4-6 Weeks before Enrichment
Week
- Meet with school
administrators and complete all necessary paperwork and/or adhere to all
policies of the school.
- Decide on a theme for your
enrichment week.
- Determine how many classes
each day, what and where they will be.
- Secure instructors and fees
for each class. Once Instructor fees are established you can
determine how much to charge each student.
3-4 Weeks before Enrichment Week
- Create a brochure or Flyer to be handed
out at school and Creat your SignUp Hub for Online Registration & Payments.
- Allow at least one full week
for parents to sign up and/or return their registration. Enter in all paper registrations onto your SignUp Hub.
2 Weeks before Enrichment Week
- Enrollment should be closed
now and it is time to finalize classes. Cancel any classes with too
low enrollment and refund parents.
Close Registration.
- Print out Volunteer list from The SignUpHub and call/email for commitment (estimate 1:7 ratio volunteers
to children in elementary school).
1 Weeks before Enrichment Week
- Send an Email reminder to all
parents about their registered classes as a reminder.
- Allow this week to tidy up all
administrative duties such as reminding instructors and volunteers
(via email or phone) on the date, time, place, headcount and contact
person for the enrichment week.
- Print out and deliver all
class lists, name tags and volunteer directions and attendance
sheets to the school.
- Decide with the school on how
to have children dismissed to classes.
- Have PTO treasurer write out
instructor checks for you and review financials with him/her. The SignUp Hub will automatically summarize monies due and Instructor Fees.
Week of Enrichment:
- Ensure there is a point person
located in the office to handle any issues or questions that may
arise. You will need to answer phones in case a parent calls as
well as direct volunteers and instructors to their classrooms.
- Have teachers place nametags
on children at end of day to help with attendance and flow.
- Supply each volunteer with a
class list and instruct them to check in/out the students to their after
school activity. It is important that all attendance is done
quickly and that you account for all students. If someone
is missing, check with the school nurse for absences and/or then call
home. At pick up, whomever is designated to pick up the child must
be noted on the check out form. Check with your school
administration if they wish parents to sign out their children or if a
simple check mark is sufficient.
- Lastly, a volunteer should be
present at the entrance to the school to direct parents to where
their children are in the building. A sign on oak tag may serve
this purpose better.
Theme Suggestions
Really anything goes here...Be Creative! Some
suggestions on some more popular themes and suggested classes are below.
Week in Disneyland could include: fencing 'Peter Pan
Fencing', cartoon art, create your own gift shop Tee, any type of
outside animal class 'Animal Kingdom', any international cooking or class
'Epcot Dining', monster makeup 'Haunted Mansion', magic
classes , rollercoaster design , etc...
A Week at Hogwarts: magic
classes, poetry creation of spells and potions, strange animals, model trains,
chemistry experiments, gym: quid ditch, art: create your own portraits, etc...
Olympics: any
sport (i.e. Gymnastics), international class based on where Olympics were
or are being held, Iron sculpture: medals or metals?, science could
include aerodynamics or speed experiments, broadcasting, film editing,
cheerleading, etc...
Up in the Air: track and
field: high jumps to hurdles, paper airplanes, science
experiments with air pressure, birds, kite making, wind instruments,
air balloons, birdhouses, travel by plane etc...
In the Dirt: worms, horticulture, gardening, baseball, terrariums, clay
art sculpture, intro to pottery, ant farms, cooking: desserts with
chocolate pudding and Oreos and gummy worms, cake decorating with a theme,
etc...
Down Under:
Australia, alligators and crocodiles, fish and aquariums, art project
relating to the sea, archeology
Travel to Asia: (or
any other continent or country): cooking, dance related to country, origami
art, sushi making, art: Chinese lanterns, map making, judo, fencing
(refer to movie Mulan), jewelry making, etc...
Mind, Body and Soul:
yoga, tai chi, any sport, community service including volunteering or
card making, stamp art card making, science: dissection of ?,
the brain, any classroom or animal topic, etc...
Lost Arts: drama
class, pressed flowers, art of conversation (concept of speed dating),
fencing, jousting, horses, decoupage, cameras and photography, medieval
children games, dinosaurs, Legos.
Into the Future: space and technology science,
hip hop, sports of any kind (be creative mixing them
up), inventions, modern or recyclable art, environmental
projects (how to create a compost at home), robotics, end the week with
the movie, etc...
Oh No, the Science Fair!
Fill the week with all different
types of science fair related classes.
The County Fair: animal
classes, hot air balloons, balloon animals, sewing or knitting, basics of
string instruments, shot put or dung throwing, create a maze for the rats,
gardening, cooking: pies, wood crafting/signs, darts, etc...
Make Sense of It! Examine all 5 senses during the week
with classes in science relating to sight or sound or smell, 3-D art
projects, cooking, blindfold tasting , nutrition, sports blindfolded???,
intro to anatomy and medicine, etc...
Super Hero Week: comic strip
creation, mask making, spiders, athletics/sports, villains, theatrical
fighting, mutations, explosions, healthy smoothie making, bats,
geology and metals, black holes, rock climbing, newspaper reporting, super hero
t-shirt making, run old TV or movies, FBI or CIA related classes,
police dogs , intro to genetics etc...
What's your Hobby?: sewing,
stamp collecting, sports, pottery, painting or drawing, poetry creation,
memory scrapbooking, jewelry making, hair styling, nail design, make up art,
drama class, woodworking, cooking, rock climbing, calligraphy,
fabric painting, refinish furniture, intro to investments
etc...
Turn off the TV!:
Jersey Shore (hair or makeup
classes), Malcolm in the Middle (genetics and family dynamics), CNN (news
reporting or broadcasting), Ridiculous (film and photography), Cake Boss
(cake decorating), Say Yes to the Dress (clothing design), Survivor (sports
challenges), Glee (singing lessons) ..
I want to Be?: Classes
relating to future jobs ie.. Acting,
beauty, sports medicine, robotics, FBI or Spy Investigation, cooking, survival
techniques, computer programming, web design, investments, etc...
It's all Media! Design your own webpage, How to use of Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram etc..., making Movies, Creating slideshows, Party Planning, Modeling,
etc...
Determine How many Classes to Offer?
It is recommended between 4-5
classes a day for a week
Determine What Type of
Classes and Where they will be run?
Generally, each day should encompass at least one:
a sport
category (held in gymnasium)
an art category
(held in art room)
a hobby
category (held in classroom, cafeteria or library)
a science
category (held in science room or classroom)
a
miscellaneous category of learning (held in classroom)
Determine Grade Level of Each Class
You can
decide to run the same classes each day for 5 days for each grade:
example:
Monday - Kindergarten
Tuesday- Grade 1
Wednesday - Grade 2
Thursday- Grade 3
Friday- Grade 4-5
Or, you can
run groups of grades each day ( assuming the theme is Harry Potter Week)
an example:
Monday: Fencing (gr.
1-3)
Tuesday: Fencing
(gr. 4-5)
Wednesday: Quid
ditch (gr. 2-5)
Monday: Wizard
Art (gr. K-1)
Tuesday: Hermione
Jewelry Making (gr. 3-5)
Note: this is the recommended way as it ensures that all students will be
able to participate in at least one class.
Find the Instructors:
There are several ways to find
instructors:
1) Teachers in your school. We suggest reaching out to your
teaching staff. Classes can usually generate $100 plus materials for the
hour so many teachers would appreciate the opportunity to make a little extra
money. Teachers tend to be the best instructors as they are the
most educationally creative and familiar with the children.
2) Parents. Also, reach out to parents whom may have a talent or
small business they wish to share. They too are always looking for extra
money and free advertising for their businesses.
3) The Internet. The internet will become your greatest tool.
Google after school activities, either specifically like” Judo in
Maine" or more general like "after school science programs in Watching
County, Nebraska". See what comes up and start making phone calls.
Many businesses do or will come to your school and engage the children.
You will be amazed how many opportunities there are right in your own
neighborhoods. Note, many companies usually have fees in
excess or the $100/hour so please make sure you price your classes
accordingly. Negotiate, Negotiate...everyone is looking for work!
4) Local businesses. Tap the more
popular athletic, interest and art facilities in your
town. Most love to come and do a one hour class just to pass out their cards and
promote interest.
Pricing your Classes:
You
may either price out this program to break-even or to make a profit. The
profit can go to benefit the school's PTO/A. You may price out the
classes all the same $ amount which makes for easier accountability (our
suggestion) or you may charge different amounts based on the fees of the instructors.
For example, a teacher running a class may charge $100 plus materials (let's
assume an additional $40 for materials), for a total class expense of $140.
If you assume 14 in the class, you should charge $10 each child. If you
wish to profit, I would charge $12/child. Example 2: Another class
may run $275 for an hour (let's assume local zoo program) but can hold up
to 24 students so the cost per class would be $12 ($275/ 24 students). To
run this class at a profit, you would charge $14.
I would avoid charging more than $15 /hour as it deters involvement. You
may also want to adjust your fees based on your state and location. These
numbers apply to the northeast, but you may wish to offer your teachers
$75/hour and charge the students less if you are running the program in
Nebraska or North Carolina, a lower cost region. My examples below assume
rates for the northeast:
Your worksheet:
Classes Class Cost
#students B/E
(Break-even)Student Cost
Class 1 $140
14
$10
Class 2 $140
14
$10
Class 3 $225
24
$10
Class 4 $175
20
$9
Class 5 $175
20
$9
Class 6 $275
24
$14
...
Class 25 $100
14
$7
Total $4,250
425
$10
Plus Profit $2/child
$12 (gives you $850 profit)
$4/child
$14 (gives
you $1700 profit)
note 1: don't forget to allow some wiggle room for classes not
filling up completely. This will happen. If class enrollment drops
below the minimum number you can choose three options: 1) incur a loss
for one class but still hold it 2) cancel the class and refund monies 3) or ask
the instructor to take less in fee for running the class.
note 2: In the above example we would suggest charging $14 for each class
which allows for easier accounting plus monies for wiggle room and up to a $1700
profit for only one week.
Final Notes:
- This last week should have been spent finalizing and
printing out lists, nametags, confirming instructors and
volunteers.
- Make sure each teacher has a list of their students
and where they are going for the week along with name tags.
- A Master List should be posted in the office.
Remember, all this is easily accessed with a click of the
button on The SignUp Hub.
- Volunteers and Instructors should arrive to the
school 15 minutes early to set up and prepare for the children.
- A designated spot to meet should be arranged.
You, or another point person, should be at the school to greet
them, review quickly the process and lead them to their classrooms.
- Volunteers will be handed a binder
with a class list and instructions.
CheckList:
- All
necessary paperwork has been filed for the Enrichment week. All
dates and themes are confirmed with the school and PTO.
- Classes
and Instructors are booked.
- Brochure/Flyer
was created and The SignUp Hub was setup for Online Registration & Payment. Allow at least 1
week for registration to be open.
- Classes
were finalized and closed and head count in each approved.
- Purchases automatic Email Reminder function OR send out email reminders the day before each class.
- Main Office List, Class Lists and
Name tags were printed off and distributed to the school.
- If
classes were cancelled due to low enrollment, refunds were distributed
electronically and Instructor Checks received from the Treasurer.
- Parent
Volunteers (at least 1 per class minimum) were confirmed. Lead
volunteer in Front Office mandatory!
- Signage
for where parents can pick up children hanging in front hall OR volunteer
to direct them with Master List handy (many parents don't remember what
class their child is attending on which day).
- MOST
IMPORTANTLY AND TO BE
REPEATED IN THESE INSTRUCTIONS: Volunteers must QUICKLY take
attendance at the start of all classes. All children must be
accounted for. You may need to refer to school nurse list for
absentees. If a child is unaccounted for, emergency
contacts/parents must be called until child is found or parent notified.
Volunteers must have a check mark or parent’s signature for release
of children.
NOW.... HAVE FUN and ENJOY THE HAPPY FACES!
