Program Handbook

Please use email addresses for communication at this time.

• Avery: Tony Menefee, amenefee@dedham.k12.ma.us, Phone: 781-310-5108
• Oakdale: Kiersten Hazell, khazell@dedham.k12.ma.us, Phone: 781-310-6257
• Greenlodge: Tamaria “Tee” Menefee, tmenefee@dedham.k12.ma.us, Phone: 781-310-4245
• Riverdale: Lisa Chaboudy, lchaboudy@dedham.k12.ma.us, Phone: 781-310-2254
• ECEC: TBD, Phone: 781-310-8029

LEAP Director: Alyssa Freda, afreda@dedham.k12.ma.us Phone: 781-310-1014

All staff are First Aid and CPR certified, trained in the use of Epi-Pens, have passed a CORI background checks, and have previous experience working with students. Many have bachelor’s degrees in education, psychology and social work and have or are pursuing master’s degrees. Each year, we will provide staff development opportunities to remain current on trends, mandates and procedures in the field. Feel free to ask any staff member about their education and experience.

We aim to provide a child to staff ratio of 9:1 for students.

Director 

The LEAP Director is the administrator for all Before and After care program sites. The Director oversees curriculum and special events, implements programming, hires and supervises staff, coordinates enrollment and tuition. The Director is also responsible for the daily operations and finances of the program. 

Assistant Director 

The Assistant Director reports to and supports the LEAP Director in the administration of all Before and After care program sites. The Assistant Director directly manages enrichment programming, supports site coordinators, and assists with curriculum planning and enrollment coordination. This person also assists with overseeing daily program operations, ensures compliance with EEC regulations, and promotes professional development among teams.

SITE STAFF

Site Coordinator

Each LEAP site is operated by a site coordinator with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education or a related field and/or more than five years of experience in out-of-school time/recreation. The site coordinator oversees an assistant coordinator, LEAP group leaders and assistant group leaders, and high school tutors/mentors. In charge of all aspects of the site including staff supervision, curriculum planning, ensuring that procedures are followed to ensure safety and program quality, and maintaining relationships with families and school personnel.

Assistant Site Coordinator

Supports site coordinator in all tasks relevant to the function of the site. Manages homework time and supervises high school tutors/mentors. Manages the site in the absence of the site coordinator.

Group Leader

Responsible for independently planning and leading activities, setting up and putting away equipment, following all health and safety procedures, and general supervision of students throughout the day.

Assistant Group Leader

With support of an instructor or other staff, responsible for leading activities, setting up and putting away equipment, following all health and safety procedures, and general supervision of students throughout the day.
 

LEAP Before and After Care is a full school year commitment. Schedule change and withdrawal requests made by the 15th (August 1st for September) will go into effect on the first day of the following month. Requests made after the 15th go into effect the month after that. For example, a schedule change or withdrawal request made on September 24th would go into effect November 1st. All schedule change or withdrawal requests must be emailed to your site coordinator.  LEAP does not provide credit or refunds for June schedule reductions or withdrawal requests. April 15th is the last date to request a schedule reduction or withdrawal for the current school year.

LEAP understands that families may want to suspend before and/or after school care and resume at a later date. Once you have withdrawn, if you choose to return and your space has been filled, you will be placed on our waitlist. A $25 reinstatement fee will be charged when a child has withdrawn from the program and re-enrolls at a later date in the school year if a spot becomes available. This fee is per child.
 

No tuition credit or trade day is given for snow days.

• If school is closed, LEAP is also closed. 
• If school closes early due to inclement weather, LEAP is also closed.
• If there is a delay for the start of school, there will be no LEAP Morning Program.
• If the DPS Superintendent cancels after school programs and school is released at regular dismissal times, LEAP is closed.

* If school is open and the DPS Superintendent cancels LEAP or closes LEAP early, the District will notify parents via email and/or call. When bad weather is forecast, please check email regularly and plan carefully for pick-up knowing that weather may extend your commute. 
 

Scheduled Days: LEAP offers vacation childcare for students enrolled in the elementary school program on their regularly scheduled care days during school vacation weeks at a rate of $50 per day. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Morning Care Families:  If your child is only enrolled in morning care at one of the elementary schools, then you are welcome to register for the days needed and will automatically be placed on the waitlist for $75/day. Your Site Coordinator will reach out if a spot becomes available.

Registration Process: To ensure that we can adequately prepare for both the scheduled days and field trips, we kindly request parents to fill out a Vacation Care PowerSchool Form if you wish to have your child participate in vacation care. Space is limited based on staffing and will close once capacity is reached.

Registration takes place online through PowerSchool. There is a one-time $75 application fee and $100 deposit per child. The deposit will go towards September dues if there are no schedule changes before the August Payment. 

To register, log onto your PowerSchool parent portal: PowerSchool Parent Portal
There is no need to create a new account. The District has created parent accounts for everyone using the current email we have for you on file. If you do not know your user name and password, click "forgot username or password" and PowerSchool will send a link to reset your password. If you have any trouble logging in OR you do not see your students listed after you log in, please contact hometechservice@dedham.k12.ma.us for support.
 
LEAP Before and After School Care Registration will show up under "Forms" on the left-side portal navigation bar.
 

Before School

During the LEAP Morning program and vacation days, we assume that if a child does not arrive that they are safe with you. While LEAP appreciates an absence notification for vacation days, site coordinators will not call to verify their absence.
Please note: The truancy laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts state that if your child is absent from school for any reason, he/she may not attend LEAP.

After School

If your child doesn’t arrive at LEAP after school, site coordinators will enact our missing child protocol. This takes staff away from the group and affects our staff-to-child ratio. Please contact your LEAP site coordinator directly if your child is not attending the program.

Early Dismissal

If your child leaves school early for a reason other than illness, he/she may not attend LEAP if he/she returns to school before dismissal. Students may not be dropped off at LEAP once the program has begun, as doing so may lead to attendance errors and jeopardize safety. LEAP staff members are engaged in leading groups of students throughout the after school day. Staff cannot be assigned to check in and out of the building after the program has begun. This procedure ensures that staff attention is on the quality of the LEAP program experience each day.

Drop In/Temporarily Switching Days

To ensure the safety and well-being of all students and staff, our Before and After School Programs must operate in compliance with state-mandated capacity regulations. Each program site has a set maximum number of students it may serve at one time, and our current enrollment has reached that capacity.

As such, we are unable to accommodate:
Drop-in attendance (students attending on unscheduled or unregistered days)
Temporarily switching of scheduled days
 

Children attending LEAP Before School may arrive anytime after 7:00 A.M.  Parents/Guardians must make contact with a staff member who will sign their child into the LEAP morning program each morning. Drop off protocols will vary by school; if you’re uncertain how to sign your child in, contact your site coordinator. Repeated incidents of dropping off instead without signing your child in  may result in suspension or dismissal from LEAP morning care.

At LEAP After School pick-up, parents/guardians must sign out students before leaving LEAP each afternoon. Please make contact with a staff member before leaving LEAP with your child.

Only adults (age 18 or older) listed in the registration form as Parent/Guardian or Alternate Pick-Ups/Emergency Contacts will be allowed to pick up from LEAP. Please bring a photo ID at pick-up at all times, in the event that a new or unfamiliar staff member must confirm your identity before releasing your child. Any time one of your Alternate Pick-Ups/Emergency Contacts will be picking up, please remind them to bring a photo ID.

Once a student has been signed out by an authorized adult, or has been given parent permission (grades 3–5) to walk home, they may not return to the LEAP program that day. Students who walk home are considered no longer in the care of the program once signed out, even if they remain on school grounds before departing.

If there is someone who may not pick up your child or someone with whom you do not want your child to come into contact, please inform your site coordinator and provide legal documentation to us if there are parent/guardian restrictions. We must have legal documentation on file to deny a parent/guardian access to his/her child. Do not assume that LEAP is aware of any information shared with the school office or guidance counselors.

Students and parents may not return to classrooms after school for homework, personal belongings, or any other reason. Classrooms may be left unlocked for custodial access but are otherwise considered private spaces/offices. If a child requires something from a classroom for their safety, such as medication, they must be accompanied by a LEAP staff member.

LEAP offers before school care from 7:00 A.M. to the start of school. Families must register for specific days of the week, for a minimum of 2 days in AM and/or PM, and may only attend on the days enrolled. LEAP Before School activities include arts and crafts, board games, cooperative games, sports, or just spending time together getting ready for the school day. Breakfast is available through DPS Food Services. 
 

LEAP offers after school care from school dismissal until 6:00 P.M. LEAP provides a light snack every day. Activities include indoor and outdoor free play, arts and crafts, science, drama, dance, cooperative games, sports, and more! 

** Students will have choice based activities daily, examples include: gym games, art and drama.

Please check in with an LEAP staff member each evening at pick-up, if only to say hello, for safety and to give us an opportunity to share information. Staff may have details about your child’s day, a reminder from your child’s classroom teacher, or a program-wide announcement such as sign-up for vacation weeks. Whomever picks up is responsible for announcements or reminders. Please let us know if there are any changes in your family, so we can give your child the best support possible. Our primary method of program-wide communication is email.  All billing, invoices and newsletters will be sent to the email address connected to your PowerSchool account. Families are encouraged to set up a parent conference with their site coordinator.
 

Homework time is scheduled each afternoon at the elementary programs. LEAP will ensure the space stays quiet, clarify homework directions, prompt students to stay on task, help make connections between classroom lessons and assignments, and communicate with teachers and families. 
 

There may be chromebooks available for homework time, activities or clubs. Students must follow the same acceptable use guidelines that they follow during school. Students should leave personal technology devices at home or in backpacks, with the exception of special events as announced by the site coordinator.
 

LEAP provides breakfast during morning care and a simple, light, nut-free snack each afternoon. Families are welcome to send their own nut-free snack in their child’s backpack. Consider packing it separately from school lunch so it isn’t eaten during the school day.

All students should bring a labeled water bottle.

LEAP does our best to go outside as much as possible! Students should come dressed for the weather. Afternoon temperatures are often very different from early mornings – please check the forecast. Storage space for coats, boots, hats, etc. varies from site to site, so label everything!

All students should wear or bring sneakers for the gym and playground.

If your child needs sunscreen or bug repellant, please pack products that your child can apply independently. While we can remind students to apply, LEAP staff may not provide or apply these for students.

Even a child who never had accidents before may be so caught up in the fun of afterschool that they forget to use the restroom. We provide lots of scheduled times and reminders. However, we still suggest that the parents of all  – pack an extra set of clothing including socks.
 

Toys from home. Toys from home can get lost, damaged, or lead to hurt feelings. Except for days when all students are invited to do so (show and tell, teddy bear picnic, etc.) we ask that home toys stay at home. 

LEAP wants students to socialize, complete homework, play outside or in the gym, and participate in activities! LEAP does not have secure space for expensive devices. Therefore, we do not allow the use of personal electronic devices except on special days when students may be invited to bring them in. All sites have access to laptops for homework time.
 

Please arrange your child's medication schedule with your school’s nurse so that he/she can receive his/her medication before the end of the school day. There is no nurse in the LEAP program. If there are days when it is not possible to have a nurse administer medication; our site coordinators are trained by school nurses to administer medication.

Administering Medication
Prescription medication must be brought to the program in its original container and include the child's name, the name of the medication, the dosage, the number of times per day and the number of days the medication is to be administered. This prescription label will be accepted as the written authorization of the physician. 

LEAP will not administer any medication contrary to the directions on the label unless so authorized by written order of the child's physician.

• The parent must fill out a Medication Consent Form before the medication can be administered.
• The first dose must be administered by the parent at home in case of an allergic reaction. 
• All medications must be given to the site coordinator directly by the parent. All medications will be stored out of the reach of children. All medications that are considered controlled substances must be locked and kept out of reach of children. 

The program will maintain a written record of the administration of any medication, which will include the child's name, the time and date of each administration, the dose, and the name of the person administering the medication. This completed record will become part of the child's file.

Staff are certified in First Aid and CPR and trained to administer Epi-pens. If your child is subject to anaphylactic reactions due to bee stings or other allergies you must deliver two Epi-Pens, with the child’s photo attached, to the site coordinator to be kept with us, along with an allergy plan with special instructions by the attending physician for its administration.

To minimize the spread of infectious disease and to provide for a safe environment, should be kept home from school for: 

• Fever greater than 100° within the last 24 hours
• Fever should be under 100° for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before returning to school 
• Vomiting-or-diarrhea within the last 24 hours 
• A communicable disease 
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath 
• New loss of taste or smell 
• Muscle aches or body aches not due to a known cause 
• An upper respiratory illness with significant coughing and/or nasal discharge 
• Pain that requires the use of narcotic medications 

Plan for Mildly Ill Children
Children who are mildly ill may remain in school if they are not contagious and they can participate in the daily program including outside time. If a child's condition worsens or, if it is determined that the child poses a threat to the health of the other children, or if the child cannot be cared for by the classroom staff, the site coordinator will contact the child's parent(s). The parent(s) will be asked to pick up the child. The child will be cared for in a quiet area, a classroom or in the office by a LEAP staff member until the parent(s) arrive to take the child home. Any toys, blankets, or mats used by an ill child will be cleaned and disinfected before being used by other children.
 

In the event of an accident or sudden illness, the site coordinator or staff person in charge may take any of the following steps as appropriate:

• Contact the child’s parent to arrange for treatment or transportation.
• If a parent cannot be reached, contact the person listed under Emergency Contacts.
• Contact the local ambulance service for transportation to Boston Children’s Hospital unless another hospital is preferred. During transport, a staff member will accompany the child and notify them of any allergies or medical conditions.

In all cases, an “Accident/Illness” report will be completed with a copy for parents.
 

During school registration, parents will be asked to record any known allergies. Families will need to register annually. Allergies list will be updated as necessary - new children enroll, unknown allergies become known. 

All staff and substitutes will be kept informed by the LEAP site coordinator so that children can be protected from exposure to foods, chemicals, pets or other materials to which they are allergic. The names of children with allergies that may be life threatening (ie - bee stings) will be posted in conspicuous locations with specific instructions if an occurrence were to happen. 

The LEAP site coordinator will be responsible for making sure that staff receives appropriate training to handle emergency allergic reactions.
 

Whether LEAP is a part of a student’s IEP is a question for the Team.  The question is whether a student requires LEAP for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).  For most students on IEPs, that will not be the case.

LEAP will make reasonable accommodations to ensure all students have equal access and foster a positive, inclusive environment that sets them up for success.  LEAP does not have to make any accommodations or provide supports that fundamentally alter its program or constitute an undue burden for the District.
 

The LEAP program is rooted in positive reinforcement practices and compliments school day culture and language. Staff at the LEAP Program are trained in effective classroom, youth development, and behavior management strategies and work closely with school day staff, families, and students to make sure that students are supported.

Initial Progression of Disciplinary Action

Students are reminded of expected behavior by LEAP Staff. (3 reminders*) Students are offered a check-in with a staff member or the site coordinator.  
*if the situation is unsafe this may be less than 3 reminders*
If the behavior is productively discussed with the staff or site coordinator, the student will return to the activity for a chance to show expected behavior.
If the unexpected behavior persists, the site coordinator is called to help facilitate the student’s transition to the office and the parent/guardian is called for an immediate pick up.
* Parents/Guardians are required to have a brief meeting with their child and the site coordinator to discuss best support strategies for successful re-entry to the program.

Secondary Progression of Disciplinary Action

After 2 separate occasions of parent/guardian immediate pick-up, the student will take a 1 day break from the program. Parents/Guardians are required to attend a re-entry meeting with the student prior to re-entry into LEAP.
Following two, 1 day breaks, there will be a 5 day suspension from the LEAP 
If the behavior persists after a 5 day suspension, a meeting will be made with parent and child to determine the child's continued enrollment in the program.
**Please note that any safety concerns will be reviewed by the site coordinator and LEAP Director to determine if an immediate break or termination from the program is required.

Behavior Plans: If necessary, behavior plans will be implemented after the first day the student was picked up by the parent/guardian during the program. These plans will be developed and modified with input from the parent/guardian, school teacher and student to be utilized by LEAP staff.
LEAP reserves the right to expel a child immediately if it is determined by the site coordinator and LEAP Director that his/her presence in the program is so uncontrollable or violent that the program staff cannot reasonably guarantee the safety of staff or other program participants.
LEAP expects all parents and guardians to have respectful, safe and appropriate interactions with all program staff.  Should interactions be deemed unsafe and/or inappropriate, LEAP reserves the right to terminate care.

*** There will be no tuition refunds for suspensions. A tuition refund for expulsion from the program will be effective on the first day of the month after the expulsion.

Bullying and Harassment Overview

Bullying and Cyberbullying are strictly prohibited on school grounds, property immediately adjacent to school grounds, at school-sponsored or school-related activities, functions or programs whether on or off school grounds, at school bus stops, on school buses or other vehicles owned, leased or used by the Dedham Public Schools, or through the use of technology or an electronic device owned, leased or used by the Dedham Public Schools and at a location, activity, function or program that is NOT school-related, or through the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased or used by the Dedham Public Schools, if the bullying creates a hostile environment at school for the victim, infringes on the rights of the victim at school or materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of school. 
 

Massachusetts General Law Chapter 51A is designed to protect children from abuse and neglect. This law designates public school employees as mandated reporters and outlines the duties of mandated reporters who have reason to believe that a child may be suffering abuse or neglect. Specifically this law states:

A mandated reporter who, in his professional capacity, has reasonable cause to believe that a child is suffering physical or emotional injury resulting from: (i) abuse inflicted upon him which causes harm or substantial risk of harm to the child's health or welfare, including sexual abuse; (ii) neglect, including malnutrition; (iii) physical dependence upon an addictive drug at birth, shall immediately communicate with the department orally and, within 48 hours, shall file a written report with the department detailing the suspected abuse or neglect; or (iv) being a sexually exploited child; or (v) being a human trafficking victim as defined by section 20M of chapter 233.

Dedham Public Schools employees are obligated under the law to immediately report any situation in which they have reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected.
 

Registration and student records will remain in PowerSchool.
 

Volunteers and interns are welcomed to our programs. Volunteers include community service partners, and middle and high school students. CORI checks are required. All volunteers and interns are encouraged to participate in training opportunities.
 

Sites may plan individual local field trips and or longer distance field trips on Early Release Days or during our vacation week program. All students attending LEAP that day are expected to join the trip because we do not have enough staff for students to remain at the site. Site coordinators will provide plenty of notice of trips so that, if necessary, families can make alternate care arrangements for that day.
 

Occasionally, we may post class pictures or exemplary work completed on the DPS website, classroom web page or our private DPS Intranet. Additionally, digital video photography may be used to film school events that could appear on the local cable access station or local newspaper.