All About Elementary Aftercare
My daughter recently begged me to let her stay for aftercare. I complained to my mom, a former Meher Schools teacher, saying it felt wasteful since I had no need for her to stay. Her response was, “Students make some of their strongest memories in aftercare.” It dawned on me that she was right. A Meher Schools alum myself, my most solid memories from elementary school are from aftercare.
Elementary aftercare can be a bit mysterious for non-alumni parents. We develop familiarity with our children’s classrooms and teachers during drop-off, pick-up, back-to-school night, and regular classroom updates. Aftercare familiarity is limited to pick-up, which gives you a tiny window into the full extent of your child’s experiences. And yet, it’s where friendships are made, skills are learned, and personal responsibility is developed.
For me, the hallmark of aftercare is freedom within structure. In my day, aftercare started with outdoor play, then snacks in Room 10, which would then open for indoor play. Later, the kindergarteners would join us and later still, the big playground would “close” and we’d all head inside for quieter play until everyone was picked up.
Within the light structure of aftercare, magic happens. As a student, you have actual freedom to choose. You could head to the library to read. You could join an organized game. You could work on a crafting project to your heart’s content. One of my favorite winter activities was to make paper snowflakes, which the teachers lovingly hung in the Room 10 windows. Whether it’s a deep dive, or trying something new, kids benefit from investing time in things they have chosen to do.
Whatever they choose, they will necessarily meet students outside of their class. I had a loyal paper snowflake following from younger and older grades who I would chat with while demonstrating my technique. Friendships also develop over inclusive games. I remember a card game that anyone could join by slapping a “double” (two 7s or two Queens) at any point in the game. There was no limit to how many people could join. This broadspectrum inclusion is a hallmark of many aftercare games.
Aftercare teachers are instrumental at facilitating inclusive play. There are classroom teachers who also teach in aftercare (providing continuity with the school day) but there are also dedicated aftercare teachers that infuse the program with variety and new energy. One of my favorite aftercare teachers was Miss Mani. She had these long nails, which you didn’t want to get on the wrong end of when slapping into the card game. I thought she was so cool. In fact, I thought all my aftercare teachers were cool. Because it’s a part-time, after school job, the role is often held by younger people closer in age to your child than their classroom teachers. As a child, aftercare teachers filled a malleable place in my mind: they were competitors, mentors, confidants, and cheerleaders.
Being an aftercare teacher myself during high school and college gave me a new view of the real work these teachers do. They provide close supervision, ensure safety, and are important educators in soft skills and conflict resolution. I remember a relaxed, easy-going kid who would get so angry at others when he lost any kind of game. We had a good rapport, so when I sent him to the library to research sportsmanship, he willingly rose to the challenge and enjoyed discussing with me what he had discovered. I learned that this was something his teachers had been talking to him about and my efforts continued that thread of socio-emotional learning outside the classroom. Aftercare teachers are great at fooling kids with fun through some hard moments of personal growth.
Today, elementary aftercare has some new features and structures, like Homework Club and Exploration classes. But it is also largely the same. Every day, students explore activities that push their own boundaries, find new connections with teachers and peers, and build lasting memories of childhood.
