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Watch Wildarts Virtual Family Orientation for the 2024-2025 school year!

This Family Handbook serves as a policy guide for families and participants enrolled in Wildarts Programs. We ask that you read the handbook thoroughly. 

Basic Program Information 

Wildarts Program Hours

Monday-Friday 2:30PM-6:00PM. Programs will start right after dismissal from day school unless otherwise indicated.


Wildarts Office Hours

Wildarts office hours are generally 2:00pm-6:00pm, but are subject to change based upon programmatic demands. Therefore, we encourage you to schedule appointments. 


Contacting Wildarts

General

Phone: (646) 389-6508

Email: info@wildartsnyc.org

Address: 163 W. 97th St. New York, NY 10025

EIN: 834662515


To reach the Site Coordinator specific to your school, please go to Contact Us.


Wildarts Program Closing

In the event that program will be closed, families will be notified through letter, robocall, or email. For inclement weather, please refer to your local media outlets to provide information concerning school closings. Wildarts is not in operation during early dismissal days*, or when the NYC Department of Education mandates the closure of School Age Child Care Programs.


*Wildarts may choose to offer special Day Camps on NYC DOE Early Dismissal days in partnership with our school communities. These camps are not included in Wildarts Afterschool 3/PK, Core or Enrichment enrollment. Participation requires a separate purchase.


Scheduling Conferences

Wildarts staff are always happy to discuss a participant’s progress or address any questions or concerns you may have regarding the afterschool program. While drop-ins are not discouraged, we ask that you understand that a meeting may need to be scheduled based upon the availability of administrative staff.    


Visitors

Parents/Guardians are welcome to visit the Wildarts Program.  For safety reasons, all visitors are required to sign in with school safety upon entering the building and follow appropriate COVID-19 protocols. Participants not enrolled in Wildarts are not permitted to visit unless accompanied by an adult.


Lost and Found Items

While we do our best to help participants stay organized, Wildarts is not responsible for personal property of participants. Items that are lost or found can be turned in or looked for at the main office. Please report lost items to the main office as soon as possible.


Receipts/Tax Documentation for Wildarts Tuition Payments

In case you need it, Wildarts Tax ID is 83-4662515.


In addition to our Tax ID, you may need an itemized receipt for the programs you purchased with us. Families can download a report with all of the transactions made to Wildarts during the calendar year. 

To access this report in Hi Sawyer, please go to My Account and then click on Annual Statements (direct link)

What is in the annual statement?

Enrollment and Attendance

Enrollment and Cancellation

Families can enroll in all Wildarts programs online at wildartsnyc.org. Enrollment is paperless and automatic payments are required. 

Wildarts Core and Pre-K Program Policies:

Enrolling in Wildarts is on a monthly basis for our Core and Pre-K programs. We offer a 10 month payment plan for each school year. Wildarts does not prorate or refund tuition for families who choose to cancel enrollment before the end of the month enrolled. Families who wish to end their enrollment must notify Wildarts before the first of the month. Wildarts does not prorate or refund tuition for student absences. Wildarts does not prorate or refund tuition for school cancellations due to inclement weather or school cancellations shorter than 14 days. In the event of a school shut-down lasting longer than 14 days, tuition will be prorated and refunded for the duration of the closing. 

Wildarts Enrichment and Camp Program Policies:

Wildarts Enrichment, Camps, and Special Programs may be cancelled if the minimum enrollment required is not met. Enrichment programs are offered on a semester basis in Fall (September through February) and Spring (February through June). Enrichment classes do not operate every week in the school year, and families should plan alternative childcare on dates when their Enrichment classes do not meet. 

For families who may need to cancel their enrollment in Enrichment, Camps or Special Programs: Wildarts will refund tuition paid for Camp and Special Programs (Parent's Night Out, PROSE Days, PTC Days etc.) if notice is given 24 hours before the start of the camp. For week-long camps (including Summer Camp), Wildarts will refund the tuition for unused camp days at the drop-in price as long as notice of cancellation is given two weeks prior to the start of the week-long camp. Wildarts will not refund tuition for Enrichment classes where participants are absent. For families who need to cancel all remaining Enrichment classes in the semester, Wildarts requires 24 hours advanced notice before the next upcoming class to issue a refund for unused classes in the semester. 

Wildarts Non-Payment Policy:

In the event that Wildarts is unable to collect tuition due, the Hi Sawyer system will attempt to collect payment using the default payment method daily. For Wildarts Core and Pre-K programs, participant enrollment will be suspended on the second Monday of the month of non-payment, and canceled if payment is not received by the first of the following month. For Wildarts Enrichment programs offering payment plans, enrollment will be suspended if payment is past due at the start of the class session, and canceled if payment is not received by the following session. 

Attendance

Wildarts offers flexible enrollment for the Core Program. Core Program participants may attend from 1-5 days based on enrollment. Families are required to notify Wildarts if the specified days they wish to attend per week will change. Families may request to change the specified days they attend in a given week (due to doctor's appointments or other scheduling conflicts), but Wildarts does not allow participants to accrue make-up days for use in future weeks due to staffing requirements. For example: Jamal usually attends Wildarts on Tuesdays. This week, Jamal has a dentist appointment, so he can attend Wildarts on Thursday instead of Tuesday. However, Jamal may not skip his Wildarts day on Tuesday this week to attend his appointment, and attend two days next week. 


Wildarts does not offer flexible enrollment for the 3/PK program due to staffing requirements. 3/PK participants may only be enrolled 5 days per week.


Regular attendance is encouraged for full participation in the Wildarts Program. Participants are working on completing projects and developing skills to be showcased during culminating events. Families who attend only part of the Wildarts week, or who participate in Enrichment programs that overlap with our Core schedule may find that their participants are not able to be included in culminating showcases (Ex: participants who consistently miss theater classes will not be cast in the Spring Musical). 


Arrival

Wildarts participants are brought to the cafeteria to join Wildarts at regular school dismissal (2:50PM daily) by their school classroom teachers. Wildarts is not responsible for updating your child's dismissal plan with their school teacher. Families must notify teachers of the days their children attend Wildarts.


Wildarts participants who do not attend the school where our programs take place must be brought to the Wildarts table no earlier than 3:00PM each day. Participants must be checked in by Wildarts staff at the desk before they are allowed to enter the program. Families are responsible for arranging transportation to Wildarts if their child does not attend the school where the Wildarts program they attend is housed. Wildarts is not responsible for the transportation of children to the Wildarts program from any other school or program, unless transportation agreements have been negotiated with a school community and minimum enrollment has been met. In rare cases where Wildarts provides transportation for children to our programs, participating families agree to Wildarts Transportation policies.


Early Dismissal

Participants may be picked up early by an authorized representative any time after 3:00PM during the Wildarts program. Wildarts asks families to pick up children at the Wildarts table and allow 10 extra minutes for early pick-up as it typically takes some time for participants to stop their activities, pack their things, and walk to the lobby.

Dismissal Policy

Wildarts dismissal takes place from 5:30PM to 6:00PM at the Main Entrance.

Wildarts can only release participants to authorized individuals. Families can update their authorized individuals in the Hi Sawyer system used to enroll. Please notify us at info@wildartsnyc.org when you make changes to your Authorized Individuals pick-up list. Authorized individuals must be 13 years of age or older. Identification will be requested upon pick up. In some cases, you may be able to set a Pick-up PIN for Authorized Individuals to use instead of photo ID. PINs are often set at the beginning of the school year. Stop by the Wildarts table, or contact us at info@wildartsnyc.org to set or change your Pick-up PIN. 

In cases of a change in custody, please speak with the Site Coordinator as a court order may be needed to remove a parent/guardian from the authorized pick-up list.  

Wildarts dismissal is between 5:30PM and 6:00PM sharp. We ask that families do not arrive for early dismissal between 5:15PM and 5:30PM as it disrupts the flow of traffic to the regular dismissal locations and causes confusion.   

Please pick up your participants on time. Parents/Guardians of participants who arrive late for dismissal will incur a late fee of $25.00 for every 30 minutes they are late for pick up to cover the cost of supervision. If you cannot make it on time to pick up your participant, the Site Coordinator may be forced to leave the participant in the custody of local authorities.

Self-Dismissal

Participants may dismiss themselves with written permission from a parent/guardian. Participants will be allowed to self-dismiss at 5:30PM daily, and participants will not be released before that time unless a special request is made in writing by a parent/guardian. Early Dismissal must be requested in writing by a parent/guardian for a participant to be released early.

Programming

Afterschool Curriculum

Wildarts provides a hands-on, arts-and-academic integrated, and project-based approach to teaching arts-focused curriculum in afterschool during the school year. The characteristics of Wildarts’ afterschool are: learner-centric, arts-in-education integrated instruction, strong partnership with daytime school community, highly trained staff in the area of positive youth development, and Teaching Artists and Activity Specialists with expertise in their respective disciplines. 


Homework Help

Our program provides homework help in 45 minute blocks according to your participant’s schedule. Wildarts prioritizes arts education. We do not guarantee that homework will be completed during program hours, but we strive to ensure each participant completes what they can. We also cannot provide extra homework time for participants who have not finished their work under any circumstances due to staff/participant ratios. 


Showcases

Wildarts is rooted in project-based learning. We often schedule Showcases where we invite families to enjoy/participate in the products of our creative work. Please keep an eye out for invitations to our showcases via email and paper flyers. Some children have a strong fear of performing in public. For this reason, Wildarts participants are not forced to participate in Wildarts Showcases, and we look for alternative ways to include them in the work. If you do not know whether your child is participating in an upcoming Wildarts Showcase. Please reach out to the Site Coordinator for you program or email us at info@wildartsnyc.org.


Day Camps and Summer Camp Curriculum

Camps are meant to be fun. We have the most fun when we're working on big projects, engaging creatively, problem-solving and collaborating. Wildarts Camps offer students longer sessions with our Teaching Artists so we can think big when it comes to our project-based learning. Wildarts camps offer instruction in a myriad of art forms, but also STEM and movement. We incorporate outdoor unstructured play for students to socialize and make their own choices in between our Mad Science, Dance, Cooking, Gardening, Painting and everything else programs!


Nap Time

During Camps, time is allotted for 3/PK participants to nap. We may ask that you pack sleeping bags or other items for nap time. While participants are not required to sleep, we do require that they rest quietly during the nap time. 

Photo Consent

In order to fully participate in Wildarts programs, especially our Showcase presentations, families must provide consent for their child to be photographed/videographed. If this is a concern for your family, you may revoke your photo/video consent in writing to joni@wildartsnyc.org. Unfortunately, this will mean that your participant may not be able to perform fully in Showcase presentations where Wildarts has hired videographers and photographers. 

Program Expectations 

Participant Conduct

Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that respects themselves, their parent/guardian, and the Wildarts Program. This expectation applies to all participant conduct regardless of whether the participants are in Wildarts Program or at Wildarts Program event, as well as the time they are away from Wildarts Program. Participants and parent/guardian understand that the Wildarts Program reserves the right to impose expulsion, based upon conduct which occurs outside of the Wildarts Program. Expectations for general conduct that have been adopted are:




Disregard for, or violation of, these standards will be dealt with according to the Wildarts Behavior Management Protocol.


Wildarts Behavior Management Policy


The behavior management policy exists to help each participant achieve the ability to govern themselves from within. As the participant’s ability to govern themselves in this way increases, there is less need for imposing rules and regulations upon them. 


Staff will use mediation and conflict resolution skills to address participant behavioral issues. This should be positive and proactive. Participants can be restricted from activities but only for short periods of time, and never for the duration of an activity. Misbehaviors may be addressed in the following ways:


Taking a Break

Participants will be given verbal warnings when their behavior is causing a disruption to the class or a disruption to their learning and enjoyment of the program. If their behavior continues to distract themselves or others from learning and fun, they will be asked to take a break. Participants will be separated from the main activity and given a very short amount of time to calm down, reflect, or recharge. When they are ready, they will return to the group. 


Behavior Documentation

Participant Documentation Forms are used as a first means of documenting and forming a plan to redirect unwanted behavior. Once a staff member has given many verbal warnings and exhausted other options, such as giving the participant a special job, giving the participant a break, and having a conversation staff to student, the staff member may document the behavior in a Participant Documentation Form. These forms are used to guide productive conversations between staff, participants and parents about how to change the unwelcome behaviors into positive behaviors. Wildarts staff often use rewards and incentives such as special games/activities, treasure chest rewards, and priveleges to guide students toward positive behavior. Wildarts staff may create Goals charts to help participants set specific behavior goals in order to obtain rewards and better adhere to Wildarts policies.


Suspension

Wildarts Site Coordinators have the authority to suspend a participant.  Suspension is only considered in very serious cases of violence, bullying, intimidation, vandalism and theft, consistent refusal to be supervised, or after many other forms of lesser disciplinary measures have been tried and proved unsuccessful. In this case, a participant will face suspension for 1 or more days. For very serious infractions, the Site Coordinator/Executive Director has the ability to suspend a participant immediately. 


Expulsion

Wildarts reserves the right to dismiss any student whose behavior continually disrupts the education environment or constitutes a danger to others. Only the Site Coordinator/ Executive Director has the authority to expel a participant. If a participant is suspended 2 or more times, that participant may be facing expulsion. Depending on the severity of the infraction the Site Coordinator/ Executive Director has the right to expel a child immediately.


Physical Altercation

If a participant gets into a physical altercation with another participant, that may be cause for an automatic suspension. The parent/guardian will be called and those participants will be sent home for the day.


Conduct of Guardians and Family

Wildarts operates within NYC DOE buildings and our policies are aligned with NYC DOE policies. Family members and guardians are expected to adhere to NYC DOE policies when inside DOE buildings. As a reminder, parents/guardians are not permitted to approach students enrolled in the Wildarts program regarding incidents involving their children. All concerns should be addressed to Wildarts staff. If, at any time, parents/guardians have questions or disagreements regarding the behavior management protocol, it is their responsibility to immediately discuss these questions or differences with an administrator, and not to share their grievances with other parents/guardians, faculty or participants.  


Wildarts is an arts-education nonprofit. Providing a safe, creative space for children is our passion. We expect the adults in our participants lives to treat us with respect and offer us the benefit of the doubt if concerns or conflict arises. We reserve the right to refuse to continue our relationship with any client who does not exercise courtesy and kindness when dealing with Wildarts staff members or members of our school community. 

General Health and Safety

It is of utmost importance that Wildarts provides a safe environment for our participants. Because of this commitment, the following rules will apply:

Bathrooming:

All Wildarts participants must be potty trained. In the event a potty-accident occurs, Wildarts will use age-appropriate procedures to help students clean-up and change their clothing. When helping a participant who has had an accident, we assign same-gender personnel to help and always have a witness present to ensure the child feels safe.


Snacks and Meals:

In most cases, Wildarts programs offer snacks and meals furnished by NYC DOE School Foods. We do not have choice over the menus or offerings they provide. The menus are available on their website here. Sometimes, these menus do not reflect what the kitchen serves, or may not be friendly to nutrition restrictions your child may have. We suggest families pack non-perishable snacks for your child until you know whether they enjoy the meals provided by School Foods. As an allergy consideration, please do not send your child with snacks containing peanuts.


Distribution and Consumption of Medication:

Parents/guardians are requested, whenever possible, to schedule medication to be given at home. Wildarts is not licensed to administer medication. 


Participants are not to carry any medication (prescription or over-the-counter) on their person with the exception of prescribed inhalers for asthma.  


Allergies:

Wildarts requires accurate and up-to-date health and allergy information to keep your student safe during our programs. Under the guidance of the NYC Department of Health, we have added new questions to the Hi Sawyer platform to collect more detailed information about health and allergies. Please log in to your Hi Sawyer account to update your child's information. To update your profile in Hi Sawyer, please go to Profiles and then click on your students name to edit their profile. You will find the new questions under Wildarts, Form Fields. The Hi Sawyer system does not notify us when you make changes to your profile. Please let us know any time you've made changes by emailing us at info@wildartsnyc.org. 


Wildarts programs are equipped with age-appropriate epinephrine auto-injectors for use in cases of severe allergic reactions.


Participant Illness:

If a child has been ill during the night or became ill upon awakening, please do not send the child to Wildarts Programs.  Participants with low-grade fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or other acute symptoms will have their parent/guardian called to arrange for them to be picked up. If the parent/guardian cannot be reached by phone, the emergency contact person(s) listed in the participant file will be called.  


If the participant is found to be ill, and a parent/guardian cannot be reached, Wildarts will not dismiss the participant. The participant will only be released to the custody of a parent/guardian or EMS. 


Wildarts will call EMS in emergency. Wildarts does not administer medications.


Please maintain accurate and current information for the emergency file.  Any addition or deletion for emergency contact person(s) should be updated immediately in the Hi Sawyer platform.


If signs of contagious conditions are recognized, the exclusion of pupils from Wildarts Programs will be done on the basis of the following symptoms (there may be additional symptoms not included in this list):


100 degrees of temperature or above

Persistent cough

Unrelieved headache                              

Excessive sore throat

Evidence of Lice or Bed Bugs

Diarrhea                                                  

Nausea and/or vomiting

Abdominal pain                                       

Excessive sneezing, running nose, or

Unidentified rash

Head lice (CCS has a nit free policy)

Tearing red, inflamed eyes with thick mucus discharge

Listlessness                                                       

Extreme sleepiness


If your child has been ill at home with any of these symptoms, please keep him/her home until these symptoms have subsided for 24 hours.  


*Please contact Wildats if your child is restricted from participating in any activity due to health concerns. A doctor's note may be required for our records.

   

Emergency Drills

Fire – In case of fire, it is imperative that the building be emptied quickly and calmly.  Fire drills will be held monthly during Wildarts Programs each year to practice clearing the building quickly, and staff will instruct participants on proper procedures during a fire.


Shelter-in-place – A Shelter-in-place instruction may be implemented in situations involving intruders, or unsafe conditions in/near the school building. Wildarts conducts Shelter-in-place drills twice per year. Families will be notified when drills are planned. 

COVID-19 Protocols

COVID-19 Prevention:

Participants are no longer required to wear masks during the Wildarts program. If a participant prefers to wear a mask, and does not have a mask, they will be given a mask to wear. Wildarts will regularly use hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 


Wildarts staff will follow COVID-19 safety protocols outlined by the NYC Department of Education and the NYC Department of Health. For more information about DOH mandated COVID-19 protocols for SACC licensed programs like Wildarts, please visit https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/covid-19/


COVID-19 Infection

If a participant or staff member in the Wildarts program displays any symptoms of COVID-19 illness, they will be asked to leave the program immediately and will not be allowed to return to program until they can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, or until the CDC recommended 5 day waiting period has passed. After 5 days, participants may return to program but must wear a mask until they can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test.


Wildarts must be notified immediately if your participant tests positive for COVID-19 for the health and safety of others in the program. 


Unfortunately, Wildarts is not in a position financially to provide prorated tuition or tuition refunds for days lost due to COVID-19 quarantine. Wildarts is a 501c3 nonprofit with very limited means, and we ask for your understanding and support in this matter. 


Financial Aid

Step-by-Step Financial Aid Application Process for Families at Wildarts: 

This step-by-step guide should help families understand the process for applying for financial aid and the options available based on their eligibility.

Step 1: Start the Financial Aid Process

*Please note this is not an application for financial aid, but only an intake form.

Step 2: Review of Eligibility

Step 3: Completing Financial Aid Applications

A) If Eligible for a Voucher

B) If Not Eligible for a Voucher

Step 4: Financial Aid Award Notification

Families may opt to pay for Wildarts programs during the financial aid application process.


Special Financial Aid Considerations


Contacting Wildarts Financial Aid Team

Wildarts Financial The best way to contact Wildarts Financial Aid team is by email at financialaid@wildartsnyc.org

Families may also call the Wildarts Financial Aid Hotline at (646) 389-6572 to leave a voicemail. When you call the hotline and leave a voicemail, please leave your full name and a contact telephone number and a member of our team will call you back as soon as possible. Please keep in mind that our team is small. We will try to respond quickly, but can only respond as quickly as our limited resources allow.