After-School Program

Mission
St. Jude Catholic School will provide an After School Program for the 2008-2009
school year. Our mission is to provide a safe and enjoyable experience while
nurturing the spiritual, academic, and social growth of our students.

Admission
The program is open to K-8 students of St. Jude Catholic School, including those
with disabilities who may be supported by reasonable accommodations. Each
enrolling family must fill out a registration form prior to the first time they attend
the program. Registration will be accompanied by a one time non-refundable fee
of $10 per family.

Hours
The program will begin at 3 PM and continue to 6 PM. The program may commence
at the given release time for early dismissal days. STUENTS MUST PACK THEIR
OWN LUNCH on early dismissal days, as St. Jude does not provide hot lunch.

Cost
Fees for the program will follow the chart below. All students pay $5 for the first
hour, regardless of how long they stay. This offsets the cost of providing snacks
and other materials for the children.

The “pay in advance” option allows families to purchase 10 units for the cost of $50.
Students who prepay will only need to spend one $5 unit per child per day, regardless
of the length of their stay (prior to 6 PM). These units may be used at any time and
may also be applied for multiple children. For instance, two siblings may each spend
5 days prepaid at $5/day or one child may use 10 days prepaid at $5/day.

General Schedule
3:00-3:15 Attendance check
3:15-3:30 Snack Time
3:30-4:00 Homework and Quiet Activities
4:00-6:00 Playtime, Crafts, and occasional movie.

Snack
A snack will be provided daily, and will be prepared in accordance with school
Wellness Guidelines.

Physical Activities
During warmer month students will have the opportunity to play outside under
the supervision of the afterschool staff. The program will follow the school’s
policy for when to stay indoors, mainly due to inclement weather. Students may
be required to wear appropriate winter clothing—i.e. hats, gloves, boots scarves
and winter coat. Normal playground/recess rules apply to physical recreation.

Toys and Games
Toys and Games are provided by the aftercare program and should be treated with
respect. No electronics will be permitted as noted in the school handbook, unless specifically arranged and supervised with an educational or recreational purpose,
as defined by after school program staff.

Homework
It is the responsibility of the parent to inform the aftercare program if their child
is to use time to complete homework during the program. The staff will provide
a reasonably quiet place to do work, but the student must willingly cooperate.
The aftercare staff will provide supervision, but should not be expected to act as
a tutor or to accurately judge the quality or quantity of completed work. Students
are not entitled to access to classroom areas (to retrieve forgotten materials) once
they enter the program.

Field Trip and Visitor Policy
As a rule, the aftercare program will not take or sponsor field trips. Nor will it
allow visitors who are not students of the school or individuals who are not allowed
to pick up a particular student. The program may invite guests, volunteers, or
members of the St. Jude Staff who would assist in developing special programming
or activities for the program.

Behavior Policy
The aftercare accepts all new students on the same probationary period as the
school (see “Admissions Policy”). All school rules apply while in aftercare.
Inappropriate and problematic behaviors will be documented. Aftercare staff will
work in accordance with the principal in handling serious disciplinary concerns.
Students may be removed from the program for any offense deemed contradictory
to its mission or compromising the safety of its participants as well as any
infraction of Policy P4520.

Emergency Procedures
The aftercare program will follow the St. Jude Catholic School Crisis Plan and
procedures. The aftercare program has its own emergency evacuation kit for
such events. Communication during emergencies will be conducted by the phone
numbers provided on the emergency information from student files.
The afterschool care staff will provide an emergency phone number for contacting
aftercare staff after the school office has closed.