Lights, Camera, Action!

We saved the best for last!

It's the final quarter of 2024!

We Saved the Best for Last!

Here are Events That Are Happening Through December 2024.

This month we are shining the light on our students who have been caught reading.

The written word is dynamic and has the power to transport readers to distant places and times they may never physically experience. Reading cultivates vivid mental imagery that can bring locations to life as if they've been personally explored. In some cases, reading may even spark a deep desire to visit the places one has only encountered in books.

“OPX Jamestown is celebrating National Book Month by highlighting the importance of reading as a tool for both personal growth and emotional development. The program is deeply connected to socio-emotional learning, with students reading books that promote self-esteem, resilience, and overcoming obstacles. Featured titles focus on characters who face challenges and emerge stronger, helping students see reflections of their own struggles and triumphs. In addition to reading, students are engaging in a hands-on project where they create a fantasy world that incorporates their own life experiences and environments, encouraging them to connect the text to their own realities. This project emphasizes “text-to-self” connections, where students reflect on how the themes of overcoming adversity in the stories they read relate to their personal journeys. Through this immersive approach, students are not only building literacy skills but also developing empathy, confidence, and emotional awareness” (Ms. Cook, Jamestown Site Director).

Encouraging children to learn this fundamental skill from an early age can ignite their imaginations, expand their knowledge of people, places, and things, and create lasting memories. With the arrival of cooler weather, children may be less inclined to spend time outdoors. What better way to unwind indoors than by switching off the distractions and settling into a cozy chair with a captivating book?

Exceptional books should inspire readers to maintain this enthusiasm throughout their lives. Why not encourage your child to pick up a great book and prioritize reading over excessive TV-watching during National Book Month and after October.

Lights on Afterschool is an annual nationwide event that began in October 2000. Its purpose is to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of afterschool programs for children, families, and communities. Each year, this significant event receives extensive media coverage across the country. Lights on Afterschool emphasizes how afterschool programs support students by helping them gain knowledge in STEAM, among other subjects, and discover new skills that can last a lifetime.

Usher, the music entertainer who performed during the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year, is the 2024 honorary chair of Lights on Afterschool. Usher’s single-parent mother found that she could confidently rely on The Boys & Girls Club to care for her son after school. Usher credits after-school programs as safe places that young people can attend where they will interact with caring adults and mentors. Usher's involvement in this year's Lights on Afterschool includes calling on the nation for more afterschool programs. Usher credits his afterschool experience with finding his life’s purpose—music, which would later inspire him to join this cause to help “close the gap for the 25 million youth who need afterschool services.”

Lights on Afterschool is officially observed on October 24, 2024. It will be a day to remember as many people and establishments as possible will host events to celebrate the significance of and the need for increased afterschool programs. The media will be replete with images of celebrations across the country. Even the Empire State Building will turn on its light ‘after school’!

As parents, donors, and supporters of Operation Xcel, you understand the importance of quality afterschool programs, whether your child is currently attending Operation Xcel or has attended in the past. You may also be a donor who supports children who participate in these programs. We encourage you to take part in the Lights on Afterschool Lightbulb Challenge. All you need to do is take a photo of yourself posing in the shape of the Lights on Afterschool logo and post it on social media with the hashtags #LightbulbChallenge and #LightsOnAfterschool. Then, challenge your followers to do the same!

Tag us on social media if participate in the Lightbulb Challenge. We are Operation Xcel on all our social media platforms. You will recognize us through our distinct logo and branded color scheme.

Click on the button below to access the Lights on Afterschool Logo and other social media art and tools.

Operation Xcel is proud to have added three new and one returning Operation Homework afterschool site for this 2024-2025 school year. We welcome Hairston Middle, Southwest Middle, and Peck Elementary Schools and welcome back Stokesdale United Methodist Church as Operation Homework afterschool sites.

As you have come to expect and look forward to, the students and staff are excited and ready to show off their innovative projects curated by thoughtfully critical and informed strategies. We want everyone to know about one of Guilford County’s best-kept secrets, which we possess at Operation Xcel. Won’t you help share the word with the people and community partners you know?

Go ahead and mark your calendars now. You have plenty of time to invite coworkers, bosses, family, pediatrician, therapist, friends, and neighbors to witness firsthand your child’s wonderful projects. They'll be amazed at the exciting educational results from an organization that dares to use unique ideas in STEAM to help all students eXcel individually and collectively in their education and future career preparations!

Attention: All Parents - Remember to attend the required training, programming insight, and updates at the Parent Cafe on November 21st. See your site director for more information.

*The start times are subject to change.

Parents' Nights - All Sites Start 5:30 - 6:30