AFTER SCHOOL ARTS ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FAQ
WHAT IS THE AGE REQUIREMENT?
We welcome children who are enrolled in grades K-2 during the school year they will be joining us.
HOW BIG IS THE CLASS SIZE?
Our classroom space is comfortably designed for up to 20 students, with a maximum 13:1 student to staff ratio.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOUR TEACHERS HAVE?
Our program director and lead teachers are highly qualified, certified art educators. We are proud to have a strong connection with the Winchester High School Art Department and employ local high school students every year to assist in our classroom. For more about us, check out our Meet the Team page.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INCLUDE IN YOUR ARTS-BASED CURRICULUM?
We structure our days to include a variety of creative art activities (structured and choice-based), story time, games, snack, and outdoor time (weather permitting). Daily teacher-led art projects are developmentally appropriate and encourage creative thinking, social skills, and individual growth. Learning is centered around monthly themes - to engage and encourage FUN and CREATIVITY! Themes include exploration into things like: What does an artist do?, The Seasons, What is Culture?, Storytelling, and Our Galaxy.
WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE?
Our After School Arts Enrichment Program runs Monday through Friday, from school dismissal until 6pm (including all scheduled early release days)
We follow the Winchester Public Schools’ 180-day calendar
We offer 2-5 day options for maximum flexibility to meet your family’s specific needs, with priority given to 5-day registrations.
DO YOU OFFER A PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL VACATION & NO SCHOOL DAYS?
Non-school day programs are available for an additional fee, including February Vacation, April Vacation, and Professional Development Days. These programs are open to the public, with priority given to families with children enrolled in our year-round After School Arts Enrichment Program.
WHAT ABOUT SNOW DAYS?
We follow the Winchester Public Schools’ calendar. If the public schools are cancelled or released early due to inclement weather, we are also closed.
DOES THE ART PROGRAM INCLUDE TIME IN THE POTTERY STUDIO?
For safety and developmental reasons, we start our pottery students on the wheel at age 8. While children in our After School Arts Enrichment Program will not be working directly in the pottery studio, they will have the opportunity to create pottery and ceramic projects by hand, leveraging materials and tools from the pottery studio.
DO I NEED TO PACK A SNACK?
We provide a variety of daily snack choices and juice. On early release days and full-day programs, we ask that you send your child with a NUT FREE lunch packed from home.
WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR TRANSPORTATION?
DROP-OFF
Parents/caregiver option
You are welcome to bring children to Studio on the Common at 2:30pm on regular school days and 11:30am on early release days.
School Bus option
Be sure to register your child with the Winchester Public Schools Transportation Department https://www.winchesterps.org/transportation and select Studio on the Common for your child’s bus stop on the days they will be attending.
Our staff will be waiting on the sidewalk to meet children at the Studio on the Common bus stop when they arrive.
PICK-UP
Our After School Program ends at 6pm. The parent/caregiver is responsible for picking up the child from Studio on the Common, and can do so at any time during the program. If your child will be picked up before 5pm, please let us know in advance so we can have them prepared and ready to go.
WHAT IS YOUR SICK POLICY?
For the well being of our close-knit community, if your child is home from school due to illness, please do not send them to Studio on the Common in the afternoon. We follow the guidelines of the Winchester Public Schools sick policy and ask that you keep your child home if they are experiencing fever, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, or any other contagious symptoms or diseases (e.g., Strep, Flu).
Students may return to the After School Program after being symptom-free for 24 hours without medication.
WHAT IS THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE?
There is no restriction on how early you can fill out the application for your child. Registrations will be accepted on a rolling basis until spaces are filled. First priority is given to 5-day registrations, currently enrolled students, and siblings of currently enrolled students. Partial week registrations (2-day, 3-day, and 4-day) will be reviewed in the order in which they were received.
HOW DO I REGISTER MY CHILD?
Complete the Registration Application online, indicating the school year and days of the week you wish to enroll your child.
A member of our team will contact you via email once your application has been processed.
WHAT IS THE COST OF TUITION?
Monthly tuition rates below are for the 2026-2027 School Year and are based on the number of days attended / per week. Monthly tuition rates are discounted for families who elect the ACH bill-payment option.
HOW IS TUITION BILLED?
Tuition is billed on the 1st of each month, spread evenly from Sep-Jun. A deposit of one month is due at registration and will be applied to your child’s first months’ payment. This deposit will guarantee your child's placement in the Program for the school year.
For your convenience, we offer an auto-payment plan to have funds withdrawn directly from your credit card or ACH (bank account).
CANCELLATION POLICY
If your child is accepted into the After School Program and you cancel prior to the beginning of the school year, please refer to the chart below for cancellation fees and refunds.
IF MY SCHEDULE CHANGES MID-YEAR AND I NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS OR WITHDRAW MY CHILD FROM THE PROGRAM, WILL I GET A PARTIAL REFUND?
While we understand that schedules sometimes change, in order to build and staff a high quality program for your child, we require a full-year commitment. We are always happy to accommodate shifting schedules if space is available on other days. We do not provide refunds for reduced schedules or early withdrawals once the school year is in session.
DO YOU HAVE A WAITLIST?
If all spaces are full, we will add your name to our waitlist. If a space opens up in the After School Program, we will notify you in the order in which you were added to the waitlist.
Any other questions? Send us an email and we will assist you!