Community Learning Center’s Parent Handbook

The Prodigal Son Foundation Community Learning Center’s Parent Handbook 

This handbook is designed to give parents and guardians a helpful insight into the After School Program offered by the Prodigal Son Foundation.  It includes detailed information about After School Program activities, procedures, and policies. Please read this handbook carefully and keep it in a safe place for easy reference during the school year.

The After School Program strives to provide an atmosphere where students can enjoy, grow, and learn. The staff always welcomes suggestions and ideas that will help us to make your student’s time at the After School Program beneficial and rewarding. We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with us at anytime.

Many thanks go to the Nathaniel Alexander Elementary School for their ongoing commitment to the After School Program and for housing the Program, to the staff of the After School Program for their energy and the outstanding job they do with the students each and every day, and to the parents and guardians of the students in the After School Program for their continued support and encouragement. The students benefit greatly from the many special qualities contributed to the After School Program by so many wonderful and caring people!

We are committed to strengthening the community and developing productive leaders, for the future by empowering, educating, and engaging students and families.

Best regards,

Leroy L. Wray
Leroy Wray, President

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION

For concerns about your student, questions about schedules, policies, staffing, a change of pickup information, or a pickup delay, please call

Jaime Lisi  – 704-724-7641- [email protected]
Nicole Nederlk – 585 746-5897, [email protected]
Lowen Wray – 704-996-4447, [email protected]

Follow us on twitter @ ProdigalSon and @PSFnow
Facebook @ Prodigal Son Foundation

THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

The purpose of the program is to establish 21st Century Community Learning Center programs that provide students with academic enrichment opportunities along with activities designed to complement the students’ regular academic program. 21st Century Community Learning Center offers families of participating students educational development opportunities. The center provides a range of high-quality services to support student learning and development.

The After School Program is located at the Nathaniel Alexander Elementary School and has been in operation for seven years.

Our outstanding staff is comprised of certified elementary school teachers, college students, and assistants.  During the year, the Program also works with independent artisans and educational services. Background checks are performed on all staff members and vendors employed by the Program.

The After School Program serves more than 65 students per day. Our operating policy for the After School Program maintains a maximum staff/student ratio of one to fifteen in each program.

Parents with students enrolled in the After School Program, and who have a background check on file at the After School Program, are welcome to visit us at any time. Prospective parents may visit the Program by contacting the Program Director to schedule an appointment.

ADMISSION PROCEDURES

Once a student is admitted to the After School Program, that student will be given priority placement in the following year’s After School Program.  Once registration has opened to the public, families who have not returned a registration form are no longer given priority placement in the Program for the following year.

SCHEDULE OF OPERATION

On regular school days, the After School Program operates from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.  Monday – Thursday. Parents are required to pick up their student from the program site only between 5:30pm -6:00pm. Early and late pick up will affect student attendance and/or the ability to remain in the After School Program. 

No School Day

The Program operates on the Charlotte Mecklenburg School schedule and is not open if Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are closed for half day professional developments, snow, observed holiday, or religious holiday. The After School Program will be closed whenever Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are dismissed early due to inclement weather or whenever there is an unexpected event that impacts the safe use of our site.

In order to ensure the safety of your student, please be sure to send a written note to your student’s teacher detailing the days that your student will be attending the After School Program. This will help us to ensure that each student arrives safely at the After School Program on the days he or she is scheduled to attend.

Evening pickup is at the bus lot of the Nathaniel Alexander Elementary school.

ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES

The safety of each student is paramount to the staff of the After School Program. If a student will not be attending the After School Program as scheduled, it is essential that the student’s parents send an email or text message to Jaime Lisi or Nicole Nederlk to report the student’s absence from the Program. To avoid miscommunication, please be sure to report the absence.

Check-in Procedures

When a student who is scheduled to attend the After School Program does not arrive, and the Program has not received an absence call from the student’s parents, we will institute an immediate search.

An unexcused absence will initiate the following actions:

• The school will be called to see if the student was absent or dismissed from
• The home will be called.
• The parents will be called at work.

Parents Responsibilities: 

• Check and sign student’s homework folders daily
• Read with your students daily
• Communicate with school teachers and tutors and weekly basics
• Attend 4 parent hall meetings.
• Volunteer throughout the year at the after school program or the student’s school.

Student Responsibilities

• Attend 80% of the program from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Follow directions the first time they are given.
• Respect the rights and property of others.
• Use appropriate and safe movement.

PROGRAMMING

The After School Program strives to meet each student’s need for physical and intellectual activities through a carefully designed schedule of educational, enrichment, and recreational programs. Throughout the school year, students are offered a variety of activities.

Homework Policy

The After School Program focus is enrichment and literacy instruction. Completion of homework is not a focus and will not occur everyday.  During our homework time staff members are available to supervise the homework area and to assist the students with their work, however, a student who needs individual help with his or her homework must ask. Because of the number of students who require assistance during homework time, the staff members are unable to check each student’s homework for accuracy or provide the type of one-on-one homework help that is available from a private tutor. Although we encourage the all students to do their homework when it is assigned, using the time set aside to complete homework is the responsibility of the student.

Snacks/ Dinner

Juice and snacks are provided for our students. If your student has any food allergies, dietary restrictions, or prefers different or additional food, please feel free to send a snack to school with your student.

Health and Fitness 

Students who attend the After School Program can expect to spend a minimum of 20 minutes of physical fitness during the day. Outdoor play will be cancelled due to precipitation, icy ground conditions, temperatures below 20 degrees, or excessive wind or heat.

Telephone Use by Students

The staff will be happy to convey messages to students when necessary but it is not possible students to make or receive telephone calls at the After School Program. Parents are welcome to call the After School Program at any time to speak to the Director or Instructional Coordinator about questions or concerns regarding their student.

Accidents or Acute Illness

In the event of an accident or acute illness, every effort will be made to notify the student’s parents and physician prior to treatment. If a situation requires immediate attention, 911 will be called and the student will be transported to the hospital by ambulance.

Clothing Requirements

Students can expect to play outside year-round. Warm clothing, hats, gloves, and waterproof boots are necessary for the winter months.

BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT POLICY

Students and staff of the After School Program are asked to treat each other with respect, tolerance, kindness, and consideration. The rules and behavior expectations utilized by the After School Program will be explained to the student clearly and reinforced in a consistent manner.

Students will be given reminders and redirection in order to encourage positive behavior. A student who is unkind verbally will be asked to apologize. A student who uses supplies or equipment inappropriately will be restricted from using the supplies or equipment for a short period of time. Any activities where participants purposely exclude another student will not be allowed.

When a student is disruptive or needs time to regain self-control, he or she will be removed from the group. Time out periods will last approximately three to five minutes and will not exceed fifteen minutes. After a time out, the teacher and student will discuss behavior options before the student returns to the group.

Under no circumstances will a student be subjected to neglect, physical punishment, verbal abuse, or denial of restroom facilities. Parents will be notified if a student exhibits unusual emotional or physical behavior that threatens the wellbeing of the student or others in the After School Program.

If a student has specific behavior issues, every effort will be made to implement a behavior management program consistent with efforts being made at the student’s home and school. If a student’s behavior indicates that the Program is not able to meet his or her needs, the Program Director will contact the student’s parents to arrange a meeting. A parent or staff member may also request a meeting. With the parent’s permission, school staff, and other professionals providing services to the student may be asked to attend the meeting.

Within ten days of the meeting, in keeping with the conclusions of the meeting, an action plan will be developed that establishes reasonable, attainable objectives for the student. A copy of the plan will be given to the staff and to the student’s parents. A log will be kept of the student’s progress.

If the Program Director feels the Program cannot accommodate the needs of the student, or if the objectives established for the student are not met, the Program reserves the right to terminate the student’s participation in the Program with two weeks notices.

Any student who does not accept the physical boundaries of the Program, or exhibits behavior that threatens his or her wellbeing, or the wellbeing of others, is subject to dismissal without notice. Any inappropriate behavior by a parent, including verbal abuse of a student or staff member, or confrontations with staff members in the presence of a student, is grounds for termination of the family’s participation in the After School Program without notice. A suspension or termination decision may be appealed by contacting the President.

COMMUNICATION

The After School Program maintains an open door policy. Please feel free to direct questions or concerns related to any facet of the After School Program to the Program Director at any time.

Any questions regarding policies, staffing, activities, or a student’s participation in the Program may be directed to the Program Director.

In a concern involving a staff member arises; please speak directly to the staff member involved. If the matter cannot be resolved directly with the staff member, the Program Director and Instructional Coordinator will meet with the staff member and arrange a meeting with the staff member and parent to discuss and resolve the concern.

The first priority of the staff is to focus as much attention as possible on the student. In order to meet the needs of the student and the staff during Program hours, we ask that parents limit their conversation with After School Program staff members to subjects involving their student. The Instructional Coordinator or Program Director are available to answer all other questions that arise. Please feel free to call us at any time.