FAQ's: How does my child get to Afterschool? Your child will be transitioned by their PS107 day teacher directly to their Afterschool classroom where they begin their afternoon with their Afterschool friends.
How does my child get assigned a specialty class? All children grades K-5th who are registered for 1 Day, 2 Day or Monthly membership types can sign up for a specialty class on each afternoon they are registered for. We provide a wide variety of specialty classes in arts, wellness, sports, languages and STEM, which are assigned by lottery to ensure the fairest placement possible. During our specialty class lottery period (August 4th-15th), families will choose 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices for specialty classes they would like for each afternoon. After the open lottery period the requests are sorted and families are notified which classes they received before selecting and committing to a membership type. We are sorry, but due to the progressive nature of specialty classes and limited spots, students doing drop-in days are unable to participate in this portion of our offerings. *Please note, specialty classes being two weeks after the start of school in order to provide time for students to get to know their peers, teacher and Afterschool routine. Specialty classes end two weeks prior to school ending, when children join our Pop-Up series, where they get to try out potential new classes for the upcoming school year. Each student in grades K-5 are allowed one specialty program per day. Pre-K students do not need to sign up for specialty programs due to the grades all-inclusive format.
Does my child have to take a specialty program, or can they goof off in the yard or game room with their friends? The choice to take a specialty class is totally up to the family and should be based on the temperament and energy level of your child. Some children thrive in a very structured setting and having a class following the school day works well, while others have had enough structured learning for the day and will enjoy supervised free play with friends more. (We have found that many children enjoy at least one afternoon without a structured class). This is a decision you should choose together as a family, understanding that you can always drop a class that is not a hit and add a class at a later time. *Please note, although we will always have a fun choice of specialty programs for your child, after the initial lottery period some programs will fill and your child would be placed on a waitlist until another spot opens up.
Is Homework Hall like tutoring? Homework Hall is not tutoring or one-on-one support. In Homework Hall your child will have time to complete homework assignments with their grade peers under the supervision of a supportive staff. Teachers are there to provide support and encouragement, but do not tutor students or check homework for accuracy, just that they have competed assignments. Although we do our best to ensure homework is all completed during Afterschool, students work at their own pace and some may not fully finish while with us. We ask that all parents look over your child's homework each night.
Does my child have to complete their homework at Afterschool? We understand some families prefer for their children to complete homework assignments at home. If you wish to do this, please send a written note or email director@psafterschool.org to inform us. If your child will not be doing homework with us, we ask that you please send books or small toys/ games your child can utilize during Homework Hall time incase all of their friends are still doing homework.
Can my child leave school and then return to Afterschool? Due to our permitting through the New York City Department of Education and being considered an "extension of the school day," students must be marked present for the day and would have to return from an outside appointment by 2:20 in order to transition to afterschool.
Students who are absent from school cannot go to Afterschool. Students who arrive past noon are welcome at school, but are marked absent for the day, and therefore cannot attend Afterschool and must be picked up by 2:40 pm. We are sorry but we are unable to allow children who were marked absent or that are not returned by 2:20 and transitioned to us by their PS107 day teacher to take part that afternoon.
Why do I need to sign up for an afternoon and not just a class? Because we offer so many exciting specialty classes, we understand some families might want to sign up for a specialty class but do not need the whole afternoon. Although families can feel free to pick up their child anytime before 6 pm (with the exception of during their assigned specialty class), our all-inclusive membership structure allows us to provide the highest quality service at an affordable rate for families and scholarship support for those in need. Although we did offer a-la-cart service during the 2020-21 "pandemic" year, this was at a cost of two to three times the rate per hour for families and does not fit our structure this year. There are no discounts or reduced price due to non-attendance for the full 3 hours and 20 minutes per day or non-attendance for days they are registered for. If our fees do not work for your families finances, please contact director@psafterschool.org to learn about partial or full scholarship support.
Can my child stay later than 6 pm? We are sorry, but all pickups must be done by the close of Afterschool at 6 pm. Due to the terms of our DOE permit, and because our staff must return home to their own families, 6:00 pm is the latest time to pickup. A $3.00 per minute late fee will be assessed for those arriving after 6 pm.
I am running late or need to have someone else pick up my child from Afterschool. What do I do? Please text or call 347-786-0483 to notify us of any last minute pickup changes. Any changes done prior to the start of Afterschool can be done via text or email to director@psafterschool.org.
Is Afterschool open when school is closed for half-days, inclement weather or other emergencies? Unfortunately, our staff is not available on these days, so the program is closed.
Is Afterschool in session during school vacations? PSACC does not offer mini-camps during the Winter, Mid-Winter or Spring Recesses.
Why doesn't my child's Blue Card at school work for Afterschool? We are a separate not for profit and our school records and the schools are different and we do not have access to any school records. We are unable to see any blue cards and therefor families must input your emergency contacts and approved pickups in your families 6crickets account.
Will I be notified if my child’s class is cancelled? If we receive enough notice from an instructor, we will be able to notify parents, but unfortunately that’s not always the case so you may receive an email after the start time of the program. All outdoor classes are subject to weather conditions so please assume that in bad weather outdoor classes will be cancelled. If a class is cancelled, the daily rate still applies and no refund will be given if a child attends the program on the day a class is cancelled.
When can I visit my child’s class? Families and friends are invited to the open class sessions in December at the end of the Fall cycle, and to the open classes in May and showcases held in June at the end of the Spring cycle. We hope you can make it! Everyone enjoys this celebration of the children’s hard work and creativity. For a few outdoor programs we enjoy having family volunteers and will email to invite you to join. We ask that parents do not come to class otherwise, as it can be disruptive.
Can my child bring a cell phone or electronic game to Afterschool? Consistent with school rules, children are not allowed to use electronic games or cell phones during Afterschool. For children who require a cell phone to communicate departure plans during Afterschool, they must come to the main office to use their phone under the supervision of staff.
How does billing work? All our memberships will be through our 6crickets registration system. Before attending Afterschool, all families must pay a non-refundable annual registration fee along with the first installment of monthly fees. Our system accepts credit cards and debit cards only. Unfortunately, it does not accept e-checks at this time. We are not accepting paper checks at this time due to COVID-19. If you can not pay by credit or debit card and need an alternate way to pay please email billing@psafterschool.org.
Monthly payments are due the 15th of the month via a credit card that is saved in our system. We do not accept cash or checks at this time. Your Afterschool account gives you the ability to remove and replace credit cards anytime. You are responsible for one-time payments.
Can I cancel or change my membership type or specialty classes? Yes! To change a specialty class, email director@psafterschool.org. To change a membership type, please send an email to billing@psafterschool.org, cc'ing director@psafterschool.org with the request. We require all changes to be done in writing via email 10 days prior to the time you will stop attending. Families can change their membership type once per session. Due to high demand, we are unable to hold specialty programs for families that do not have current memberships.
I am confused and have additional questions, who do I contact? You can outreach to our Executive Director, Sandy Phillips, via email at director@psafterschool.org or by phone at 347-786-0483. We are always happy to answer questions!
