Wednesday Clubs

Early Release Wednesdays

One of the numerous innovative practices that makes TES unique is the structure of our weekly schedule, which values enrichment time for children and professional development time for staff.  Each Wednesday, the regular school day ends 2 hours early, at 1:15 PM. On these Early Release Wednesdays, families have several options:

• Sign up for an Enrichment Club (See below for details.)
• Families may choose to pick up their child(ren) at 1:15pm.
• The TES after school program will offer care for families on this day.  (For information about after school care, click here.)

Why is this time on Wednesday critical for both students and teachers? In addition to providing quality time for TES students to explore different interests during clubs, TES staff is provided protected time for professional development, which is vital to student success. For students to develop mastery of the challenging content, problem-solving, effective communication and collaboration, and self-direction that we envision, it is critical that teachers are provided with the time to learn and refine the pedagogies required to teach these skills. (Source)

Wednesday Enrichment Clubs

 

Each Early Release Wednesday, an array of exciting clubs are offered on site at TES by local education organizations, artists, musicians, and other professionals.  From fun STEM offerings like Mad Science and Lego Robotics, to creative art, music and drama offerings, Wednesday afternoons at TES are abuzz with exploration and creativity! Clubs are typically one hour each, with Club Session 1 running 1:15 - 2:15 PM & Club Session 2 running 2:15 - 3:15. A few clubs offered will run both sessions, 1:15 - 3:15 PM. Clubs range in price and are determined by the provider. See the quarterly clubs listing for each offerings’ cost.  Remember that club attendance is optional. Club scholarships are also available for families in need who qualify.

 

 

• Who provides the club programming?
  TES solicits club proposals from local education providers, teaching artists, STEM professionals, community members with a special trade to share, etc. (All club leaders go through the school’s typical background check procedure to ensure the safety of all students.) Club leaders design the club theme and curriculum,  and determine club fees. Typically, the TES club catalogue is filled with numerous exciting options that will engage students at all age-levels! 

• How do I know which clubs are offered?
  TES posts a "Club Catalog"  each quarter. The catalog will provide the name, description, eligible grade level, and price for each  club as provided by club leaders. While some clubs are repeated each semester, there are many options that rotate in and out of offerings. This allows students to either hone their skills in a favorite, repeated club, or try new things out with unique offerings. Each quarter’s new club catalogue will be linked to this page during the registration period.

• How do I register for clubs?
  TES will post club sign up forms on the website.  Parents will be emailed to be notified when these are ready. Parents must sign up for clubs during the window the sign up is open. Many clubs can fill up quickly, so if your child is highly interested in a particular offering, it is recommended that you sign up  promptly once the registration opens as indicated for each quarter below. Dates and times for each quarter’s registration will be posted and shared via the school’s newsletter.

• How many clubs should I sign my child up for?
  Clubs are offered between 1:15 PM and 3:15 PM. Participating students can sign up for two different one-hour clubs in order to fill the entire afternoon, and there are sometimes clubs that are two hours long that are available. Students can also choose to participate in just one hour of clubs from 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM and be picked up at TES at 2:15 PM. ***Please note that students choosing to only do a one-hour club session can only sign up for 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM; students CANNOT elect to only do the 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM club session.

• After I sign up, when do I receive information about my child’s club(s)?
  The club sign up form closes once the club fills up.  If the club you desire is full, you will need to choose another option. Once club registration closes, TES will provide club leaders their club sign-ups. Club leaders will contact parents of their club participants directly; this usually occurs within the week before the first club meeting date. Club leaders will provide general information about the club and will also provide directions as to how to pay the associated club fee. Payment methods vary by club host, but typically involve either an online payment by credit card, an online transfer via platforms such as Venmo or PayPal, and/or sending a check to school on the first club meeting date. Please note that the school DOES NOT coordinate or collect club payments.
  If you have not heard from your child’s club leader within two days of the first date club’s meet: 1.) contact the club leader directly or 2.) if you do not have their contact information, you can contact TES to request the club leader’s contact information. 

• What is TES’s role during Wednesday Clubs?
  TES reviews and approves club proposals to ensure high-quality programming, as well as conducts background checks on all club leaders. In addition to managing club sign up, TES coordinates getting all TES students to their clubs safely on Wednesdays. All clubs take place throughout various classrooms and spaces in the TES building or grounds, or nearby at Gold Park. TES also coordinates dismissal on club days, whether students are being picked up at 2:15 PM (one-club participants only) or 3:15 PM. 

Club Dates (2024-25 School Year)

Quarter 1: (8 sessions) August 7, 14, 21, 28  and September 4, 11, 18, 25

Quarter 2: (7 sessions) October 30, November 6, 13, 20 and December 4, 11, 18

Quarter 3: (8 sessions) January 15, 22, 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26, and March 5

Quarter 4: (6 sessions) April 16, 23, 30  and May 7, 14, 21

Session 1 runs: 1:15-2:15  |  Session 2 runs: 2:15-3:15  |  Some clubs run both sessions: 1:15-3:15