Cookies in a jar, penguin Oreos, Rice Krispies treat snow people. These items sound like bakery offerings but they are actually student-made creations from CV Starr’s Arts and Eats after school club. The club, which includes 15 students per session, combines arts and crafts with sweet treats for an experience students rave about.
“This was the best club I have ever done,” said fifth grader Ariana Whitman. “We got to be creative and I love treats so this was the perfect club for me! I loved this so much and will miss it.”
“I loved Arts and Eats!” agreed Marielle Houdusse. “Everything we made was so creative from the first day to the last. I wish I had Arts and Eats every day.”
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Teachers and Club Advisors Kathryn Marchionno and Michelle Mulvihill came up with the idea for the club while co-teaching Stepping Stones over the summer.
“We wanted to do a club and sat together to brainstorm,” Mulvihill said. “We both love arts and crafts and eating, so why not do both?”
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During a typical session, students come in, wash their hands and put their aprons on. Next, they get a little bag of tools and supplies as the suspense over the week’s project builds. The group then does a countdown to the big reveal, where students get a picture of what they are about to create before getting started.
“We take a problem-solving approach to the club,” Marchionno said. “We provide the materials and the final outcome, but we do not tell them how to do it. They need to think about the process. They work through trial and error, but they feel such a sense of accomplishment when they are finished.”
