CLASSES
The Extended day activities are planned to provide engaging and enjoyable programming for Midtown West children who require child care after school. Some are returning favorites while others are new to our program. It is our goal to expand the program and to vary the class selection with a range of activities, allowing children to follow existing interests as well as to explore new areas of discovery.
We try to balance the program with academic, artistic and physical activities while also complementing the school day program the children have at Midtown West. Many of the teachers are MTW staff members, further connecting the two programs as children spend time with cherished teachers. Through this consistency children experience a smooth transition at the end of their school day. Children have the opportunity to experience varied activities while having fun in a stress free Environment. The focus is to have fun more than to master high level skills.
Remember: At the end of the year they will not be experts in a given field. They will have a stronger understanding and appreciation for the subjects they studied rather than a master level skill.
- When choosing classes - please choose carefully - There will be NO activity changes until the 2nd semester. Please note the grade level cut off where specified.
- Remember that young children require free, unstructured play during their day.
- Classes will be filled on a "1st come - 1st served" basis.
- We recommend that 1st and 2nd graders have one (1) structured activity each day and one (1) unstructured activity such as Free Play or Yard.
- Be sure to give a 1st and 2nd preference for each session in case 1st choice classes are closed out.
- We have a two (2) semester schedule so please note that there will be NO CHANGES until the 2nd semester. Choose your child's activities carefully.
- There will be NO schedule changes unless it involves a day change caused by the parent's work schedules (adding days only.)
- Requests to add a day must be submitted on a day change form with a $15 change fee by the 15th of the month and will go into effect by the 1st of the following month.
- There will be no dropping the number of days your child attends until the 2nd semester
- Note that occasionally, a child's behavior is inappropriate for a specific class and Extended Day will move the child into a different, more appropriate activity.
- When scheduled activities are cancelled due to a teacher's illness or a professional development workshop, children will be sent to other scheduled activities such as yard or free play.
NOTE: Classes scheduled at 3:30 on Mondays are subject to occasional cancellations due to MTW professional development, and, or staff meetings.
ANIMATION CLASS DESCRIPTION Grades 3-5
In this class we will use a digital video camera, computer, and stop-motion animation software to create animated movies. Each week we will focus on different materials and techniques. Index card drawings, hinged 2-dimensional puppets, magazine cut-outs, clay, toys, and sand are some of the objects we will be moving under the camera. We will talk about the history of animation, and discuss the new ways of creating animated images made possible by computers.
ARTS & CRAFTS/MAKE & TAKE Grades 1-5
Children will have the opportunity to explore a variety of mediums while strengthening their fine motor skills and creating fun and imaginative pieces of art.
BEADWORK Grades 1-5
Children will love creating their own beadwork making simple, fun and age appropriate projects.
BALLET Grades 1-5
This class is an introduction to ballet, the language of dance. Children will explore movement and begin to learn names and specific movements. Children are exposed to the structure of a ballet class in a way that is both fun and developmentally appropriate. Children learn the importance of warming up, cooling down and performing, as they will develop more challenging and sophisticated movements in the “classical dance vocabulary.”
BASEBALL Grades 1-5
Coaches from Pier 40 will teach our children the basic skills as they learn to play the game in a fun environment.
BASKETBALL Grades 3-5
Children will learn basic basketball skills and have fun learning to play the game.
CHESS - ADVANCED Grades 1-5
Children must demonstrate a strong understanding and ability for this program. This class is for players looking to improve their game through a deeper understanding of tactics, openings, endgame positions and over-all play. This will be a very focused and disciplined activity. Your child must continue showing a genuine interest in learning the game at this level. Inappropriate behavior that disrupts the class will result in a child being moved into a different activity.
CHESS – BEGINNER Grade 1-5
This class is for players new to the game. They will develop and understanding of tactics, openings, endgame positions and over-all play. This will be a very focused and disciplined activity. Your child must continue showing a genuine interest in learning the game at this level. Inappropriate behavior that disrupts the class will result in a child being moved into a different activity.
COMPUTER Grades 1-5
The Internet poses a unique challenge for both parents and teachers. There are two top priorities for both - keeping children safe and encouraging student achievement. The MTW after school computer program crafts a balance between safe and smart Internet game usage. Students are encouraged to explore appropriately and follow specific usage rules. It is important for parents to realize that children have worked hard all day in school and are ready to unwind, socialize and have fun with technology. They are engaged in the games and are gaining a solid foundation of basic electronic skills while their imaginations are ignited. E-learning games are meant to complement teaching, not take the place of quality curriculum instruction.
Research has shown that e-games for K-5 children can help improve school performance. Appropriately used and with guidance, games are tools for the development of higher thinking skills. Educational guru, Howard Gardner, has suggested that students have multiple intelligences. Computer games provide a context that connects kids to all of these intelligences- from literacy to the arts while honoring the unique modalities of each. As they progress to more difficult game levels, students create self-pacing strategies and try to achieve their personal best. Not only do they increase their cognitive skills, they increase their confidence and feel heightened self-esteem in an atmosphere that is not competitive. When they play and enjoy computer games at MTW after school, our kids are learning Electronic Literacy – active learning that will prepare them for the challenges of the future.
COOKING Grades 1-5
The children learn how to make simple and delicious meals that they can make at home and share with their families. It is a time for them to work cooperatively both in preparing the dishes and cleaning up. During the sessions the children learn to make everything from cakes to pasta dishes to yummy finger foods. Everyone shares in the responsibility and the fun in preparing each dish. They learn how to use a variety of kitchen and baking tools, including the blender, oven, measuring cups and spoons. The children read the recipes, measure out the ingredients, blend, mix, chop and most importantly eat what they make.
On Thursday our cooking class will be partially conducted in Spanish to introduce children to the language while participating in a fun activity.
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY Grades 3-5
Get acquainted with the use of digital photography. We will work on taking photographs and videos, downloading them into the computer and modifying them on the computer. The work will be used and displayed in a variety of ways allowing children to explore their creativity while enhancing their technology skills.
DRAMA - CHILDREN’S THEATER Grades 1-5
Children will work on scripts from different genres. They will construct simple sets and perform for their parents during Extended Day.
DRUMMING & MOVEMENT Grades 2-5
Basic rhythmic patterns will be taught using conga, bongos, and other available drums and rhythm instruments. Simple organic dance movement will be introduced along with story telling that supports appreciation of the tradition of drumming within diverse cultures.
FREE PLAY Grades 1-3
It is through play that young children recreate the world. Their “play” is their work and their mission is to organize their experiences using tools like paint, paper, blocks, legos, etc., in order to make sense of their environment. This important “playtime” becomes the building blocks for their literacy learning.
GAMES Grades 1-5
Children will play a variety of games in a casual, social environment.
GARAGE BAND
Garage Band (mac) or Sony Acid-Pro (pc)
This music technology class is designed for elementary school children using the Apple music software program Garage Band for mac or Sony Acid-Pro for pc. Students will learn how to create, compose and record their own music. The computer program virtual keyboard can be used to create their own melodies with added sounds/music loops from the program. Piano keyboards can also used be with the computers. The emphasis is on having fun while
stimulating creativity and experimentation using interactive tools. Children¹s eagerness to use the computer will make using this program an engaging and fun activity. No previous music education background necessary.
HOMEWORK HELP Grades 2-5
Working families everywhere struggle with the balance of home life and school responsibilities; The families of Midtown West are no different. But our families have an advantage - they are part of a community that keeps working together towards success for our children. As the older grades begin to have long term homework projects, more involved assignments that take several sittings to finish and often require skills and concept review that are not always clear to parents, this class can help families set up a successful homework schedule.
Children will be able to use math manipulatives from the classrooms when needed. They can type reports if necessary or work on editing drafts that have been prepared at home, as well as using the computer for research. Teachers are prepared for the range of curriculum tasks that the children may bring and can connect back to the homeroom teacher when necessary. Children are to come with a piece of homework already chosen by the family. Parents are still expected to sign off on the homework before it is returned to the child’s teacher and to speak to that teacher when there are problems or questions.
During homework time, the children are provided with a quiet place to work on their homework individually, or with a partner. When needed, the head and/or assistant teacher also assist them in their work. In the classrooms, the children are provided with any materials needed to complete their assignments. The children are expected to come to this class knowing what parts of their homework need to be accomplished. This class is not meant to be a tutorial, but rather a way to build your child’s independence around homework.
Level Homework Schedule (tentative) HW Packets Distributed Returned
2nd Grade – Jennifer & Jessica Wednesday Wednesday
3rd Grade – Kay & Yolene Tuesday Monday
4th Grade – Ted Monday Monday
4th Grade – Kristin Monday Friday
5th Grade – Jeremy Monday Monday
5th Grade – Nicole Daily Daily
Ana Tuesday -Tuesday
Sara Daily- Daily
Note: Homework Help scheduled on Mondays at 3:30 is subject to occasional cancellation due to MTW professional development, and, or staff meetings.
JAZZ-HIPHOP Grades 1-5
Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of a dance class. This includes warm-up, movement and a cool down. This class is a combination of both jazz dance and hip-hop movement. Students should wear comfortable clothing that allows for unhindered movement as well as jazz shoes (no street shoes in the dance studio).
KARATE Grades 1-5
Children will learn the discipline skills of Karate…This will be a demanding physical activity requiring focus and discipline. Children must be able to manage their physical spontaneity.
KINDERGARTEN ACTIVITIES Grade K
Kindergarten children will stay together during the 1st semester engaged in a variety of developmentally appropriate activities designed to strengthen their social/emotional growth as well as their fine and gross motor skills. A warm and nurturing environment will be created to facilitate their transition into the after school program. Children will check in at 3:00 and go directly to the yard to play while the older children have their snack in the cafeteria. As the older children go to their activities, the Kindergarten kids will move inside to have their snack. When snack is finished the children will spend the remainder of the afternoon enjoying various activities such as story time, arts and crafts, blocks, cooking, play dough, water table, dramatic play, music, movement and free choice.
LEGOS ROBOTICS for Beginners & Advanced Grades 3-5
Experience the exciting world of robotics and develop a new and exciting hobby. This program provides the basics of mechanical engineering to design a variety of working robots and their accessories.
LOGO ADVENTURES Grades 3-5
Students set out on a journey to familiarize themselves with the basics of computer programming learning this programming language that is used in various programs in micro worlds software. A great start for those interested in computers and gaming. We will learn to generate art and games.
MODERN DANCE Grades 1-5
Modern dance has been an exciting and enriching experience for many children with a variety of dance backgrounds. Students, with some previous dance experience become more knowledgeable with regard to the requirements of a dance class: clothing, warm-up, technique and performance. The class often combines aspects of ballet, modern and jazz in a way that allows for the broadest range of exposure to various dance disciplines. This class has performed in many dance venues, including the Midtown West Concerts, Midtown West Assembly programs an the “Boot Dance” performances.
SCIENCE Grades 1-5
Children will investigate science concepts using hands on equipment to understand such things as differences and similarities between matter – solid, liquid and gas; and, what and why certain maters floats. We’ll study different groups of living things, i.e., insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Projects will be the culminating activity for each investigation.
SOCCER Grades 1-5
Coaches from Downtown United Soccer will teach our children the basic skills as they learn to play the game in a fun environment.
TENNIS Grades 1-5
Children will learn the basic skills of tennis and have fun learning and playing the game.
TAP Grades 1-5
Beginners: The beginner class is for children, ages 6-8, with little or no previous tapping experience. The class is intended to introduce the young tap dancer to a variety of basic tap elements, such as the parts of the foot used for tapping and the basic sounds that can be made - tap, shuffle, flap and stamp. Students apply these movements rhythmically to music to create patterns that will ultimately become a dance routine.
Intermediate & Advanced: The advanced group of tappers are children who have at least one year of tap training. These children are ready to study more complicated application.
TUMBLING Grades 1-5
During a tumbling session students are introduced to the rudiments of tumbling which includes proper warm-ups and strength building exercises. Students learn how to fall safely and quickly move on to more advanced skills that include cartwheels, handstands, round-offs, front handsprings, back handsprings and dive rolls. Proper use of the mini-trampoline is introduced mid-session. Tumbling sessions conclude with a cool-down and stretching.
Tumbling is a prerequisite for more advanced gymnastics that will be offered in the spring semester.
VOLLEY BALL Grades 1-5
Children will learn the basic rules of the game and play in a safe, social environment. Your child will learn to bump (pass), set, spike, serve and block the ball. Learning to score a game and where and how the boundaries work are just as important to the game as the other fundamentals.
YARD Grades 1-5
Children will have unstructured play time on the playground while strengthening their social and gross motor skills.
12-WEEK SPECIAL FEE CLASSES
An extra fee (in addition to the regular monthly tuition) will be charged for these classes. Some scholarships are available for these classes - pick-up a scholarship form from the Extended Day office.
SWIMJIM Grades 1-5
The teachers of SwimJim are the most recognized swimming instructors in New York. We have developed an ordered, methodical approach to teaching swimming skills and to cultivate water competency. We believe the success with which our students navigate in the water proves the program’s effectiveness. The most important aspect of our teaching process is our disciplined but loving dedication to getting children in and comfortable with the water. We are thoughtful and observant of children’s behavioral and developmental patterns and will respond to their fears and concerns with love, humor and discipline. This will guide them through the necessary steps to become independent, competent swimmers. This firm, loving approach is the hallmark of SwimJim, Inc. All the members of the SwimJim team are committed to the highest level of excellence in everything we do.
Special Fee = $300 per 12 week session. Paid in full at registration
