July 21, 2021 | The start of the 2021 Summer Olympics is nearly here, but the West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) held its own version of the games last month thanks to WDMCS Community Education's Kids West.
Roughly 300 students part of Kids West child care at Clive Learning Academy, Fairmeadows Elementary, and Jordan Creek Elementary participated in fun Olympics-themed activities on Friday, June 25, at Valley Stadium. Kids West provides safe, affordable, and convenient before-and-after school child care for WDMCS students in grades K-6. During the summer, students typically participate in group games and projects as well as enriching educational lessons in science, math, and reading. They also go on field trips.
KJ Yaeger, program coordinator for Kids West, is the leading force behind organizing this event every four years.
"Each classroom represents a different country, we do a little parade of athletes, and then they play crazy, wacky Olympic games," Yaeger said. "They have to balance a big ball between two kids and drop it into a laundry basket, dribble or hit a ball with a broom through a bunch of cones, or pass a cup of water over their heads to try and fill up another cup of water."
Smiles and laughter filled the stadium as Kids West staff and students cheered each other on throughout the day. For lunch, students enjoyed meals prepared by WDMCS Nutrition Services which were served from its "Meals on the Move" bus.
Yaeger complimented her staff, noting how they make Kids West “one of the best before-and-after school care programs.”
"We have so many staff who have been here for so long and they do such a great job with our kids," Yaeger said. "We have college kids who come back every summer. We have kids that were in Kids West who now work for us. It's just a great program, we have great kids, and they always have fun."
Learn more about Kids West online by visiting discover.wdmcs.org/kids-west
Photos: Kids West Summer 2021 Olympics
