Dear Families:
Arts and Athletics would like to welcome you to the adventure spring program 2021. Thank you for choosing our programs and the trust you place in us to care for and nurture your child. As always, we consider it an honor and a privilege to have your child in our programs.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Please inform your child’s daytime teacher that Arts and Athletics teachers will be pick up your child at dismissal time. All children will be picked up at the designated pick-up area.
- Mask: Please send an extra mask for your children as a backup in case the mask they have gets wet or dirty.
- Clothing: Please dress children in clothing that makes it easy for them to use the bathroom independently. No belts, suspenders, overalls, onesies, or other one-piece items, please. Pull-on pants are recommended. Please encourage your child to go to the bathroom before leaving the school.
- Shoes: Shoes should be slip-on or have Velcro closures so that the child can put them on and take them off independently. Shoes with laces are not permitted unless the child can tie their shoes without an adult’s assistance. Please, send shoes weather-appropriate, rain boots, winter boots, and please note that no sandals or open-toed shoes.
- Parent Permission: Please note that by enrolling in adventure after school, you have given your child permission to participate in the outdoor program and released Arts and Athletics Inc from liability. You have also given your child permission to walk from school to the program activity locations, such as Central Park and the Arts and Athletics studio at 88thStreet and Columbus Avenue (577 Columbus). You have granted permission for your child to participate in activities and local field trips related to outdoor nature education on the days your child is enrolled for February 22nd, 2021 to May 14th, 2021
Daily Schedule:
- Dismissal: Pick up from the classroom or designated school area
- Walk to Central Park
- Snack time/Storytelling
- Sit Spot quiet time to relax free play
- Enrichment activity or Games and Sports
- Rest time (Sit Spot quiet time) tea/ hot chocolate time
- Games and Sports or Enrichment activity
- Closing time relax recover, gather and get ready for pick up time
- 5:00 p.m. Pick uptime
SAFETY:
Safety is our priority; please speak to your children about the rules and outdoor activity requirements. Children must be able to walk to and back from Central Park.
Children must follow the rules:
- Walking Feet
- Walk-in a group while walking on the street
- Listening and following teacher’s instructions at all times
- Wear a mask
- Carry his/her backpack
Please talk to your child about the importance of being safe and following the rules. We look forward to having a fun and safe adventure outdoor program!
WHAT TO PACK EACH DAY:
- Sun Protection: Sun Hat & Sunscreen: Children may bring sunscreen to apply their sunscreen before starting the park’s activities.
- Hand sanitizer: please send your own hand sanitizer; we will have hand sanitizer and provide it to the children as necessary. Please note by enrolling in the adventure program, you acknowledge that if children do not have hand sanitizer in their backpacks, we will provide hand sanitizer for children to use.
- Bug Spray: Please send bug spray to use daily and as necessary.
- Extra Mask
- Extra gloves, socks, and extra change of clothes.
FOOD AND WATER:
- Water: Please send an EXTRA water bottle for the park and outdoor activities.
- PM Snack: Please pack an afternoon snack for the afterschool programs. To stay following the CDC and New York State Health guidelines, Arts and Athletics’ will not offer PM snacks.
- We will provide hot beverage for the children on the coldest days ( hot chocolate to tea)
- Allergies: Please inform us of any allergies or health problems we need to keep the children safe. Please notify us via email of EpiPens.
- ALL ITEMS MUST BE LABELED.
WEATHER:
Children in attendance the outdoor afterschool programs are expected to participate in all planned activities. Only severe weather conditions prohibit this activity. For example, during thunderstorms, rain, sleet, excessive snow, or high winds extreme cold under 20 degrees or higher than 100 degrees or state emergency, we may cancel the outdoor program. A newsletter will be sent to the parents weekly with weather expectations and materials the children may use so parents can plan for the week.
Please send adequate clothing for the weather, remember to label all clothing. We will go out to learn and explore the weather when it is raining, muddy, snowing, and have fun learning to live and interact with the weather and nature elements. Teachers are expected and prepare to follow the children’s desires and accommodate children if necessary.
Find out about our weather approach here
To stay in accordance with the CDC and New York State Health guidelines, We will limit the sharing of objects (e.g., electronic equipment, arts and crafts materials, etc.) and thoroughly disinfect toys/ materials before and after each child has used them. Find out more here about our safety guidelines
BATHROOM POLICY AND PROCEDURES
To follow proper social distancing rules and ensure the well-being of the children and staff, we must adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health (DOH).
We’ll be spending all the outdoor afterschool outside; therefore, bathrooms may not be available.
- Students are encouraged to use the bathroom before leaving school/home
- Students must thoroughly wash their hands before entering the program and afterward.
- Students must maintain a minimum of 6 feet apart while waiting for the bathroom
- No more than one student at a time inside the bathrooms
- Hand sanitizer containing 60% alcohol or more must be available for students and staff when water and soap are not available.
- If necessary one staff will walk the children to the 88th street location to use the bathroom or use the public restroom located by the tennis courts
DISMISSAL
Children will be dismissed one at a time in a designated area in Central Park to limit close contact between parents and staff. Parents or guardians must be at least 6 feet from the pick-up area and 6 feet from all staff to avoid contact.
Pick Up Time: Pick-up time is between 5:00 pm. if you are planning on picking up early, please let us know in advance to coordinate pick-up in the park.
Pick UP Location:
- (PS 9): 85th Street and Central Park West
- (PS 166): 93th Street and Central Park West
- (PS 84): 96th Street and Central Park West
Click Here for Central Park map and pick up locations information
LATENESS POLICY
Children should be picked up at their arranged departure times. It is difficult for children to understand ten or fifteen minutes, and at the end of the day, it can be stressful for a child who is waiting for his/her parents.
The program ends at 500 pm sharp, and all staff is off–duty at 5:00 pm and is not encouraged to walk the children through meeting their parents to a different location. All children must be taken from the designated area by one of the guardians appointed on the pick-up list. All parents must sign out their child(ren) by 5:00 pm.
In case of an emergency, parents are responsible for calling the center and notifying the Site Supervisor that they will be late in picking up the child. If it is after 5:00 pm, you will be charged $1.00 a minute.