Aftercare
St. Jude Aftercare Handbook
Mission
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 PK-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. The program will use the same emergency information on file in the school office.
Every family must provide a list of authorized persons who will be allowed to pick up the student. No exceptions will be made for this list. If there is a custodial concern the parent with legal custody must sign the registration and the list of which adults the child may be released to.
Participation in the aftercare program presupposes cooperation with its rules and policies. Students may be restricted from attending or have their participation revoked if they or their parents do not comply with program rules, including pick-up deadlines (notice of such violations shall be provided in writing). Students receiving certain disciplinary consequences in school (as specified by the principal) may also be restricted from attending aftercare for the duration of the penalty.
Hours
The program will begin at 3 PM and continue to 5:30 PM. The end time of the program is strict. A family who picks up after 5:30 will be charged a late fee (see below) and possibly suspended from use of the program.
All students will proceed to or be escorted to the room designated for the aftercare program at the end of the school day. Students are expected to remain under the supervision of aftercare staff until they are signed out by a parent or guardian, and then must remain in the immediate proximity of their parent/guardian until departing the premises.
Students who have activities after school (such as mentoring/tutoring, rehearsals, or practices) must remain under the full and direct supervision of activity coordinators. Upon completion of the activity, such students must depart the building immediately or sign in and report to aftercare for supervision. Any student who is found not to be with a parent or under the supervision of a teacher, activity coordinator, or the aftercare program, will be subject to disciplinary consequences.
Rates and Payment
Participating families shall arrange advance payment by setting up an incidental account through the FACTS management website (https://online.factsmgt.com/signin/3XZLX) and an initial $30 program deposit. Students who do not have sufficient funds to attend on a given day may be asked to wait in the office while parents are contacted to arrange immediate pickup.
Snack
A snack will be provided daily, and will be prepared in accordance with school Wellness Guidelines.
Physical activities
During warmer months 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, unless specifically arranged and supervised with an educational or recreational purpose, as defined by after school program staff.
Homework Room
The homework room is an option for students during the 3:00 – 4:00 hour. Students will be provided a quiet place to work and study. It is not the responsibility of the homework supervisor to provide tutoring or instruction, other than general assistance with directions and work completion. The homework room is part of the aftercare service and subject to the same rules and rates.
Field trip and Visitor policy
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 . 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 or suspended from use of the service for any offense deemed contradictory to its mission or compromising the safety of its participants.
Emergency Procedures
The aftercare program will follow the St. Jude Catholic School Crisis Response 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 aftercare staff will provide an emergency phone number for contacting aftercare staff after the school office has closed.
Please contact aftercare@stjudeparish.net if you have any questions regarding the program.