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

Registration for 2013-14 is  now open! Download the applications below.  Please make sure to select the application for the correct school year. 

Our Program
Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool is committed to providing high quality, structured afterschool programming for youth from all Cambridge and Somerville schools as well as all local communities. We value creativity, culture and community and activities are designed to encourage expression and exploration.  Youth choose from a variety of activities, including visual and performing arts, games, sports, homework assistance, cooking, jewelry making, media 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 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. The Agassiz Baldwin 1st-5th Afterschool staff is led by our School Age Site-Director, Dana Moskowitz. 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 room, and cafeteria. We also use the Alden Playground (Tot Lot) and the shady back yard of 20 Sacramento Street 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 and 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-2nd grades and 3rd-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
Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool collaborates on long-term, interdisciplinary community projects. These projects are inspired and driven by children’s interests and natural curiosities. Project-Based Learning immerses youth in valuable team-building, problem solving, and community engagement experiences. By going on neighborhood field trips, having speial guests and collaborating with community partners these projects evolve as youth explore the connections between different aspects of the project. Each project culminates in an event that invites participation from families and friends to create an authentic community experience. This might be a gallery show, a drama performance or our student-run restaurant, “The Flying Zucchini Cafe.”

Hanging work for the annual 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. Afterschool teachers this year will offer clubs which will meet weekly and work on ongoing projects or delve deeper into the topic. In addition to Clubs, Specialists, who are professionals in their fields, will guide students in furthering their appreciation and skill level in dance, drama, science and the arts.  The following are just some of the offerings throughout the school year:

2012-13 Specialists/Clubs (Clubs may change throughout the year)
Mondays: Homework, Spanish Club, Mixed Media Club, Board Games Club (1st-2nd), Book Club (3rd-5th)
Tuesdays: Homework, Dance, Movie Club, Foodie Club
Wednesdays: Homework, Cooking with Kids, Drama, Music Club, HASI Games  (3rd-5th), Mystery Architecture (3rd-5th), Jewelry Club, Harvard Natural History Museum trip
Thursdays: Homework, Eco-Art Club (3rd-5th), Science Experiments (1st-2nd), Sports Club, Papers Club
Fridays: Science, Art at Maud Morgan, Taekwondo

Homework: All 1st-5th Grade students have the option to do homework for either choice every Monday-Thursday. The Homework teacher is available to help individuals and provides quiet, engaging activities for students who are finished with their homework.

Spanish Club is taught by 1st-5th Grade Teacher Luis Mendez. Youth learn in the natural way by participating in a variety of activities such as dance, cooking or art and learn the vocabulary associated with the activity.

Mixed Media Club is taught by 3rd-5th Grade Teacher Easton Smith. Youth  create a variety of projects and explore different artistic mediums.

Board Games Club is led by 1st-2nd Grade Teacher Christie Villaume. Youth are introduced to a variety of board games and get to play some old favorites. The club will also create some of their own games.

Book Club is led by 3rd-5th Grade Teacher Rachelle Laine. The club will read a variety of novels together and spend time discussing book. Youth may also take trips to the Cambridge Public Library.

Dance: Dance at afterschool is taught by Kayla Harkness. Kayla will teach several genres of dance throughout the year in 8 week sessions. The focus will be on creative movement and the basic foundation of various dance genres. Her classes are structured yet fun and allow students to explore their interest in dance. She will teach a younger group and an older group.

Movie Club is co-taught by Duncan Pelletier and Easton Smith. Youth take on different rolls to create short films. They may act, film, write and edit as the group creates a variety of movies.

Foodie Club is run by Rachelle Laine who explore aspects of food and cooking with the youth. They learn to read recipes, make grocery lists, grocery shop, where food comes from and how it gets to them and they of course eat their creations!

Cooking With Kids: Afterschool is lucky enough to have volunteers from our Living Well Network of older adults to come in and cook healthy foods from around the world. The 1st-5th Grade volunteer is Annette Needle. Students learn the basics of cooking and learn to appreciate a variety of foods. They always end the lesson with a taste test and children are surprised to discover all the new foods they like!

Drama: Gail Kelly will be teaching drama activities for K-5th grade on Wednesdays. She will work with an older group and then a younger group. The focus will be on developing creative expression through drama games and exercises. Youth will also work on all aspects of creating short plays including set and costume design, script writing and acting. The group will also have the experience of performing their productions to a live audience.

Music Club with Duncan Pelletier is sure to get youth interested in music! Students will have fun both listening to and making their own music.

Science: Every Friday, the Science Specialist lead students in engaging, hands-on science activities. These activities will have a focus on exploration, critical thinking, problem solving and hypothesizing. Activities will explore a range of scientific fields including biology, physics, chemistry, technology, engineering/architecture, etc.

Art: The visual arts are an integral part of the afterschool throughout the week. On Fridays, 1st-5th grade students can choose to do in-depth, ongoing arts projects with Art Teacher, Emily Somma in the Maud Morgan Arts Center. The beautiful studio space will inspire youth to take their projects to the next level and learn  more advanced techniques.

Taekwondo classes: Taught by instructors from C.W. Taekwondo in Cambridge, classes will be on Firdays and cover basic through intermediate Taekwondo levels. The cost for the fall semester will be $60 ($5 per class) plus an $18 uniform fee if your child does not have a uniform. If your child wishes to join the class later in the year you will be charged a prorated fee. To register please complete the registration (above) and return with payment to Maria Laine. Space is limited.

Piano or Cello Lessons
Individual cello or piano lessons with Sarvi Moshfegh or Vickie Chen are available for an additional cost of $35 per lesson (The cost for the 14 week fall semester will be $490). Scholarships are available. Lessons take place in the Maria L. Baldwin school music room. For more information please contact Maria Laine via email or at (617) 349-6287 x11.

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

The Introducing Arts 2012-13 Schedule:
October 17th, 2012: Jenny the Juggler
November 8th, 2012: George Saterial: Magician
February 21st, 2013: Our 17th Annual ABC Hip Hop Festival
March 5th, 2013: Li Min Mo: Storyteller
May 8th, 2013: Balla Kouyate: Musician

Program Cost for 2012-13 School Year

Monthly Tuition Fees
$495       5 Days per week (all vacation weeks included in tuition)
$400      4 Days per week
$315       3 Days per week
$230      2 Days per week
$120       1 Day per week

Families may add a day for which their child is not registered with the permission of the Site Director for $36/day.

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.

Register Now
Our program is a safe, fun, and enriching environment for students to spend their afternoons! To register for the current year, download the 2012-13 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:
Community Calendar 2012-2013
Cambridge Public Schools Calendar