Ball-Chatham Community Unit School District 5 issued the following announcement on Aug. 8.
The Ball-Chatham School District’s half-day, in-person, Monday through Thursday schedule has students attending school in either the AM Wave - 7:30 to 10:45 a.m.; or the PM Wave - 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. The Springfield YMCA is offering, on a limited, first-come, first-serve basis, care during the times that students are not in class.
The Ball-Chatham School District has for years contracted with the Springfield YMCA for before- and after-school care. For the fall 2020 semester, the YMCA will extend the following (see options below) for our families, all the while maintaining the strictest health and safety protocols set forth by the CDC and IDPH.
The YMCA has, since April, been a designated child care provider for essential workers and are very familiar with the protocols needed to safely provide care. Families can expect daily temperature checks for their staff and all students as well as symptom checks; masks for all staff and students will be worn; social distancing will be enforced, and deep cleaning of the areas before and after each session will take place.
Both morning and afternoon sessions will be operated at GIS, GMS, and the Y’s Camp Wa-Kon-Tah off Iron Bridge Road; and will consist of time for calm, remote learning, using its staff and volunteers to assist, teach, and support students. The remainder of the time will be a combination of distance breakfast or lunch-hour, exercise both inside and out (weather permitting), as well as finishing prep and organizing to board buses. Enrollment is limited to 20 students in each of the three locations at each session. Please note that late afternoon care (4 to 6 p.m.) will be held only at GIS, GMS, and the Y’s Camp, instead of at our elementary schools.
Option 1: A morning session of care (7 a.m. to 12 p.m.) for students attending school in the PM Wave; optional late afternoon care from 4 to 6 p.m.
Students will be assigned a location for care as follows:
Chatham Elementary students will receive care at Camp Wa-Kon-Tah
Ball Elementary students will receive care at GIS
Glenwood Elementary students will receive care at GMS
Parents/guardians would drop kids off at 7 a.m. for morning care.
Buses will pick the students up at noon, then transport them to BES, CES, or GES, in enough time to arrive before the 12:30 p.m. start time.
GIS students would be assigned to their school for morning care, and would simply walk to their first class at approximately 12:25 p.m.
K-4th grade students who are enrolled in the Y’s late afternoon care (4 to 6 p.m.) would be transported from their elementary schools to the same locations that they received morning care.
If late afternoon care is not needed, buses will return students on their regular routes back home or to their normal daycare provider.
Option 2: An afternoon session of care (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for students attending school in the AM Wave
After school, K-4th grade students would be picked up at BES/CES/GES and transported to an assigned location (below) where they would remain until 6 p.m.
Chatham Elementary students will receive care at Camp Wa-Kon-Tah
Ball Elementary students will receive care at GIS
Glenwood Elementary students will receive care at GMS
GIS students would simply walk from their classes to the Fieldhouse when school ends at 10:45 a.m.
If late afternoon care is not needed, buses will return students on their regular routes back home or to their normal daycare provider.
Friday Care:
Friday is a designated all-remote learning day for BCSD students, and child care will not be provided at our school buildings. However, the YMCA will still provide care for families in need, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Camp Wa-Kon-Tah, and the Kerasotes location. Parents/guardians are responsible for dropping off and picking their children up.
If interested in any of these options, please fill out the forms below and return them to either of the YMCA branches by August 14.
Registration:
Step One: Download the Parent Handbook
Step Two: Download and fill out the Registration/Snapshot form
Step Three: Return the forms to either YMCA branches
Financial Assistance:
Financial aid applications will only be accepted for review once BOTH of the following conditions are met:
Youth program participants must have a current and active financial aid/scholarship youth membership. YMCA membership must be maintained for the duration of the youth’s participation in the program. If the youth’s membership expires, you will be responsible for the full rate of program fees. Information on applying for financial aid/scholarship membership is available at the front desk of both branches, online at https://www.springfieldymca.org/financial-assistance/, or by contacting Lesley Barker (Downtown) 217-544-9846 ext. 114, or Bianca Hueckstaedt (Kerasotes) 217-679-1625 ext 174.
The parent/guardian must first apply for assistance from Community Connection Point (CCP) and submit an approval/denial letter. CCP is a third-party organization that assists families in paying for child care services. Applications are available in person from the local CCP office as well as online. The local CCP office is located at 901 South Spring Street, Suite B, Springfield, IL 62704, 217-525-2805, http://ccpoint.org. The YMCA does not provide applications for CCP assistance. Financial assistance from the YMCA is dependent on approval or denial from CCP and will not be considered until after CCP has determined eligibility.
YMCA Contacts: Go online to https://www.springfieldymca.org/sac/
Original source can be found here.
Source: Ball-Chatham Community Unit School District 5
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