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

Spaces still available for the 2011-12 school year!

Our Program
Agassiz Baldwin Kindergarten Afterschool Program offers a unique, arts-based curriculum designed specifically for kindergarten students. The kindergarten program serves no more than 35 children per day, which allows for an nurturing and safe environment. We welcome children from every school in Cambridge and Somerville as well as all other local communities.

Our Space
The program is located on the first floor of Agassiz Baldwin Community’s (ABC) large Victorian house, which consists of three classrooms and an enormous tree-shaded backyard. Cambridge Public School (CPS) students in our program arrive from their schools via buses and are met at the Maria L. Baldwin School entrance by an afterschool staff member. The students are then brought to the kindergarten program, which is located four houses down at 20 Sacramento Street.

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 in addition to outside play and quiet rest time. The teaching staff develop choices informed by the children’s interests as well as activities based on monthly and project-based curriculum themes. In addition, we devote time to whole-group activities: storytime, show and tell, skits, and group discussions. Special workshops and projects are planned throughout the year. The activities are well organized, and we maintain a 1:13 teacher to student ratio on-site and a 1:10 ratio off-site on field trips. Afterschool students will have the opportunity to take classes at the Maud Morgan Art Center with a 35% discount if they are enrolled in afterschool on the same day.

Our Staff

Agassiz Baldwin Kindergarten Afterschool staff is led by our Early Education Site-Director, Emma Mrozicki. Our teaching staff offers a diverse range of interests and talents, including gardening, multicultural cooking, music, fine arts, and sports. We welcome family involvement and make daily communication between staff and families a priority. All staff are certified in first aid and CPR and exceed the qualifications of an EEC verified teacher.

Schedule:
Baldwin arrival/CPS bus drop-off: 2:00 pm-3:30 pm
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 CPS all early release days. Vacation programming consists of daily themes, field trips, and visiting specialists.

Project Based Learning

Imagination Playground Blocks in Action.

Each season, Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool devises a long-term project planned and developed by teachers and students. The kindergarten students collaborate with the 1st-5th grade students on the creative process and assist with or perform in the final event.

To help extend the learning, these long-term projects include neighborhood trips and special guests with knowledge of the subject. 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 “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.

Specialists
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. The following are just some of the offerings throughout the school year:

2011-12 Specialists

Modays: Spanish Club & Taekwondo (K-2 grade class)
Tuesdays: Dance (Creative Movement, Modern, Jazz)
Thursdays: 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 skills. 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)

Gallery Walk in the Annual Afterschool Art Show.

Individual cello or piano lessons with Sarvi Moshfegh are available for an additional cost of $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 and students are walked between the Kindergarten Afterschool and the music room.

Introducing Arts

As part of our Introducing Art Performance Series, Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool hosts a professional performance during each CPS 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

Prepping Food for the Flying Zucchini Cafe.

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.

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.

Contact the Kindergarten Afterschool Program
Questions?  Contact Emma Mrozicki, Early Education Site-Director, at (617) 349-6287 x14 or emrozicki@agassiz.org.

Downloads:

Agassiz Afterschool Registration 2011-12
Afterschool Fact & Staff Contact Sheet 2011-12
Agassiz Baldwin Community Calendar 2011-2012