Aligning course offering with the needs and desires of the community is an ongoing project. In some cases the challenge is to offer classes in afterschool that expand on the strengths of the school…an art class (with 80 minute blocks of time) can allow a child who is learning to draw, the time and quiet and support to take that interest further.
Twenty-five years ago, the afterschool program at PS 9 began with a few children studying chess. The popularity of that offering led to interest in musical theater, cooking, a range of crafts classes. Over time, anything that parents or children expressed interest in was offered. Some of these things didn’t catch on but the best of them grew and improved over time. Today we’re very proud to offer hundreds of amazing classes across three sites, all of which have met with the approval of our students and families.
In the coming months, we looking to bolster our range of outdoor and nature offerings. We hope to bring together our Gardening classes, Plant Life in Central Park, Nature Photography, Landscape Drawing, Running, and Hiking into a unified program with age-appropriate classes for children from K to 5th grade.