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About Extended Day
For many working parents, their greatest concern is where their child will stay before and after school. Parents in FBISD have a unique alternative to solve that problem - the district's Extended Day Program. Extended Day operates at all 44 elementary campuses, offering a safe and secure environment for children in grades K-6. Extended Day provides homework time, a snack, and themed units with a variety of enrichment activities each afternoon. The program is open during early dismissal, staff development days, and Spring Break. The uniqueness of the program lies in the fact that it is totally operated by the school district and employees of the program work for FBISD. Cost for the program is $65 per month per child for before school care and $200 per month per child for before and after school care with a yearly registration fee of $25 per child. Some sites currently have a waiting list. You may place your name on the waiting list on the first day of school at your child's campus. In order to place your child's name on the waiting list or to enter the program they must be enrolled at that campus. Acceptance into the program is on a first-come, first-served basis.
History
The Fort Bend I.S.D. Extended Day Program is a true example of parents, schools, and community working together for children. The Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) program in Fort Bend I.S.D. is made up of dedicated, hard-working, and caring parent volunteers and is coordinated by the district’s Community Relations Department. In August 1989, Janet Moring, former coordinator of all district VIPS programs, met with the VIPS coordinators from each campus for an information-gathering session. The elementary campus coordinators expressed a need for after-school day care for elementary children. Moring challenged the group to come up with a solution. The Extended Day Program was born. The Fort Bend I.S.D. Extended Day Program was piloted that year at three district campuses -- Meadows, Ridgemont, and Briargate Elementary.
An After School Partnership Program was created, teaming the VIPS coordinators with the YMCA and the Houston Child Care Council. During its second year, the program expanded to Barrington Place, Hunters Glen, Lakeview, Quail Valley, and Settlers Way Elementary. By the 1991-92 school year, the program had grown successfully to include all FBISD elementary schools.
The business community also saw the value of an after-school program coordinated by the school district and made a commitment to the program. Several business partners of the district, including Fluor Daniel, Southwestern Bell, and Wal-Mart, committed to help fund the programs at various campuses at a cost of $96,000.
By 1993-94, FBISD had begun to look at the Extended Day Program as a true extension of the school day. The program was moved to the Achievement and Development Department. That year seven of the elementary programs were operated by the school district. They included Barrington, Colony Meadows, Hunters Glen, Palmer, Ridgemont, Sugar Mill, and Walker Station. In 1994-95, the district operated the Extended Day Programs at twenty schools. By 1995-96, all after-school programs were being operated by the district for a total of twenty-nine.
Today the program has become so successful that the district opens each new elementary with an Extended Day Program in place and ready for operation the first day of school. All new elementary schools are built with a room that is designated for the Extended Day Program. Each campus has a Site Coordinator and a fully trained staff. Many campuses have waiting lists for the program. The administrative staff consists of a Program Coordinator, six Supervisors, an accounting clerk, a secretary, and an office clerk. The program continues to grow as it collaborates with Special Programs and Even Start.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM
Size of Program
The Fort Bend I.S.D. program is in operation at all of the district’s elementary schools. A limit of 85 to 110 students per site is set, due to staffing and space constraints. Waiting lists are in place on some campuses, whereas vacancies exist on other campuses. The program currently serves more than 3,000 students on 44 elementary campuses.
Calendar/ Hours of Operation
The program offers both an after school, 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. component, as well as a before school, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. session. It is in operation on all school days, most staff development days and on some days during spring and winter breaks.
Staffing
The program typically employs a Site Coordinator and 3-6 Assistant Site Coordinators at each campus. The 44 site programs employ 44 Site Coordinators as well as approximately 250 part time Assistant Site Coordinators. Ten full time employees, including a Program Coordinator, six supervisors, a secretary, an accounting clerk, and an office clerk administer the program.
Staff Requirements/ Training
- The school district requires its Extended Day staff to have a high school diploma, background check, and CPR & First Aid certification.
- Training is provided every two weeks to Site Coordinators, often using district staff on topics including management, discipline, developmentally appropriate activities, and ways to help with academics. They then meet with and train their campus staffs in weekly meetings.
- Full time administrative staff, as well as some Site Coordinators, regularly attend state or even national conferences of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA).
- All employees take part in one annual, paid staff development days where topics such as developing age appropriate activities, discipline tips, lesson plans, and procedures and policies are presented.
- A Parent Advisory Board meets several times annually, providing parents an opportunity to suggest ideas for the program. This Board also allows the school district to be proactive in addressing parent concerns.
- The program’s willingness to collaborate with other school district departments creates many possibilities for these departments to hold programs without having to plan for child care. A school run Extended Day Program also eliminates time spent transporting children to a separate child care facility.
Curriculum/Planned Activities
- Typical Day: A healthy snack, homework time, then planned, age appropriate activities is the usual routine in the after school segment of the program.
- Supplies/Equipment: Student activity centers are set up at each campus and have a wide variety of supplies and equipment for children to use, including materials to “play housekeeping”, blocks, legos, games, art projects, keyboarding and computer activities, music, puppets, cooking, math manipulatives, and some hands on science opportunities.
- Snacks: Healthy snacks are provided to children through the district’s Child Nutrition Department. One snack and one drink are provided each day.
- The district Extended Day Program staff works closely with other district staff including teachers, counselors, principals and social workers. The Extended Day Program can reinforce school themes, assist with homework, and encourage reading through the use of the school library.
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Contact Us
Fort Bend Independent School District
Extended Day Program
226 Lakeview Drive
Sugar Land, Texas 77498
Phone: 281-634-4220
Fax: 281-634-4224
extendedday@fortbendisd.com
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