Kathy’s Corner: Where kids feel at home and parents have peace of mind
Intimate after-school care program expands day camps for elementary students
By Jennifer Halley
SHERWOOD, Ore. — Kathy’s Corner is more than just a place for kids of Ridges Elementary School to spend the time in between getting out of school and being picked up by their primary caregivers.
The intimate after-school care program has expanded into a series of day camps for kids going into kindergarten through fifth grade. The camps are split into five sessions across the summer months, each session lasting three days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Kathy Hollamon and her husband, both of whom have spent decades working for school districts throughout the Portland, Tigard, and Hillsboro areas, wanted a safe place for kids to develop a sense of belonging, and when Kathy retired a year ago, that was a core value behind starting Kathy’s Corner.
“I love how the different ages have melded together so the older ones take the younger ones under their wing and help them, and it's really cool,” Hollamon said. “They’ve built a really close community. I love it. It brings a lot of joy to my heart to see what we've built.”
During a camp in June, she overheard one of the girls tell a friend: “this is the best daycare ever.”
“So that’s really fun to hear,” Hollamon said.
These day camp sessions are capped at 10 participants so that Kathy has the ability to offer quality and hands-on care. A retired teacher, she is armed with decades of creating hands-on, engaging activities so the kids not only have fun, but learn something too.
Each three-day session has a theme, like Ocean Explorer for session one. On the day of the interview, the kids got to paint star-shaped cookies, run through an obstacle course, draw pictures of animals that live in the Coral Reef, come up with ideas on how to keep the ocean healthy, and more.
The kids help Hollamon with her gardening, too. The after-school kids planted their own fruits and vegetables, and take pride in watering them.
“It's really fun to see them get excited about gardening,” Hollamon said. “I don't even have to tell them like, ‘oh, we need to go and water the garden.’ No, they just go and they do it.”
There were three sessions in June. The July sessions ran from the 15th to 17th, and the final session occurs August 10-12 before Kathy starts preparing for a new school year.
When school starts, the after-school program will resume like normal from 2:15 to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. She offers a full-time option, three to five days a week, and a part-time option, one to two days a week.
Like last year, she’ll provide all-day care for no-school days, with a variety of activities planned, and use her Honda Odyssey van to take the kids on field trips.
“In the fall last year, we did a beekeeping field trip,” Hollamon said. “I have a friend who's a hobby beekeeper, so we went there and the kids got to learn all about bees, the hive, honey, and then helped break the old combs down and scrape off the old wax. They also got a chance to build some new combs to put into a new hive. We also did some other bee-related activities back at Kathy’s Corner.”
She’s also taken kids to Tumble Bears, a gymnastics and athletic center, to the Pearl Street Urban Farm, and to a Sherwood Park Extravaganza.
Her tireless approach to ensuring her young learners receive as much out of the day camps and after school programs as possible is a reflection of the passion Hollamon carried with her through her career as a teacher.
“I’ve always loved kids, and I think the thing that I love the most about Kathy's Corner is that I get to decide what activities we do; I get to decide what field trips we go on during the school year on no school days. I get to create activities that match our field trips. It’s a new way to use my teaching skills. I’ve always loved art and being creative, so we do a variety of artistic things," she said. "I also like teaching the kids about cooking and nutrition, so we make things in the kitchen too, and apply math to recipes. I also taught PE, so I believe in having a balance of physical activities with our artistic ones. Overall, these kids really have a sense of belonging to our group. They have made new friends, and they always tell me with excitement when they have seen each other out in public, or at school. I think every kid needs a place to belong and feel safe and secure.”
One of her grandkids gets to attend the after-school program, and Hollamon says that’s such a huge blessing. Her dog, Nikita, acts as a friend for the youngsters, and her kitten enjoys the attention too.
Family has always been important to Hollamon. She and her husband have a daughter who will be starting her senior year at Linfield in the fall. Hollamon also makes a point to spend time with her three siblings on a regular basis, and loves being around her two children and three other grandchildren.
Kathy's Corner
Call: 503-313-6571
