BASP FAQs:

When do I register? We do the big registration in the spring. In mid to late March, we mail registration forms to every family in the program and to all incoming students who have requested forms. The forms are generally due back to the Enrollment Officer sometime in April (due dates are on the registration form). Registration results go out to families in May. BASP attempts to have an officer at the annual Kindergarten registration night so that parents can add their name to the registration form request list. How do I register? Complete a registration form and send it along with the registration fee to the Enrollment Officer. You can mail the form, drop it off at the Enrollment Officers house or leave the form in the Enrollment Officers folder in the afterschool room (room 111). If you are already on the waitlist and have not been offered any days, you do not need to include the registration fee with your application but you do need to complete the registration form each year. Families that do not submit a registration form in the spring will not be eligible for a spot the following fall. Ive heard theres a waitlist. Can I register my child before he/she is preparing to enter Kindergarten? BASP accepts registration forms for a child in the spring before the child enters Kindergarten, so a child entering Kindergarten in September 2012 would submit a registration form in the spring of 2012. How do I get a registration form? Registration forms are mailed out to families in mid to late March. You can find them on the desk outside the BASP room (room 111) or you can contact the Enrollment Officer to request a form (basp.enroll@gmail.com). My child already attends the program? Do I need to complete the registration form each year? Yes! As a licensed after school program, BASP is required to have an updated registration form for each child each year. If you do not complete your childs registration form in the spring, we cannot reserve your spot for the fall. My child is already on the waitlist. Do I need to complete the registration form each year? Yes! If you do not complete your childs registration form in the spring, we cannot include you in the registration process. Can I still register if I miss the spring registration deadline? If youre currently in the program, or on the waitlist, DO NOT miss the spring deadline. You will lose your days or position on the waitlist and you will go to the end of the waitlist. You can register anytime during the year if your child attends Brackett. Once your registration packet is received, your child will be added to the waitlist. What is the Lottery? Its part of the registration/enrollment process that occurs each spring and determines which spots we can offer for the upcoming fall. During spring enrollment, certain groups of applicants go through a lottery within their group including: new applicants with siblings already in the program, families requesting additional days, and new applicants. Children currently on the waitlist do not go through a lottery. How does the enrollment process work? Why is it taking so long for me to get a spot? The program is in high demand. We typically have a long waitlist, and it can take a full year or longer to get into the program. Generally, Fridays have the shortest waitlist. Outgoing 5th graders and students moving out of the district free up a limited number of slots at the end of the school year, but for several years weve found that the demand for childcare has far outstripped the number of slots that BASP has available.

BASP FAQs:
Heres the process we use each spring: o Children who are currently attending the program retain the days on which they already attend. o We then slot the incoming siblings of children already in the program based on lottery results. We take their names out of a hat and in the order in which we draw the names; we attempt to give them the slots their older siblings already attend. If we run out of any days at this point, this group of children would be at the top of the waitlist for the days they need. We add the names to the waitlist in the same order in which we drew the names from the hat. o We then look at the children who already attend the program and are still waiting for additional days. These children retain the previous years position on the waitlist. o We then look at the children who attend the program and are requesting to add additional day(s). This group goes through a lottery and slots are offered, if available. o We then go through the existing waitlist of children to whom we have not yet been able to offer any days at all. We preserve the order in which this set of children is on the waitlist and offer any days that we still have available. o Lastly, we take the group of new applicants, put them through a lottery, and establish their waitlist order. If we have any days available, we offer them to the applicants in their waitlist order. What if my child attends a different school? If your child attends a different Arlington school but is in the Brackett district, you are eligible for the Brackett After School Program. However, you need to arrange transportation to the program. What is the cost? (Tuition for the 2012/2013 school year is set in June 2012) BASP charges a $20 registration fee in the spring when you submit your registration form. In the fall, there is a $50 insurance fee per child due with the first payment of the year towards your September invoice. The monthly cost varies according to how many days/week your child attends. The 2011/2012 daily charge is $20/day. A child who attends 1 day per week currently pays $80 per month. 2 days/week = $160 per month. 3 days/week = $240 per month. 4 days/week = $320 per month. 5 days/week = $400 per month. Families with more than one child in the program receive a 10% discount after the first child. Do you have financial aid? Yes! Contact the Financial Aid Officer Peter Jacob-Dolan: home phone: 781-643-9794 or ohanacrew@gmail.com . Financial aid is never retroactive. Youve offered me a slot but only for one day/week; should I take it? Typically, children are offered slots one day at a time. If you do not accept a one-day per week slot, you can retain your position on the waitlist. BASP wasnt able to offer me any or all of the days on which I need child care. Are there any other options? While you wait to get your days at BASP, the Arlington Boys & Girls Club and Fidelity House are both good options. Both of these programs provide transportation from Brackett. Fifth graders may be interested in the afterschool program near Ottoson Middle School. What are the hours? From the time school ends until 6 p.m. (including school early release days). BASP does typically close early on the day before Thanksgiving usually around 4 p.m. What happens on snow days? If school is cancelled because of a snow day, BASP is also closed. Fidelity House is open. You can contact them to see if they have any openings for the day. However, other programs in town may be open and offer an alternate option.

BASP FAQs:
What happens on school vacations? Arlington Childrens Center often has availability to offer coverage on school holidays. Before most scheduled holiday periods, you will see a sign-up sheet outside the main afterschool room. Who runs the program? BASP is administered by a group of volunteer Brackett parents who function in various roles (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Enrollment Officer, Billing Officer and Member at Large). BASP contracts with the Arlington Childrens Center to provide the actual childcare itself. Who provides the childcare? Arlington Childrens Center How many children attend? The limit is 104 children/day. Why cant the program accommodate more children? The Brackett School does not have any additional space for our program to expand. What do I do if my child isnt attending on a day when they normally attend? Contact the BASP on-site coordinator at 781-648-7439 to let the BASP staff know that your child will not be attending that day. BASP receives the daily school absence sheet, so if your child did not attend school that day, the BASP staff will know. But if your child did attend school and will not be attending BASP, you need to communicate that information to the BASP staff (and not to one of the BASP officers; they wont get the message in time to communicate it to the BASP staff). What if I want to drop a day? Dropping a day is permanent. Contact the Enrollment Officer (preferably by email) by the 10th of the month before which you want to drop the day. If you inform the Enrollment Officer later, you will be charged for the day. For questions regarding enrollment, contact: Sarah Short at basp.enroll@gmail.com or 781-777-2326. What if I want to add a day? If you are on the current waitlist (even if you attend days), you can add days and it does not affect your position on the waitlist. Because of the long waitlist at BASP, we cannot automatically fill requests for days to children currently in the program. Your name will be added to the waitlist in the order in which it is received (Exception: during spring registration requests for changes go through a lottery and then added to the waitlist). For questions regarding enrollment, contact: Sarah Short at basp.enroll@gmail.com. Can I temporarily add/drop days? No, it is not possible to temporarily add or drop days. How is the program structured? Immediately following the end of the regular school day, BASP students go to their age appropriate classrooms (or cafeteria in the case of third through fifth graders), and check in with staff members. The afternoon consists of a mixture of homework time, structured activities including arts and crafts, games, cooking, and free play both inside and outside on the school playground. When students are picked up to go home, they check in with a classroom staff member and place their laminated attendance card in the home pile. Contact Erin Noyes (781-648-7439 or basp.program@gmail.com ) for more information about the program day-to-day activities and structure. Who are and how do I contact the BASP Board officers?

BASP FAQs:
Board president, Carole Springer: home phone: 781-643-6512 or cgspringer@aol.com and Board Vice-President and Financial Aid Officer, Peter Jacob-Dolan: home phone 781-643-9794 or ohanacrew@gmail.com Enrollment Officers, Sarah Short: home phone 781-777-2326 or basp.enroll@gmail.com and Kimberly Burnett: home phone 781-646-4706 or basp.enroll@gmail.com. Billing Officer, Robin Varghese: home phone 781-777-2815 robvargus@hotmail.com Treasurer, Dawn Connelly: dawn.connelly@shawgrp.com Secretary, Christie Getto-Young: gettoyoung@comcast.net Member at Large, Mumtaz Badshah: mumtaz.badshah@gmail.com On-site BASP Coordinator, Erin Noyes: 781-648-7439 BASP classroom number or BASP.program@gmail.com Director of Arlington Children Center, Mat Dolan: mdolan@conversent.net What is the pizza party? Twice a year, in the fall and the spring, BASP hosts a parent meeting and pizza party for all families. Childcare is provided during the parent meeting with BASP staff and board members. It is an opportunity to meet BASP staff, the board, ask questions and have a fun evening. Does BASP help with homework? BASP provides time for students to do their homework. Staff members do not tutor or help get homework done. BASP provides a space for students to do work, but that space is not always ideal. When possible, BASP uses the library for a quiet homework completion location. Does BASP offer any enrichment programs? At various times throughout the school year, BASP offers enrichment programs. This past year we provided chess, special art classes, yoga and a fitness program. Does BASP contribute to the school? The BASP board votes on various requests and initiatives asked by the school. Priority is given to requests that directly affect the BASP community, such as playground repairs. BASP works hard to support the entire Brackett School community through funding projects. What happens in inclement weather? There is adequate space for all enrolled students to be indoors and still get some active time in the gym.

BASP CLASSROOM PHONE NUMBER: 781-648-7439