Afterschool Program

Using the Community Center and classrooms the Ideal School Afterschool program will be available to all students at the Ideal School. The after school program will be divided into 3 sections, K-2nd, 3rd-5th and 6th grade. All 3 sections of the afterschool program will focus on combining grade levels for mentoring, enrichment curriculum, and utilizing the learning lab for students who need extra help with school work.

1. Combining Grade Levels for Mentoring: At the Ideal School, we believe that mixing age and grade levels enrich our school community. During the Afterschool program, we will have the 6th grade students assist with the K-2nd graders as “Teaching Assistants” for 3 days out of the week while participating in their community volunteer project for 1 day and advanced enrichment curriculum for 1 day. They will have one week training in the mentor lab in which they learn skills for working with their younger schoolmates. K-2nd and 3rd-5th will have individual enrichment programming but will also combine one day a week for performances from the community (plays, bands, exhibits etc) and or cultural festivities.

2. Enrichment Curriculum: Enrichments activities in the afterschool program include art projects, music lessons, gardening, cooking lessons, car maintenance, bike maintenance, bike rides, hikes, beach days, survival skills workshops, swim lessons,  sewing, graphic arts, scientific research groups etc. Using community volunteers, UCSC education students, 6th grade TA’s and paid workshop facilitators to administer the enrichment curriculum who will all be trained in the mentor lab to develop and present the students each activity.  The students can choose the enrichment activity of their choices which can range in length from 1 day to the whole year depending on the activity. The 6th grade students will assist in the enrichment curriculum chosen by the k-2nd grader for three days a week but as part of being in the 6th grade all will be required to participate in a community volunteer project for the grade in which they service a particular group of their in the community plus help with beach clean-up, trail maintenance, feeding the homeless.

3. Learning Lab: During the Afterschool Program students have the choice to go to the Learning lab to work on homework, focus on school work, get individual tutoring or play computer learning games. Some students will be required to go to the Learning Lab during the afterschool program to get the individual attention that they need. They will only be required to go two days a week, although they may decide to go more than two days. The learning Lab focuses on small group learning, no more that 3:1 student teacher ratio. The learning Lab will have a full time administrator, with student teachers, community volunteers, parents and paid tutors working with the students. All adult participants in the learning lab will go through a week of training in the mentor mania room. The learning lab will also be open during regular school hours for students who need individual attention during classroom time.