Experience A Day at Maple Street
Each classroom at Maple Street creates a daily schedule that meets the rhythms and needs of its children. While each day follows a routine framework, the details of how each day is spent is informed by the children’s development, interests, and community.
Classroom Schedule
Arrival
9:00 am
Morning Program
Circle Time: Songs, stories, and daily planning
Choice Time: Independent exploration of classroom centers
Art and creative materials
Block building
Dramatic play
Sensory activities
Math and manipulatives
Snack Time: Morning snack
Outdoor Exploration: Community walks and playground time
Story Time: Interactive reading and literacy
Regular bathroom/diaper changes throughout day
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
12:00 - 12:30 pm
Lunch, (Half day Pickup at 12:30)
Rest time (Full-Day Students)
12:30 - 1:30 pm
Afternoon Program
Afternoon activities and projects
Choice time
Outdoor exploration
Special projects
Goodbye circle
Pickup at 3:30
12:30 - 3:30 pm
3:30 - 6:00 pm
Extended Hours
After School Program
Structured activities and free play
Healthy snacks provided
Children should be dropped off at school by 9:00 am. It is very distracting to the children and to the staff if children are brought in late. Families are required to pick up their children on time at the end of each session. We have Rest Time immediately following Lunch Time so it is critical for Morning Program students to be picked up on time at 12:30.
Extra Days
Children who are currently enrolled at Maple Street part-time are welcome to pick up occasional extra days as needed when space is available if you call ahead of time. If there is space, your child will join their regular class for the day.
Call the front desk of your child's school as early as 2 weeks ahead of time and up to the morning you are hoping to drop-off. If there is space they will be added to class for that day.
Full regular school day for $175.
Half days (mornings only) for $100 a day.
You can also sign up to stay for afterschool that day, if space is available.
Your child will be in their regular class with their regular teachers.
Phase-in
Your child’s biggest transition is when he/she enters school. The teachers and administration support this transition by sending you information and resources, conducting meetings for new families, and beginning school gradually over a period of several days. The parent cooperative is also available to support your family during this time.
UPK
Maple Street is proud to have two Universal Pre-K classrooms for eligible 4 year olds. Our UPK classrooms are held to the same standards of curriculum and culture as all of our other classrooms with no discernible distinction from the tuition based classes.
Applications to the UPK program must go through the Department of Education. The DOE gives preference to children who have been previously enrolled at Maple Street but all interested families are encouraged to apply.
Everyday begins and ends with Circle Time. This is a time when the classroom community gathers together to go over the plan for the day or review everything they did over the course of the day, all punctuated by songs that become a regular part of the children's daily rhythms. Children may choose to sing, dance, or share something with the larger group at these times, while they learn to listen, take turns, share stories, and to follow directions.
Choice Time is an important part of each day when children choose to participate in a selection of developmentally appropriate activities set up throughout the classroom. Self-selection gives children a sense of ownership of their time and gives them an opportunity to develop new interests, friends and skills. During this time, we also work on curriculum-based projects and studies in small groups or one-on-one with teachers.
Each day incorporates literacy throughout the day in the form of story time, literacy activities, and observational studies. Children develop early literacy skills and a love for reading when they are consistently exposed to stories, books, and language. Our school library area is always open for children, and throughout the day you will see children reading with their teachers. Often, teachers will take smaller groups of children to the public library to research a specific topic or simply to celebrate the children’s interest in books.
Weather permitting, we have outdoor play every day. We go to neighborhood playgrounds or explore Prospect Park. Outside, children work on gross motor skills, make new friends, and learn to control their growing bodies. Whenever possible we explore our neighborhood to enhance the curriculum at school. We are near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Prospect Park Zoo, the Brooklyn’s Children Museum and the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Young bodies need to move! When the weather is too harsh for outdoor adventures, we have indoor gross-motor play/activities. This may include yoga, dance, hip-hop, balance-beams, bean bags, and other forms of physical activities.
Music at Maple Street is one of the highlights of the week for children and teachers. Jeremy Zmuda has been teaching early childhood music education at Maple Street since 2005. During the weekly music classes children get to explore music through singing, movement, and playing instruments. Songs are a mixture of "classic" children's songs, songs aimed at supporting cross curricular themes, and social and emotional development. Our "play" based philosophy at Maple Street carries over to music classes where children are encouraged to express themselves through music. We love helping each other write lyrics to a song, making up our own rhythms on instruments, or doing some original dance moves for everyone to try.
Maple Street is a school that thrives on community. We welcome parents, grandparents, and special friends to share any talents or interests they have and are always open to ways we can involve families or the neighborhood in our daily learning through play and exploration.
After School Schedule
Outdoor Play
Outdoor time/Specialist time/Choice time includes obstacle course, nature study, playground fun, Yoga, dance, art, music, cooking, ect.
Snack
Wash hands and eat provided snack (fruits/vegetables, pasta, crackers, beans, waffles…lots of variety!).
Transition from arrival/day school
coloring mandalas, playing with special toys, sculpting with clay or playdough
3:30pm-3:45pm
3:45pm-4:00pm
4:00pm-5:15pm
5:15 - 5:30pm
Meditation, thought-sharing and centering
Our after school classrooms are mixed-age, follow a weekly curriculum, and have something for everyone. Following the philosophy of our school, our program will grow and develop based upon the needs and interests of our students. The afterschool program is open to all, including current Maple Street families, neighborhood families, homeschoolers, visitors, and those with limited incomes.
When You Begin
Please plan on having your child picked up by 5:45, to insure you are not late. Chronic late pickups will result in extra fees. If you have special snacks you would like your child to have in After School, just let teachers know where we can find it to give it to them!
After School families that are not enrolled in day school, please bring a bag with a spare change of clothing, diapers/pull-ups/wipes (if needed), and anything else your child may need to feel comfortable, to keep in a cubby at school.
Because our school is a cooperative, we want families and caregivers to be involved as much as possible. It is not a requirement to be in the cooperative (and grown-up participation is encouraged) to join After School.
Maple Street is built on kindness, community and cooperation, and After School is a part of this, too. We love family involvement, and strive to have best communication on all ends–and love, love, love all the time.
5:30 - 6:00pm
Quiet Choice
Dramatic play, reading, manipulatives, yoga, dance, art
Transitions
Our programs are organized and staffed to provide flexibility, stability, and to minimize the number of classroom transitions experienced by a child during the day and program year. Every attempt is made to maintain the continuity of relationships between teaching staff and children and among children.
Children arrive in their groups/classrooms and stay until 3:30pm. Special attention is placed on transitioning children to afterschool which is a cohesive multiple age group. The day program keeps all children together each year from September-June. For the summer and following year, teachers, friendships, and other factors are looked at to ensure a smooth transition.
Communication and Collaboration
Families learn about their children’s development, activities in the classroom and important news and information about the school in several different ways.
Daily Updates & Photos
Teachers send daily emails detailing the events of the day, special moments, and what the class worked on each day. Teachers also post daily photos of the classroom and activities. Additionally, each child has a daily report of their particular needs, from potty breaks and how much they ate, to the developmental and educational goals that were worked on each day.
Meetings & Assessments
There are curriculum nights and parent/teacher conferences throughout the year for all age levels. The administrators and teachers are always available for additional meetings at a family’s request.
Throughout the year Maple Street sends a brief ASQ Ages and Stages assessment home with every child (IEP children are exempted). Regular screening provides a fast and helpful look at how your child is doing in important areas like communication, social skills, motor skills, and problem-solving skills. For more info on ASQ assessments, visit their website.
Teachers and/or classroom liaisons also post regular emails about your children, classroom events, and projects on the school’s Google Groups list serve.
News & Updates
News of events, committee meetings, school schedule and fundraisers are posted on the list serve as well. While important information is posted on school bulletin boards and in family mailboxes, the fastest and most up-to-date method of communication for the community as a whole is through the Google Group list serve.
Come and Play!
Parents are always welcome and encouraged to participate in circle time, spend time surveying the classroom, and talk directly with teachers before and after class. Families may visit any area of the facility at any time during operating hours. Families are encouraged to follow the guidance of teachers in regards to visits especially during transition/separation periods to ensure children are supported, and can separate successfully.
Health Requirements
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Maple Street does not admit children who are unvaccinated except in the case of a medical exemption.
Children with alternate schedules for immunizations prior to their start date need to follow the New York State Department of Health schedule to become immunized before beginning school. Medical exemptions will be considered with a written statement from a New York State licensed physician certifying that one or more of the required immunizations are detrimental to the child’s health. The statement should specify which immunizations may be harmful to the child or a family member in the child’s home and for how long the immunization(s) would be detrimental. Current and returning children that have religious exemptions may attend, but no new religious exemptions will be accepted. Children with religious exemptions will be excluded as required by the New York City Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control during any exposure or outbreak of a contagious disease and this time is both non-refundable and cannot be made up. Children may be moved to another classroom in the case of an immunocompromised, parent, teacher, or child.
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A standard health form filled out by your child’s doctor must be submitted prior to the first day of school, and then again on each birthday. The form must not be more than a year old and must contain proof of state-required immunizations for your child’s age. Health forms will be provided by the school. Your child will not be able to attend school without them! Additionally, it is recommended that you make a copy for your records.
Health forms and other forms are maintained in a confidential file downstairs in the lobby. The files are kept current, and checked monthly to ensure health and compliance. The files are kept confidential except for authorized administrators/teaching staff/regulatory agencies (Department of Health) and medical personnel. If the parent requests the release of a medical or other form, consent in writing must be obtained from the parent or legal guardian.
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Medication may not be given to your child unless you fill out the proper forms from the Department of Health. These forms will be given to you if they are requested. The school has staff who are trained and licensed to give medication, and it is required that these staff administer any medications.
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Emergency telephone numbers must be provided on registration forms and updated throughout the year so that school personnel are able to contact a parent in a crisis situation. Because hospital emergency rooms will not treat an ill or injured child without the consent of a parent, it is crucial that we are able to reach you in case of an emergency.
Illness Prevention and When Children Should Be Kept At Home
Please keep your child at home when a fever is present, if s/he has unexplained rashes, vomiting and/or diarrhea, conjunctivitis (pink eye), or other contagious diseases, such as chicken pox, lice, impetigo or ringworm. Please keep your child home when mucus from a cold is extensive or cloudy. Every effort is made to inform all parents in the cooperative when any child contracts a contagious disease. If you have additional questions about when to keep your child at home, please refer to the health and safety manual.
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Children that develop symptoms during the day are required to be picked up as soon as possible. The teachers and/or administrator will care for the child, and provide any required medical care including calling our health care consultant or emergency care if needed.
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The child will be separated from other children until he/she has been picked up.
Children can be given fever reducing medicine for one day with verbal permission from a parent. As Maple Street does not stock medication, parents will be required to purchase the medication.
If a caregiver/babysitter is picking up a sick child, Maple Street needs parent permission.
After the child leaves, all areas the child came in contact with must thoroughly sanitized.
The child must be cleared with a doctor’s note to return to school.Health forms and other forms are maintained in a confidential file downstairs in the lobby. The files are kept current, and checked monthly to ensure health and compliance. The files are kept confidential except for authorized administrators/teaching staff/regulatory agencies (Department of Health) and medical personnel. If the parent requests the release of a medical or other form, consent in writing must be obtained from the parent or legal guardian.