December was a month of joy and excitement at the Andover After School Program. We learned about and celebrated Hanukkah. We ate themed snacks like cheese and pretzel dreidels. We “lit” a paper menorah each of the 8 days and received a communal gift each day. These gifts included a pet beta fish that we named Mr. Bubbles, a chia pet, and sea monkeys. We also learned how to play dreidel, which was a huge hit with the kids, as they got to win little pieces of candy. It was a great learning experience for everyone, myself included!

Celebrating Christmas, we gave the gift of cheer instead of indulging in a million presents. We made Christmas cards for soldiers at Fort Sill in Oklahoma who could not be home this holiday season. The cards’ messages were so heart-felt, I am blessed to work with these kids every day! We also made paper lanterns, per request of Mrs. Poulin, over at the Andover Public Library that we visit each Thursday.

We would also like to extend a HUGE thank you to Andover Pizza Chef for working with us on a pizza day fundraiser. Thank you to everyone who supported us, as well! If you would like your child to join us in the tons of fun we have at the Andover After                                                               School Program, contact Shawna at andoverkids@nullyahoo.com or 603-735-6566.