June 2021 FROGS NewsFROGS, their families and volunteers had a fantastic reunion on the side lawn on Tuesday, May 18. Since our program ended so abruptly last March 2020, we decided to try to catch up with our tadpoles and their families. We had a great turn out of FROGS and volunteers, finding out about their school attendance, seeing how much they grew, voices changed, family news, etc.
Volunteers, we need to meet sometime during June to plan the upcoming session in September – watch for emails, phone calls, etc. Thank you, Judy Mysels, FROGS Program Director About FROGSThe First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood offers an After-School program including:
Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:45 PM to 6:00 PM Tuition is $25.00 per month and some scholarships are available. For information or to register: Contact Program Director Mrs. Judy Mysels frogs@fpcedgewood.org or phone 412-241-4613 or click the buttons below to print out forms needed |
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History
FROGS - Friends, Religion, and Other Great Stuff - began March 16, 2004, and met on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:15-5:15PM at the church for students interested in having some fun (and getting a little bit of help with homework). Kathy Hart served as director until 2007. Volunteers provided an after-school snack, homework help, games, and fun with Bible stories. Tutors were available for any child in need of extra help. Geared toward children in kindergarten through grade 3, the program was made possible by a grant from the Administrative Commission for Transformation of the Pittsburgh Presbytery.
In order to serve as more of a community outreach and less of a "church" program, the emphasis changed after the first year to Friends, READING, and Other Great Stuff, and funding of the program was shifted to the Mission Benevolence Budget at FPCE. The after-school program has continued each school year, broken into two or three sessions, with students from both Edgewood Primary and Dickson Intermediate participating in grades K-6. With the reconfiguration of buildings in the Woodland Hills School District several years ago, FROGS now serves students K-6 from Edgewood Elementary School. In 2014, students from the Academy at Woodland Hills were also invited to participate as they were housed at the former Word of God School building in Swissvale during renovations of the Turtle Creek facility. Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, the schools will be reconfigured again, with Edgewood Elementary STEAM Academy now serving students in grades K-5, so the program will adjust to reflect this realignment.
Summer FROGS ran Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 27-August 5, 2004, 10:00AM-2:00PM, and included learning enrichment, story-telling, arts and crafts, play time, field trips, and lunch. Summer sessions had a theme and included field trip outings. The summer program ran each year through 2011, with Deborah Pike taking over as Program Director in 2007 through December 2013, when church leadership discontinued FROGS in order to re-evaluate its effectiveness in meeting community needs. After discussion and prayer, it was reorganized and is set to begin again in Fall 2014 with a group of volunteers and interim director Flo Raisig. The 2015 Winter/Spring Session began on January 6 with new Program Director Judy Mysels.
In order to serve as more of a community outreach and less of a "church" program, the emphasis changed after the first year to Friends, READING, and Other Great Stuff, and funding of the program was shifted to the Mission Benevolence Budget at FPCE. The after-school program has continued each school year, broken into two or three sessions, with students from both Edgewood Primary and Dickson Intermediate participating in grades K-6. With the reconfiguration of buildings in the Woodland Hills School District several years ago, FROGS now serves students K-6 from Edgewood Elementary School. In 2014, students from the Academy at Woodland Hills were also invited to participate as they were housed at the former Word of God School building in Swissvale during renovations of the Turtle Creek facility. Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, the schools will be reconfigured again, with Edgewood Elementary STEAM Academy now serving students in grades K-5, so the program will adjust to reflect this realignment.
Summer FROGS ran Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 27-August 5, 2004, 10:00AM-2:00PM, and included learning enrichment, story-telling, arts and crafts, play time, field trips, and lunch. Summer sessions had a theme and included field trip outings. The summer program ran each year through 2011, with Deborah Pike taking over as Program Director in 2007 through December 2013, when church leadership discontinued FROGS in order to re-evaluate its effectiveness in meeting community needs. After discussion and prayer, it was reorganized and is set to begin again in Fall 2014 with a group of volunteers and interim director Flo Raisig. The 2015 Winter/Spring Session began on January 6 with new Program Director Judy Mysels.
