Westchester Exceptional Children's School

Extended School Day

WEC has an After School Program. The program runs on Tuesday through Thursday from 2:30-5:30. It is designed to encourage our students of various ages to work, play, and cooperate with each other in a recreational setting.

Along with providing play and recreational activities, our program strives to reinforce skills and behaviors that are taught throughout the school day.

We start the program by providing a nourishing snack. The importance of "healthy eating" is presented in the form of art activities and cooking lessons. To encourage math and organizational skills, each child is assigned the weekly task of setting each table for snack. This involves the counting out of napkins, plates, and cups and providing each student with a place setting. The children are given the opportunity to prepare simple snacks which involve spreading and cutting. For example: slicing oranges and apples, spreading peanut butter on crackers, pouring juice, and making chocolate milk.

After snack a variety of activities are set up at different tables. They consist of an arts-and-crafts table where the children learn social studies. Crafts for monthly holidays such as Black History Month, President's Day, Thanksgiving, Columbus Day, etc., are provided.

Once a month there is a cooking group where the children prepare simple snacks. Reading skills are reinforced as each child is presented with a recipe to read and follow. These recipes sometimes include pudding, Jell-O, English Muffin pizza, brownies, cookies, etc.

There is also a Lego table where the children are able to create group structures. This provides them with the opportunity to share ideas, help each other, and cooperate while having fun. There is a table set up with books, magazines, and puzzles where the children have the choice of sitting quietly while reading or completing the puzzle. The sensory table consists of rolling and cutting play dough, pouring and measuring rice and water, finger painting, and manipulating various textured toys and objects.

A game table provides games such as Uno, Checkers, Perfection, and various card games. Math and social skills are reinforced as the children learn number recognition and values along with taking turns.

A homework table is also set up for those students who would like help. On occasion, small groups are taken to the library. Again the children may do their homework, listen to a group story, or work with the computer.

Gross motor activities take place in the gym and outside. These activities include basketball, dodge ball, roller skating, jump rope, volleyball, and modified aerobics.

During the last half hour, the students are brought in the auditorium to wind down and wait for their bus. During this time, they are provided with an educational video.