EDGEWOOD AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

FAQ's, POLICIES & PROCEDURES / GENERAL INFORMATION, GRANT INFORMATION

FAQs

What are After School Clubs?

The Edgewood After School Club (ASC) Program is an enrichment program for Edgewood students, consisting of various clubs that encompass a broad range of areas, including STEM, arts, sports, recreation, and much more! The goal of the ASC is to provide convenient and competitively priced after school instruction for our children. The clubs are sponsored by the Edgewood PTA. Your family must be a member of the Edgewood PTA to enroll in a club. Enroll HERE

When do clubs meet?

Each club meets one day a week. Club hours are from 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm. Clubs run for approximately 8 to 11 weeks per semester in the fall and 14 to 18 weeks in the winter/spring. Clubs are not scheduled on half days. On K-2 half days, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will also not have clubs and will need to be picked up at 3:00 pm.

Is my child eligible to register for ASC?

Yes! Once you pay your annual PTA Membership dues, you are eligible to enroll your child in the ASC program.

How do I register my child?

Registration is only open and active during enrollment periods, which will be in September and December. PTA members will be invited to register through an E-Blast email containing registration information.

Is my child guaranteed a spot in the clubs that we select?

No. We hope to accommodate all students registered, but there is a maximum enrollment for each club. Registration is first come, first served. If your chosen class is at capacity, email ASCEdgewood@gmail.com with the subject heading, “WAITLIST – [Name of club].” If spots become available prior to the first day of clubs, you will be notified.

If the minimum number of enrollment number is not met, a club made be cancelled. In this case, you may select an alternative club with space or request a refund.

Requests for cancellation and/or changes prior to clubs starting will incur a $10 penalty per club. There is no penalty if the club is cancelled due to low enrollment.

Who can I speak to if I have questions?

Please contact the ASC Team at ascedgewood@gmail.com. They are ready to help as needed.

ASC POLICIES & PROCEDURES / GENERAL INFORMATION

Membership requirement:

Your family must be a member of the current Edgewood PTA in order for your child(ren) to enroll in the after school club program.

Registration:

Registration for clubs takes place at least two weeks prior to the start of clubs. PTA members will receive an email with information on how to register. When a club has sufficient enrollment, we confirm the numbers with our vendors, enter into a contract and pay the vendor’s session fee based on that enrollment number. Edgewood PTA does not get refunded from the vendor when a student drops out of a club (either prior to clubs starting or mid-semester) and therefore, no changes, refunds, or credits will be provided after the club semester has begun.

Enrollment Policy:

The size of each club is limited and is based on the instructor’s request, safety, room, and equipment capacity. If a minimum number of students is not met to successfully run a particular club, the club may be cancelled. Refunds will be given in the event that a course is cancelled. You will receive a confirmation email prior to the start of clubs. Your child's teacher will also receive a list of all students that are in the club and the clubs for which they are registered in.

Attendance:

Attendance will be taken in the clubs. Each day, the chaperones receive from the school office a list of students marked absent, as well as other relevant information from Dismissal Manager. However, if your child plans to leave school early and/or not attend a scheduled club, please call 914-721-2704 and leave a message for the ASC chaperones. Or, if there are any changes in who will be picking up your child, please call to notify the chaperones. Chaperones check this voicemail around 2:30 pm every day. If the chaperones have not been made aware of a child’s planned absence from a club, he/she will call the phone numbers provided at the time of registration for parental notification purposes. They will also begin to worry, so please call and notify them.

Behavior:

For the safety and enjoyment of all children in ASC, appropriate behavior is required. Appropriate behavior is that consistent with proper behavior expected in any classroom at Edgewood Elementary School. At the discretion of the club instructor, a child displaying disruptive, inappropriate, or violent behavior will be reported to the ASC chaperone, who will notify the ASC chairs, child’s parent, and/or school administrators. The child causing disruption may be asked to leave the club and sit with an ASC chaperone until 4:15pm dismissal.

Children who receive a second disruptive behavior report will be required to withdraw from the club for that semester. Children who receive repeated behavior reports may be prohibited from participating in ASC. Regardless of the above, a child may be removed from a club at any time at the discretion of the PTA for disruptive, inappropriate, or violent behavior.

Arriving to clubs:

A chaperone will escort the kindergarten students to the gymnasium where all the children gather before clubs begin. Their respective instructors will then bring them to their ASC classrooms. All other students will walk themselves to the gym to gather for clubs after the bell rings at 3:00 pm.

Pick Up Procedure:

Pick-up is promptly at 4:15pm. Please note that clubs dismiss students differently than normal school. Parents and/or caregivers must check in with the club chaperone stationed at the doors. ASC will send a dismissal schedule with the designated exits for each club before the beginning of each session.

Prompt pick-up is very important. The club instructors are only responsible for teaching during the class period. It is the parents’ responsibility to pick up their children on time. Repeated late pick ups may result in your child’s removal from future sessions and no refunds will be given.

Crossing guards are NOT on duty when clubs let out.

After school clubs are not scheduled on half days. On K-2 half days, please remember that your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader will also not have clubs and will need to be picked up at 3:00 pm.

Walker:

If you allow your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader to walk home alone from clubs, and you want a younger sibling to walk home with him/her, you must give written consent to the ASC team in advance. Please note that crossing guards are not on duty when clubs are dismissed. K- 2 children are not allowed to be walkers without an older sibling accompanying them.

Cancellations:

In the event of an unforeseen club cancellation (due to instructor illness, etc.) every effort will be made to contact parents as early as possible so that parents can make arrangements to pick up their children at 3:00 pm. If there is a club cancellation, ASC will schedule a make-up class or provide a refund for the missed class. If time allows, scheduling changes will be sent out ahead of time in an E-Blast. It is the parents’ responsibility to check for this information.

Medical/Allergies/Food:

Please note that the school nurse leaves at 3:00 pm and her office is locked. No one is able to access medication or files after 3 pm. Students old enough to self-medicate may carry their medication, including epi-pens, in their backpacks. Children who are unable to self-medicate must have a parent or caretaker available to assist them in case of an emergency. In an emergency, the chaperones or instructors will notify the parents and call 911. Please make sure we have updated emergency contact information on your ASC registration. In the case of especially severe allergies, we strongly encourage parents to reach out to us directly so we can properly communicate that information with our chaperones. The chaperones may be trained, but are not required, to administer emergency Epi-pens throughout the building. Due to the high number of food allergies, no food can be eaten by children nor distributed by instructors during clubs, with the exception of our cooking clubs. In the cooking clubs, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to manage any allergies/allergic reactions of their student.

Inclement Weather:

If the Superintendent of Schools determines that the weather is poor enough to cancel all after school programs and activities, this information will be shared in the message from the District's Emergency Notification System. You will NOT receive a separate call from the ASC Committee. If you are out of the house on a day when there is inclement weather, PLEASE check your answering machine and emails frequently during the day. If clubs are cancelled, there will be no chaperones on duty to watch a child who has not been picked up when school closes.

Health and COVID:

A child may only attend After School Club if he/she would otherwise be permitted to attend school. Should any clubs be disrupted, suspended, or canceled due to COVID or related operations reasons, the Edgewood PTA may not be in a position to seek refunds from vendors. Edgewood PTA is not in a position to monitor the health or vaccination status of vendors, instructors, participants, or any other person associated with or attending ASC or the premises. Participation in After School Clubs will be at each family’s risk.

Company Plan Reimbursement/Childcare Tax Credit:

If your company has a benefit plan that will reimburse you for the club fee, it is your responsibility to keep a copy of the registration form for this purpose. There is no other form that can be provided. Because After School Clubs are for enrichment purposes and do not qualify as child care, we do not provide receipts for the Child Care Tax Credit.

Chaperones:

Ms. Sue Keller and Ms. Agata (Tina) Foley will be responsible for security in the building and handling emergencies while the clubs are in session. They can be reached at 914-721-2704.

ASC GRANT SCHOLARSHIP INFO

To request a grant scholarship:

To waive the cost of an After School Club, please submit a brief paragraph to the current Edgewood Co-Presidents explaining your family’s financial need.

ASC Grant:

A student receiving an ASC grant will be eligible to apply for up to two After School Clubs. The club assignment will be made by the ASC Co-Chairs based on enrollment numbers.

Confidential requests:

All requests will be reviewed confidentially by the Edgewood School Principal, the PTA President or Co-Presidents, and the After School Club Co-Chairs.