The Wirt County Primary Center will be hosting an Energy Express Site this year for students who will be entering 1st – 6th grade in the fall. Energy Express is a print rich, six-week program designed to avoid the summer slide in reading levels of children by providing them with breakfast and lunch as well as curriculum that makes reading enjoyable. Our Energy Express program runs from June 17th – July 26th. Interested parents can contact the Wirt County Extension Office at 304-275-3101 to sign up your child.
Energy Express relies on the community for support. So how can you help? We are seeking donations of “found objects” for art projects during the program. These objects are being collected by the Extension Office. Churches, community groups, and local businesses can contact the office if they are interested in having a drop off location for found objects.
Please begin saving your found objects for Energy Express. We will begin accepting them at the Extension Office on April 15 and continue our collection until July 1.
Here are some examples of items that we are looking for, but we take just about anything:
- Egg cartons
- Paper bags (clean – all sizes)
- Paper towel/ toilet paper tubes (they had a shortage of these last year, so we would appreciate receiving lots)
- Large appliance boxes
- Wallpaper samples
- Magazines with lots of pictures
- Empty cereal boxes
- Empty oats boxes
- Newspapers
- Plastic bags – all sizes
- Plastic sheeting
- Foam peanuts
- Plastic containers – all sizes/shapes
- Used file folders
- Heavy weight and regular paper
- Buttons, beads, sequins
- Freezer/butcher paper
- Cotton balls, q-tips
- Craft feathers
- String, thread, yarn, spools
- Fabrics/materials – all kinds
- Socks/panty hose – clean
- Clothesline/clothespins
- Foam trays, plates, cups
- Leftover craft materials – all kinds
- Foam, paint, felt, decorations
- School supplies – Markers, glue, scissors, crayons, chalk, pencils, Notebook/construction paper
- Tape- especially painter’s tape and masking tape
- Plastic buckets
- Shower curtains/old sheets
These objects will help integrate reading and art for children throughout the summer.
Our mentors are trained to use these types of objects to create meaningful lessons
to enhance the reading skills of our young learners. If you are interested
in collecting items or would like to make a donation, please contact the
WVU Wirt County Extension Office at
304-275-3101.