Children & Youth
Children
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Meeting You at the J!
Children
Early Childhood
Family Swim & Basketball
Aquatic Exercise
Swim Lessons
Hammerheads Swim Team
Lap Swimming
Swim Clinics & American Red Cross Classes
Family Swim & Basketball
Renard Lecture Series
Westchester Circles with the UJA
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays only
Have peace of mind leaving your child in the professional care of the Shames JCC’s Almost School program while he or she engages in online/remote learning. Drawing on best practices from the JCC’s licensed childcare programs and COVID-prevention procedures, Almost School provides a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment. The program offers flexible options—School Days, Half Days, and Flex Day for unexpected school closures and life events.
And Almost School is much more than a computer connection—we connect your children with other students and peers for fun and socialization, and with educators and childcare professionals who assist with remote learning and develop enriching activities during downtime or when a student has completed their work. We have a large campus with outside facilities and an indoor basketball gym for recess and other breaks during the school day.
Our Almost School staff has extensive experience working with children and is well prepared to extend your child’s experience in our program.
Our art activities explore different concepts of art and enrich their understanding of the creative process. We have done resist painting, explored negative and positive space, color exploration and mixing, and creative expression.
We offer other experiences to grow their expertise in areas such as logic and planning skills, counting, sorting, and creativity using a variety of building materials such as Legos, popsicle sticks, snap cubes, and Magnatiles.
All the materials we work with are divided into individual containers so that each child has their own set of materials. Any materials that are shared are sanitized in between each use.
We are also able to spend additional time in gross motor play both indoors and outdoors—this can include sports like soccer and basketball, jumping rope, running obstacle courses, field games (like red light, green light), and explore the nature of our outdoor campus.
While our activities take place individually we encourage the children to share and discuss ideas and their experiences and we share our completed with each other as well to encourage socialization while adhering to COVID protocols.
Almost School follows local school calendars and is closed when schools are closed.
School Day Program: Families who opt for the School Day option will begin their day 15 minutes prior to when their school day begins and their day at the JCC ends 15 minutes after the conclusion of their school day. Lunch and snacks are eaten at their scheduled time.
Half Day Program: The Half Day program provides supervision for 3.5 hours per day, 4 days per week. Morning hours run from 7:45 AM to 11:15 AM and afternoon hours run from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM.
Families have an option to add a School Day on Wednesdays. This schedule was developed with local school districts, please reach out to us if your child is on a different schedule.
Flex Days: Subject to availability and with 24 hours notice, enrolled students can add-on individual days.
*All programs are subject to a minimum enrollment. Busing isn’t available at this time.
Stacey is the former Assistant Director of the JCC’s Children’s Garden Center and Director of Early Learning at Hastings Day Camp. She has been an educator for over 15 years…
read more2 School Days, Thursday & Friday: $500/month
1 School Day, Wednesdays: $300/month
Flex Days, full school day (Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday): $75/per day
2 Half Days: Thursday, Friday: $250/month
Fees are delineated above. Payment will be withdrawn on the first business day of each month. Should children be absent and/or closure of Almost School is required for any reason, fees paid to date will be non-refundable and not eligible for credit of any kind. Any changes to enrollment must be made within 5 business days prior to the month in which the change will take effect.
A JCC family membership is required.
At the Shames JCC, the health and safety of children is our top priority. From hiring experienced staff to implementing COVID-19 preventative protocols, we aim to provide families with peace of mind that their children are being cared for with the utmost attention and concern. In addition to carrying forward best practices from our many licensed childcare programs, we are implementing a number of measures that are designed to protect children, and their families, from COVID-19.
We are sharing some of these protocols here but you can also find details here.
We are limiting the number of people that can participate in programs at one time
We will be cleaning and disinfecting areas between activity
We will be cleaning and disinfecting restrooms frequently
Providing hand sanitizing stations throughout our campus
Our approach to implementing a COVID-related closure will closely follow all state and local regulations, CDC guidelines, and input from the JCC’s team of professional leaders. If there is a positive case of COVID-19 in the program—staff or participant—the CDC and DOH recommend that we close that location for two (2) to five (5) days for cleaning and disinfecting. The program location will reopen pending the approval of the Westchester County Department of Health and in consultation with our independent healthcare consultant.
A COVID-19 health screening process that uses new technology and strictly adheres to CDC and Department of Health guidelines will be required before entering the JCC campus. Anyone who does not pass the health screening will not be permitted to attend.
A no-touch temperature scan will be administered.
Drop-off and pick-up will occur curbside; Parents will not be permitted to enter the program areas.
Almost School staff are required to wear masks at all times. For children, masks are absolutely required whenever indoors. When outside and socially distanced from others (at least 6 feet apart), mask-wearing for children is optional. Gaiters, bandannas, and buffs are not permitted. If children do not have a mask upon arrival, one will be provided for them.
Children will be encouraged to wash their hands during school breaks and before and after activities; Hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the buildings as well.
All activity areas, desks, personal Chromebooks, restrooms, and shared surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected MULTIPLE TIMES throughout the day, every day.
Social distance guidelines will be applied at all times. Activities will be set up to ensure at least 6 feet between people unless you live in the same household. (Families can be in close proximity with one another.)
Anyone who is sick or has been exposed to COVID-19 will not be permitted back in the program until they are symptom-free for 72 hours (without medication), it has been at least 14 days since exposure to COVID-19, and they have written clearance from a health care provider to return to the Shames JCC.
Sick Policies:
If a child presents with fever and/or exhibits symptoms associated with COVID-19, as listed on the daily health screening questionnaire, they must stay home and not return to the program for 72 hours after symptoms resolve without medical intervention.
If a child presents with fever and/or exhibits symptoms associated with COVID-19 after arriving at Almost School, a caregiver will be contacted to pick the child up. If a child goes home due to illness, the family would need to follow the “72 hour without medical intervention” policy cited above.
Children who experience fever and exhibit symptoms associated with COVID-19, must provide a doctor’s note before returning to school.
Staff members must follow the same sick policies.
We look forward to partnering with you to help your children continue to grow and thrive during this unexpected and challenging school year. Should you have any questions or want to discuss your child’s specific needs, please contact Stacey Merchant at smerchant@shamesjcc.org.