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Kids Club Before and After School Care

Reimagining Before and After School Care

Our before and after school Kids Club programs foster each child’s cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development through opportunities and experiences which focus on achievement, relationships and belonging. The planning of each activity is offered in a physically and emotionally safe environment consistent with evidence-based principles of youth development. Each child is encouraged to develop at his or her own unique rate by encouraging skill development and frequent leadership opportunities. Kids Club empowers both staff and children to explore their full potential. Our community will be best positioned to serve children and families by adopting these valuable tools and resources.

Program Goals

  • To foster a positive self-image in our children and a belief in their own ability to succeed by recognizing their talents, accomplishments, and worth as individuals.
  • To contribute to our children’s education by offering homework assistance, encouraging children to work conscientiously on their assignments, and by providing additional opportunities for hands-on learning. We are taking the first step to close the Achievement Gap and paying closer attention to student learning.
  • To encourage the respect of thought, cultures, religions, and ethnic traditions of all people, which leads to understanding and better communication.
  • To enable children to develop their own minds and unique perspectives through programming that encourages imagination, reflection, and expression.
  • To offer a safe, quality, and affordable program option to parents who need school age childcare.
  • To build character and a strong sense of values by stressing the importance of the YMCA Core values: caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
  • To have fun!

Program Highlights

  • STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math education): with focus on achievement, relationships and belonging; this upgrade invests in the whole child. By focusing on these areas together not only because the skills and knowledge in each discipline are essential for student success, but also because these fields are deeply intertwined in the real world and in how students learn most effectively.
  • KIDS CLUB COMMUNITY SERVICE: Sites will be encouraged to assist their community with projects throughout the school year and by active participation in the YMCA’s Annual Giving Campaign – “Give a Kid the Y.” This Campaign helps less fortunate families participate in all Y programs. We want to make sure every child has an opportunity! Our goal is to have 100% participation amongst all our families in the program.
  • SEL (Social Emotional Learning): We incorporate SEL through lessons, and activities to teach children these crucial social skills. One curriculum we use is The Heroic Journey, which was created by a team of renowned clinical psychologists, internationally acclaimed bullying prevention experts, and educators. With popular superhero and movie characters and stories, this curriculum teaches social emotional learning and bullying prevention in ways that children and teens find relatable.

Where is Kids Club?

Kids Club operates at the following locations from school dismissal until 6:00 pm

  • Denville – Lakeview School
  • Denville – Riverview School
  • Boonton Township – Rockaway Valley School

Morning care is also available at:

  • Riverview (Denville): 7:00 am drop-off

Exclusive YMCA Program Curriculum

  • Daily homework help
  • Evidence-based SEL (Social Emotional Learning).
  • Programming through relatable pop culture heroes.
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities.
  • Much-needed recreational time (on the playground).
  • Sports and Physical Fitness for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
  • Creative Craft Activities
  • Literacy
  • Dramatic & Construction Play

Essential Fundamentals

  • Scheduled Half-Day Coverage
  • Full Day Vacation Camps available
  • Choose a 2-5 day/week schedule!

A Typical Day at the Y After School Program

Y Community Time

SEL (Social Emotional Learning): The Heroic Journey Curriculum is created by a team of renowned clinical psychologists, internationally acclaimed bullying prevention experts, and educators. With popular superhero and movie characters and stories, this curriculum teaches social emotional learning and bullying prevention in ways that children and teens find relatable.

Brain Power Hour

Children must be provided with a quiet time in which they can start/lakelandhillsymca.complete their homework. Staff members must make themselves available to answer questions and give support. If children are not required to complete homework at Kids Club, do not have homework or finish early, we provide quiet activities for them. We make sure the alternate activities do not interfere with the homework time. This period will not be more than 40 minutes.

Exploration

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math education): with focus on achievement, relationships and belonging; this upgrade invests in the whole child. By focusing on these areas together not only because the skills and knowledge in each discipline are essential for student success, but also because these fields are deeply intertwined in the real world and in how students learn most effectively.

Enrichment

Age-appropriate structured enrichment activities such as music, art, theater, DIY crafts, global awareness, service learning and character education intended to expose students to new experiences to ignite their imagination and foster a love of service and empathy for others.

Energize Sports Recreation

Recreation: A closely supervised child-directed recreation time in which the children can pursue their own interests within clear limits. This will usually be after snack time, typically on the playground (weather permitting).

Sports & Games: The YMCA believes that children need 30 minutes per day of active games programming. This includes a combination of competitive and non-competitive games.

Kids Club Community Service

Sites will be encouraged to assist their community with projects throughout the school year and by active participation in the YMCA’s Annual Giving Campaign – “Give a Kid the Y.” This Campaign helps less fortunate families participate in all Y programs. We want to make sure every child has an opportunity! Our goal is to have 100% participation amongst all our families in the program.

Example of Daily Schedule

Each of the YMCA’s Kids Club sites differs. Every site’s schedule will contain the same components, but their order may vary. The program is tailored to fit the children at each specific site.

For Example:

RIVERVIEW PM DAILY SCHEDULE

  • 3:25 School Dismissal/Attendance
  • 3:30 Bathroom Break/ Handwashing/ Snack
  • 3:45 Homework/Quiet Alternative
  • 4:15 Recreational Time: Playground
  • 5:00 Child’s Choice: Craft, Sports & Games, Table Games
  • 5:50 Clean-Up
  • 6:00 Program Ends

Important Numbers

VOICEMAIL MAILBOX NUMBERS TO REPORT ABSENCES:

You must call in to the program voicemail and leave a message if your child is not attending for that day.

EMERGENCY CONTACT AT SITES

In the event of an emergency where you need to get in touch with the staff at your child’s site, please call the site emergency cell phone line. If for some reason you cannot get in touch with them call the YMCA. The front desk staff will then call the Program Director and they will then contact the site. This includes if you are running late to pick up your child.

SITE CELL NUMBERS FOR PICK UPS AND EMERGENCIES:

Snack Time

There will be 10 minutes allotted each day for children to eat snack. Snack will not be provided by the YMCA; parents must provide snack for their children. Children, however, may not share any of their snacks with other children (for allergy purposes).

Registration

  • Registration will open for the 2024-2025 school year on June 3 at 8:00 am.
  • Registration and paperwork must be completed by August 19 to start on the first day of school.
  • Online registration and completed paperwork will be processed and an email will be sent by the director to confirm your start date.
  • Allow a minimum of 5 business days to start on the 1st of the following month. Roster changes cannot be done in the mid-month.

Program Policies and Procedures for Parents/Guardians

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