Arbor Programs: Before & After School

Mickey Phillips-Black, Auxiliary Programs Director

Montessori philosophy of mutual respect, independence and cooperation

Arbor’s after school program is affectionately referred to as Enrichment. We feel that all of our auxiliary programs enrich the children and provide continuity from the Montessori classrooms. Early morning care is offered for children who arrive at school before 8:15am. Arbor also offers bus transportation between our LaVista campus and our Emory campus. On selected school holidays and teacher workdays, when school is closed but parents still have commitments outside of the home, we offer Holiday Camp. We also provide a variety of after school classes.

Enrichment Program

Our Enrichment program is available for children ages five and older from the end of classes until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Placement must be reserved through either a yearly contract or on a drop-in basis as space allows. Please contact the office for fees and availability. It provides a continuation of the Montessori philosophy of mutual respect, independence and cooperation that the children are accustomed to in the classroom.

In our program children develop social skills such as the ability to work and interact with others, the ability to solve problems and to seek help when needed. We accomplish these goals by providing both planned activities and unstructured times for children to play, read, write, or just be together. Children are free to choose the activities that interest them. A nutritious snack is provided each day.

Enrichment is designed to be a warm, homelike environment. Children are placed in two age groups for indoor time. The indoor environment includes a quiet area for reading, creative writing, or just resting; an arts and crafts area; a cooking area; and an area for indoor games. The outdoor environment offers a deck for large craft projects and informal gatherings; a patio for activities such as hopscotch, four square, and jump rope; a wooded area where children may walk, play on the equipment or rest on the decks along the paths; a half-basketball court; and a full playing field for soccer, kickball and other group games.

Early Morning Care Program

Early morning care is available before the school day begins. On the Emory Campus, Early Morning Care is from 8am to 8:45am. At the LaVista campus, Early Morning Care is from 7:30am to 8:15am. Space is limited at both campuses and is filled on a lottery basis. Please call the office for fees and availability for Early Morning Care.

Bus Shuttle

A bus shuttle runs between the Emory Campus and the LaVista Campus in the afternoon. This service is on a five-day-only contract basis. The contract and fee schedule can be found on the website. When necessary, the 14 bus seats are assigned by lottery with each family receiving one ticket for the lottery. Staff contracts receive priority. The bus leaves the LaVista Campus at 3:00 in the afternoon. At 3:20 the bus leaves the Emory Campus to return to LaVista. Any students remaining at the Emory Campus beyond 3:30 pm will be kept at that campus and an attempt will be made to contact the parents. Late fees will apply. When space is available, students may ride the bus on a drop-in basis. The bus is also available to transport primary Enrichment students from the Emory campus to LaVista; the cost is included with the Enrichment fee for these students.

Holiday Camp

In addition to after-school care, Arbor offers full-day Holiday Camp during selected school holidays and teacher workdays for children five years of age and older. Please check the school calendar or call the office for specific dates.

After School Classes

Throughout the year, specialty instructors from the community offer optional classes in subjects such as foreign language, creative movement, yoga, music, chess, dance, soccer, and our new Morning Chorus, which takes place before school begins. These classes vary from year to year and are offered to different age groups and at different levels of expertise. Please click on the links to print the forms and turn in to Mickey Phillips-Black's attention.

Yoga/Creative Movement