After School Care

The After School Care Program

The Whatcom Hills Waldorf School After School Care (ASC) Program is designed to parallel and reinforce the regular school day and provide a safe, nurturing environment where children can continue to explore creative, active and social endeavors honoring diversity. We welcome all students attending our school from four years of age through grade five, recognizing grade five as a transitional age. This age range ensures some commonality of peers and interest levels. Our students in the fifth through eighth grades have successfully used the WTA buses after school. The bus stop is located by the front gate on the corner of Fremont and Austin Streets.

General Program Description

The WHWS ASC Program is licensed by the State of Washington. Our locations, staffing and other details are guided by various State requirements, including concerns about child abuse and neglect. ASC is not affiliated with any religious denomination.

The Early Childhood ASC Program cares for our kindergarten students from 12:30 to 3:00 pm. Parents who plan to have their children stay for this program should send a lunch with them in the morning.

The ASC Program runs from 3:15 to 5:30 pm to serve working
parents. A light snack is provided by the school. The following schedule reflects a typical day in the program:

12:30 - 1:00 Transition time and lunch
1:00 - 1:30 Rest and story time
1:30 - 2:45 Outside play
2:45 - 3:15 Transition time: drop off an pick up
3:30 - 4:00 Light snack
4:00 - 5:30 Organized indoor or outdoor games,
quiet arts, quiet homework area, crafts,
story, clean-up

Our teachers accompany their children to ASC after class is over for the day.
There are no field trips in ASC, children remain on site.

Timing is Everything!

In keeping with our “open door” policy, parents are welcome anytime. Please stop by and say hi!

We recommend that kindergarten children be picked up by 3:00 pm before the grades classes join us. If you are picking up both a kindergartner and a grades child at 3 pm, please come to ASC first and pick up the kindergartner first. This transitional time can be a bit hectic and overwhelming to the younger ones. Parents of older children should pick-up no later than 5:30 pm.

Any grades children that are not picked up by 3:15 pm will automatically be placed in ASC and the parents will be charged for the hour.

After Care Fees

Our ASC Program is self-supporting. We have done some market research in our area and believe that our rates are fair and reflect the quality of care we are striving to provide. The rate is $5.00 for each hour or portion thereof. There is a 25% discount for siblings.

Families who are not able to pick up at 5:30 pm (the end of the ASC Program) should notify the school at their earliest convenience. The ASC Director can be reached by dialing the school phone number (733-3164) in the afternoons. A surcharge of $5.00 for every 15 minutes, or portion thereof, that our child care staff is detained after hours will be billed. Cases of chronic disregard for closing time will result in late fees of one dollar ($1.00) per minute past 5:30 pm.

The In’s and Out’s

Your child’s teacher should be clearly informed at the beginning of the day if your child is to go to after care after school. Teachers are required to sign children in. Parents or car-pool drivers are required to sign children out of care with their full, legal signature. Our ASC staff maintain these records and turn in the hours to bill on your tuition statement. Continued use of the program is, naturally, dependent upon timely payment of the fees for its use.

Staffing and Site
The ASC Director maintains the day-to-day operation of the program itself. Any difficulties or concerns regarding the program may be addressed to the director or the school administrator. We encourage open communication. The program is housed up the stairs at the end of the Kindergarten building by the edge of the cedar forest.

Medical Policy
The ASC Program uses all the same records that the school does for your child as required by the State of Washington. Please keep us informed of any
changes. Our staff is current on first aid and CPR.
Sick children are not to be in school or the ASC Program. Children who
become ill while at school will be cared for and parents called to come for their children as soon as possible. Medications will be given only according to the school’s policy. In an emergency, the parents will be contacted first; if
unavailable, then the emergency contacts listed, then the child’s doctor. Please let us know of any allergies or other concerns.

ASC Discipline Policy

It is our policy to discipline children fairly so as to keep their dignity intact, to never humiliate or intimidate, and to guide the children to an appropriate behavior through logical consequences that make sense to them. Redirection, discussion that allows for safe expression of feelings, and removing a child from a situation for a cooling-off or time-out period are among the usual ways we deal with inappropriate behavior. We focus on finding solutions rather than to repress or control the child.

"Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives."

-Rudolf Steiner