After School Program Opens New Building and Views Handsome Mural
By Bernie Marvin
Craig Hervey, a key part of the Land Learn Fly After School Program Woodworking Club, speaks to the assembled students, staff, and friends of the program during the recent unveiling of the new building and mural on the campus of the Blue Mountain School. The Bridge weekly/Bernie Marvin
Members of the Land Learn Fly After School Program unveiled the colorful new mural last week at the Blue Mountain School. At right is the program's director, Paul Jewett. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Gathering to say "Thank You" to those who contributed so much to the successful construction of a handsome blue storage building at the Blue Mountain Union School campus are, left to right, Paul Jewett, Director of the Land Learn Fly After School Program, Craig Hervey, Doug Merrill, BMU Student Koby Pokines, Jeff McKelvey and Rick Damon. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.
There were a lot of cheers, claps, and happy comments last week as the students enrolled in the Land Learn Fly After School Program opened their new equipment storage shed and viewed, for the first time, a colorful mural that described many of their activities and places the students have gone and done during their time with the After School Program.
That program has been ongoing for about 10 years. Program Director Paul Jewett of Newbury, who has a BA in Elementary Education and a 38-year management career with the US Postal Service, started managing this program and has steadily built it into what it is now, including schools at Blue Mountain Union, Newbury, and Bradford Elementary.
The program provides help with homework, athletics, arts and crafts, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), along with a wide range of other subjects. The program also offers community-based programs and volunteer activities, such as a woodworking Club, a Cooking Club (including sourdough pizza, crepes, dosas, and vegetable soups), career awareness programs, and many field trips.
The program has maintained a popular bicycle riding program at the huge Blue Mountain School campus, and over the years it has amassed many bicycles of all sizes, extra equipment, helmets, gloves, and other useful items.
Now, with the new shed dedicated last week, the bike program will have a safe, handy building to store everything associated with the fun exercise program. BMU Principal Scott Blood OK'd the shed and its handy location for the kids. 5th- and 6th-grade boys and girls built it with the Woodworking Club Program and the instructors.
You can't miss the building. When visitors enter the long driveway onto the school property from Route 302, they will see a good-looking, new building off to the right. It is a bright blue!
The Woodworking Club built the building with guidance from several generous, successful construction and carpentry company leaders (who are also Woodworking Club Instructors), including Craig Hervey, Doug Merrill, Jeff McKelvey, Cooper Leland, and Rick Damon.
The construction of the new shed was completed at the Doug Merrill Construction Company base in Newbury, with many contributions of supplies and building materials over the years from Kendall Roofing, Mike Gendron, Housewright Construction (Jeff Page), Bethel Mills, Budget Lumber, Shadow Box Framing, and Copeland Furniture.
After the shed was dedicated, students, visitors, and guests walked to the other side of the building and viewed, among many oohs and ahhhss, the large mural that was painted to show the many places and the Land, Learn and Fly After School Program that students are involved with and to portray the many aspects of nature that are important to the children attending the three programs.
BMU and Newbury Elementary students credited with helping build the shed include Faolan Beaton, Clare Crandal, Ewan Nelson, Thomas Gardner, Harper Leland, Koby Pokines, Michael Welch, and Lucas Winchester.
The After School Program staff who always give so much to the program include Amy Sherman, Denise Ayers, Sophie Martineau, and Paul Jewett.