We ask that you prepare your child for outside playtime by providing him or her with protective clothing including coats, hats and gloves for the cooler days.
Our after-school program is also geared towards promoting a healthy atmosphere
for interaction with friends in both teacher-directed and child-directed
experiences. We begin with a homework period that allows children to complete
their after-school work before they get home and may be too tired or unable
to focus clearly on it. We feel that immediately after school is a crucial
time for children to focus on their homework while their classes are still
fresh in their minds and before they begin any activities. We allow 45-minutes
of supervised time for homework. During this period our teachers work
closely with the children to help them with any homework problems or questions
they may have. We do not complete the homework for your child and we expect
them to work quietly and constructively during this period. If your child
does not have any homework, they are allowed free, quiet playtime or reading
until the homework period is over.
Another aspect of our after-school program is outside playtime. Children
sometimes need to vent off the day's frustrations in a safe and supervised
environment. Outside playtime is an ideal situation for them to do so
as well as a constructive way for them to continue developing their gross
motor skills. We do not take the children out in inclement weather including
rain or snow, but we do take them out anytime the temperature is above
45 degrees and fair.
The children also have ample free time to decide whether they'd like to use the computer, video games, board games, crafts, or various play-act toys available to them. This non-rigid activity time allows them to make decision for themselves based on their feelings and moods for that particular day.
One day your child may feel creative and inspired and wish to do crafts and the next day feel mellow and wish to play a board game.
We feel it is important to help children develop their identities and make decisions on their own. For most of the school day, their teacher is responsible for making decisions for them and we want to encourage them to make choices of their own during this program.