Fall 2023 at PS 157: Parent “Need To Knows”

Fall 2023: September 18 - December 22, 2023

Hello, PS 157 Parents and Guardians, 

We thank you for enrolling your child in WR Arts’ After School program at P.S. 157. We are excited to continue in-school programming in support of your after school program needs. Be sure to update your child’s classroom information in ActiveWorks or reply to this notice with your child’s grade and classroom/teacher information if not previously provided.

If you haven’t yet, please make sure you fill out our Authorized Pick Up Person Form to let us know of additional people who will be picking up your child from our program. You can find the form here: https://forms.gle/yCoxkhFnzzTBBjju5

Please review all details below including program closure dates, Frequently Asked Questions, and all other “Need To Knows” for guardians and parents. 

Cheers to a healthy and happy Fall session!

Session Dates: 

Fall 2023: September 18th - December 22nd, 2023

Closure Dates: WR Arts follows the NYC Department of Education school calendar. All closure dates are in adherence and compliance of DoE regulations. Closure dates have been accounted for in calculation of registration costs.

No In School Programing the following dates:

  • Monday, September 29, 2023 - Yom Kippur - SCHOOLS CLOSED

  • Monday, October 9, 2023 - Indigenous People’s Day - SCHOOLS CLOSED

  • Tuesday, November 7, 2023 - Election Day - SCHOOLS CLOSED

  • TBD Thursday in November, Parent Teacher Conferences - NO PROGRAMMING

  • Thursday and Friday, November 23-24, 2023 - Thanksgiving Break - SCHOOLS CLOSED

Parent Teacher conference dates to be confirmed. We are not permitted to hold programming on Half day or early dismissal days. 

Programming may be canceled due to school needs. We will let you know of any such closures as soon as confirmed.


How we’re handling COVID-19 this year

WR Arts is in this fight against COVID-19 with you. 

WR Arts staff members have the choice to remain masked for their duration of time inside the school building, and as always will keep their space, especially if the need to hydrate/ drink water occurs.

WR Arts follows DoE and P.S. 157 school guidelines regarding vaccinations, masking, and quarantine/ isolation protocol. Your child does not require vaccination or masking to participate in our enrichment programing. 

In the event your child is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 (coughing, sneezing, runny nose) they will be given a mask. Additionally, if your child is returning to school after 5 days of isolation, they will need to remain in a well fitting mask while in programming. 

WR Arts will follow the school’s policies for reporting any COVID-19 related illnesses within our programing to the school’s administration and situation room.

If your child is ill with a confirmed case of COVID-19, notify us of your child’s absence immediately.

Refer to your school policies and the Department of Education’s “Health and Safety In Our Schools” page for expanded guidance 

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/covid-information/health-and-safety-in-our-schools


How does after school at P.S. 157 work? 

At 2:15pm - 2:20pm, students will be picked up by our PS 157 staff and taken to our designated class space within the building. Students are given time to decompress by coloring, reading, playing group games, and handling homework. After a bathroom break, the Site Lead will lead a short circle time conversation and activity, and then our teaching artists will commence teaching! At the end of the day, students will be escorted to the school’s main entry doors, where dismissal will be handled at the security desk indoors. 

If your child needs to be picked up before 4:15pm, please notify us at info@WRArts.org, wrnicky@gmail.com, or teacher.laura.rs@gmail.com so we can make note and notify the in school team. Otherwise, all general dismissal students will be brought to dismissal together. 

Extended day students will remain with the Teaching Artists and/or Site Lead during the transition to participate in supervised activities. At 5:15pm, students will be escorted to the school’s main entrance, where parents/caregivers may pick them up at the security desk. 

WHAT IS THE FLOW OF THE DAY?

  • 2:20pm - 3:00pm Classroom drop off and transition to in-school space

  • 3:00pm - 4:00pm Daily Enrichment Class

  • 4:00pm - 4:20pm Creative downtime and Goodbye games

  • 4:25pm - 4:30pm General Dismissal

  • 4:20pm - 5:15pm Extended day with supervised activities

  • 5:15pm - 5:25pm Extended day dismissal

Classes/days with less than 3 participants are subject to cancellation. 

Please note, general dismissal is between 4:15pm- 4:30pm and extended day dismissal is between 5:15pm - 5:25pm. Our permit does not allow us to remain on school grounds past 5:30PM. PLEASE BE ON TIME. 

WR Arts Late Fee: We’ve instituted a late fee of $1.00 per minute, for any guardians who do not pick up their child within the allotted windows of Pick Up time. If you know that you will be late to pick up, please arrange an alternate person and let us know. In the event regular latenesses occur, your child’s continued participation and/ or late fee payment arrangements may be discussed.  

What’s the dismissal procedure?

General dismissal is between 4:15pm- 4:30pm and extended day dismissal is between 5:15pm - 5:25pm. With our time scheduled so economically, please be early for pick up. 

All dismissals will be handled at the security desk, at the main entry. Parents/guardians will need to sign at dismissal and must present a valid photo ID to the Supervisor the first weeks of programming. WR Arts will only dismiss students to parents and guardians listed as primary, secondary, and alternates. Please contact info@WRArts.org, teacher.laura.rs@gmail.com, or wrnicky@gmail.com if there is a change of authorized guardians.

If you need to pick your child up early, please let us know in advance. 


In Case of Emergency, CONTACT: 

Please note EMAIL and TEXT are our preferred modes of communication.

Organization “HomeBase” Studio

WR Arts, Inc.

573 Metropolitan Ave. Suite 1

Brooklyn, NY 11211


Frequently Asked Questions

I need to contact someone! How do I reach you? 

In Case of Emergency, CONTACT: 

Please note EMAIL & TEXT are our preferred modes of communication.

Another guardian will be picking my child up. Do I need to contact you?

Yes! If your child will be picked up by someone not on the registration form as a parent, guardian, alternate or is another parent, be sure to email us their name and contact number before 12pm of your child’s class day. 

If you’d like to provide alternate pick up options in advance, email Laura (teacher.laura.rs@gmail.com) or Nicky (wrnicky@gmail.com) with their name(s), phone number and email address and they will be added to our dismissal list.

Do you provide snack?

No, we do not. Please pack a non-perishable, NUT-FREE snack for your child to enjoy before their 3:00 class start time. We have several students with nut allergies registered so we ask that you please respect our nut-free policy.

Should I send my child with water?

Please send your student with a water bottle with their name/ initials on it that can be refilled through the afternoon. 

What should my child wear?

Please send your child in comfortable clothing they can move around in freely. T-shirts, leggings, sweatshirts/pants, soft shorts etc. are welcome. Restrictive clothing like Dress pants, Jeans, Dresses & Skirts without shorts underneath are not recommended. 

Parents of 3K and Pre-K students: Be sure to keep your child’s emergency clothing supply well stocked in their classroom. Please include a change of underwear, pants, and socks in case of need.

Should I label anything? 

Please label everything and anything. We’ve had a number of lunch box/ water bottle/ jacket/ book mix-ups in prior sessions. Finding ways to label your children’s belongings helps. We encourage maintaining a full change of clothing (including socks) be available for our Pre-K Students in their classrooms. We will have access to these items if needed. 

Can I send my child with toys/ electronics/ something special?

No. While we understand the urge to send your child to school with these comfort items, we cannot be responsible for lost items. Additionally, these special things can become larger distractions. Please do not pack these extra items in their school bags on programing days. Small stuffed animals/dolls are ok. Please label these items as well. 

Can you share pictures? Can I observe a class? 

Our teams do their best to capture “bright moments” in programing, which we collect and share via our Google Family photo albums. With us each responsible for the care & safety of a number of students, we’re not able to snap as many moments as we’d like. That said, we do our best to share end of session video presentations. 

Currently, we’re unable to invite guests into the school for observations during the session.

My child didn’t attend school but would like to participate in after school. Can I drop them off?

No. With the guidance of PS 157 administration, we’ve changed our Drop Off policy. 

If your child was not in attendance earlier in the school day, they are not permitted to attend after school programming on that day. 

What is your class make up policy?

We allow up to 2 make up dates for in-school absences. These make ups must be arranged in advance of attendance by emailing info@WRArts.org, teacher.laura.rs@gmail.com, or wrnicky@gmail.com. With a healthy number of participants daily, students cannot attend on unenrolled days without previous notice and clearance.  

WR Arts may also offer entry to In-Studio classes as alternatives as an additional make up option. 

My child is absent, who should I contact? Will there be make-ups?

If your child is absent, please contact info@wrarts.org and/or Laura (teacher.laura.rs@gmail.com) with your child’s name and grade before 12pm on the day they are absent. This will help prevent delays in the dismissal transition. Your child may make-up up to two classes for missed programing days. Exceptions to our “2 makes ups only” rule may be made for students with multiple COVID-19 absences. These make ups are redeemable only with notice given at least 24 hours in advance. Please note, DOE school closure dates (snow days excluded) are not considered missed class dates. 

WR Arts may also offer entry to In-Studio classes and/ or virtual options as alternatives for up to two days of missed programming.