After School Programs
We offer a variety of options that contribute to both student enrichment and family schedule flexibility. The After School Club offers care before morning drop-off and until 6:00pm Monday through Friday, while our Adventures After School program offers classes in an incredible range of activities. Homework Cafe is part of the After School Club. Please explore the options listed below.
For more information, please contact Program Director Savannah Guinn. Prospective families learn more about these programs during the admissions process from Director of Admission Katie Kelso.
The After School Club (ASC)
The After School Club (ASC) provides a safe, fun, inclusive after-school environment for Mark Day School students K-8 to create, play, and relax before and after school. The ASC provides opportunities for both structured and self-directed activities across all grade levels. Students are encouraged to be creative and innovative, kind and curious as they engage in outdoor play and sports, arts, crafts and various projects throughout the year.
After school, students in the After School Club will be located in different spaces on campus according to their grade level; however, all pickups take place in the After School Club located adjacent to the gym. K-2 students are in the After School Club room, while students in grades 3-5 are in the Lower Learning Commons. Middle schoolers are in the Upper Learning Commons. All students have the opportunity for a nutritious snack, open play, and quiet/homework time.
The ASC is a drop-in program. Reservations are not necessary, except on early dismissal days. If your student is on campus before or after school without a scheduled class, or after a class, they are part of the ASC!
Hours
Morning Care: Monday - Friday, 7:30-8:20am
Afternoon Care: Monday - Thursday, 2:30-6:00pm; Friday, 1:15-6:00pm
*Note: Kindergarten students are welcomed in the ASC from 2:30-3:10pm free of charge.
Pricing
The After School Club costs $10 per hour. For families participating in the Indexed Tuition program, the hourly rate will be adjusted according to placement on the Index.
Adventures After School
Mark Day School offers a wide range of after school enrichment courses to serve varying student interests through our Adventures After School (AAS) program in the fall, winter and spring. All courses are held on campus and offer students opportunities to learn a new skill or hobby, challenge themselves, and build self-confidence in a fun, supportive, and safe environment.
Courses are taught by experienced and talented Mark Day School teachers and by partners and friends in the wider community. Classes meet once per week for 8 - 12 weeks, for about one hour per class. The Adventures After School program is open to Mark Day School students as well as students from other schools.
CHECK OUT THE COURSES FOR SPRING 2023
Let's Get Cooking
Let’s eat the rainbow! Nutritional chef Hannah Romanowsky will inspire and empower students to create yummy, kid-friendly snacks while learning to develop healthy eating habits. All recipes will feature fruits and vegetables, with each week highlighting a different color of the rainbow. For more information on chef Hannah, visit https://hannahromanowsky.com/.
The Mystery Class
The Mystery class is an interactive mystery solving experience. Episodic mystery stories are brought to life through guided searches for clues, audio and video created for the class, storytelling, acting, and the imagination of the participants. The stories are rooted in genres popular for children such as spy/espionage, fantasy, science fiction, and action/adventure. Students work with Maimone Attia, storyteller and veteran after-school teacher, to solve thought-provoking, imaginative mysteries. A fusion of entertainment and education, this popular activity encourages children to use imagination to solve problems and inspires them to create their own stories.
Volleyball
Sparks of Marin Volleyball takes the energy and excitement of this great team sport and puts it all together into one fun-filled after school class. All aspects of the game are taught through drills and exercises that focus on passing, setting, hitting and serving. This co-ed program is designed for the beginner 4th – 5th grade player and will incorporate essential life-lessons such as teamwork and sportsmanship. Former volleyball champ Lynn Stein, along with her coaching staff, will assist each athlete in developing the fundamental skills of the game through game-based drills aimed at developing the whole player.
Chess
Chess! Kids! Join our chess class and experience the fun and excitement of the world’s best strategy game. Beginners, learn basic concepts and how to move and best use each piece while playing games with your friends! Intermediate and Advanced players, learn opening, middle and end game techniques appropriate to your level while solving puzzles and participating in in-class games and tournaments. Parents! Help awaken your child's inner genius through chess where s/he will learn to focus and concentrate, observe, plan and think critically before acting, patience, thoughtfulness, to visualize and consider the bigger (strategic) picture, establish long-range goals and to broaden their decision-making criteria, to look beyond their own ideas and consider others' plans, to learn from mistakes and to view them as part of the learning process, be creative and to show good sportsmanship and respect for others all while having fun! Lanette and Jeff Gordon of Marin Scholastic Chess have taught chess in Marin for over twenty years and have created more than 350 lessons.
Yoga
Now, more than ever, kids need to take time to breathe, move their bodies, and relax. Kids will thrive off of the energy we create in class by focusing on different breathing techniques, moving and balancing in yoga poses, and learning how to relax and let it all go. There are many moments of quiet in each class, but we also incorporate lots of activities to keep students engaged and help them get out their energy. Each class has a theme - some examples are love, being thankful, respect, being mindful, peace, family, gratitude, etc. I often tie the themes into current holidays which gives the kids something they can relate to in real time. We will play a game or have an activity during each class that varies from Freeze Dance, yoga games, doing a relaxing art project, or reading a book that pairs back to our theme/yoga poses. At the end of each class, the kids look forward to relaxing on a cloud, breathing, and finding a way to calm their bodies. Many parents tell me that their kids come home showing them new yoga poses they learned that day in class!
Crafty Science
Join Ms. Reilly for some science fun! We will be creating art out of different science experiments. We will make different slimes, crystals, play dough, silly putty, sidewalk chalk and more!
Golf
TGA believes that sports change lives, and we create programs that make golf available to everyone. TGA conducts multi-level, confidence building, station based learning curriculums that promote progressive skill development and include academic subjects, life lessons, physical fitness, rules and etiquette and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math).
TinkerTech (Grades 1-2)
Calling all young inventors and makers! See what you can build with crafting materials and electric circuits in this fun creative class with a new robotics themed project each week.
TinkerTech (Grades 3-5)
Explore STEM and Robotics through mini challenges and fun creative projects. Learn to build with circuits and see what you can design and control with code to program devices including robots and microcontrollers.
Human Animal Kung Fu
Human Animal Kung Fu builds virtue and good character, strong athletes with proper body mechanics, whole body strength, flexibility, and coordination. Learn self-defense skills that prevent bullying and build real confidence. Master the lessons of the Kung Fu Animals with vigorous workouts that train the mind, and the body. Each Animal Includes 4 parts; the Virtue Lesson, Body Mechanics Lesson, Animal Drills to master the body mechanic, and Animal Moves that are the self-defense techniques. After we study each animal, you'll earn a cool animal patch for your uniform.
Soccer
My name is Julian Garcia. I’m originally from Argentina, where I played soccer professionally. I’ve been coaching recreational and competitive soccer for children and adults for almost 12 years. The focus of my classes are for students to have fun, to learn how to play and understand the game, and last but not least, for students to learn through mistakes. My philosophy is to teach through positive encouragement and to create a safe environment where players can grow.
Rock Band
Rockband workshops are a great place to introduce students to the joy of playing in a band in a structured and supportive environment. Students can form a band with friends or we can assemble a new band based on your level of experience. Never played in a band before? Awesome! Let's get you started! Workshops are 10 weeks of guided instruction. Bands meet after school, once a week for one hour. Bands will learn songs on a variety of rock band instruments while building on traditional music literacy. The session concludes with a concert where all bands will perform their set of songs in front of a live audience. All instruments and vocalists are welcome. Rockband instruments are provided, but students are encouraged to bring their own instruments to rehearsal.
Drawn to Draw
Drawn to Draw is a step-by-step approach to learning to draw. It is exciting and motivating, yet not competitive. Instruction includes basic lines, shapes, and perspective, as well as training in demystifying realistic art. Drawn to Draw will enhance the child’s confidence and self-esteem in drawing by providing sequential instructions on the basics. While creating delightful pictures, children are exploring language, mechanics and creativity in art. Classes enhance the ability to effectively learn and to generalize their skills into other areas of learning. Drawn to Draw can greatly influence the child’s ability to draw what they see and feel good and comfortable with the way they draw.