After School Care
Why Us?
Christian Values, High Qualified Staff, Safe Environment, Educational Games, Outdoor Playtime, Homework Help, Healthy Snacks, Convenient & Affordable
Preschool – Grade 5
Monday – Friday 2:45 – 5:30 pm
Open to the community
Space is limited register today!
For more information or to register: 989.734.3580 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Handbook and Forms
Welcome to St. John’s After School Care (ASC)! This handbook contains important information for parents and children who will participate in the after school program. Please keep this handbook for future reference. Policies are subject to change. If you have any questions about any of the information in this handbook, please contact the After School Care director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or St. John’s: 989.734.3580 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Purpose
Our After School Care has been established by St. John’s Lutheran Church as part of the total ministry offered to families with young children. Our mission is to assist families through a Christ-centered After School Care program.
Objectives
- Serve families in need of care for their children after school.
- Develop skills useful for a successful future.
- Grow in Godly wisdom for eternity.
Eligibility
All children in the community in Preschool (age 3 and toilet trained) through fifth grade for the current school year are eligible to attend the After School Care program. Children are welcome to attend After School Care as often as they need or want to. Before your child/ren attends the ASC program, the After School Care Registration Form must be completed and returned to the ASC director. Each year a new form and registration fee need to be submitted.
Billing
There is a non-refundable registration fee of $25 payable when the registration form is submitted. St. John’s After School Care costs $4/hour per child. There is a minimum of one-hour charge. Additional time is based on the hourly rate and charged by the half hour after the first hour. Ex. 2:45 to 3:15 would be a 1 hour charge, 3 to 4:05 would be a 1.5 hour charge, 3 to 4:35 would be a 2 hour charge.
The After School Care Program operates on a “pay-ahead” billing system. It is each family’s responsibility to keep a positive balance in their after school account. Payments of cash or check are accepted. Account statements are sent out every month. Families will receive a notification if their account should go below $10.00 before the next billing statement. If an account balance should go into the negative, families will have 5 school days to make a payment. After 5 school days, a $10.00 “non-sufficient funds” fee will be charged. This will continue for each 5 school days that the account is in the negative. The Board of Christian Education reserves the right to refuse after school care to families who continue to carry an unpaid balance. Families that carry a positive balance at the end of the school year have the option to request a refund or to carry the balance over to the next school year.
Daily Schedule
The ASC program begins when school is dismissed for the day, at approximately 2:45 p.m. at St. John’s, and ends at 5:30 p.m. The director’s cell phone is the official time. The daily schedule and order of events is subject to change and may vary from day to day. In general, the following events will be part of the schedule: physical activity (inside/outside), snack time, homework/quiet time, Devotion, enrichment/activity time, and free activity time. On occasion we will have a field trip planned and may leave St. John’s property. Parents will have a week notification prior to the field trip
Discipline
The discipline philosophy, methods, and procedures used by ASC staff will follow Biblical principles. If a child persistently fails to meet expectations, parents will be consulted. This may involve more than one consultation. Parents will also be contacted in isolated cases for serious offenses. Should at any time a child’s behavior become harmful or damaging to the safety and/or well-being of himself or other children in the program, the ASC director/lead teacher on duty will contact parents and suspend the child. When persistent inappropriate behavior makes it difficult for the program staff to maintain good order along with a safe and positive work and play environment than the offending child will be removed (expelled) from the program. Discipline Reports will be made and placed with student information for each incident requiring a parent’s conference, suspension, or removal.
Attendance
Children will be signed in at the beginning of each After School Care session. It is your child's/family’s responsibility to get children to the After School Care program. The After School Care program is accountable for your child after they have signed in (either by student themselves, teacher, or another adult) and until they are signed out by the director, parent, or another adult.
Picking Up Your Child
After School Care ends at 5:30 p.m. Your child needs to be picked up at or before this time.
Whoever is picking up the child MUST sign the child out each day. These sign-out sheets will be kept as a part of our attendance records. Your child's safety is our main concern. If you need to make changes to the list of people authorized to pick your child up, please contact the After School director.
If your child will walk home from ASC, we need written notification that they have your permission to do so. If a child walks home after the After School program ends, we will have them sign themselves out, noting the time they left.
St. John’s Lutheran Church and School is not responsible for your child and may not be held legally responsible after your child has left the After School program.
Regardless of whether your child is picked up or signs out on their own, they need to be signed out. This is how the After School program knows that your child is where they are supposed to be. Please talk with your child about the need to sign out each day.
Late Pick-up Fees
Please call St. John’s After School Care Program if you will be late in picking up your child/children from the program. A late fee will be charged to those parents whose children are not picked up by 5:30 p.m. Late pick-up is $1 per minute late per child. For example, if the parent arrives at 5:35 with two children in the program, a $10 fee would be assessed.
Illness
If your child is absent from school due to illness, they may not come to the after- school program that day. In general, a child must have attended school during the school day to attend the After School Care program.
If a child becomes ill or is injured during the After School Care program, their parents will be contacted. If a parent cannot be reached, emergency numbers given by the parents will be used.
The After School program requires that each child have emergency contact information on file before they attend the After School Care program. In addition to listing contact information for parents or guardians, this form asks for information on other people who may be contacted in an emergency situation when the parents or guardians are not available. A medical release form is included on our permission form.
Medication
As a general rule, the After School Care program staff will not give medication. Medication guidelines follow the same guidelines as school. Please refer to the St. John’s Parent Information Handbook. Staff is not permitted to dispense prescription or over the counter drugs such as Tylenol, cough drops, and Rolaids without the written consent of a parent and the child’s physician. Medication permission forms are available from the school office.
Child Abuse Reporting
All staff members of the After School Care program are mandatory reporters of child abuse. We are required by law to report suspected abuse.
No School/Weather
When there is no school due to scheduled vacation, there is no After School Care. If the school day dismisses early, there is also no ASC.
When school is cancelled or dismissed early due to bad weather, there will be no After School Care. When school related activities are cancelled due to bad weather, there will be no After School Care. Please make sure ASC as well as your child and their classroom teacher knows what your child is to do and where they are to go in the event of ASC being cancelled due to weather. Weather-related announcements about the school will be posted on the school’s Facebook page as well as sent in a Remind text.
Snacks
Part of the After School Care program is caring for the nutritional needs of children in the after school hours. Each day, we will have a healthy snack to eat and a drink. Parents will be asked monthly to supply a snack item off a snack list provided by the director.
If your child is allergic or intolerant to anything, we will need written information from the child's doctor stating the allergy and any emergency actions necessary. Another snack or beverage will be offered to a child with an allergy.
Physical Activity
The After School Care program is sensitive to the fact that children are in need of physical activity after school. Therefore, each day will have time set aside for recreation. Parts of the playground will used. Please dress for the weather. The focus of the physical activities will be on having fun and being active.
Students will follow the same rules on the playground and in the gym after school that they follow during the school day. While every effort is made to ensure students follow the rules and stay safe, accidents do happen. If an accident involving your child does occur, you will be contacted.
Homework Time
Children will have time to work on their homework during the After School Care program. Children should bring homework with them to the After School Care program each day they attend the program, if applicable. It is a student's responsibility to bring their homework with them to After School Care. Students who do not have homework will have the opportunity to read/be read to or an additional quiet activity during homework time. Your child may not always finish all their homework during ASC, but they can work on it during the time provided. The ASC staff will be available if students need help with their homework but parents will maintain full responsibility for ensuring accuracy and completeness of all assignments.
Devotion
Children participating in the program will hear a short lesson from God’s Word everyday, be invited to join in prayer, and will be encouraged to consider how these lessons from God’s Word apply to their lives.
Educational Enrichment
One of the purposes of the After School program is to enhance the learning that goes on during the school day. While no extra homework is given, students should plan on extended learning opportunities. We may make use of the computer lab, science supplies, or library.
Communication
Communication between the After School program and the parents or guardians of children in the program is essential for the success of the program. To this end, we will publish monthly calendars containing the activities planned for the program. Please read the calendars and newsletters carefully.
Please also feel free to contact the ASC director or office directly if there is a concern or other issue that needs to be addressed.
Updated 09-24-2019
After School Care Medical Release Form
I, _______________________, hereby give St. John’s After School Care permission to treat any minor injuries such as bumps, scrapes and scratches that my child/ren,
__________________________, may obtain through normal activity. Such treatment consists of general first aid use of adhesive bandaging with antibiotic ointment or ice packs.
I also give permission to administer any emergency first aid/CPR that is necessary including use of 911.
Signature ______________________________ Date ___________
General Field Trip Permission Form
Throughout the year we may be leaving the premises of St. John’s for short activities such as a nature walk or a trip to the park. The children will be walking on these short trips and volunteers are welcome to come along. It’s an opportunity for exercise, fresh air, and observing the wonders of God’s creation! The office will always know our route and the children will be taught all necessary safety precautions. Please sign and return this note so that it may be kept on file.
NOTE: This permission form will NOT be used for any long trips involving transporting the children in vehicles. A separate permission form will be sent home for such events.
We hope you can join us for some of these trips! Do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you!
I give my child/ren,____________________________________ permission to go on neighborhood walks with the After School Care program throughout the school year.
Signature ______________________________ Date ___________
Handbook Received
The After School Care handbook is designed to inform parents of the program and what their children do under its care. Please take time to fully read the handbook. You (parent or guardian) are agreeing to the terms set in the handbook when you register your child in the program. Please sign below and return this page to the After School Care Director. Questions can always be directed to the program director in person or by calling 989.734.3580.
Signature ______________________________ Date ___________
My Child’s Health
I verify that:
- My child is in good health with activity restrictions noted.
- The child’s immunizations are up-to-date.
- The immunization record or appropriate waiver is on file with the child’s school.
Signature______________________________ Date______________
