By Lesli Reeves
Loving and Growing our students is what we do at Irmo Middle School.
Our afterschool program, The HIVE, is doing just that. Our mission at The HIVE (Hub for Interdisciplinary Values and Enrichment) is to foster a culture of innovation, inspire creative thinking and problem solving, and cultivate excellence in every student.
We offer an engaging and dynamic after-school program designed to nurture our student’s potential and ignite their passion for learning.
We want to be more than just a “daycare” for our students. We want our students and their families to feel connected to our school through The HIVE. Working with the communities and families we hope to grow the program as the school year goes on.”
I am the director of the HIVE after-school program at Irmo Middle School, and I’m constantly looking for community connections to give students more opportunities.
We really can’t do this work without the community behind us. The block party at Harbison Gardens organized by Julius Scott, Lexington Richland Five Community Support Coordinator, was a great step in building those relationships.
Academics and Relationships/ Connections are the two main goals of the HIVE. Teachers and staff are working hard to help students with their academics so that they are successful in their classrooms. We have certified teachers as well as assistants working in the HIVE every day. And for students who need extra support in math, we have three math tutors at least three days a week.
We also put a strong emphasis on building relationships and connections with HIVE students. Playing board games, doing crafts, making snacks together, having healthy conversations, and just being a kid are all small things we can do to help support the growth of our children. I am working on getting community involvement so we can have guest speakers to inspire the students.
This is just the beginning. Irmo Middle School expects The HIVE after-school program to continue to transform and grow to offer more opportunities to the students at Irmo Middle School. The staff expects to continue developing the HIVE into an exemplary model of their district’s vision: We Love and Grow our students. If you are interested in helping their mission please contact Lesli Reeves at Irmo Middle School for more information at [email protected].
