If you have any questions or concerns, please email Director Jim Ligor at jligor@milfordma.com or call the Milford Community School Use office at (508) 478-1119.
Registration
Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. A non-refundable registration fee for each family new to the program as well as those students who withdrew during the school year is required to reserve placement in the program.
School Notification
After you are registered and accepted, you should send a written notification to your child’s school stating that your child will be attending Extended Day and what his/her schedule will be. The Transportation office (508-478-1133) should also be informed of your child’s participation. The office also verifies this information.
Program Withdrawal
Participation in this program is expected to continue for the whole school year. If you need to withdraw, it is mandatory that you provide one month’s notice in writing to the office. We provide notification of the change to all parties including your child’s school, MPS Transportation Coordinator, Vendetti Bus Company and the Extended Day Program Supervisor. Please note, we cannot guarantee a spot will be available if you decide to return at a later date.
When registration for the next school year is determined, students who have withdrawn during the current year are eligible to register for the next school year when it is open to new program participants. As previously stated, payment of the non-refundable registration fee is also required.
Tuition Payment
Monthly tuition payments must be made in advance in full – by the 28th of the prior month. A late fee of $15 will be charged for late payments and a $25 fee on checks returned for insufficient funds. The office does not send monthly invoices to participants. Extended Day services may cease if payment is not received.
On our informational website mcs.milford.ma.us click the link on the top of our Extended Day Program pages to make your online payments. You may also copy the following link to paste in your browser: https://unipaygold.unibank.com/transactionInfo.aspx?CustomerID=1489
If you send your payment through your bank account, please schedule the mailing for the 15th of the month so that it is received in our office prior to the due date.
If paying by check, please make checks payable to “Town of Milford-MCSUP.” You may mail payment to Milford Community Program, 31 West Fountain Street, Milford, MA 01757. If you prefer, you may drop off your payment at the security kiosk inside Milford High School between the hours of 7:00 AM and 2:30 PM, and directly in our office located down the left corridor off the front lobby of Milford High School from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
Payments are NOT to be given to program supervisors.
Receipts
If you require receipts to claim funds for your flexible spending account, we ask that you make a request in writing. You may email Laura Krovocheck in our office at lkrovocheck@milfordma.com and she will return an email with your receipt attached. Alternately, you may send a self-addressed envelope if you require an original signed receipt. Please indicate what is required in your original request to our office. We will accommodate these requests as soon as we can.
For tax purposes, a total of payments made for the calendar year will be mailed or emailed to the parent/guardian after the end of the year. Please allow a few weeks for this task to be completed.
Sign Out Policy
To ensure your child’s safety, parents and guardians are required to sign out their children every day. Each parent/guardian will receive a pick up card the first week of school. The card will list the names of individuals authorized to pick up your child. Authorized individuals will need to bring their pick up card every day along with their license to the front door of the school your child attends. Once displayed, a staff member will call for your child and send them outside. Families will receive a maximum of four pick up cards.
If someone other than the authorized adults is picking up your child, you must notify our staff in writing beforehand.
If you have any special circumstances regarding pick up, (i.e., restraining orders, estranged spouses, etc.) please be sure to inform our staff.
We take this policy very seriously. Lastly, once a student is signed out for the day from school or the Extended Day program, he or she may not return to the program.
Late Pick Up
All children must be picked up no later than 6 pm. After 6 pm, you will charged $1 per minute for the time you are late.
Attendance Policy
For the safety of your child, this attendance policy was established in conjunction with the principals of the elementary schools. Children are expected to walk to the cafeteria and attend the program 5 days per week. If for any reason your child will not be attending the program, your child will NOT be allowed to ride the bus home or walk home. It is the responsibility of the parents to pick up their child at their school, either by an early dismissal following the school’s dismissal procedure or from the Extended Day program after the school day ends. The schools will enforce this policy as well.
Attending After School Help or Clubs
To keep our commitment to ensure your child’s safety, parents or guardians will be required to notify the Extended Day program of your child’s after school extracurricular activities via email, phone or note. On the day of the extracurricular activity, students should check in at Extended Day to notify the staff that they are present and will be returning to extended day after their activity.
Absences
If your child will not be attending Extended Day on a regularly scheduled day, you must inform the staff either the previous night at pick-up or by contacting the Extended Day staff at your school before 2 pm.
You must contact the Extended Day program directly. Your child’s school does NOT automatically notify us when a child is absent.
Illness while at Extended Day
If your child is ill in any way, i.e. temperature, sore throat, etc., he or she should NOT attend Extended Day. If your child becomes ill during Extended Day, you will be contacted and asked to pick up your child immediately.
Quarantine/Isolation: In the event that a student becomes symptomatic while in care they will immediately be isolated and an emergency contact will be notified to immediately pick up the student. Our program will comply with the reentry guidelines for Milford Public Schools.
For illness and other reasons, we must be able to reach you in case of emergency. Parents must provide us with current home and work numbers as well as cell phone and other emergency numbers. Please be sure to notify us when your numbers have changed.
Medication
We do not have a nurse available at Extended Day and our staff is not permitted to give medication. Also, students may not take medication themselves.
Special Needs Accommodations
If your child has special needs which require accommodations, please call our office to discuss your situation.
Homework
Time is allotted each day for your child to work on his or her homework. We provide a quiet supervised area for children to do their homework. Every effort will be made to provide general assistance and to answer questions, but because of the number of children attending Extended Day, we are not able to provide one-on-one help. If you have any questions, please check with the supervisor.
No Toys Policy
Due to problems encountered with toys lost, stolen and broken, we ask that you NOT send your child in with a toy from home. This includes all toys including cell phones, Pokémon or other game cards, electronics and Lego sets.
Snow Policies
On snow days, when there is NO SCHOOL in Milford due to a snow storm or other emergency, the AM and PM Extended Day programs WILL NOT BE HELD.
There may be instances when a HALF DAY EARLY DISMISSAL due to weather is decided in advance and all PM Extended Day programs are CANCELLED. In these situations, all PM Extended Day participants who are bus students may take the bus home at dismissal. All PM Extended Day students who are walkers will be released according to their school’s procedure. To assist school staff and in accordance with each school’s dismissal policy, parents are asked to send a note to school with the child’s dismissal plan for that day and bus number if applicable.
For our Severe Weather Policy, we adhere to the decision of the Superintendent of Milford Public Schools for our protocol. When an impending storm or other emergency is upon us and the Superintendent’s decision is made to cancel ALL AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, the Extended Day programs will close at 4:00 PM. You will be notified through email by noon time regarding the closing and will be advised to pick up your child on or before that time. We ask that you notify the office of any change in email address through the school year.
If you are not able to pick up your child by 4:00 PM, you must make specific plans with a local emergency contact who is able to come and get your child. Please be sure we have your emergency contact information and updated phone numbers in case it is necessary to reach you.
On days when there is a DELAY, the AM Extended Day Program will be delayed for the same amount of time as the school opening delay.
COVID-19
Coronavirus is an extremely contagious virus that spreads easily through person-to-person contact. COVID-19 can lead to severe illness and you should understand that participating in the Extended Day Program could increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. Due to the evolving state of the pandemic, at any given time the Extended Day program may be forced to close and policies may change.
Along with social distancing, children will wash hands or sanitize hands with liquid/Gel Alcohol based hand sanitizer between activities. The staff will supply my child with liquid/Gel Alcohol based (60% or higher) at site.
Parents/guardians and any individuals on school grounds during drop off and pick up will be required to wear a face covering. Face coverings must cover the nose and mouth, fit snugly against the sides of the face, and be secured behind the ears or head. It is also required that individuals stagger their entry and exit from others.
COVID-19 Sanitation and Safety Procedures
All staff and participants should adhere to the following:
– Stay home if sick or in quarantine
Avoid entering the facility if symptomatic. Symptoms include:
– fever of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or above
– unusual coughing and/or shortness of breath
– fatigue
– headache in combination with other symptoms
– chills and/or shaking chills
– sore throat
– muscle aches or pains
– stomachache/diarrhea
– new loss of taste or smell
– nasal congestion/runny nose with other symptoms
To ensure the safety of our staff and participants, the following procedures are in place:
– The facility will receive a deep cleaning and disinfecting between Cohort A and Cohort B.
– All railings, door handles and other high touch surfaces will be disinfected before and after each program.
– Staff members will be screened upon arrival each day.
– Students will be divided into groups of 10. Groups will remain the same for the duration of the school year.
– Limited adult staff will work each day. Student staff members will be assigned to a Cohort and a group for the duration of the school year when possible.
– Physical cues for distancing will be marked.
– All equipment will be disinfected between groups.
– Windows will be open when possible to increase ventilation.
While participating in a program, staff and participants will adhere to the following protocol:
– Maintain 6 feet separation between individuals at all times.
– Wash or sanitize hands upon entry into the program and before eating.
– Masks must be worn at all time covering their nose and mouth. It may not be appropriate for some students, including some students with certain medical conditions, to wear masks. Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis. Medical documentation may be needed, although specifications of medical conditions are not required on such documentation.
– Outdoor scheduled masks breaks will be built in the daily schedule.
– Bring your own labeled water bottle – touchless fountains will be available.
– Avoid hand shaking and physical contact.
– Avoid touching your face.
– Sanitize your hands before exiting the building.
– Leave the building immediately after the program. No congregating outside the building.
– If a participant tests positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of attending one of our programs they must immediately report this information to the MCSUP director by phone at (508) 478-1119 or by email at lmorcone@milfordma.com.
Behavior Policy and Discipline Code
The Extended Day staff recognizes that children enrolled in this program will come with varied interests, skills, abilities and needs. In an effort to provide an environment that is safe, supportive and creative for each child, students are expected to be safe, responsible and respectful at all times while at Extended Day. Children should understand that:
- Running and yelling are outside activities.
- Courtesy toward each other and the staff is expected. “Excuse me,” “Please” and “Thank you” are important and expected.
- Use of the equipment, toys and classrooms at Extended Day is a privilege. Toys should be picked up and put away when play is finished. Equipment should be used appropriately and safely.
- It is expected that children will follow directions and respond to the requests of those in charge (this includes teachers, aides and high school counselors).
- Extended Day rules (regarding signing in, use of the playground, restroom, etc.) must be followed in order to ensure each child’s safety and to allow for the orderly functioning of the program.
It is important that parents not only understand these behavior expectations but that they support them and reinforce them with their children. Students who break the rules below will be subject to consequences accordingly. If an incident occurs, the Extended Day teacher, supervisor and/or director will determine the consequences.
The Extended Day Discipline Code is written as follows:
The following behaviors are expected at all times:
- Follow the direction of staff members.
- Keep hands, feet, and other body parts to selves.
- Use equipment and supplies appropriately.
- Use kind and appropriate language.
- Be kind and respectful to others (peers and staff).
- Follow routine and rules in each activity area (homework area, computer area, gymnasium, outside areas, arts & crafts, game area, snack time, etc.).
- Wear a mask at all times (with the exception of snack break, water breaks and mask breaks)
Consequences:
- Verbal warning : parent will be notified through conversation of an incident (possibility of conference with parent(s) and student).
- Written Warning: parents will be notified in writing, where they are expected to acknowledge the incident through initials.
- Written Report: parents will be notified in writing, where they are expected to acknowledge the incident through signature
- Suspension from program: length will be based on the infraction as determined by supervisor and/or director.
- Exclusion from the Extended Day/Kids Kamp Program.
Students whose behavior is severe in nature will be sent directly to the teacher/supervisor. Parents will be informed of incidents. If it is a major incident, parents will be informed in writing. For students who continually disobey the rules such as fighting, hindering the safety of others, damaging school property, defying school authority, or exhibiting any type of misbehavior that is counterproductive to the discipline plan, more severe consequences will result.
Please note, in the event of an incident deemed serious by the Extended Day/Kids Kamp Supervisor, Milford Community Program Director, and/or School Principal, removal from the program may precede any consequences.