Rising Stars Homework Club (RSHC) has supported students in the Wissahickon School District in Ambler PA since 2015. The purpose of the club is to push elementary-aged students to reach their full potential by helping them to love learning. Our daily activities provide many types of positive reinforcement to encourage a growth mindset, the belief that taking chances and trying new things with a positive attitude works best through dedication and hard work. At RSHC we believe that children are our future and with the right support system, any child can succeed.
Patti Fabiani, one of the original co-founders and Director, is responsible for the day to day operations of the program, has daily communication with classroom teachers and specialists so the children have consistency and reinforcement of what the children learn in school. She has 29 years of experience as a Paraeducator at the Wissahickon School District supporting elementary-aged children.
Heather Maltin is the Supervisor, has a background as a high school teacher, reading tutor, an advocate for community outreach, and the social media manager. RSHC has become a wrap-around service of the Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard in Ambler, which is a perfect addition to the widely-known organization that has provided food, clothing and other necessities to our community for over 50 years. Ambler Borough allows us to use their gymnasium and playground free of charge, which works perfectly for our program.
RSHC supports kids in grades K-5; we are open Mondays through Thursdays during the school year and we follow the Wissahickon School District calendar. Our goal is to provide a safe learning space for kids who need an extra level of support to achieve academic and personal success. Each student has a specialized learning profile and we try to build upon their foundational skills with a wide range of activities and learning experiences.
Our club encourages the formation of important habits that help our students become independent, lifelong learners. Every day our kids are required to complete homework, read a book of their choice and play challenging learning games online. Our kids are encouraged to try new things and to grow in ways that push their limits. We have received positive feedback that kids make progress in fine motor skills like handwriting, better reading fluency and comprehension, improved math skills and willingness to participate in classroom activities in a productive way. Since RSHC was initiated, hundreds of students have attended this program and parents are thrilled with their improvements. Overall the participants perform better both at home and in school. Teachers have often reported improvements in self-esteem and ability to work with classmates.
RSHC is not only academic; we also help students emotionally and socially so they feel part of something important and this family environment we have created generates a sense of pride. We have so many loving and talented people come to visit our kids - - we have students from local public and private schools (Wissahickon, Upper Dublin, LaSalle and Gwynedd Mercy Academy, to name a few) come every day in conjunction with community members, teachers and other inspirational adults. Denine from Mermaid Art Studio visits to do creative drawings, Judy Tudy does a magic show, First Presbyterian church provides healthy snack options each day, we have cooking experiments, field day and even have a reading support dog named Ami! The Do Better for Steve Foundation purchases many of our supplies and they pay to send our kids to summer camp and enroll in sports teams. The list goes on and on! Volunteers with all kinds of backgrounds come in to visit and work with our kids! Our Wissahickon teachers and administrators are also regulars - imagine the excitement of a student when their principal or teacher shows up unannounced!
Our program is all about “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” Because RSHC is free for designated students and staffed 100% by volunteers, we rely on the generosity of our community for most of our teaching supplies, snacks and book library. Please follow us on social media to see what we have coming up and to view our donation request lists (see below for specifics). RSHC has evolved in so many ways and we are proud to watch our club become more dynamic every year. We love to involve people from all walks of life to let them experience the magic that happens when a child lights up. Homework Club is a blessing to us and our community and we would be honored to know you!
Our location is AMBLER BOROUGH BUILDING
131 Rosemary Ave. Ambler, PA 19002 in the multipurpose room
Email us at risingstarshomeworkclub@gmail.com
Call or text us at 455-225-9595
Follow our group on FB @ Rising Stars HW Club
Follow us on Instagram @ risingstarshomeworkclub
Our goal is to help our kids to become better students, community members and overall citizens.
Our mission of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”