5 Lowell Avenue, Winchester, MA 01890
781-729-3489
After School and Enrichment Enrollment Form
After School and Enrichment at Acera aims to provide extended day coverage for all parents, while also providing the
students with valuable and enriching activities and experiences. Our after school staff works to meet the varied and
diverse needs of all families who choose to enroll. Please fill out the following enrollment form to help us provide care
for your child that is best suited to your family’s needs.
CHILD’S NAME/AGE
GUARDIAN NAME(S)
GUARDIAN PHONE(S)
GUARDIAN EMAIL(S)
PRIMARY REASON
FOR ENROLLMENT
____ Specific Enrichment Offering
____ Coverage
____ Both Equally
Please highlight your choices below.
MONDAY
3-3:40
3:40-5:30 (Programming)
Recess+Snack
LARP (Ages 10+)
$5 Late Pick
Up
TUESDAY
Recess+Snack
$5 Late Pick
Up
WEDNESDAY
Recess+Snack
$5 Late Pick
Up
5:30-6
Fine Arts
Active Bodies, Clever Minds
Games
Musical Theater Fun!
Construction Club (UEs/MS)
Games/Arts
Games
Film Making
Creative Computer Club
Games/Arts
Games
THURSDAY
Recess+Snack
$5 Late Pick
Up
Arts and Music Jam
The Worldbuilding Game
Games
FRIDAY
Recess+Snack
$5 Late Pick
Up
Exploration Club
Games
To enroll and for payment, please return this form to Anni Leff, Operations Manager, in person or by email at:
anni@aceraschool.org.
Enrollment:
o Enrollment occurs by session, 3 times per year. Some enrichment options may stay the same across the
year, and some may change between sessions depending upon interest and enrollment.
o Friends of current Acera students who are not enrolled at Acera are invited to consider Acera
enrichment. Feel free to forward this information to your child’s friends.
Enrichment Participation:
o Concurrently with Enrichment programming, there are Games and Arts, which is a more relaxed, freeform coverage option for children who may be tired, needing more unstructured time, or simply do not
feel up to engaging in an ongoing project. Any student may drop into Games and Arts throughout the
afternoon, even if he/she is enrolled in Enrichment.
o Decisions about participation in Enrichment programming are made at the discretion of the
Enrichment teacher. If a student is not able to participate in a safe and productive way, or if the
teacher feels that the student is not engaging at a level appropriate for the program, the teacher may
ask the student to join Games and Arts for the afternoon.
o If a child is enrolled in Enrichment but the teacher concludes that he or she is not ready to participate
in the program, the parents will be notified by the teacher and given an option for a refund of the
Session.
o In order to properly staff Enrichment, and to ensure that all children enrolled get the experience they
signed up for, we ask that all parents choose Enrichment electives ahead of each session. Once a
program is filled, we may not be able to accommodate “drop ins” during on a day-by-day basis.
Timing:
o Session 1 Dates: September 3rd – December 19th
o Session 2 Dates: January 5th - April 17th
o Session 3 Dates: April 27th – June 5th
Pricing:
-
Coverage from 3-6pm includes two hours of enrichment. Pick up times can occur at a parents’
convenience, but pricing occurs based on the designated pick-up times below:
o Pick-up until 4:30: $20/day
o Pick-up between 4:30 and 6:00: $30/day
Policies:
o Snack: Acera does not provide snack; we ask that parents send their children in with snack,
should they require one.
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o General Coverage: If you do not select a specific enrichment offering for your child, but simply
need the coverage, he or she will participate in Games/Arts. We do our best to allow students
to “drop in” to enrichment if there is space, but we cannot guarantee it. This will depend on the
enrollment number, along with the ability of the program to accommodate participants who
are not working on the ongoing project with the group. This decision is made by the Enrichment
teacher.
o School Holidays: After School and Enrichment do not occur on school holidays. Please
reference the School Year Calendar for a list of these days. All yellow and green days indicate
days off from school.
o Late Fees:
o A late fee of $10 is charged for parents who arrive late (after 6pm) to pick up from after
school. Late pick-ups are tracked each night, and billing for late fees occurs retroactively
at the end of each month. Fees are payable in cash to Anni, to be transferred to the
instructor who stayed late.
o The same process applies to students who stay in after school or enrichment longer
than their enrollment indicates. Parents will be billed monthly for extra time, payable by
check to Acera School.
o Late Pick Up From School: If you anticipate that you are not able to pick up your child on time
from school, you may choose to enroll them in Late Pick Up. They may stay for the recess
portion of after school for a fee of $5. After 3:30, they will be rolled into the first enrichment
hour, and that pricing will be applied for the day.
o Middle School Homework Time: Middle Schoolers who are enrolled in after school can opt to
work on school assignments in lieu of Games and Arts at the discretion of the after school
teachers. Middle School students need to be enrolled in after school and under the supervision
of after school staff if they are planning to stay at school past 3pm.
To Enroll:
o Email Anni at anni@aceraschool.org and include:
o Enrichment choice
o Indicate pick up time
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ENRICHMENT DESCRIPTIONS
Acting Improv, led by Vanessa Roman, is an engaging, cooperative workshop in which students develop
emotional intelligence and awareness of the impact they have on others through improvisation and other
theatrical games. Open to students of all ages.
Active Bodies, Clever Minds: Applying Science, Math, and Social Studies to Sports and Games (ages 7-11)
This program combines physical activity with all kinds of interesting learning. We’ll play a variety of sports and
games, and look at them from different perspectives. As we play soccer, we’ll use geometry to determine the
best place on the field from which to score a goal. We might test out different baseball bats, design a better
football, or create an impossible hopscotch. Games like checkers, Set, and Jenga will have their place as well.
We’ll figure out what makes games fair and fun, and design our own “ultimate” sports and games. Led by new
Acera instructor Kim Machnik.
Arts and Music Jam
This class is open to all ages and is led by the fabulous team of Miss Vanessa and Mr. Anthony. Children will go
deep into immersive art projects, both collaborative and individual. We will also form a music group, learning
to play songs of the students' choosing and create original compositions. Improv and creative play will
exercise imagination and bring creative ideas to life, all while learning new techniques!
Creative Computer Club
Students work with video game creator Kate Fractal (formerly Farb-Johnson) to learn programming and
computer art tools, while creating their own computer games and animations. A variety of creative tools will
be introduced, including the programming languages Scratch and Processing, along with carefully selected
games to improve computational thinking. Students of all levels, from very beginner to expert in creating
complex programs, will be able to improve their programming skills.
Construction Club
Learn woodworking, carpentry skills, and tool safety while building projects with outdoor education expert
Reed Hollet. Skills and projects will progress in sophistication through the session(s) and as students are ready
to progress to more challenging projects. Open to students in UE1/UE2/MS.
Exploration Club
This class is open to ages 5-11 and is led by Miss Vanessa. In this class we’ll have lots of adventures- an outing
to the fire station or to the local stream to check out plant and animal life. We'll also have indoor adventures
where we make bubbles, gak, and paper-mache in our "gooey" lab. The big idea is to see new places and try
new things--a new adventure every week!
Film Making
Plan, film, edit and publish your very own movie with professional film maker Dermot Smyth! Full description
is forthcoming.
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Fine Arts, led by Anthony Reynolds, teaches an array of skills to create paintings and drawings. Students will
be taught skills while engaging in art history learning and completing projects through the classes. Open to
students of all ages.
Games/Arts
Students enjoy a diverse variety of activities that integrate movement, artistic expression, free play, games,
and FUN! Geared towards children of all ages, this program gives parents flexibility and assurance of
additional coverage after the school day ends, while also providing a rewarding and engaging afternoon with
Mr. Anthony.
LARP: Live Action Role Play Led by LARP Adventure Program
http://www.larpadventureprogram.com:
LARP is a program offered from 3:00pm – 6pm each Monday. Students engage in an imaginary world in which
they take on a character role. Engaging in martial arts movements, construction of costumes and foam
“boffers” (a physical representation of a sword), students practice being aware of others and the impact they
as an individual can have on a group. Cooperative games and construction projects and learning sessions of
various types prepare students to be “In Game“ – when they role play through quests. Students say it is “Like
being in a real life video game” Players exert themselves physically and develop emotional intelligence and
leadership skills. Ages 10+. Maximum student population: 12 students per instructor.
Musical Theater Fun!
In this class children ages 8-12 will explore the world of musical theater with Miss Vanessa, assisted by parent
volunteer and professional music teacher Patty Lee. The young actors will learn physical and vocal warm-ups,
acting games, and will be given the opportunity to act and sing in a musical production to be presented in
December.
The Worldbuilding Game: Ecosystems and Human Societies (ages 8-12)
You are one of four countries on a large, clean, beautiful lake, full of fish. Your forests are lush and green. Can
you thrive and build wealth as the other three countries compete for your resources? This game begins simply
and grows in complexity, week by week, as more elements are added—changing rules, new natural resources,
and social and political issues make this game of competition and cooperation ever more challenging and fun!
This game blends ecology, international relations, game theory, and human nature, and with never ending
variations and opportunities to invent new ways of playing, it’s as endless as our imaginations! Led by new
Acera instructor Kim Machnik.
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