What will back-to-school look like for your family? Whether your children will be attending school in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid model, families are dealing with unprecedented uncertainties and anxieties for the ‘20-‘21 school year. To address these needs, the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) and Jewish Kids Groups (JKG) are each launching innovative day and after-school programs to fill in some of the gaps, and to provide supervision, safety, and fun for school age kids.
MJCCA Program Director Jodi Sonenshine said, “We knew that the MJCCA could offer much-needed support for our families. By merging two of our most popular programs, Club J and MJCCA Day Camps, and making some adjustments and enhancements, we’ve created something truly unique. Parents now have three different options to choose from for both educational and social support: full day, school day, and after school. Parents can pick the option that best fits their family’s needs knowing their child will benefit from our educational support and plenty of fun, movement, activities, and adventure.”
MJCCA: Club J Your Way – Starts Monday, August 17, 2020
- Full Day Option
Club J Your Way’s Full Day program offers both an educational and social component. Staff will oversee each child’s remote learning by assisting with logging in and out of school platforms, turning in assignments online, and periodically helping with schoolwork. There will also be meaningful “brain breaks” that include free time and fun activities, plus amazing camp-style activities like boating, archery, swimming, ropes course, crafts, rock wall, sports, and more. Participants will be assigned to the same small group for both online learning and outdoor activities. Club J Your Way Full Day will run from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. - School Day Option:
Club J Your Way School Day provide the ideal space for completing daily virtual learning plus built-in “brain breaks” and fun camp-style activities between or after virtual classes and assignments. Staff will oversee each child’s remote learning by assisting with logging in and out of school platforms, turning in assignments online, and periodically helping with schoolwork. Between school assignments and at the conclusion of lessons, participants will enjoy camp-style activities, including crafts, swimming, boating, archery, rock wall, ga-ga, and more. Participants will be assigned to the same small group for both online learning and outdoor activities. Club J Your Way School Day will run from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm. - After School Option:
The after-school option (whether your child’s school is in-person or virtual) will provide a safe way for kids to get outdoors, socialize, and have fun. Think camp fun year-round. Taking full advantage of the MJCCA’s 52-acre campus, kids will be engaged and active all afternoon with ropes course, swimming, archery, sports, and more! All participants will be placed in small group cohorts that will remain together. For children attending school in person, there will be an optional homework hour. The afternoon option will run from 2:00-6:00 pm.
Jewish Kids Groups: Full Day Child Care & School Support in Morningside, Decatur, and possibly Sandy Springs.
JKG will offer full-day childcare and school support, Monday – Thursday 9 am-5 pm and Friday 9 am-3 pm, beginning on August 17. JKG’s Executive Director Ana Robbins spoke to the emotional needs her full-day program will meet. “JKG Full Day provides a unique opportunity for children who may not typically connect with other Jewish kids at school to do just that. Our goal is to counter the loneliness many kids felt this spring and summer by providing a warm, nurturing, safe, and fun Jewish environment. We also want to provide some relief to parents! Safety is paramount so groups will be limited to 10 kids and everyone will wear masks.”
JKG Full Day children will:
- Receive help from JKG teachers to access their online classroom, participate in online instruction, and submit online assignments
- Build friendships with neighborhood Jewish kids who are also learning virtually
- Participate in activities like art, music, yoga, and outdoor play when schoolwork is complete
- Enjoy Jewish-camp-style fun with cool Jewish role model teachers
The program combines the safe, reliable weekday childcare program you need, with the fun, enriching, nurturing experience your child wants. Classrooms will operate in small groups of up to 10 students and 2-3 teachers.
JKG Full Day will follow all local and CDC recommendations to keep kids, teachers, and families safe and healthy. All teachers and students will be required to wear masks. Complete safety details here.
- Students will not mix with other groups.
- Siblings will be placed in the same group to minimize contact for each family.
- We will group students according to their school districts as much as possible.
- We will honor friend requests to the best of our ability.
Space in the JKG full-day program is limited and will fill on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more.
