Rosanna Paribello, Director
Main Office, 167 Holland St. Rm 132- Somerville, MA Adriana Guereque, Assistant Director
Phone: 617 625-6600 x 6970 Fax 617 629-5512 Gina Miranda, Student Services Coordinator Dana Gordon, Clinical Coordinator
Thanksgiving Break
The program is open Monday and Tuesday. It will close on Wednesday, November 27
Parent Resources
Use this link to access the Parent Information Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A-8IXov-vrimaWSVQTOjLTcSQDGEoyRh?usp=sharing
You can pay your child’s afterschool tuition online at: https://www.ezchildtrack.com/parent2/ParentLogin.aspx?c=esp&FromTab=Y
You can also pay by check to the afterschool Site Director or through your online bank.
In our commitment to making our program as available as possible, we continue providing financial assistance for families. If you need information, please contact
Adriana Guereque at aguereque@k12.somerville.ma.us You can also contact the Site Director in your student school. Thank you for all your support to Community Schools – being with your children makes us all happy!
Counselor’s Corner
Happy November! This month, we are focusing on World Kindness Day which is scheduled on November 13th. This day was established in 1998 to encourage people to prioritize kindness and goodwill in their communities. The theme for 2024 is promoting the importance of kindness in child development. In Community Schools, our goal is to spread positivity and perform random acts of kindness in order to develop and foster a culture of caring and compassion with our friends. We promote friendship and empathy among our students and encourage making kindness the norm on this day and everyday. Through small gestures and simple acts of kindness, we hope that all of us can create waves of positivity that always last. Wishing everyone much kindness!
Albert F. Argenziano
Site Director; Elizabeth Bell
Assistant Site Director; Brianna Arevalo
Provisional Assistant Director: Yesenia Real
Sresha Pradhan, Ileana Perlera, Etta Resnick, Ana Cortez, Sana Kazemi, Gianna Bottiglio, Lauren Quinn, Jennalyse Charles, Brandy Ellis, Shruti Sood
As the seasons shift our PreK-5th graders are wrapping up a season of discovery and fun in afterschool! We are so grateful for the chance to work alongside such curious and joyful learners! Each day with them is an adventure, filled with creativity, laughter, and learning.
*Friendly reminder: Please label all outdoor clothing (jackets, hats, gloves) and belongings. Items without name/label will be placed in lost and found. Any items remaining in the lost and found on 12/20/24 will be donated.
This fall season brought exciting highlights, including our Lights On Afterschool celebration, where we recognized the importance of afterschool programs for our community. We also had the chance to go to the Museum of Science for our Election Day Programming, where our students explored and participated in hands-on exhibits that sparked their imaginations. Here’s to more moments of wonder and growth as we head into the winter season together.
PreK
This past month, our pre-K friends celebrated Lights Out Afterschool! by decorating balloon lightbulbs. We also learned about the life and water cycles by making paper plate dioramas of the water cycle and crafting our own flowers. We celebrated the changing of seasons by going on a leaf hunt and making hand puppet scarecrows. This past week, we’ve worked on our fine motor skills with paper crafts including origami doggies and bracelets made with rolled paper beads!
3rd-5th grade
In the oceanology club, the students learned about water pollution. They expanded their knowledge by creating and testing their own water filters.
K -2nd grade
In Super Tellers, students were given a chance to be authors. They were each given a notebook to create a story of their own. This has expanded their creative writing and ability to express imagination through writing.
Arthur D. Healey School
Site Director: Amanda Oppman
Provisional Site Director: Alexander Walters
Provisional Assistant Director: Maria Henriquez
Nicholas Triant, Suri Gonzalez, Christopher Thompson, Samuel Macmillan, Delmis Aviles, Rafael Santos,
Virgilio Garcia, Jaqueline Medrano, Johana Maldonado, Ludwing Perez, Maria Lima Da SIlva,
PreK
PreK has been having a fun time in Afterschool the past month. We have been practicing working as a team and being kind to each other while sharing toys and materials. When disputes arise, we have been working on coming to an agreement that is fair for all parties. In our coloring activities, we have gotten better at coloring in the lines, and are starting to practice tracing. We are lucky to be able to use the art room and the gym all to ourselves on Half Day Wednesdays and enjoy exploring all the different supplies and materials we can use in that room for free art time. The other day we made a fun fall leaf activity after collecting the most beautiful fallen leaves outside!,
K-2
Soccer Club (Ms. Maria): Soccer club is one of the kids' favorite clubs! This club gives them the opportunity to get their energy out and to learn soccer at the same time. They have learned to pass and receive the ball, to respect their teammates and to come up with strategies to win as a team. We have been working on being graceful losers and winners, and they have improved a lot in this area since the beginning of the school year. ,
Gym Class Heroes (Ms. Maria): All the participants in Gym Class Heroes have been having a great time. Each week we either play a brand new game, or play one of their favorites. This past week we played a new game, Hot Potato, and they seem to really enjoy playing. They all have improved their skills and teamwork abilities, and we look forward to the last couple weeks when we will play our favorite games from the fall one last time!
Lego Builders (Ms. Maria): All of the kids absolutely love Lego Builders club. It is surprising to see such an active group of Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graderss all of a sudden sit still and not run around as soon as the legos come out. They use the Legos to build all different types of buildings and fortresses. The best part of this club is that they can use their imagination to create new things as they work in groups. All the students work together to build something wonderful.,
Arts and Crafts (Mr. Mack): Arts and Crafts has continued to be a fun and creative club that the students thoroughly enjoy. They love expressing their creativity and sharing their creations with one another. Recently they have explored creating 3D objects with just a piece of paper; folding and cutting in various ways to see how they can do so. We then created little pumpkin crafts out of paper to get into the Halloween spirit!
Storytelling (Mr. Mack): Storytelling club has continued to captivate the student's attention. We started a new series called “Detective Ace” that they thoroughly enjoy and get excited to read the next installment. I have had several students ask me about it even outside of the after-school program! We are just about to finish that series and look for a new one together! ,
3-6
World Travelers (Ms. M): We world travelers have been a little sad, because due to the holidays this month we have not been able to do many activities, but in the days that we were present we learned and worked on activities that helped us acquire knowledge about Mexican, Honduran and Guatemalan culture. We also participated in awesome activities such as word search for the “Day of the Dead” and playing “loteria” (lottery). We look forward to our last few weeks where we will be doing some fun stuff!
Gaming Zone (Ms. M): The Gaming Zone students have been working in teams to become the winners of the “design a swing” contest with only a few materials provided by the teacher. They have also been working in teams to see which team works best as a team to solve a worksheet that includes word search, spot the differences, solve the puzzle, and complete math. Definitely a very competitive month!
Game Show Club (Mr. T): Game Show club has been a blast so far this year! Each Tuesday, students come to club prepared to put their knowledge on various topics to the test, with their favorite host, Mr. T! The students mostly request to play Jeopardy, and the categories have ranged from “Facts about Animals” to “Are you smarter than a 6th Grader?”. We have also continued doing the daily New York Times “Wordle”, “Connections” and Mini Crossword puzzles, and I am truly impressed with how clever our students are! Keep up the great work!
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Basketball Club (Mr. T): Basketball Club continues to be one of Mr. T’s favorite clubs to teach. We have finally begun to have our scrimmages, and it has been great to see how the older students help the younger students work on their skills- even mid-game! Each week, all students have worked hard to improve their dribbling, shooting and passing. Mr. T looks forward to continuing our awesome games of “Knockout” and to even introduce some new dribbling games he has been saving for the end of this club session.
Beast Mode (Mr. T): All Grade 3-6 students know by now that when they come to Beast Mode Club, they are going to work up a sweat! Soccer continues to be a fan favorite, but we have also been playing Castle Ball, which is similar to Dodgeball but with a special twist! Casteball inspires students to use the blue blocks to build structures in order to protect their teammates from getting hit by the ball. Good sportsmanship has vastly improved over the past two weeks, as students have overall been playing fairly and apologizing to one another when necessary. Keep up the awesome job! ,
Benjamin G. Brown School
Site Director: Kelsey Kent
Assistant Site Director: Tamica Connor
Ashley Marks, Marie Cheney, Grace Barton,
El Ark, Ryleigh Martell, Emma Daly, Kelliann Marks, Karen Oppman, Sandy Mattson
October was a jam-packed month, and Harvest Night was a big hit! Families and students, in and out of after school, gathered together on our Blacktop to celebrate the many cultures and heritages that make up our school. The afterschool program loved this event so much that we invited families to join us for some pre-party fun! We created slideshows for a special viewing of “this year so far” and crafted some fun decorations that our kiddos were excited to bring out to the blacktop!
Our students waited eagerly and in anticipation for the festivities that the 31st brings. With daylight savings starting and our session one drawing to a close, we find ourselves again waiting in anticipation for what the winter months will bring. As we begin the transition time between the two sessions, we start to think about all that there is to be thankful for! Across the different groups, we have at the Brown School, we are practicing gratitude through open discussions and expressive activities such as creating and displaying gratitude banners and writing thankful notes to peers.
Each month we like to highlight the special clubs or activities that take place at the Benjamin G. Brown. This gives insight to what we like to do but also, some of the creative outcomes. Let’s take a look at the activities that are in full swing during the month of November! Some highlights for this month are:
Our director, Kelsey, leads an ongoing whole group club called “Small Problems, Big Problems” where K-2 students are learning how to be resilient towards things that they cannot change or control. This lesson group has seen great strides in their students' abilities to understand and comprehend their own actions as well as the actions of others!
As you know, our program has chosen to participate in a contest created by Young Artists called Monster Madness. Across each group, students created monsters, crazy creations, or mythical creatures. There’s an update on our submissions and we’re pleased to announce that our students who participated in the contest, have all received a certificate of creativity for their “wonderful piece of artwork that was selected for publication in a Young Artists book.” We will be distributing the certificates and sending more information to our families! How fun!
Lastly, we are in the early stages of deciding what our next family event will be. As of right now, we are thinking about hosting a Winter Fest before the new year. Keep an eye out for updates in regards to that! That’s all for now. We are thankful for all our families, thank you for supporting our afterschool program at the Brown School, and have a lovely holiday season!
East Somerville Community School
Site Director: Yolanda Andrade
Assistant Site Director: Diana Posada
Raymond Corsini Joanne Simon, Sonia Barahona, Mario Quiroz, Ashley Castro, Michael Chiaravalloti, Mia Rivera, Kate Simmons, Sarah McClelland, Tailyn Smith, Olivia Oliveira
David Gutierrez, Devin Andrade, Bryan Rodriguez, Jaime Albayeros, Sharon Castellon, Luzmila Magana, Bryan Rodriguez, Kayla Lopez+
As we wrap up a busy fall season and prepare for the winter months, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the energy, growth, and creativity flourishing in the East Somerville After School Program.
Our preschoolers have launched into their Fall unit with enthusiasm! Through hands-on activities such as centers, arts and crafts, and dramatic play, they’re building foundational skills while having a lot of fun. They’re also making strides in sports, practicing throwing, kicking, and other ball-handling skills—excited to show off their new talents!
Clubs are running smoothly as our kindergarten, first, and second graders continue to make tremendous progress. Kindergarteners are focusing on letters, numbers, and daily reading, and we’re thrilled by their dedication and development. First graders are stepping up to tackle more homework, supported by daily packets prepared by their afterschool teachers, and showing impressive critical thinking skills along the way. We’re inspired by the curiosity and growth we see in these young learners each day!
Spotlight on 3rd to 7th Graders
Our older students have been especially engaged in their clubs: Tech Wizards Club: Students are building competitive math skills, learning various problem-solving concepts, and challenging each other in friendly math competitions. Each session wraps up with a student-led reflection, where they discuss new techniques and share insights.
Our older students are also taking on leadership roles, helping younger children with reading, homework, and outdoor activities. It’s heartwarming to see them act as positive role models and mentors.
Afternoons are filled with reading, card games, and math challenges, making for lively, productive time together. STEAM Club: This popular club has students creating slime and designing their own tech games—combining fun with learning in hands-on projects that inspire creativity and collaboration.
Election Day Highlights
Election Day brought a fun-filled day of creativity and teamwork! Students who attended spent the day working on Lego creations at our “Legoland” and “Playground” stations. It was a day filled with imagination, innovation, and smiles.
Michael E. Capuano Early Childhood Center
Site Director: Micheal Horowitz
Assistant Site Director: Sarthak Khamal
Bryan Convey, Ana Treska, Neelam Sehil, Mei Idri, Joao Detoledo, Ana Taveira, MamataChalise, Latifa Mortady, Devin Baxter, Gita, Khanal, Jose Lopez, Shiarrah Murray, Julia Leandro
After school at the Capuano has been exploring and having lots of fun with pumpkins, fall leaves, America and Thanksgiving. As always, we play indoors with toys, games, puzzles, and manipulatives of all kinds. We play in the gym in inclement weather, but we also try to get out to the playground as often as possible and we continue to go outside, so pack warm clothes!!
To give an idea of the activities that we have been doing aside from playing, we read books like Pumpkin Head by Eric Kimmel, in which beings with pumpkins for heads think that the world is only full of people just like them. They aren’t exactly sure, but they are open minded. One pumpkin boy decides to try to explore the world to find out and has a crazy adventure with squirrels. After reading Pumpkin Head, of course, we opened up pumpkins and explored what was inside. We also read books like Red, White, and Blue: the Story of the American Flag by John Herman and Duck for President by Doreen Croninby. Then, we made Election Day voting badges and a variety of American flags. Other activities were centered around giving thanks for what we have.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Just an additional reminder, Wednesday, November 27th, there is no after-school program. The pick-up time for Pre-K is 11:30 AM and for Kindergarten is noon.
We hope that everybody has a wonderful Thanksgiving.
John F. Kennedy Elementary School
Site Director: Allison Pelletier
Assistant Site Director: Emmaline Lipka
Kelly Lopez, Nicole Tolbert, Savannah Paul, Maureen Nichols,
Emma Oppman, Mary Lou Hodgdon, Laura Modhal, Silvana Dinka, Christopher Montejo
Time is flying by as we approach the end of session 1! Thanks for all the as we move into the colder months! Here are some highlights of the past month!
Ms. Laura’s Clubs-
Laura’s clubs have been busy having fun! Creating lovely fractal paintings in Astronomy, Math and Meaning has taught kids more about how math and art work together. Printmaking and Symbols club kids have made beautiful Koru necklaces and ocean watercolors. They have been learning the cultural significance of Maori symbols and their connection to nature. In Kawaii club, kids have been making cute mini size kakejiku hanging scrolls and finding out about their traditional use for the changing seasons. In Magic and Science, kids have made cool liquid mixtures and made scientific observations, while Carbon Footprint club kids have been designing lovely frames, using magazine pages.
Ms. Silvana’s Clubs-
In Little hands big minds children are exploring and improving the ideas of creating clothes for their dolls. It is fascinating seeing them use the needles 🪡 and do an amazing work. Students have shown a big interest in crocheting 🧶 too! Why not when these activities are supporting them being focused, relaxing and learning new techniques too!
Ms. Kelly’s Clubs-
The first session is flying by! In Ms. Kelly's Art My Way club, students are exploring techniques to create the illusion of spray paint using food coloring and water.
Meanwhile, in the Healthy Hearts club, participants develop their teamwork skills through engaging games and warm-up activities.
The Movie Critic Club is currently watching the beloved Disney classic Oliver and Company, a film from the 1990s, and the students are thoroughly enjoying it.
The Lego club is having a fantastic time collaborating on building projects while also taking advantage of gym time to release some energy.
Lastly, the Debate club has proven to be an excellent opportunity for students to enhance their time management and reflective communication skills as they tackle engaging topics such as coffee versus green tea and sneakers versus Crocs.
Winter Hill Community Innovation School
Site Director: Deijah Euvrard
Assistant Site Director: Daniela Garcia
Tanty Koita, Nehemie Simon, Mariah Jones, Seline Pierre, Leonardo Fuentes,Rosa Palma, Luz Janampa, Roxana Alfaro, Andrew Catallo, Ruolx Dorvilier
What a fantastic way to kick off the month! Our kiddos had an absolute blast at LEGOLAND on Election Day. From building towering creations to exploring fun-filled attractions, it was a day packed with laughter, learning, and, of course, plenty of bricks! We’re so grateful for the joy and creativity that the kids brought to the trip—talk about inspiring teamwork! Now that we’re back, we’re excited for all the cozy, fun activities November has in store. Stay tuned for more adventures ahead!
PreK / Kindergarten
Our Pre-K and Kindergarten friends had so much fun this month! In their different clubs they learned new words, sang songs, and played games, all while exploring the world in a fun and engaging way. They also had a blast on their trip to LEGOLAND, where they built amazing creations and explored all the exciting attractions. Also, the little ones learned about the importance of voting and how we make decisions together. It was a month full of fun, learning, and unforgettable memories!
1st Grade
Afterschool was a blast this month! The kids had an amazing time exploring new activities and making lasting memories. They got hands-on with experiments , learned teamwork and leadership , and learned about new wildlife . It was a perfect mix of fun and learning, where every child got to discover something new while having a great time with friends.
2nd Grade
The second graders are always excited to dive into their favorite clubs! In Little Scientists, they’re becoming mini-experts, conducting fun experiments and discovering the wonders of the world around them. Their curiosity knows no bounds as they mix, measure, and marvel at how things work! Over in World Wide, they’re exploring different cultures, learning about faraway places, and feeling like true global adventurers. Let’s not forget the Chess Club, where these young strategists are already planning their next big move, thinking three steps ahead like pros!
3rd- 6th Grade
Grades 3-6 have been enjoying what seems to be the last days of warm weather by spending some time outside. Unfortunately, due to the time change via Daylight savings time, dismissal has been moved indoors.Kids have enjoyed a plethora of different Halloween activities such as: scary storytelling and creating superhero masks! During election day, some of our wildcats took a trip to Legoland, where they had a great time and created fun memories.
Important Reminders!:
As the weather gets cooler please send your child with a coat.
Please Label your student(s) water bottles and coats. Lost or forgotten items can be found at the schools lost and found.
Remind App- If you have not, please be sure to join our remind app for any updates and the best form of communication during program
West Somerville Neighborhood School
Site Director: Joshua Leibovitz
Assistant Site Director: Seana Read
Jane Fabiano, Darly Pierre, Gianna Amari, Joseph Amari, Rodrigo Rodriguez, Katherine Yanes, Henry Duarte, Teodor Todorov, Frank Leone, Charles Brewer, Yasmin Almeida., Valerie Perez, Jennifer Posada, Xiomara Gutierrez, Jagdish Kaur
The air is crisp and the days are shorter, but you won’t find us slowing down here at Afterschool at the West! We’re making the most of the shining sun and getting fresh air whenever we can. From playing in the leaves to tossing footballs and carving pumpkins to drinking hot cocoa, we’re embracing the beauty of autumn and all of the opportunities it brings us each year.
Pre-K and Kindergarten love their yoga with Ms. Jane, who brings in lavender-scented clothes that create a calming sensory experience for everyone. Kindergarten and Pre-K rolled up their sleeves and carved a pumpkin together with help from Ms. Jane and Mr. Rodrigo! The children loved scooping out the seeds, and we didn’t let them go to waste—we cooked them into a yummy snack for everyone to enjoy. Laughter echoed through the playground as we played kickball with the teachers. It was a great way to practice teamwork and burn off some energy! In our Bug’s Life nature club, we took a neighborhood walk to observe the creatures we’ve been learning about—ants, birds, and even a few butterflies! It was so exciting to see them in their natural habitats.
Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades have been exploring new interests and building lasting memories in their clubs. In Worldwide Art, students learn about different cultures through their artistic traditions. From Japanese origami to Mexican papel picado, they’ve been creating stunning pieces while gaining a global perspective. Meanwhile, our Lego Club has been full of innovation, with budding engineers building everything from towering skyscrapers to imaginative vehicles. The problem-solving skills and teamwork on display are truly impressive! Bejewelers Club with Ms. Gianna has been a favorite for those who love to craft. Students have been busy designing colorful friendship bracelets and experimenting with beads to make unique creations they can wear or gift to loved ones. For our little adventurers, Adventure Seekers Club has offered thrilling scavenger hunts and team challenges. Each activity encourages collaboration, perseverance, and, of course, lots of fun! Outdoors, Afterschool Football has kept students active and engaged, teaching teamwork, strategy, and the importance of good sportsmanship through friendly games.
Our 3rd-6th graders have been getting creative in their clubs like Book Brigade, where they’ve been reading Matilda by Roald Dahl and diving deeper into the story with a new activity that brings the book to life each week. WonderLab has embarked on new discoveries with awesome experiments that show us what happens if you add dish soap and food coloring to a shallow dish of milk (you’d be surprised by the results!) and what happens when oil and water don’t want to work together (you end up with your very own lava lamp!). Our adventures in science have helped us see colors fuse together, mixtures bubble up over the cup, and most of all, laughter and smiles from each other. Learning about other cultures across the world has taken us all the way to Greece this month, where we built our own popsicle stick Parthenons. Parkour is off the walls as usual, and MetroRock has been a great outlet for all our energy. We’re so proud of our students’ creativity and enthusiasm and love spending time at Afterschool every day.
