School district hopes to increase enrollment to 1,200 students
Photo courtesy MHUSD
Students in the MHUSD “Amplify” program enjoy fun educational activities.
By Savannah Brito
Savannah Brito
A new program at Morgan Hill Unified School District offers students a secure place to learn, grow, and make friends while enjoying fun educational activities before and after their classes.
Launched Nov. 1, the “Amplify” program provides students from transitional kindergarten to eighth grade with activities. It gives additional support and builds relationships in partnership with skilled YMCA staff. The morning activities last from 6:30 a.m. until the start of school. In the afternoon, students go from the end of the school day until 6 p.m.
Between 700 and 750 kids have been enrolled in Amplify and the school district hopes to reach a goal of 1,200 students.
“We’re always looking to extend the learning of all our kids, to provide them with all the support they possibly can use to get ahead,” said Arlene Machado, director of curriculum and instruction at MHUSD. “For some students it is the need for additional academic help, and for others it’s social and emotional learning. Students need a stable place to be before or after school. We strive to help the students in a location that is not just in a classroom.”
The district intends for Amplify to be open to all students who need help with certain skills or need a safe place to go before or after school. The middle school and elementary students receive curriculum based on age and grade. Groups meet at Barrett, El Toro, Los Paseos, Nordstrom, Paradise Valley, San Martin/Gwinn, JAMM, and P.A. Walsh elementary schools as well as several apartment complexes in Morgan Hill. It was also launched at Britton and Martin Murphy middle schools. Organizers also plan to eventually bring the program to Sobrato and Live Oak high schools.
Several nonprofit groups work with Amplify. The El Toro Boys and Girls Club meets at its community locations near P.A. Walsh. Youth Alliance meets at the middle school campuses. The YMCA focuses on the elementary schools. Each group has a curriculum of physical activity, SEL (Social and Emotional Learning), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and other academic enrichment. Middle school goes through more advanced academic activities such as college readiness, career exploration, and leadership opportunities.
Youth Alliance is a community partner that does after-school programming and goes onto a campus in some schools to run groups. They strongly focus on career exploration and SEL, primarily for the middle school students.
The nutritional department in Amplify gives parents a federal survey to fill out that determines if their student is eligible for free lunch, free transportation, and free access to programs. Families qualifying do not need to pay for their children to receive food. However, parents who do not qualify for free and reduced lunch pay a fee of $200 a month per student.
“We work really hard to get as many of our families qualified as possible,” Machado said.
By participating in Amplify, parents will save money because many other daycare programs cost more than $500 a month. All students receive daily meals, daily transportation, and daily learning and social activities.
The YMCA activities and physical education are the same for all ages. However, the SEL and career readiness will be different depending on the grade levels. Children and teens also have access to a computer lab, physical activity, and art instruction. Amplify also helps develop students as they get a positive reinforcement of behavior by building their social and emotional abilities.
“The kids love it,” Machado said. “They’re learning new activities, and we’re developing these students into the great people that I know they will be. And if we can help with that in different ways besides just the classroom, we’re excited.”
Jaclyn Snyder, MHUSD’s lead student support specialist, feels passionate about helping students engaged in Amplify.
“This is a community I serve. I have kids in this district who drive me to be better and create better programs for our students,” she said. “Overall, we want to see students achieve, and some of them need additional help here and there. Due to COVID-19, a gap was created which especially makes us want to be able to meet the needs of our students.”
If the student’s parents are busy at work, Amplify is a wonderful safe, clean, and warm place for their children. They do not need to worry about meals as breakfast and dinner are served, she said.
Since it started, several parents have given positive feedback about Amplify and have thanked Snyder’s team for starting this new program. They express their thrill that their kids love learning during Amplify time and are satisfied with the meals and activities.
“We also want to meet students’ unique needs and we are not able to do that unless we give them opportunities to be in different programs that offer different facets that can address each individual student,” Snyder said.
Snyder has a son in kindergarten who gets mad if he gets picked up before the physical fun time activity.
“I have to figure out when sports time is so I don’t pick him up before that,” she said. “Multiple parents have come up to me saying ‘I have three of my kids in it,’ and it is free for them. I cannot imagine what it would be like for them financially for another after-school care.”
Amplify gained its name when Snyder’s team of educators considered the purpose of their program.
“We were playing with words,” she said. “We want to amplify learning, we want to amplify reading, we want to amplify connections. And so it just started to become that.”
Amplify also uses a digital app called Parent-Square that provides a platform that allows mass communication with parents, families, and groups within the community. MHUSD also uses social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to push messaging to parents.
Machado sees Amplify as a tool to empower students to do well with their personal and academic development.
“I’ve worked in this school district for more than 45 years,” she said. “I have a real passion for the people here, for the students, for the community, and I thankfully work with a team that feels the same way. Everyone here is working as hard as they can to bring as many experiences as possible to our kids.”
Savannah Brito is a senior at Sobrato High School and is working toward a professional career in journalism.
