MORE Participants Take the Stage at Westfield Community Center

An enthusiastic crowd of parents and other members of the community turned out for MORE After School’s end of year showcase at the Westfield Community Center on Saturday, June 8.

Students had the opportunity not only to display their various pieces of art, including acrylic paintings, origami and clay; but drama and keyboard performances under the direction of MORE instructors Mr. Michael Altmann and Ms. Christina Toulios were also happily received by spectators.

According to Toulios, students had been introduced to keyboarding only sixteen weeks prior to the event. Drama students also wrote the skits themselves, according to MORE co-founder Ms. Melissa Colten.

Additionally, MORE art instructors set up paint supplies across the street from the community center where children and adults alike were able to create a unique banner—provided by Sign-o-Rama of Colonia, NJ—to be hung outside of the center.

MORE, founded by McKinley Elementary School moms Ms. Devorah Wolf and Colten, is dedicated to providing kids with “MORE” opportunities to interact, explore and grow in hands-on ways, according to www.moreafterschool.org.

Both Colten and Wolf, as well as the community center director, Ms. Stephanie Smith, expressed their delight over the success of the event.

Since its establishment two years ago, MORE classes have included: Acrylic Painting, Snowflake-making, Chemistry of Cooking, Gardening, Paper-making, Word Games and Journalism, Origami, Yoga, All About Flight, Drama, Keyboarding, Digital Photography, Video and Investigating Artifacts.

MORE programs will continue—and expand into the Westfield Community Center— in the upcoming school year.