After School Enrichment Fall Session 2024 Information

Our fall 2024 session starts this Wednesday, October 9th and runs through Friday, December 20th.   Please login to 6crickets to check your student's schedule if you are unsure of it, or email enrichment@montlakepta.org with any questions. 

Please take the time to read this document carefully. Whether your student is new to the program or has participated in the past, you must know all of this information. 

Our aim is to provide a program that is engaging to students and that can provide social interactions across grade levels.  We also want to run a program that is safe for students and respectful of school staff.  We ask that you remind your students to follow the same rules for behavior during the after school program as they do during the school day.   We expect all students and families to read and know our program’s behavioral plan. Please read this plan (which also is attached to this email message) with your student before the first day of their after school class. 

Most students in the enrichment program will be taking the Activity Bus home after classes.  Please consult the Zum mobile app to track the bus.  Be aware that the Zum app will update the arrival time when the bus is delayed but not when it is early.  Check the progress of the bus on the map rather than relying on the times given in the notification messages. 

It is a big responsibility for the program to get the students safely on this bus.  We need your cooperation to make things proceed smoothly.  Participating in the after school enrichment program and riding the Activity Bus requires commitment from your student and you.  Your student needs to be willing to stay after school for their registered classes.  Parents and caregivers must plan and communicate changes to your student’s transportation schedule as early as possible.   

Note that the after school enrichment program is run by the PTA.  Please do not call the school’s front office with questions about the enrichment program, including the Activity Bus.  Details are below for whom to contact with questions or how to report absences. 

ENRICHMENT PROGRAM PARENT GUIDELINES 

Session Dates.  Our fall 2024 session begins Wednesday, October 9th and ends Friday, December 20th. No enrichment classes will be held on days when school is not in session:  October 11th, November 11th, and November 25th – November 29th. 

Onsite Coordinator.  There will be an onsite coordinator present each day after school to ensure that the program runs smoothly.  You can email the onsite coordinator at enrichcoordinator@montlakepta.org with any questions or special arrangements.  For any last-minute communications, it is best to text or call (503) 468-6125.  

Transition to Classes.  At dismissal time, it will help if your student knows where they need to go.  Teachers will help guide them, but you can also remind them in the morning where they need to go that afternoon. 

• At the dismissal of school, all Montlake students will go to the gym.  There, enrichment students will line up with the onsite coordinator and enrichment instructors.  Tell your student to look for the sign for their enrichment class, and line up there. 

• The onsite coordinator will help take attendance and connect students with their enrichment instructors.  The instructors will escort students to their classrooms. 

• If an enrichment student is absent and the onsite coordinator wasn’t informed of the absence in advance, parents will be called.  The school office will give the onsite coordinator a list of absent students each day, but please still email enrichcoordinator@montlakepta.org when your student will be absent from their enrichment class. 

• You must inform the onsite coordinator when your student is to miss their enrichment class and take the regular bus home after school.  If the onsite coordinator has not heard from you, they cannot put the student on their regular bus home.  Students are not permitted to skip their after school class and take their regular bus home unless the onsite coordinator has permission from the parent or guardian. 

  
  

Activity Bus Service.  At the end of enrichment classes, students who have signed up for the Activity Bus will be loaded onto the bus and transported to their assigned stop.  If the bus is late picking up students at John Marshall, the onsite coordinator will wait with students until the bus arrives. 

• The bus route has changed this year to avoid driving on streets close to the old school.  Actual drop-off times will vary due to several factors (day of the week, traffic, substitute driver, etc.), so consult the Zum app daily when picking up your student at their bus stop. 

• A printed transportation schedule that includes your student’s Activity Bus stop assignment(s) and drop-off times will be mailed home.  When you receive the schedule, please review it and email any mistakes you find to enrichment@montlakepta.org.  We will work with Transportation Services to correct your student’s schedule. 

• If Activity Bus tracking in your Zum app is not working for some reason, or if you are uncomfortable with your student taking the Activity Bus during the first week or two of enrichment classes for any other reason, please plan to pick up your student from enrichment class and email enrichcoordinator@montlakepta.org to relay your plan.  Be clear about what time you will pick up your student. 

Launch Students.  After enrichment class, students in Launch will return to their care even if they are taking the Activity Bus.  Launch will be responsible for loading their students onto the Activity Bus. 

Parent/Caregiver Pick-up.  Most students who are being picked up by parents/caregivers will be dismissed from the door facing NE 68th Street that’s closest to the basketball courts.  Reference this map of the school grounds to locate this door.  This is the same door that Launch uses.  Please wait outside this door for your child to be dismissed.  Note: there is a buzzer next to this door which will contact the Launch staff.  Please do not push this buzzer unless it is urgent (or unless your student is enrolled in Launch). 

• Only students in choir will leave through the door closest to the music room.  Mr. Mattson will facilitate student pick-up at this door.  These students will not be released at the Launch door. 

• The instructors will be releasing students to their parents and caregivers.  Be prepared to show ID until the instructors can recognize you. 

• Where to Park.  Parents may park in the far end of the school’s staff parking lot if spaces are available.  Please enter and exit using the gate near the back of the parking lot, located off NE 68th Street near Weedin Place NE.  Disregard the sign that says “EXIT ONLY.”  There also is free street parking in the neighborhood.  Do not park in the area marked for bus loading on NE 68th Street.   

• Schedule.  Note the ending times for the classes each day.  If you are picking up your child, please be aware that classes end at slightly different times. 

Monday classes: end times
Lego Club Mondays	4:00 PM
Art Studio Sample Pack	4:00 PM
Math Game pARTy	4:00 PM
Minecraft Modding	3:45 PM
Tuesday classes: end times
Math and Science Club	4:00 PM
Gymnastics	3:45 PM
Cooking Classes: Dinner Club	4:00 PM
Wednesday classes: end times
Little Coders: Minecraft Modding	2:45 PM
Creative Dance Explorers	2:45 PM
Applause Academy: Kids Drama & Improv	2:45 PM
Thursday classes: end times
Games & Sports	3:45 PM
Lego Club Thursdays	4:00 PM
Montlake-only Choir	3:15 PM
Cloud City Choir	4:00 PM
Creativity Club - Thursdays	4:00 PM
Friday classes: end times
Storytellers' pARTy	4:00 PM
Dungeons & Dragons	4:00 PM
Montlake-only Choir	3:15 PM
Cloud City Choir	4:00 PM
Creativity Club - Fridays	4:00 PM

• Early release on December 20th. Due to the early release of school on December 20th, after school classes and Activity Bus service will start and end one hour earlier than normal that day. 

• Running late or picking up early?  Do not contact the school office.  Please notify the onsite coordinator as early as possible at enrichcoordinator@montlakepta.org.  Text or call the onsite coordinator at (503) 468-6125 if you’re reaching out during enrichment class time.  Please note that the onsite coordinator will be busy supervising students near the end of enrichment class time, so they won’t be able to let you into the building quickly unless you have already made arrangements.   

Absences.  Please email enrichcoordinator@montlakepta.org if your student will be absent from an after school class.  We encourage parents to include this enrichment coordinator email address when emailing the school office at montlake.attendance@seattleschools.org regarding any school absence. 

Student Bus Schedule Changes.  Email enrichment@montlakepta.org to make changes to your Activity Bus service for the session. If you need to communicate a change to your student’s transportation plan for one day, please inform enrichcoordinator@montlakepta.org as early as possible in the morning. 

Other Schedule Changes and Enrichment Questions.  To add or remove an enrichment class, or for any other changes to or questions about your enrichment schedule or the enrichment program, email enrichment@montlakepta.org.  Please do not contact the school office with changes or questions pertaining to what happens during or after enrichment. 

Class Cancellations.  If an instructor needs to cancel a class on a particular day, they will send communication to parents and guardians as soon as possible.  The PTA enrichment organizers will work with Missy or Beth to contact parents to determine pick-up plans.  If parents can be contacted and agree to it, students may take their regular bus home.  Otherwise, parents or caregivers will need to pick up their students as soon as possible after school.  The onsite coordinator will facilitate pick-ups.  Please note that enrichment classes are not childcare, and cancellations are possible.  Please have a backup plan to pick up your child in case of a last-minute class cancellation.  

Bus Tags.  Please update the bus tag attached to your student’s backpack to reflect their new end-of-the-day transportation plans for each day of the week.  Tip:  Use pencil instead of pen so you can make changes easily.  Or, print out a new tag here.   

Snacks.  Please pack extra snacks for your child for their after school time!  There will be a snack break at the start of most classes.   

Note:  The above procedures may be adjusted after classes are underway if needed, in which case parents will be notified. 

Thanks for your cooperation to make the fall session of Montlake Elementary PTA’s After School Enrichment Program a success!