Licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC).

Spaces still available for the 2011-12 school year.

Our Program
Our 1st-5th Grade Afterschool Program offers engaging and highly organized arts-based programming for students from all Cambridge and Somerville schools as well as all local communities. Students choose from a variety of activities, including visual and performing arts, games, sports, homework assistance, and outside time.

Play and physical activities are part of every afternoon at Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool, allowing children to have fun and develop social skills at a safe neighborhood location. The combination of comfortable facilities, a community-oriented atmosphere, and opportunities for creative self-expression through art make Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool a great choice for your child.

Our Staff
While there are numerous opportunities for creative self-expression, perhaps the most important feature of our afterschool program is teaching staff who are caring and attentive, competent, and creative. Agassiz Baldwin 1st-5th Afterschool staff is led by our 1st-5th Site-Director, Heather Zeiden. The program staff consists of a talented group of six afterschool teachers comprising a diverse range of musicians, dancers, and art educators.

All staff are certified in first aid and CPR and exceed the qualifications of an EEC verified teacher.

Our Space
The 1st-5th grade program is located on the ground level of the Maria L. Baldwin School and has use of the community room, gym, music and Spanish rooms, and cafeteria. We also use the Alden Playground (tot lot) as well as have permitted daily use of Sacramento Field. Students from Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) arrive by school bus to our location and are met and checked in by an afterschool staff member.

4th & 5th Graders Making Sushi.

Choice-based Activities
The afternoon begins with a healthy snack and a meeting where the afternoon activities are discussed. Children are offered two activity choices per day including outside play or gym games. Homework help is offered Mondays-Thursdays. The teaching staff create choices informed by the children’s interests as well as activities based on monthly and project-based curriculum themes. Teachers design developmentally appropriate activities for students grouped in 1st-3rd grades and 4th/5th grades. Past themes have included: media, environmental issues, music, and food. Afterschool students will have the opportunity to take classes at the Maud Morgan Art Center with a 35% discount if they are enrolled in the afterschool on the same day.

Schedule:
Baldwin arrival/CPS bus drop-off: 2:00 pm-3:30 pm
Parent/guardian pick-up: 5:30 pm
CPS early release days: 12:00 pm-5:30 pm

Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool follows the Cambridge Public School calendar.  We are also open for vacation programming over the December, February, and April vacation weeks and all CPS early release days. Vacation programming consists of daily themes, field trips, and visiting specialists.

Project Based Learning
Each season, Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool devises a long-term project planned and developed by teachers and students.  Staff and children work together in teams across curriculum areas that include math, science, social studies, and literacy, with strong emphasis on the arts.

To help extend the learning, these long-term projects include neighborhood trips and workshops led by visiting guests. Projects culminate in an event that invites participation from families and friends to create an authentic community experience. Past projects have included a student-run restaurant called “The Flying Zucchini Café,” a drama performance, and a student-curated art show. During “The Flying Zucchini Café” project students take on the roles of chefs, waitstaff, interior designers, and hosts to create an authentic restaurant environment. Children may choose to take a minor or substantial role in each project.

Hanging work for the Annual Afterschool Art Show.

Special Offerings
Our program has many features that make us unique as an afterschool. In addition to a variety of daily choices, students can explore specific subjects and art forms on a deeper level. Specialists, who are professionals in their fields, will guide students in furthering their appreciation and skill level in dance, drama, and visual arts.  The following are just some of the offerings throughout the school year:

Clubs
•    Spanish
•    Cooking
•    Recreational sports
•    Book club

2011-12 Specialists
Modays: Spanish Club & Taekwondo* (K-2 grade class)
Tuesdays: Sports Club & Dance
Wednesdays: Cooking with Kids
Thursdays: Sports Club & Drama
Fridays: Taekwondo* (K-2 class and 3-5th class)

Taekwondo classes: Taught by instructors from C.W. Taekwondo in Cambridge, classes cover basic through intermediate Taekwondo levels. The cost for the fall semester will be $55 ($5 per class) plus an $18 uniform fee if your child does not have a uniform.

Piano or Cello Lessons (Mondays – Wednesdays)
Individual cello or piano lessons with Sarvi Moshfegh are available for $33 per lesson (The cost for the 11 week fall semester will be $363). Scholarships are available. Lessons take place in the Maria L. Baldwin school music room. Please download the piano sign up form from the downloads section of this page. Lessons are first come, first served and spaces do fill.

As part of our Introducing Art Performance Series, Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool hosts a professional performance during each Early Release day.

The Introducing Arts 2011-12 Schedule:
October 20, 2010: RhymeZweLL: Children’s Hip Hop
November 17, 2010: Li Min Mo: Storyteller
February 23, 2012: Our 16th Annual ABC Hip Hop Festival
March 6, 2011: t.b.d.
May 9: t.b.d.

Program Cost for 2011-12 School Year
Monthly Tuition Fees
$498       5 Days per week (all vacation weeks included in tuition)
$295       3 Days per week
$215        2 Days per week
$110        1 Day per week

The fee for vacation week for part-time families is $180.

Field Day Races on Sacramento Field.

Vouchers
Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool accepts vouchers through the Child Care Resource Center for eligible families. Please call the Child Care Resource Center at (617) 547-1063 and ask for a copy of the eligibility scale. Families who apply for a Voucher slot pay a two-week deposit, which is applied to the first and last week’s tuition fee. (See the EEC Financial Assistance Policy Guide and EEC Income Eligibility Table for more information.)

Scholarships

Need-based scholarships are available. To learn more, download the scholarship application or contact Maria Laine, Director of Children’s Programs via email or at (617) 349-6287 x11. The scholarship deadline is July 1st, 2011. Late applications may be accepted if there is still funding available.

Register Now
Our program is a safe, fun, and enriching environment for students to spend their afternoons! To register, download the Agassiz Afterschool Registration Form.

Contact the 1st-5th Afterschool Program
Questions?  Contact Maria Laine, Director of Children’s Programs at (617) 349-6287 x11 or mlaine@agassiz.org.

Downloads:

Agassiz Afterschool Registration 2011-12
Afterschool Fact & Staff Contact Sheet 2011-12
Agassiz Baldwin Community Calendar 2011-2012
Cambridge Public Schools Academic Calendar 2011-12