Lynnfield Community Schools (LCS) has unveiled its plans for additional child care options for parents of children in grades K-6 for the upcoming school year.
The big news is the remote learners care option being offered at the Senior Center through LCS’s new remote program.
Superintendent of Schools Kristen Vogel said the program “will provide great relief for working families who need a place for their child to go” to do their school work.
“The Senior Center provides a wonderful opportunity for students to be in an academic setting while learning on remote days,” said Vogel at the Aug. 27 School Committee meeting, adding that the program will be able to accept “upwards of 80 children a day (and) groups will be cohorted by grade so (students) can do their school work.”
Vogel said at least one parking lot at the Senior Center will be closed off and used for recess, play and break time. The existing play area near the rear entrance to the building will also be available for younger children.
On remote learning days for Cohorts A, B, and C, in-person child care will be offered at the Senior Center and an as-yet undetermined second location between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. every Monday through Friday.
Lynnfield Middle School will be offering a modified Middle School Club (MSC), also with limited enrollment due to the state reopening guidelines. This will be available to Cohorts A, B, and C on the days they are physically in the school buildings from 2-6 p.m.
Huckleberry Hill School and Summer Street School will offer modified before-school extended day (BEDS) and after-school care or late extended day (LEDS) programs, also with limited enrollment, for cohorts A, B and C on in-school days only. Summer Street will run from 7:50-8:50 a.m and 3-6 p.m., while Huckleberry Hill will run from 7:20-8:20 a.m. and 2:30-6 p.m.
Online registration for all programs opened Sept. 1.
To register for any program, families must first create a household account where parents/guardians can enter their families’ contact information, emergency contacts and also create individual accounts for each child under the family one-account umbrella.
“This will allow for easier registration for any program we offer — including child care, after-school activities, and vacation and summer programs,” LCS Director Sarah Perkins said in an email announcement. She added that due to the COVID-19 reopening guidelines involving spacing and staffing requirements, space will be limited. Registration is first come, first served; however, families committing to three days of remote learning care will be prioritized.
To create a household account, please visit: lcs.recdesk.com/Community.
The child care programs have been designed to reflect the district’s cohort schedules.
“This means you’ll be registering your child for BEDS, LEDS, MSC, or remote by whether they are in Cohort A, Cohort B (Blue), or Cohort C (Gold),” said Perkins.
“We have worked hard to design a child care program that will benefit the majority of Lynnfield families, given the unusual circumstances surrounding the pandemic,” Perkins said.