SWAMPSCOTT — The Recreation Department, which is now utilizing the building of the former Clarke Elementary School, is looking to create fun programs not just for kids, but for every age group in town.
Previously, the Select Board and School Committee both approved the one-year Memorandum of Understanding between Swampscott Public Schools and the Town; the MOU allows the department to use the former school. As per the agreement, the department will be paying the utility bills, such as gas and electricity, while it occupies the building.
Recreation Director Charlotte Daher de Garcia spoke about bringing both new and returning programs over to the Clarke building and what she hopes to deliver to community members.
“I think that the Clarke building is what the community needed for a really long time,” Daher de Garcia said. “Historically, Recreation has hit it out of the park when it comes to summer programming. Winter programming was always limited as we didn’t have a permanent space.”
When Daher de Garcia began looking around at the recreation departments in surrounding areas, one thing she noticed was that a lot of them had a recreation or community center that was shared between various age groups.
She added that when she was hired in August, she began thinking of ways the department could expand, especially for indoor programs.
“I approached Swampscott Public Schools about it, as well as Facilities Director Max Kasper. We were able to begin the conversation, and as luck would have it, both the Select Board and School Committee approved it,” Daher de Garcia explained. “That was really exciting, and it’s been full-speed ahead ever since.”
She noted that there’s a wide spectrum of events planned for the department’s new space, such as candlelight yoga, art classes, decorating gingerbread houses, and even the first inaugural dreidel competition, which is in partnership with the Lapin Foundation. There will also be a class that teaches people to make Thanksgiving-themed cookies.
“One of the coolest things is a puzzle-off. It’s a speed puzzling competition where everyone has the same puzzle, with teams of four… This is the first time Recreation has hosted the event — which is Nov. 20 — and we sold out with 12 teams, so we’ll have 48 people participating,” she said. “The timer will go off, and they’ll have two hours to complete a 500-piece puzzle.”
She noted that Jersey Mike’s has partnered with the Recreation Department for the event and will provide dinner to participants.
There will also be athletic programs, in which the department will utilize the gym in the Clarke building for events like Super Soccer Stars.
In order to brainstorm what ideas might make a good fit for the Recreation Department’s new home, Daher de Garcia began crowdsourcing. As a parent of young children herself, she knew there were ample programs and events for children, but she wanted to expand the program in order to fit every age group.
“I spoke with a lot of people, especially folks that attend recreation programs. I think the one thing that people wanted was more adult offerings. We focused on that as well as continuing the beloved traditions that we’ve always had,” she said.
Daher de Garcia said it makes her super happy to be able to provide a space that can foster connection among community members.
“I think that being able to have a space where folks don’t have to go outside of Swampscott to attend is one of the biggest things,” she said. “There are folks that maybe don’t get out otherwise, or maybe they want to meet a new friend, or learn something new… I think the fact that we can achieve that through having a recreation center at Clarke is the biggest thing for me.”
The Recreation Department is also hosting its first annual Festival of Trees event, which starts at 4 p.m. on Dec. 1 and goes until Dec. 6. For more information, community members can visit: https://swampscottma.myrec.com/info/default.aspx
