After the Bell/After School Program

2021-2022 After School Program

January 13, 2022 

Good Morning!

These last two weeks at After the Bell have been so much fun, filled with so many crafts, learning, and games! Although the end of this week was definitely wonky, we are excited for the next few weeks, as we have many awesome activities planned to help your students learn in a fun and engaging way!

Please make sure that if there are any changes to your after-school schedule (a student being picked up early, coming on a nonscheduled day, having a practice, etc.), that you cc Jody Mace.

As a reminder, billing for the next two weeks (January 18th - 28th) has gone out and payments are due today! Please go onto your parent account to ensure all payments have gone through and been approved. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you!

https://www.ezchildtrack.com/Parent7/ParentLogin.aspx?c=AfterTheBell

Hope Cataldo
RISD After School Director

• August 2021 Newsletter
• September 2021 Newsletter

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

For registration this year, we will be utilizing an online system called EZChildTrack. Through this system, you will be able to manage any information related to your family, as well as make payments for the program. You will also be able to access any waitlist your child may be on and see when they will be able to start our program. Any information we may have regarding the program will be sent through this system, and you can opt to receive emails or texts!

Breaking it Down

After School is a time for students to continue learning in a fun and safe way!

We are so excited to have this amazing program running for you all this year. As our schedule states, each day of the program will begin with free play and a snack. We will then move into Enrichment/Support where students will get 30 minutes of Math and Literacy to help hone in on their academics, If they are struggling with anything in school, this is a great time to practice those skills!

Students will then move into an Activity/Program. Some ideas include participating in group games such as soccer or basketball, or creating beautiful works of art. Nevertheless, your child will leave with a smile on their face and ready to come back the next day for more!

Pick Up will be from 5-5:30. We are asking parents to please be respectful of this and not show up late. Thank you!

Schedule

• End of School - 3:30 Snack / Free Play
• 3:30 - 4:00 Math/Literacy Enrichment
• 4:00 - 5:00 Activity / Program
• 5:00 - 5:30 Free Play / Student Pick Up

Program Details

• Monday: Craftin’ It
• Tuesday: Let’s Get Physical
• Wednesday: Kids Cooking Challenge
• Thursday: STEM: Inspiration Station
• Friday: You Choose

Cost

The program costs $12/day per child. Regardless of siblings, this price will remain consistent throughout the year. We are currently in the process of applying for licensure, which will allow your family to receive subsidies based on need. As more information becomes available about this, the director will send out notices.

You will have the option to either pay in person, by cash or check, or through our online payment system. With this system, you will be able to make automatic payments, pay by debit or credit card, and/or get invoiced and billed. This will also help with any reimbursements if students are absent from afterschool. Attendance will be taken daily to ensure payments are correct.

Payments will be made bi-weekly. You will be asked to pay the Friday prior to each pay period. Again, you will be reimbursed for any days when your child did not attend our program at the end of the pay period. If payments are missed continuously, you will be asked to find an alternative program for your child to attend after school. If you have any issues with payments, please reach out to Director, Hope Cataldo, directly.

The pay periods with payment due dates are listed. It also shows the number of days per week that the program will be open, which takes into account school vacations, no school days, and holidays. We are so excited to have this amazing opportunity!

Pay Periods

• October 4th - October 8th (4 days) - Payment Due: October 1st
• October 11th - October 22nd (9 days) - Payment Due: October 8th
• October 25th - November 5th (10 days) - Payment Due: October 22nd
• November 8th - November 19th (9 days) - Payment Due: November 5th
• November 22nd - December 3rd (7 days) - Payment Due: November 19th
• December 6th - December 22nd (13 days) - Payment Due: December 3rd
• January 3rd - January 14th (10 days) - Payment Due: December 31st
• January 17th - January 28th (9 days) - Payment Due: January 14th
• January 31st - February 11th (10 days) - Payment Due: January 28th
• February 14th - March 4th (10 days) - Payment Due: February 11th
• March 7th - March 18th (9 days) - Payment Due: March 4th
• March 21st - April 1st (10 days) - Payment Due: March 18th
• April 4th - April 15th (9 days) - Payment Due: April 1st
• April 18th - May 6th (10 days) - Payment Due: April 15th
• May 9th - May 20th (10 days) - Payment Due: May 6th
• May 23rd - June 3rd (9 days) - Payment Due: May 20th

School Cancelation / Early Release Policy

• Cancelation:
  If school is canceled due to inclement weather, COVID cases rising, or anything else that may occur, the after school program will not be in session for that day/days.
• Unplanned Early Release:
  If there is an unplanned early release due to weather, after school will be canceled as we want to keep our staff members safe.
• Two-Hour Delay:
  If there is a two hour delay, the program will run as scheduled!

You will be reimbursed at the end of the pay period for days that were paid for in advance if the program is unfortunately cancelled. Please remember to always be paying attention to school announcements and weather, and be prepared ahead of time to find an alternative plan for your child.

COVID Regulations

• Please look at your school’s mandates and regulations regarding mask wearing, social distancing, and safe COVID practices. We will be following each school's specific requirements and do everything we can to keep your child healthy.

Photo Release

• Once you register your child, you will be prompted to complete a photo release form. This will give permission for after school staff to take photographs for newsletters, Vermont Afterschool Inc., the media or any other positive and wholesome portrayal of the program to the public. Behavior Policy

Behavior Policy

• At After the Bell, we take behavior very seriously and expect the best from our students. We are doing everything we can to create a fun and safe place for them to learn and grow, and therefore need the cooperation of all involved!
• We will be implementing a 3-strike policy for behavioral concerns. These concerns include any form of bullying or harassment, not listening to adults, and/or creating an unsafe environment for those involved, including running away. Each day, a child will be given 3 opportunities to follow the rules of the program and participate in a fun and safe way. If after those three opportunities, your child continues to break the rules, the following will take place.
• The First Time: There will be a phone call and email home explaining what has taken place and creating a plan to help alleviate any problems.
• The Second Time: Will result in a call home with you or an emergency contact being asked to come pick up your child from the program for the night. Students will then be asked to miss the next day of the program, and will not be reimbursed for any payments made. We will then ask for a face-to-face meeting to take place to discuss the behaviors and come up with a plan to help the students succeed in the program.
• The Third Time: There will be a call home, with the child asked to be picked up, and asked to stay home for the remainder of the pay period. A face-to-face meeting will then be set up to discuss a potential return plan to After the Bell.
• We want everyone to be safe and enjoy their time at the program. We want our students to have a great time, thus, if there is violence of any kind, an investigation will take place, which could lead to a child being asked to find an alternative program to attend after school. Our staff will reinforce these rules daily, working to ensure all students are kept happy and safe. Thank you for your continued support!

Registering Your Child

For registration this year, we will be utilizing an online system called EZChildTrack. Through this system, you will be able to manage any information related to your family, as well as make payments for the program. You will also be able to access any waitlist your child may be on and see when they will be able to start our program. Any information we may have regarding the program will be sent through this system, and you can opt to receive emails or texts!

Once you have the link to register your child, you will be walked through a series of steps, including filling out any necessary paperwork, choosing which elementary school after school program your child will be attending, and setting up automatic payments with the payment schedule listed above. All information will be saved for future registrations that may take place. Once your registration form has been completed and looked over, you will get an email from the Director welcoming you and letting you know next steps.

Registration will open September 22nd. Again, please check emails and school announcements for the link to register your child. We are so excited to begin another great after school year! Please reach out to Hope Cataldo with any questions or concerns you may have. Thank you!

Now Hiring

• If you or anyone you know is interested in working for our new program, please contact Hope Cataldo.

For more information please contact Hope Cataldo.