Eronomink teachers run unpaid before- and after‑school clubs; school wins Disney Musicals grant

Interim principal Wendy Elgort told the Upper Darby School District Board of School Directors that teachers at Eronomink Elementary run multiple before‑ and after‑school clubs without compensation to provide students with extracurricular learning opportunities.

"They do it for the kids," Elgort said, describing a rotating schedule of clubs that meet Monday through Thursday across most of the academic year. Assistant principal Brian Walden said the school offers Brain Builders (chess and checkers), Brick Masters (Legos), running club and a newly formed dance club, among others.

Walden emphasized the staff commitment behind the programs: "They do it because they love it. They love our community, and they want our students to learn." He said two clubs meet at 8:00 a.m. so students arrive 45 minutes earlier and that teachers staff multiple supervision points to keep students safe on the course for the running club.

The presentation included a short video of students and club moderators. Walden also announced that Eronomink was selected for a Disney Musicals in Schools grant, chosen from 829 applicants: "We were selected as one of the 200 schools in the nation to do this grant," he said, adding the school will perform a student-version of "The Lion King" next school year.

Why it matters: Board members and administrators said these volunteer-run offerings provide extracurricular access for students who may not have those resources at home and reinforce school-community ties. No board action was taken during the presentation; the item was informational.

What’s next: School leaders said they will continue to run clubs and plan performances tied to the Disney grant, and they thanked district leaders for recent facility renovations that make staging possible.