 19 restful days.  We hope everyone enjoyed family, food, and fun over the break.  We have said goodbye to one participant who finished her PLATO courses, completing her high school career in December.  A few others are close to completion on several courses.  We continue to enjoy the company of many participants who come just to enjoy the lounge, the snacks, or the enrichment opportunities.  2012 will surely be another excellent year at the lounge so I guess it's time to put the sleeping in of Christmas break behind us and go full steam ahead on our academic and other pursuits!  Thanks for a great opening semester fall 2011 at the new MHS 21CCLC Lounge!