BASE Lend A Hand November Project - Fort Atkinson Riverwalk Plaza Holiday Tree Ornaments
BASE kids will decorate and donate ornaments to the Riverwalk Plaza Tree Committee to trim the holiday tree in downtown Fort Atkinson for the 1st Annual Tree Lighting on Saturday, November 30th, 2019.
Riverwalk Plaza Tree Lighting
November 30, 2019
4:30-5:30pm
The ornaments are here and ready to be painted!
November 18, 2019
BASE Barrie was up first to choose a design and begin painting. The reindeer ornaments will be a great addition to the Riverwalk Plaza Holiday Tree. Great job BASE Barrie!
November 19, 2019
BASE Purdy was excited to get to work on their Santa design ornaments. Santa will be happy that his likeness was captured so wonderfully and so will the community members who see the Riverwalk Plaza Holiday Tree. Awesome job BASE Purdy!
NOvember 20, 2019
BASE Rockwell felt inspired to create some beautiful star ornaments for the Riverwalk Plaza Holiday Tree. Amazing work BASE Rockwell!
November 22, 2019
BASE Luther put their time and talents into creating the snowmen ornaments for the Riverwalk Plaza Tree. Super job BASE Luther!
A sneak peek at the character that these handmade ornaments add to the holiday tree.
October BASE Kid of the Month Awards
“As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
- Nelson Mandela
BASE staff and volunteers chose some incredibly deserving kids for the October BASE Kid of the Month awards. These unique individuals have embraced the opportunities that we offer here at BASE, they have been inspired, and in responsible and creative ways they inspire others. Enjoy reading and learning about our October BASE Kids of the Month!
BASE Barrie
BASE Luther
BASE Purdy
BASE Rockwell
BASE Lend A Hand October Project - Candy Collection for Operation Gratitude
BASE Lend a Hand October Project - Candy collection for Operation Gratitude
All 4 BASE sites collected candy to deliver to Rock River Dental to donate to Operation Gratitude.
Project Reflection
BASE sites collected a total of 12.1 pounds of candy and Ms Melissa and Ms Beth delivered the candy to Rock River Dental on Monday, November 4th, 2019
No School Days Program - October 31st and November 1st, 2019
BASE Purdy staff members Miss Sam and Miss Megan planned 2 full days of No School Day programs for BASE kids on Thursday, October 31st and Friday, November 1st. BASE Barrie’s Miss Abbey, volunteer Miss Lauren, and BASE Rockwell’s Miss Beth and volunteer Miss Josie supported organizing and delivering the programs and activities.
BASE staff and kids celebrated Halloween on Thursday and the planned activities included STEM (groups created a spider web using yarn), Halloween arts and crafts (kids made a pumpkin lantern), recreation (parachute, bowling and other group games and individual play), group sharing with chit chat and listening to spooky stories, lunch and outside recreation (there was snow to play in this afternoon), creating Halloween masks, playing Minute to Win it games (mummy wrapping and marshmallow toss and catch), afternoon snack, watching a Halloween movie and coloring. The kids came in costume and enjoyed the Halloween fun!
Friday was packed full with more planned programs and activities which included STEM (Kinects and Legos are definitely a favorite at BASE), Fall arts and cooking (making play dough), recreation (parachute, bowling and other group games and individual play), group sharing with chit chat (which of course led to a fun dance party) and listening to spooky stories, lunch and outside recreation, Fall science (candy corn experiments and predictions), Minute to Win it games (cup stacking), afternoon snack (healthy make your own spiders), and watching a movie. Thank you BASE staff and kids for a great two days of No School Day FUN! Our BASE Program Calendar in the monthly parent newsletter highlights all days that BASE is open and closed and we update our website calendar with important dates.
Family STEM Night - Lights on Afterschool Event
BASE Luther and BASE Rockwell hosted our 1st Family STEM Night on Thursday, October 24th, 4:30-6:00pm. The event included a taco bar dinner for all who attend, 4 STEM stations with activities, supplies and stickers for completion, Lights of Afterschool coloring activities and KIND bar snacks to celebrate the Afterschool Alliance’s 20th year of advocating for quality afterschool programs for children, and BASE information and membership packets for the 2019-2020 after school program. The event was open to and welcomed 104 BASE kids, their families and community members. All were invited to investigate the different properties of liquids at our science station, engineer a parachute and test it’s effectiveness through test trials, play fun math games, take the technology quiz, talk with STEM/business professionals about STEM careers and skills, and talk to BASE staff members about membership for after school and summer programs.
Please enjoy the pictures from our 1st Family STEM Night and important information below which explains why after school programming is so beneficial and drives our mission here at BASE to provide quality, out of school care that will inspire our local youth to be contributing, productive and responsible community members through intentional programming that supports positive character development and unique opportunities to grow as individuals.
BASE membership for the 2019-2020 after school program is currently at 154 BASE kids which also includes 4 Junior Staff middle school students. During this fall semester, BASE staff are responsible for providing quality programs in the areas of art, diversity and foreign language, STEM, healthy lifestyles and mindfulness, and also providing daily recreation time, reading time and homework help. The BASE after school program currently operates Monday-Friday, 3-6pm during the academic school year at all 4 Fort Atkinson public schools. BASE also remains open on select early release days 11:50am-6:00pm and no school days 7:30am-6:00pm. BASE also offers a full-time wrap around summer program during the months of June, July and August, offering care Monday-Friday 7:30am-6:00pm, and 12 noon-6:00pm during the weeks that the School District of Fort Atkinson summer school programs are in session. Stay connected with BASE through our website, Facebook page, and Instagram page.
September BASE Kid of the Month Awards
“Imagine with all your mind, believe with all your heart, achieve with all your might.” - Unknown
Here at BASE, our mission is to provide quality, out of school care that will inspire our local youth to be contributing, productive and responsible community members through intentional programming that supports positive character development and unique opportunities to grow as individuals. Our BASE kids continue to impress us each new school year or summer with their abilities to inspire others, lead with a purpose, and succeed in all they set out to accomplish. It is our great pleasure to continue to share with you the programs, activities and moments that we share with our BASE kids at Barrie, Luther, Purdy, and Rockwell. Each month we will highlight 2 BASE kids from each site who have reflected genuine qualities which have then positively influenced BASE staff and other BASE kids. We are proud to present to you the September 2019 BASE Kids of the Month!
BASE Barrie
BASE Luther
BASE Purdy
BASE Rockwell
BASE Quality After School Programs for the 2019-2020 School Year
School is back in session for the School District of Fort Atkinson for the 2019-2020 school year. With each new school year comes a need for quality after school programming and care. When elementary school students finished their first day of school on Tuesday, September 3rd at 3:00pm, BASE staff were waiting with anticipation and excitement at Barrie, Luther, Purdy and Rockwell to welcome registered BASE kids for an afternoon of quality programs and activities.
Welcome greetings, smiles and stories of summer as well as the first day of school filled the cafeterias at all 4 of our BASE sites while BASE kids enjoyed a healthy afternoon snack provided by the School District of Fort Atkinson Student Nutrition Team. The weather was perfect to then move outside for our Recreation Program which included choices of free play or organized group games and sports. Our bags of recreation equipment filled with footballs, kick balls, frisbees and more were a welcome sight for the BASE kids. Registered Junior Staff members had joined in the fun outside upon their arrival from the Fort Atkinson Middle School to spend the afternoon assisting the BASE staff and engaging in programs and fun with the BASE kids. 45 minutes of time outside hardly seemed like enough time to fully enjoy the weather and playing with friends, but they were looking forward to taking a look at the daily schedule inside the school building again to prepare for the next activity.
BASE kids were provided with the opportunity to begin work on their class reading logs or quietly relax with a good book from their backpack or the BASE book cart during the BASE Star Reading Program. Individual reading, reading with a friend, staff read alouds, and small group reading are great choice options for the BASE kids this year. The BASE Hour Program followed and time was allowed for BASE kids to review and complete homework individually or to ask for help from a BASE Staff or Junior Staff member. They also participated in planned, rotating activities in the areas of technology, creative writing, academics, trivia or chit-chat, and STEM.
BASE Staff trained together the week after the BASE Summer Program ended on August 23rd and before school began on Tuesday, September 3rd. Team building activities and diverse training topics provided the BASE Staff with opportunities to focus on our BASE culture and bring quality, enrichment and positivity to the out of school care that they provide every day at BASE. BASE Programs that will be implemented at the sites September-December are The Arts, STEM, Healthy Lifestyles and Mindfulness, Diversity and Foreign Language, and Friday Fun Day.
While BASE Staff have gone to work keeping BASE kids engaged in quality programs and having new, fun experiences this school year, it’s so amazing how community members, businesses and organizations reach out to us and share something special with BASE. The Jefferson County Humane Society has already made a visit BASE Rockwell and will visit the other 3 BASE sites with some furry, or not so furry friends to present on fun and educational topics relating to animals.
While BASE receives incredible support from the community, we are planning our BASE Lend a Hand Community Service Projects for the school year to give back in a variety of ways. BASE also takes every opportunity to support others like Farm to School month by participating in the Great Lakes Apple Crunch in October and national after school program advocacy through the Lights on After School event also in October. BASE programs will continue to celebrate important topics, themes, holidays and more through the school year.
BASE sites are looking to expand and extend membership offers to elementary school children at 3 of our sites Luther, Purdy, Rockwell and soon to our 4th site Barrie. Flexible fee options and scholarships are available to families who inquire about membership for the 2019-2020 after school program at BASE. www.basefortatkinson.org/registration This is a great school year to get involved with BASE - inquire about membership, volunteer your time, apply for an open employment opportunity, attend a BASE event, look for BASE out in the community, ask if your employer supports BASE or consider making an individual or family donation, or inquire about bringing your time and talents to share with the BASE kids at our sites. The list of ways that YOU can get involved and help us make a difference in the lives of children is endless and the rewards are priceless. We look forward to sharing more with you soon through our website, Facebook page and Instagram page.
Respectfully,
Melissa Willkomm, BASE Director of Operations
BASE Summer 2019 Week #1 Awards
BASE staff and kids had a great week #1 of Summer BASE camp programs, projects, activities, friends, fun and so much more! We can’t let these memorable summer weeks go by without recognizing our Summer BASE kids that Inspire - Lead - Succeed. We are incredibly happy to share with you our BASE Junior Staff Member of the Week, our 2 BASE Kids of the Week and our Reader of the Week during the first week of our 2019 BASE summer program. Congratulations!
KIDS Wings & Wheels Essay Contest- Enter to Win a FREE Airplane Ride!
We have an exciting opportunity for THREE BASE kids to win an airplane ride at our Wings & Wheels Fly In Breakfast with long time program supporter, Chip Day! Chip was instrumental in getting our program started back in 2005 and starting our fly-in breakfast. He is a long time pilot and has been giving airplane rides at this event for many years! He has graciously offered to take THREE kids for a ride on Sunday, June 2nd.
Kids! Fill out this essay submission form with your information and a short essay on why YOU want to fly!
Submissions must be sent by 5pm on Friday, May 31st. Winners will be notified by 9am on Saturday, June 1st. Plane ride is valid for Sunday, June 2nd at Wings & Wheels ONLY.
April BASE Kid of the Month Awards
We are pleased to present the BASE Kid of the Month awards for April 2019 to youth who inspire, lead and succeed.
BASE Barrie
BASE Luther
BASE Purdy
BASE Rockwell
March BASE Kid of the Month Awards
Rewards and recognition for March are here!
The BASE staff are pleased to present the BASE Kid of the Month awards for March to these very deserving youth at all of our BASE sites.
BASE Barrie
BASE Luther
BASE Purdy
BASE Rockwell
No School Day Program - Spring
BASE staff members opened the doors at Purdy Elementary School on Friday, March 22nd, a scheduled no school day in the Fort Atkinson School District. All things SPRING was the theme for the day. BASE staff planned and delivered art and STEM activities to 32 BASE members and with the help of 4 BASE Junior staff members. BASE kids enjoyed making bubble art with vibrant colors and making lots of bubbles. They also got creative when engineering a balloon car with basic supplies such as a water bottle, tape, rubber bands, a sponge, marshmallows, straws, and mints. Another highlight was the spring clean-up. BASE staff and kids walked around Purdy and Luther as well as down main street to help clean up community sidewalks and spaces. Thank you to Purdy Elementary school for allowing BASE the space to provide care to our BASE kids and families who need our care on no school days..
Lemonade Day Group Sessions
BASE has partnered with the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce and FCCU to host Lemonade Day on May 4th. The program is designed to teach kids how to be an entrepreneur through a multi step process. We have over 60 kids registered for our first-ever Lemonade Day which is very exciting!
While most of the kids are being mentored by their parents, we are offering some group mentoring sessions for the BASE students at each of the elementary schools (Luther/Purdy to combine) and any others who wish to participate. Volunteers from the business community will be coming in to talk with the kids during future dates to talk about a variety of topics related to the Lemonade Day mission.
The first group mentoring session was held on Wednesday, March 20th 4pm-5pm. Speakers included bankers, entrepreneurs and charitable organizations. Kids learned what it means to be an entrepreneur, how to set realistic financial goals and who they might like to support with a financial gift. The next mentoring session will be held on Wednesday, April 3rd, 4pm-5pm.
February BASE Kid of the Month Awards
BASE staff members shared some great stories about BASE kids from all of our sites during the month of February. Their stories included moments where BASE kids paused to show care and compassion for another, made everyone laugh, demonstrated qualities of a leader, went above and beyond to help staff or others, and the stories go on and on. As the months speed by so quickly, we take time to recognize the BASE Kids at each site who added to our list of inspiring BASE moments and stories.
BASE Barrie
BASE Luther
BASE Purdy
BASE Rockwell
2019 BASE Penny Drive
7th Annual Penny Drive
An Initiative to Help Project Lead XXXI
Enhance the Fort Atkinson Aquatic Center
BASE staff and kids are excited to announce that our 7th Annual Penny Drive will kick off on Monday, February 17th! From February 17th to March 22nd we will turn our BASE Lend a Hand Community Service Project efforts towards collecting coins and donations. This year BASE staff and kids will carry out an initiative to help Project Lead XXXI enhance the Fort Atkinson Aquatic Center.
This Project Lead project is close to our hearts here at BASE. During our full summer wrap around program, we offer BASE kids the opportunity to travel with staff to the Fort Atkinson Aquatic Center 1 day per week for 11 weeks.
For more information on the Project Lead XXXI project explanation, opportunities to contribute to the project outside of participating in our Penny Drive, and information on Project Lead and Leadership Training in our community supported by the Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce, please visit this website link: www.fortchamber.com/leadership-training
All BASE sites will collect coins and donations from February 17 - March 22. Our goal is to collect $1,000. BASE staff and kids will handle the counting, please consider bringing your coins and donations to one of our 4 BASE sites between the hours of 3-6pm or contact BASE Director of Operations, Melissa Willkomm via email to arrange a donation time and location.
melissa@basefortatkinson.org
We look forward to sharing our Penny Drive collection progress with you through our BASE Facebook page and the Program Blog on our BASE website.
We Love Afterschool!
It’s Valentine’s Day and BASE staff and kids wanted to participate in “We Love Afterschool.” On October 25th we participated in the Afterschool Alliance Lights on Afterschool Program, celebrating BASE with some fun activities. So today, we celebrate why we LOVE BASE. Happy Valentine’s Day from BASE!
January BASE Kid of the Month Awards
It’s 2019 and we are back with our BASE Kid of the Month Awards! This new year has our BASE kids continuing to demonstrate leadership skills, participate in great BASE activities, and uphold respectful and responsible behaviors. BASE staff members are proud to present the January 2019 BASE Kid of the Month Award winners.
BASE Barrie
BASE Luther
BASE Purdy
BASE Rockwell
BASE Lends a Hand By Saying THANK YOU!
BASE staff and kids made the most of Community Helpers week and chose these special people and professionals as the focus of the January 2019 BASE Lend a Hand project. There are many people who ensure that Fort Atkinson is safe, informed and running smoothly. BASE said THANK YOU in creative and personal ways to members of the Fort Atkinson Fire Department, Police Department, Post Office, and Food Pantry.
No School Day Program - Super Bowl & Team Building
BASE Staff and Junior Staff welcomed BASE kids to Purdy for the No School Day Program on Friday, January 18th. BASE kids enjoyed a day filled with Super Bowl and Team Building activities. They got into the spirit are ready to cheer on the teams in Super Bowl LIII. They also spent time together building relationships and working in teams through fun activities and lessons. Our No School Day programs are quite unique as we bring all 4 BASE sites, staff members and kids who choose attend, together for the day. Our BASE parents generously support our No School Day programs so that we can provide quality staff and programs on the days that families need us. Junior Staff members also shine bright on these days as they volunteer their time to assist staff with programming and work 1:1 with the BASE kids. Go Team BASE!
December BASE Kid of the Month Awards
It’s time to recognize our BASE Kids of the Month for December! BASE Staff members are proud to present these awards to BASE Kids who demonstrated qualities in the areas of leadership, participation, and positive attitude & behavior. We closed out 2018 with a great group of BASE Kids receiving their awards in October, November and December. We are excited to see what 2019 will bring as our BASE Kids continue to do great things!
