Old Town Recreation Center
Afterschool Enrichment Program
2015-2016 Handbook
Visit us at www.oldtownrec.com
Physical Location:
Herbert Sargent Community Center
342 Bennoch Road
Old Town, Maine 04468
(207) 827-3961
e-mail: [email protected]
Mailing Address:
Old Town Recreation Center
PO Box 273
Stillwater, Maine 04489
Greetings Parents and Caregivers:
Welcome to our “Rec Family!” Here at the OTRec Center, we are excited to
provide this opportunity for your afterschool needs. We appreciate your
trust in us to provide a quality experience for you and your family.
Our goal here at the Recreation Center is to provide peace of mind for you,
as a parent, through an opportunity for your child to play in a safe,
productive and interactive environment. Information within this handbook
includes the the Afterschool Enrichment Program overview, AEP policies
and procedures, and general information about our program. It is our hope
that this information will be helpful in ensuring a successful experience for
both you and your child.
Throughout the school year in our AEP program, your child will be fostering
friendships with their peers through guided activity in age-appropriate
activities, sports, crafts, educational opportunities, community service - and
more! Additionally, the opportunity to work on homework will be
encouraged - prior to rec activities - to help with academic progress.
We are also pleased to mention that those in 4th grade (and above) will
have an opportunity to participate in the Black Bear mentor program
through our partnership with the University of Maine’s Bodwell Center.
(This opportunity is available through parental request only). After
applications are accepted, youth are then matched with UMaine student
mentors (based on mentor availability and youth need), and will then meet
approximately once a week at OTRec to begin their mentoring relationship.
In our role of social development and structured play, we also recognize
that some children may simply need time to unwind after a long school day.
This is an important part of social development, and we will do our best to
give them this opportunity when needed as well.
Please feel free to contact us at any time with suggestions, questions or
concerns. We care about you, your child, and the feeling you get – each and
every time you walk through the door.
We are thankful you have joined our Rec family and look forward to our
time together.
Warm Regards,
The Old Town Recreation Center Staff
Overview:
OTRec Center Afterschool Enrichment Program
Our FUN, encouraging and interactive programs are designed for youth (K - 8th grade) to
provide safety, enrichment and healthy exercise to keep your child active! We are able to
accommodate 75 youth in our current space and welcome each child with a warm hello as
they come through the door by bus/van from their respective schools.
We begin our daily program by providing a healthy snack for our campers to fuel up with
while we do a quick “check in” about their day at school. Then - let the games begin!
Children are separated into four age appropriate groups:
o Explorers: (children enrolled in kindergarten and first grade)
o Adventure: (children enrolled in second and third grade)
o Leaders in Training: (children enrolled in fourth and fifth grade)
o Leaders Club: (children enrolled in sixth through eight grade)
WE KEEP OUR KIDDOS BUSY WHILE THEY ARE HERE WITH US…our staff LOVES to play!
Whether it is a special guest for the day, “Healthy Hometown” activities, mentoring
programs through our UMaine partnerships, or simply a quiet place to get help with
homework, we feel that our experienced staff brings safety and encouragement at every
turn. We are always ‘movin’ and ‘groovin’ with a variety of physical activities during our
time together – we especially love to be outdoors! This fall, we will be outside as much as
the weather allows, as we will be playing many outdoor based games, while admiring all the
colorful leaves that are changing before our eyes.
During the winter months, we will make snow angels, build snowmen, go sliding, explore
our nature trail, go cross-country skiing, play on mounds of snow, and even create snow
forts (if Mother Nature allows!) And, this spring, we will spend time playing a variety of
outdoor games, exercise while walking our Born Learning Trail, working in our
youth-facilitated Community Garden, or simply exploring what nature has to offer.
When we ARE inside, we love to stay active by playing a variety of gym games and other
team activities! We also enjoy board games with staff and friends, but also offer quiet space
to get homework done early - or simply enjoy a good book. We even have staff dedicated to
homework assistance if you feel this is appropriate for your child…
Our Child Guidance Methods:
We feel that children are one of our most valuable resources and deserve
to be treated with respect and a nurturing approach.
Our child guidance methods are geared towards meeting the individual needs of each child.
Rules, expectations, and limits are applied consistently and will be carried out in a manner
consistent with the child’s developmental ability. Staff at the OTRec Center make every
attempt to employ positive methods of guidance encouraging self-control, self-direction,
self-esteem, and cooperation. The following interventions will be used by our staff as
needed: conflict resolution interventions, providing choice / alternate options, promoting
the use of language skills, redirecting, using praise/positive reinforcement and guidance.
All of our counselors are all college – age, First Aid/CPR certified and have been, or
currently are, enrolled in a course of study relevant to our childcare goals. While we do not
employ “timeouts”, and do not feel that isolation is an appropriate coping mechanism, we do
feel at times it is beneficial to allow the child a few moments to re-group and join back in
when they feel more comfortable. We will then personally assist them with this transition…
Location and Hours of Afterschool Program Operations:
OUR LOCATION:
OTRec Center / H. E. Sargent Community Center
342 Bennoch Road, Old Town, ME.
AEP Hours are available Monday – Friday from 2:15PM – 5:30PM
School Days
Regular School Day: Monday – Friday: 2:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Half School Day: Monday – Friday: 12:00 p.m. -5:30 p.m.
Holiday, School Vacation, and School Snow Days
Monday – Friday: 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The Rec Center will make every effort to provide camp on snow days and all dates not
listed below. IT IS VERY RARE THAT WE CHOOSE TO CLOSE DUE TO WEATHER.
If we do choose to cancel, our office message, our blog, and Facebook page will reflect
this as well as our website announcements at www.oldtownrec.com.
In the event that we do need to close or cancel for an upcoming day, we will email and
text blast all household accounts in our program informing you of this change.
The Afterschool Enrichment Program is not in session
on the following days/holidays:
Monday, September 7th, 2015 – Labor Day
Thursday, November 26th, 2015 – Thanksgiving Day
Friday, November 27th, 2015 – Day After Thanksgiving
Friday, December 25th, 2015 – Christmas Day
Friday, January 1st, 2016 –New Year’s Day
Monday, May 30th, 2016 – Memorial Day
Afterschool Enrichment Program Fees:
o Regular School Days (Monday – Friday 2:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)
$14 per day or $65 per week
o School ½ days (Monday – Friday 12:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.)
$20 per day
o Holidays and School Vacation Camp (Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m – 5:30 p.m.)
$24 per day or $115 per week (5 days)
o Snow Camp (Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. )***
additional $10 per day (added to the $14/day afterschool payment)
***Payment for snow days is kindly requested on the day of service***
Parent Involvement/Volunteerism:
We appreciate and value your time and efforts towards improving the lives of others.
We love to have parent participation whenever possible - and so do your children!
Parents and Caregivers are welcome and encouraged to, not only stop in anytime,
but to also join in activities occurring during our Afterschool Enrichment Program.
There are also many volunteer opportunities available to support our mission.
If interested, please visit our website, www.oldtownrec.com for the
“opportunities within our Rec family” section to download an application today.
Registration Process:
If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to create an account on our website,
www.oldtownrec.com, so that you may register for our Afterschool Enrichment Program.
You may also register for one or more of our many programs and events through this site
as well! We hope that you take a look, see something that looks exciting…
and decide to join in on the fun!
Due to the recent growth of our Afterschool Enrichment Program we are now requesting
that you register your children for six weeks at a time, per session, to ensure that proper
child/staff ratios are always in place. We also understand that unforeseen things change,
and will remain flexible with reasonable adjustments provided that timely notice is given.
Adding days are still an option, providing space is available for that day.
Payment Procedure:
Although pre-registration is required to ensure proper staffing is in place, please be
reassured that we only require payment Thursday prior to each week of childcare.
With this payment, a spot will be reserved for your child for that week. Additional
payment for future weeks will be accepted at any time as well to reserve spots throughout
the academic year.
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For your convenience, you may make payments through the following options:
If paying by check, please make payable to the “Old Town Recreation Center”
If sending payment by mail, send to P.O. Box 273, Stillwater, ME 04489
Pay in person by check
Submit payment by credit card online at www.oldtownrec.com.
Pay with cash in person
If paying with cash, we ask that you submit payment at the Rec Center in person
to receive a receipt from our office staff. If all staff is busy helping others, you
may place it in an envelope, write the intended purpose for the payment on it, and
place payment in the black mailbox located inside the OTRec Center near the
office reception window.
If you have concerns regarding the payment schedule, we are available to discuss them
with you and will make every reasonable attempt to accommodate your needs.
Attendance Policy:
Safety is a priority during our programs…so keeping attendance is very important to us.
When a child will not be attending on a scheduled day, please call at your earliest
convenience to let us know. If your child is scheduled to attend and does not arrive …
we will call you to make sure that everything is okay.
We understand that circumstances may come up that are beyond our control.
In the event that you need to make a change to your child’s schedule, a one week’s
written notice (handwritten note or email) is required. Without this notice, you will be
charged as we needed to schedule staff to provide childcare coverage for your child.
Medical emergencies are the exception to this policy and accommodations may be made
in this situation. Please speak with the Executive Director if this situation occurs.
We ask that you provide a two week notice if your family no longer needs our
Afterschool Enrichment Program services. Please know that we are so thankful to have
had the opportunity to care for your child and have enjoyed our time with your family.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedure:
We respectfully ask that the children are signed in and out by a designated person each
day. You will be asked to sign the Attendance Sheet and Sign In/Out sheet, at the front
table in the lobby, before dropping off or picking up your child.
We ask that you provide notification (handwritten note or email) in advance
for each time that someone other than the parent/guardian is picking up your child.
In addition, you will be asked to complete a Release of Child form so that we can become
aware of those individuals who have your permission to pick up your child.
Please be advised that for safety reasons, staff may ask for your ID until
we become familiar with who you are through regular visitation, and also for the ID
of those individuals who are permitted to pick up your children.
In the Event of Illness:
We must ask that your child refrains from attending the Afterschool Enrichment Program
when they are contagious. This is helpful in reducing the spread of illness.
If a child becomes sick during program hours, we will contact you
to make arrangements so you can arrange for proper care during this unfortunate time.
Communication:
The children also receive a healthy snack shortly after arriving.
Keeping our parents informed, and parents keeping us informed, is essential
to the success of our program.
Please contact us when:
o Information on your registration forms have changed
o Someone other than the parent/guardian will be picking your child up
o A child is unable to be picked up on time, or will not be attending on
a registered day
o An incident or change occurs in your child's life that may alter his/her attitude,
behavior or needs
o A personal event causes emotional distress (i.e. divorce, loss of a pet,
death in the family, etc.)
o Your child may have been exposed to a concern for other campers (i.e. head lice,
pink eye, chicken pox, etc.)
Parents will be contacted immediately when:
o Your child has received an injury which requires immediate medical attention
o Your child exhibits a medical condition which could be contagious or threatening
to others in the program
o Your child is sick and is unable to participate in daily activities
o Behavioral concerns arise that require parental attention
Parents will be notified at pick-up time when:
o Extraordinary positive behavior is demonstrated - we want to share your child's
accomplishments!
o Any upcoming off-campus activity has been changed from the original schedule
for that given week
o Your child receives a minor injury that is attended to by a member of our staff and
does not require the service of a professional in the medical field
o Your child expresses concern related to a non-emergency condition or symptom
o Your child exhibits unusual or non-compliant behavior
o A special event or conversation has occurred that is important for you to know
Medication:
Medication should ideally be administered at home.
o We understand that it is sometimes necessary for your child to receive medication
while in the program.
o All medications, prescribed or over-the-counter, must be given to management
staff only
o The medication will be kept in a secure location, and provided to your child at the
appropriate time
o We request that medications come in the original container, labeled with the
child’s name, content, dosage, time to be administered, and prescriber’s name and
contact information.
We will ask that you fill out an Authorization to Dispense Medication form in order to
give us permission and information regarding your child’s medication.
Children should not keep medications with them at any time.
Personal Items:
The Old Town Recreation Center will not be held accountable for any lost or misplaced
personal items your child chooses to bring to the Afterschool Enrichment Program.
Although we encourage sharing with appropriate items, it is important for you to consider
what is deemed valuable to both you and your child and make choices that you feel are
best for your family.
In Closing:
We appreciate your trust in us to provide a quality experience for your child.
If, at any time, you have questions regarding our policies and procedures, please
feel free to contact me at the information listed below.
Thank you.
With appreciation,
Kevin B. McPhee, Exec. Dir. / CEO
Old Town Recreation Center
Questions? Feel free to call us at: (207) 827-3961
Email: [email protected]
Mailing Address:
Old Town Recreation Center, PO Box 273, Stillwater, ME 04489
Please sign and return this page to the Old Town Recreation Center.
I have received a copy of the Old Town Recreation Center’s Afterschool Enrichment
Program Handbook. I attest that I have read this Handbook and agree to adhere to the
procedures and policies listed herein. I understand that these policies and procedures are
subject to change without notice.
Child’s Name: _______________________________________ DOB: _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _
Parent/Guardian Signature:_____________________________ Date: _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _
Parent/Guardian (printed name): _____________________________________________
Updated July2015