NEW ULM – Community Education opportunities are in full effect as the school year is now well underway.

The Community Education Advisory Council (CEAC) updated New Ulm School Board on what’s available for students during the school board meeting Thursday.

School Board member Melissa Sunderman said Drama Kids is a new initiative for kids in grades 1-4, offering an alternative for students after school.

“It’s going to be right after school time and held at Jefferson,” She said. “Students can stay at Jefferson and attend this class. It sounded interesting. Having it right after school will also help with students. Those who typically would go to Kids Connection or a daycare can attend that class.”

A soccer skill-building program is in the works. Sunderman said the proposed leader of that program will be meeting with other leaders to see if it would be better as a separate opportunity or as a part of community education.

Kids Connection continues to be popular after a change in schedule and removal of fifth-grade kids from the program.

“This is the first year they are doing a new block system,” Sunderman said. “The [Pre-K section] is full with 30 students. K-4 is full as well and they have 18 on a waiting list.”

Sunderman said the adjustment to K-4 was made after success with a Home Alone class teaching kids independence skills to use when their parents are not around.

“That has helped, and a lot of parents appreciated that class,” she said.”A lot of their fifth graders can now stay home after school for those two hours until a parent comes home. They are going to hold that Home Alone class again this fall and in the spring as well.”

Outdoor and indoor clubs for middle school students have opened up. This includes clubs for pickleball, art, and card game Magic The Gathering. Sunderman said Conservation Club has not taken off like she had hoped.

“There’s only one sign-up for that,” she said. “I was hoping more students would sign up for that and take advantage because the premise of it sounded interesting.”

The clubs are serviced by a shuttle bus, dedicated to providing rides for students after their club is over.

Sunderman ended her report by discussing some programs in other schools. MVL is working on a new fine arts center, The Grand is bringing back their successful heart therapy class, and Pro Kinship is preparing their Coats for Kids program which they hope gets a result like last year.

“They gave out 300 coats total to 125 different families within our area,” Sunderman said.