The phrase “ask and you shall receive” is ringing true for parents at Breslau Public School. Breslau is one of five local schools offering before- and afterschool programs this fall.
The extended day program is for students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 2 and the youth development program caters to students in Grades 3 to 6.
Frank Ewald, principal at Breslau PS, said the Waterloo Region District School Board decided which schools would offer the program after surveying parents.
“The extended day is based upon parents’ interest,” said Ewald. “Surveys were done at all schools in the region to see the viability of the program.”
The program will also be offered at John Mahood PS, Riverside, Conestego, St. Jacobs and Wellesley public schools.
When launched, the new initiative will replace the previous program at Breslau, which Ewald said couldn’t expand because there wasn’t enough space at the school.
“We had a third-party program for a number of years and they always had extensive waiting lists,” he explained.
There won’t be a limit on the number of students who can use the program, as the school is in the middle of renovations including six full-day kindergarten classrooms, two regular classrooms, a technology room, custodial space, and office space.
The classrooms will be ready for the fall and the offices will be completed by January 2015. There will be 585 students attending Breslau next year.
“The program will be very much based upon some of the activities in full-day kindergarten now,” he said. “There will be lots of hands-on activities, a mix of indoor/outdoor play, and utilizing the gym when possible.”
The early childhood educators running the program have already been hired by the school board, including ECEs from Lackner Woods, the current afterschool program provider.
Parents can drop off their children before school as early as 7 a.m. and pick them up after school until 6 p.m. It will cost $24.50 for the morning and afternoon, $14.50 for just the afternoon, and $10 for just the morning.
The program is flexible, so if you only need childcare after school twice a week, then you can arrange that. It can be tailored to the parent’s schedule, within the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. hours, as long as it’s consistent. It will be available Monday to Friday, PD Days, March Break and the non-statutory week at Christmas.
As for his hopes for the program, Ewald said, “That we can extend our opportunity to provide a necessary service for the parents in the community.
“We’re looking forward to seeing this take place.”
To see the full list of schools participating or to register your child, visit www.wrdsb.ca/beforeafter.
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