Author: Neil Fitzgerald

As we approach the end of week two of fall cycle and our “add / drop” period, I wanted to write and remind families to make any last adjustments to children’s schedules. Along with that reminder, I also wanted to reflect for a moment on the importance of that shopping period and why we try to offer a variety of class options each day at each of our sites. The objective in both cases is to encourage children and families to try new things and consider what they’d most like to learn about. That process of choosing is an exercise in freedom, developing interests and the capacity for life-long leaning.

On Tuesday, September 17th, noted historian Timothy Snyder spoke at the New York Historical Society here in the neighborhood to launch his latest book entitled “On Freedom.” In the book, he makes the case that freedom is not an inheritance that one comes by automatically, but instead is something that each of us has to work toward and develop individually. In recounting a childhood memory of a 4th of July celebration he writes, “The bell rings. Time for freedom. Time for dinner.” As a young child (he was six at the time) he perceived freedom as something that just happens, just is.

That naive conception of freedom as something that “just is” resonated with me and it’s something I’ve often thought about in relation to our afterschool program. In everyday life, we often find ourselves doing the next thing and the next because something external to us has signaled that it’s time. An alarm clock sounds. Time to wake. A school bell rings. Time to learn. When, with so many external prompts, do we train ourselves and cultivate our ability to choose what we want to do and what we want to learn? 

I would like to assert that cultivating the skill and capacity for choosing, to become free, is the mission and purpose of Arts and Athletics. As the children in our schools are presented with a number of options each day, I hope the deliberations begin, discussions between children and parents about what classes to choose…and why… Maybe they’d like to do art because it’s taught by their favorite teacher or soccer because their best friend is enrolled or trumpet because it’s a little difficult but they like the way it sounds and they want to see if they can do it!

Considering and weighing all of the various factors, discussing their interests with the adults in their lives and with their friends, realizing that with each option they stand to gain something and also must give up something else, is indeed training in freedom. It is a way of engaging in an activity having decided to be there, to give it a try, to give it, for a time, part of themselves. That process of choosing is individual, but it’s also communal, not done in isolation, but by negotiating one’s place among friends and subjects and spaces. Where do I fit? Where do I belong?

And then the hope is that that sense of agency transfers even to those areas and parts of the day that are more regimented. The school bell rings. Time for math. Whether that school-day subject is their favorite or not, they still feel they bring something to the equation. They are learners who have preferences and sometimes have to do things that aren’t their favorite and even then realize that “toughing it out” is also important and can lead to interesting outcomes. And they are more free because they are learning to navigate their own path amongst and alongside others.

I’ve used the phrase “the perfect afterschool class” over years to refer to offerings that challenge students to use and develop skills they learned during the school day, but do so without piling on more work. When they take a cooking class, for example, they read recipes, engage in procedural thinking, work out fractions in scaling the amounts of various ingredients up or down, and gauge how adventurous they feel about tasting a new food for the first time. In each of these ways, they are applying things they know in a real-world situation.

But in cooking class, they shouldn’t feel they are being tested or graded or judged. They should just feel smart and competent and emboldened and like they understand a little better why the adults include stuff like fractions in their daytime studies.

In reality there isn’t any such thing as a perfect afterschool class and even the simplest offerings can be great in their own way. Kickball doesn’t utilize a lot of academic skill, but taking part, being present with classmates, cheering them on, taking turns…those are important skills to develop as well.

And sometimes what is most valuable is the children basking in the feeling (whether they recognize this or not) that they are doing something that they want to do. They are spending time with friends and teachers who have all each independently chosen to be there. It’s easy to forget how programmed children’s lives can be. (Maybe because we as adults have accepted that as our lot!) Choosing and deciding are skills, too, and they are developed with practice.

So perhaps the perfect afterschool class is any one of a dozen that children can choose from. Maybe children choosing a class is what makes it perfect.

The necessity of work in front of a computer screen has certainly taken its toll this year. And we’ve learned that not every subject can be taught effectively over the internet. Nevertheless, Arts and Athletics and other educators have identified a number of classes that work well online and we’ve developed ways to make the most of these resources.

Coding is a natural and we’re exciting that Ms. Sora is offering a couple section of coding using a couple of different platforms, Kodable and Code Monkey. (You can learn more about our technology offerings here.

Outdoors/Indoors–Central to our afterschool programming these last months has been our outdoor adventure program, where children exercise and explore and learning about nature. We currently offer sections in English, Spanish, and French, and we’ve discovered that for children still learning the languages (i.e. they don’t speak French at home with their parents) we are able to augment the outdoor experience with an online class in which reinforces vocabulary and phrases and concepts that were covered in our outdoor class. And we are offering this language support for children who are signed up for outdoor adventures and no additional cost!

Other classes that work well online are chess, musical theater, and writing. The ideal afterschool class is one that uses a child’s academic skills without seeming to pile on more work. When a student can experience the sense of agency that comes with using the skills they’ve learned in school, that reinforces the benefits of their classroom experience, and promotes a love of learning.

We hope that we’ll soon be able to resume classes in our schools, but we will continue to look for ways to use online learning to support our offerings and create a better learning experience.

Arts and Athletics has cultivated a cautious but optimistic stance toward the coronavirus pandemic and we have developed routines that incorporate insights and best practices from the latest public health guidance. Naturally, it is a work in progress, but as we expand our programming and gradually resume activities in our cooperating schools, we will continue to adhere to the policies and procedure that keep our children and our staff members safe.

To read more about our COVID response, click here.

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve collaborated with our friends at the Level Group design firm to develop signage for our winter offerings. You’ll see the results posted at each of our schools, red/pink and blue/green banners that say: YES! Winter Enrollment is Now Open.

It’s such a simple message, but during these colder months we feel that it’s important to affirm that good things are happening amidst all the disruption and uncertainty.

Join us this winter if you can. We have regular outdoor and online afterschool (winter cycle goes through Friday, February 12th) and we have camps on the days that school is not in session. And keep us in mind for spring activities as well. We will begin registration for spring cycle by the end of January. We’re hoping that we’ll be able to offer some of our spring classes back in the school buildings.

But whether it’s with our crew or on your own or with friends…make sure that you’re getting outside and enjoying the fresh air. We want you to be happy and healthy too!!!