School Age Program

The School Age program we provides a safe after school haven for our community’s school-age children. We care for children who attend school in the Ross Valley area, grades K-5th. This time in a child’s life is an important period when they develop a sense of who they are, what they can do, and how others perceive them. All activities and experiences for the children in the After School program foster and support the development of a positive self-concept and a sense of independence.

Each day a balance of educational, social and recreational opportunities is offered for the children. Teachers provide time for children to explore new ideas, create and maintain friendships, learn new skills and further their understanding of the world around them. In the area of socialization we help children to accept each other’s differences, express themselves in appropriate ways, and cooperatively work out conflicts. In the area of physical development, we help children to experiment and develop new skills, foster a healthy view of competition, and value cooperation.

In the area of academics, time is set aside several times a week for children to work on homework with the understanding that parents are still primarily responsible for ensuring their child’s homework is complete. In the area of recreation, we provide daily activities as well as weekly clubs that provide new interests to explore combined with traditional after school fun for the children.

Our summer program is an exhilarating 10 weeks filled with activities that focus on helping children to maintain academic skills while participating in fun activities. Every week we add a new and exciting topic pertaining to where we live, the community around us, and around the world in which we all live. For the older children, early California history is also part of the area of study within our summer curriculum. We end each summer with a center-wide communitarian celebration that includes a children’s talent show followed by a potluck dinner.