In direct response to Paradise Valley Unified School District delaying the start of in-person school and other districts potentially following suit, The Martin Pear JCC has quickly mobilized to offer Club J All Day. This program is initially being offered from August 5 to September 4 for parents with children in kindergarten through grade 8. If in-person learning is postponed further, The J is exploring options for extending this program.
Children will be provided morning and afternoon snacks as well as some basic (non-shared) school supplies. When not completing online classwork, children will have opportunities to engage in small-group activities and brain breaks in addition to utilizing many of the features The J offers including the aquatics center with two pools and a splash pad, the gymnasium, and 110,000 square feet of air-conditioned facility space spanning the entire campus.
“Club J, our existing afterschool program, is a staple in the lives of local parents. It is an honor to provide Club J All Day as a solution for parents in this current climate of canceled events and delayed in-person school starts,” says Kim Subrin, chief operating officer of Martin Pear JCC. “This program allows us to not only serve our community in providing high quality child supervision and online learning support, but it also gives us the ability to hire educators and other individuals who were impacted by the pandemic.”
Parents are able to drop children off and pick up Monday through Friday during traditional school hours; after care is also available for a separate fee. A communications app will be used daily to ensure parents receive updates on their children and track online learning progress.
In early May, as The J reopened to members, a stringent and detailed plan for sanitizing and keeping visitors safe was implemented with the help of their own medical taskforce.
“The J is a home away from home for our members. It is exciting to open our doors and offer Club J All Day to the community when a quality solution is so desperately needed to fill the gap between the beginning of the school year that is delivered online and the eventual transition back to in-person learning,” says Jay Jacobs, chief executive officer of Martin Pear JCC. “Part of our mission is building connections that enrich mental and physical growth. Club J All Day is a perfect embodiment of that in providing a safe place for parents to bring their kids; a place where we can infuse a bit of normalcy and fun through learning and activity during this unprecedented time.”
CDC guidelines will continue to be followed and enhanced sanitizing procedures remain in effect. Masks will be required for all children first grade and up. For more details on Club J All Day, visit vosjcc.org/clubj.
