Winter and Spring After School Programs

Check out the Winter and Spring After School Programs we have coming up! These fun and educational programs are free to students!

  • Winter Session: January - March, 2024
  • Spring Session: April - May, 2024

Program Transportation: One bus will be available, shared by both programs, beginning in January. The bus will leave the school around 5:00pm. Bus stop details will be based on student ridership from each program. Reminder, if your child is in K-1 and rides the bus home, you must be at the bus stop to pick them up, and a sibling must be at least in Middle School to walk them home.


G.E.A.R. (Growth Enrichment Activities Rock)

WHEN: Monday-Thursday, after-school until 5:00pm, except on early release days and holidays. 

GRADE LEVELS: The program serves youth in grades 2-5.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM: Students come to us from their teachers at the end of the school day. We start with snack time which is a shared time with Washington Outdoor School. The kids then have active time, playing tag, basketball and other indoor active games to get the wiggles out from a long day at school. Next the kids head into their enrichment activities until about 4:50pm, then clean up and get ready for parent pick-up time. 

Enrichment activities run for 4-6 weeks depending on the school calendar schedule, and include things like: cooking classes, arts and crafts, science experiments, engineering, active play, board games and more. We also have special events which include movie days, karaoke and dance parties. 

We believe strongly in the youth voice being present in all of our programs and the kids are able to provide input for the activities we provide and are able to select which enrichment activities they want to participate in. Once a youth selects their schedule, they keep to that schedule for the 4-6 week process, so everyone gets the opportunity to participate in the more popular things like cooking class, which we offer twice per week.

FUNDING PARTNERS: GEAR has been funded by several different grants over the years starting with the 21st Century Learning Center grant that allowed us to create and implement after-school programming in our district. Most recently this program has been funded by the District, The Suncadia Fund for Community Enhancement, The Greater Tacoma Foundation (Bill and Nancy Smith), The Hein Legacy Foundation and support from C.O.A.L for snacks for both GEAR and Washington Outdoor School (WOS).

CONTACT INFORMATION:

  • Director of Youth Programs for Community Builders: Ashlynn Ford, 509-304-8120
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WOS (Washington Outdoor School)

WHEN: Monday - Thursday, after school until 5:00pm, except on early release days and holidays. We are potentially going to extend the day to 5:30pm if that is of interest to families, and there is staff able to stay to meet the need.

GRADE LEVELS: The program serves youth in grades K-5.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM: Students come to us from their teachers at the end of the school day. The program begins at check-in with a snack coordinated with GEAR inside or outside depending on the time of year. Outdoors activities go from about 3:20pm to 4:30pm, then students move inside for a closing circle, warm-up, and to get things ready for parent pick-up at 5:00pm. 

Our outdoor nature based immersion after school program gives students the opportunity to explore the natural world outside the school in a variety of ways:

  • student led activities (a favorite of which is fort building)

  • organized games

  • crafting with natural materials and learning about ourselves as individuals and as part of a group.

We have been using the framework of the 7 Sacred Teachings: LOVE, RESPECT, BRAVERY, TRUTH, HONESTY, HUMILITY and WISDOM. We believe these are attributes we want our students to embody and align with the values and behavior expectations of students at CERSD. So far this year students have explored Humility by focusing on Gray Wolves, and are currently exploring Courage through a focus on Bears. 

Through a variety of activities we have explored animal adaptations, emergency preparedness and practiced what to do in a variety of situations including natural disasters and animal encounters as well as how to take care of ourselves in all the elements. 

FUNDING PARTNERS: Cle Elum Roslyn School District, the Hein Legacy Foundation, Suncadia Fund for Community Enhancement, the Tacoma Foundation, and donors who have requested to remain anonymous. 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

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