LYNNFIELD — A+.
That’s the letter grade Lynnfield Community Schools Director Sarah Perkins is giving Lynnfield Summer of Fun Activities (SOFA) this year. Not only did the program give the town’s youth a chance to socialize with their friends in a variety of fun activities, ranging from arts and crafts to sports to learning about ecosystems, it also gave educators a preview into what the upcoming school year might look like living — and learning — in a pandemic.
“We just have been so impressed by our staff. From the get-go they were like, ‘What can we do? Let’s make this happen within the guidelines,'” Perkins said. “I think it helped us that the majority of our staff are teachers or they work in the school system in some capacity. They have shared with me that it’s been really helpful for them to even get a small sense of what it will be like to return to school, what it’s like to wear their masks all day and follow the protocols, so it has given them a certain comfort level knowing what they are heading into.”
Perkins said the six-week program averaged about 100 kids from age 4 through the eighth grade every week, with about half of them signing on for the whole summer. Classes were limited to a maximum of 10 children and two staff members.
“We really had to limit our enrollment because we fall under the daycare guidelines, not day camps, so as a result, the majority of our programs were either sold out or very close to being sold out, which has been so exciting for all of the staff and for the school district as a whole,” Perkins said. “It tells us that children and families are looking forward to coming back and being around other people and doing so in a safe way.”
The program wrapped up Friday with six programs, three full-day and three half-day, outside at the high school from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Programs included Mini Movers Studio, where students could learn jazz, hip-hop and musical theater and create a personal video; Ecosystems Explorers, a program that helped kids learn about their favorite animals and habitats; High Five Sports; tennis; Aloha Splash, with limbo and hoola-hoop contests and a tiki torch ring toss; and Lynnfield Big Top Carnival, which featured homemade game tools for several games, including Knock the Can and Ring Toss, along with cotton candy and popcorn machines and a photo booth.
Perkins said both adults and kids alike followed all the rules.
“It’s been incredible how the staff, the high school students and children and kids have been diligent about wearing their masks and really doing well with all of the state guidelines for COVID,” said Perkins. “We have been so impressed with what they have been able to do even when wearing their masks and practicing social distancing. We are truly grateful for the support of so many families to have the kids following the rules.”
Perkins said there still is plenty of work to be done the rest of the summer.
“We are working on planning our fall programming, similar to what the school district is trying to do in terms of understanding guidelines and planning around those as we go into the school year,” Perkins said. “Families have been checking in regularly and asking, so that’s nice support for us knowing that we can provide them with a service they value and enjoy.”
Perkins said SOFA’s success is the result of a town-wide effort.
“It’s not just what we are doing, it’s the town itself — the emergency response team, Chief (Glenn) Davis at the firehouse, the custodians, even the Rec Department. They’ve all been really great in helping us adapt our programs,” Perkins said. “It’s been a nice welcome feeling to see how we are all working together to make this happen for families in spite of the tough guidelines.”
