After School
Greenwich Academy offers two after-school enrichment programs for girls in Lower School: Serendipity and Friday Afters. Additionally, LS students with older LS sisters may take part in Sisters, while girls with MS/US sisters and those who ride the bus may register for Study Hall. Finally, Homework Hall is open to Middle Schoolers who cannot be picked up at 3:30 PM. Please find more information as well as how to register for all these programs below.
Friday Afters (LS)
Friday Afters, sponsored by GAPA, is a supervised after-school program run on select Fridays throughout the school year. Participating PC/CC girls stay at King campus (lunch is included) and Group I-IV girls have lunch in the Dining Commons followed by one of the many fun and educational extracurricular Friday Afters offerings. The program for PC/CC runs from dismissal until 1:30 PM. The program for Groups I-IV runs from dismissal until 2:50 PM. Friday Afters offerings change mid-year. Costs for the program are charged to your school billing account. Details of the class offerings are sent home prior to the sessions and are posted here.
Please note: If a class is over-enrolled, there will be a lottery. To be included in a lottery, you must register anytime during the official registration period.
Questions? Contact GAPA Friday Afters Co-Chairs.
Registration Closes Thu Sep 21
Fall 2023
SCHEDULE & PRICING
MHK campus classes: $260*
Main campus classes: $520
If you have questions about financial assistance to participate, please reach out to Kate Collins, Director of Enrollment & Financial Aid.
Meeting times:
- September 29
- October 13, 20, 27
- November 3, 10, 17
- December 1, 8 (make-up date)
Pickup:
MHK: 1:30 PM
Main campus: 2:50 PM
PC & CC
Friday Friends at MHK
PC & CC friends are invited to meet members of the Greenwich community dedicated to helping them stay safe and building a strong community. From Greenwich Police, Greenwich Fire, Greenwich EMS, and the Coast Guard to some familiar GA faces (Nurse Martin, Dr. Jessica Heyer, and Sam Bridge Nursery, to name a few), our guests will share what they do, the equipment and skills they use, and more. Each class will also include an activity related to the service the girls are learning about that week (i.e. timed gear changes and teddy bear clinics). (Limit: 15 girls)
Imagine Storytelling
Welcome to Storytelling 101! Your student will hone her public speaking skills and get ready to engage any audience with confidence, beginning with improvisation games, foundational debate exercises, acting lessons, and storytelling activities. The class culminates in a final performance of an original script, which will be edited by a professional cinematographer and made into our very own movie! Limit: 15 girls
Instructor: Bloom Performing Arts
Softball
Play Ball! Learn the basics of softball: hitting, catching, and running the bases. RAC girls will enjoy customized sessions designed to introduce them to this classic team sport. BVSA will teach the proper foundation and skills required to compete at a young level. Players will gain proper knowledge and use of drills to better their game and have fun while doing it. Limit: 16 girls
Instructor: Bobby Valentine’s Sports Academy
White Tiger Taekwondo
Fitness, Focus, and Fun! Explore the excitement and fun of Tae Kwon Do. Get exercise while increasing listening skills, focus, and also developing balance and coordination. Additionally, TKD unites the body and spirit and also instills self confidence and respect for others. Your children will learn the basics of Tae Kwon Do with the area’s most sought-after martial arts instructors right here on our GA campus. Limit: 15 girls
Instructor: White Tiger TKD
GROUPS I-IV
- Food Explorers (Groups I & II)
- Girls Coding Club (Groups I & II)
- Me & My Doll (Groups I-III)
- Soccer (Groups I-IV)
- Hands On Pottery (Groups I-IV)
- Fashion Technology (Groups III & IV)
- Girls Circuit Adventures (Groups III & IV)
- Waverly Girl Class (Groups III & IV)
Food Explorers (Groups I & II)
Join Food Explorers for some delicious fun! In this special program, you will be making a super tasty recipe all while learning new kitchen skills and trying new foods and flavors. All recipes are nut free but may contain gluten, dairy and/or eggs. Children will create the recipes together as a group and have their own individual portions. Limit: 20 girls
Instructor: Food Explorers
Girls Coding Club (Groups I & II)
Girls Coding Club aims to empower our girls with an introduction to the language of programming. Students will learn how to create stories and games in Scratch and then advance into more traditional languages like HTML, Java, and Python. Coding allows girls to design a project and watch it come to life, developing an important skill that will serve them for a long time to come. Limit: 10 girls
Instructor: MakeInspires
Me & My Doll (Groups I-III)
Sew Happy are excited to be back on Friday afternoons with the “Me & My Doll” sewing program. The first half of the program we will be working on Halloween projects for dolls, including cat masks, treat bags and pompom cats. For the latter half of the program, the project is an adorable GA school uniform for dolls including a jumper, shirt, and school bag. We will focus primarily on hand sewing, but we will also bring in fun arts and crafts and games along the way! Limit: 10 girls
Instructor: Sew Happy
Soccer (Groups I-IV)
Learn the fundamentals of soccer! The girls will develop good technical habits in passing, shooting, and dribbling through a series of fun games, themes, and activities. As they build their ball skills, they will also learn that teamwork is the key to success! At the end of each class, the girls will play a small-sided game (4 vs. 4) to help develop a better understanding of the game. Soccer cleats and shin guards are recommended but not required. Limit: 20 girls
Instructor: JA Elite Soccer
Hands On Pottery (Groups I-IV)
Darien’s premier pottery studio will be coming to YOU! The girls will paint with glazes on various bisque items to make beautiful hand-crafted pieces of art. Students will use various techniques, including sponge painting, pointillism, masking paper, and much more, to create a number of fun, beautiful, and useful projects! Limit: 15 girls
Instructor: Hands on Pottery
Fashion Technology (Groups III & IV)
Wear custom jewelry you design and make through 3D Printing! Students learn how to manipulate shapes in 3D Modeling Software to create their own earrings, charms, chains, bracelets, rings, necklaces, and more! Students will review proper design and measurement techniques critical to completing successful jewelry prints. Problem-solving is encouraged. Creativity is limitless! Limit 10 girls
Instructor: MakeInspires
Girls Circuit Adventures (Groups III & IV)
Girls Circuit Adventures enlightens students about how all electronics work around us, providing a base knowledge for all technology. Create paper circuit art and watch the creation come to life with electricity! The girls will learn the specific elements of circuits and develop an understanding of key electricity concepts, such as voltage, resistors, LEDs, batteries, and more. Limit: 10 girls
Instructor: MakeInspires
Waverly Girl Class (Groups III & IV)
The Friday Afters favorite is back! Inspire. Educate. Illuminate. In this special offering for Group III and IV girls only, the girls will be whisked away on “Waverly Tours,” exploring different cultures each week while participating in an experiential activity that allows them to explore, create, and learn about that culture. Limit: 15 girls
Instructor: Waverly Project
Serendipity (LS)
The Serendipity Program is available Mon-Thu to LS girls in Groups I-IV. The hourlong classes are mainly taught by GA teachers, with some outside instruction. There are three trimesters and options change each session. Courses range in cost and are charged to your school billing account. Serendipity instructors dismiss girls at 4:15 PM at the LS entrance. There is one pickup line for all groups. Prior to each session, information on Serendipity offerings and dates will be sent home, as well as posted here.
Questions? Contact LS librarian Leesa Singleton.
Serendipity
Fall 2023
All classes are one hour 3:15-4:15 PM. Please pick up your daughter(s) promptly. Since the bus leaves at 3:45 PM, parents of bus-riders must arrange for alternate transportation on Serendipity days. The Fall session starts Mon Sep 18.
INFO
- All charges will be billed to your school billing account.
- If there are classes for which there are more registrations than we have places, we hold a lottery to decide which children may attend. If your child is placed on the waitlist for a class, she will have priority the next time the class is offered.
- Your daughter may register for more than one class. Please be sure that the class is offered to her grade level.
- We reserve the right to modify classes or change faculty assignments when necessary. Classes with insufficient enrollment will be canceled.
- There are no Serendipity classes on half days or holidays.
- If your daughter drops out of a Serendipity class after the first week and her spot cannot be filled, you will be charged for the entire session.
LATER GATORS
MON
TUE
Classes begin Tue Sep 19
Art Adventures - Groups I & II
In this exploration, students will flex their creative muscle, and work individually and as a team to create art every week! From painting to sculpting, this class will be a hands-on way to both create original work and follow instructions for other crafts. We will be working with a variety of textiles and incorporate a read-aloud during classes as well.
Teacher: Ms. Kim & Ms. Saer
Fee: $300
Sculptey-licious - Groups II-IV
Use your hands to mold beautiful miniature creations! Use soft, colorful polymer clay to create mini food, unique jewelry, fantastic creatures, and much more. It’s a great opportunity to exercise your fine motor skills, expand your creativity, and have fun at the same time.
Teacher: Mrs. Ayrolo
Fee: $300
Weaving & Yarn Crafts - Groups I-IV
Use yarn, pipe cleaners, cardboard, fabric scraps, twigs, wooden hoops, buttons and beads to make colorful projects. Our fall projects include a selection of: Halloween Pom Pom Bunting, Yarn People, Stitch Art On Burlap and Yarn Star Ornaments. Great for improving fine motor skills and enjoyable for
creative kids!
Teacher: Sew Happy
Fee: $300
WED
Classes begin Wed Sep 20
- Art Exploration - Groups I-IV
- Capture This! A Beginners Guide to Photography - Groups III & IV
- The Room of Untold Stories - Groups II-IV
- Sew Happy: Hello Tote Bag & Stuffie - Groups I-IV
Art Exploration - Groups I-IV
Art Exploration will introduce the girls to a variety of art forms and materials. From acrylics, beads, crayons, and decoupage to water colors, yarn, and zippers, students will create unique projects while manipulating a variety of art mediums. A fun and creative class for all art lovers!
Teacher: Ms. Ayrolo
Fee: $300
Capture This! A Beginners Guide to Photography - Groups III & IV
Discover, Create & Capture. Have you always loved taking pictures but wanted to improve your technique? Do you love nature, or love taking pictures of your friends? This photo club will fine tune your skills as a photographer and see the world through a creative lens! We will dive into: what makes a good photo, what is composition, how to shoot with color and black & white, how to work with lighting, and editing and printing your images. This is a great class to stir those dreams inside your head and bring them to life.
*All cameras are welcome (mobile & iPad friendly). Students may borrow a GA iPad if needed.
Teacher: Ms. Hagler-Geard
Fee: $300
The Room of Untold Stories - Groups II-IV
Do you like creative writing? Well this is the class for you! In this class you will focus on writing short stories and/or fairy tales. We will start off by reading a variety of short stories and fairytales and learn from these examples to get our creative juices flowing. You will then write and edit until you have a composed story. The final classes will be dedicated to reading the stories aloud to perfect fluency and expression before officially presenting the stories to family and friends.
Teacher: Ms. Carbino
Fee: $240
Sew Happy: Hello Tote Bag & Stuffie - Groups I-IV
Join Sew Happy for another fun sewing club and learn hand sewing skills including threading a needle, tying a knot, straight stitch, whipstitch, lock stitch, cutting skills, and project construction. Projects will include a felt, denim-style tote bag with a pocket and applique, a speech bubble keychain, and a stuffie.
Fee: $300
Teacher: Sew Happy
THU
Classes begin Thu Sep 21
Games & Crafts - Groups I-IV
Making a Magazine - Groups II-IV
Students will explore new forms of creative writing and art by collaborating to create a printed magazine filled with their work. Each week, students will dive into projects including interviewing a partner, writing an opinion piece, reviewing a favorite book or movie, drawing a comic strip, and more.
Fee: $250
Teacher: Ms. Van Riper
On Stage! - Groups I-IV
Come explore the world of the theater with us. We will work on all of the different aspects of performing a Broadway show, including scenes, theater games and songs. At the end of the session the girls will perform for friends and family in the new Young Auditorium.
Fee: $250
Teacher: Ms. Kelley-Young & Mr. Young
Sisters (LS)
Study Hall (LS)
Study Hall is a supervised study time for:
- Group I-IV girls waiting for a bus or to be picked up by a MS or US sister.
- Exceptions: families who have a pickup time that conflicts with another area school. Please email LS head Jon Ross-Wiley for approval.
Rules
-
Snack is not provided. If one is needed, your daughter must bring a nut-free snack from home.
- No signup necessary; students tell their teacher in the morning.
- Students must check out before leaving.
Meeting Times
- Mon-Thu throughout the school year
- Dismissal to 3:45 PM. Bus-riders will be brought to the US Circle to meet the bus.
Questions?
Contact Colleen Schneider in the LS office.
Homework Hall (MS)
Eligibility
Homework Hall is a supervised study hall held after school for Middle School students who cannot be picked up by 3:30 PM. Students are expected to be picked up promptly after school or under the supervision of a faculty member after 3:45 PM. Students may not wait in the MS or US building unattended at any time.
Meeting Times
Homework Hall meets Mon-Thu 3:35-5:00 PM. There is no Homework Hall on Fridays.
Guidelines & Procedures
Students who are not picked up by 3:45 PM are required to check into HW Hall in the MS collaborative learning center. Parents or guardians may call the supervisor to request their child meet them outside at a pickup location (LS entrance or US circle). There is no need to sign up in advance.
The supervisor can be reached during HW Hall hours at 203.485.4058.
Fee
There is no fee for students waiting to board a 4:00 PM bus. All other students who attend HW Hall will be charged $15 per session. Anyone with questions about financial assistance should contact Kate Collins, Director of Enrollment & Financial Aid.
Questions?
Contact Sarah Barringer in the MS Office; she can also be reached by phone at 203.625.8905.