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Tehiyah After-school Program (TAP)

• Introduction
• Kindergarten TAP
• Homework Club
• TAP Workshops
• After-school Enrichment Classes
• Private Music Lessons
• TAP Staff

Introduction

TAP creates a safe and nurturing environment where children can play, relax, engage in homework, and enjoy a healthy/organic snack. The philosophy behind TAP is to provide a balance between structure and flexibility, and to foster self-esteem, confidence, creativity, humor, compassion, empathy, responsibility, and initiative.

TAP students participate in a wide variety of outdoor sports and activities like baseball, football, basketball, hockey, kickball, four square, playing on the climbing structure, or building a canal system in the huge sandbox. Inside the TAP room, children can participate in the day’s arts and crafts or cooking project, draw, read, play board games, make a fort, or just relax. Children can also pursue their own independent project ideas with the variety of supplies on hand. For those students with homework, the library is open with TAP staff available for help with questions. Later in the day, the gym is usually available as extra play space.

The environment in TAP, with its flexibility and emphasis on creativity, is conducive for making friends from other classes and other grades. Children in TAP feel comfortable to try new activities and express themselves creatively in an environment which provides enough structure for them to feel safe and supported. TAP is available for a fee: either prepay by the end of September for unlimited use, or pay by the hour. TAP is open Monday through Friday until 6 p.m. and is available during parent-teacher conferences and faculty professional days.

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Kindergarten TAP

From 2:30 p.m. until the rest of the school is dismissed at 3:15 p.m., TAP is available for kindergarteners. This is a very special time when kindergarteners can get to know each other and the school in a calm, nurturing environment with projects, games, and activities suited just for this age group. After the all-school dismissal, kindergarteners have the option of staying in “Big Kid TAP” until 6 p.m. where they can take advantage of even more of what the program has to offer. Kindergarten TAP is currently included in the price of tuition.

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The Homework Club

The Homework Club, available Monday through Thursday from 3:15 - 4:15 p.m., provides a supervised, quiet study atmosphere for students grades 3-8 to do their homework, work on projects, study, or read. Marcia Lovelace, the Tehiyah librarian is also available for assistance with research every day, except Wednesdays, for one-half hour after school.

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TAP Workshops

TAP Workshops, are one-time classes on a variety of subjects that include different foreign languages, music, science, art, and other topics of interest that reflect the skills and expertise of the Tehiyah community. TAP participants benefit not only from the knowledge gained from the workshops, but also through experiencing the talent in the community which serves as an inspiration to broaden their horizons and engage in lifelong learning. For information about dates of scheduled TAP workshops, please go to:

• Tehiyah after School Blog

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After-school Enrichment Classes and Registration Forms

After-school enrichment classes are available for an additional fee. The instructors provide the classes at Tehiyah over three trimesters throughout the school year. Classes vary each trimester and have included: art, fun science, intramural sports, athletic games, tennis, karate, yoga, dance, drama, music ensembles, chess, Yiddish, cartooning, and American sign language.

• Current enrichment class schedule.

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Private Music Lessons

• TAP After School Music Lessons.

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TAP Staff

The dedicated and nurturing TAP staff provides guidance, safety, and security with attention to individual needs and personalities. The TAP staff is dedicated to encouraging children to become better people by helping them develop social skills such as sportsmanship, conflict resolution, cooperation, and moral leadership.

Jonothon Rich, TAP Coordinator
Jonothon Rich, the coordinator of Tehiyah’s After-school Program, joined the TAP staff in 1995 and became coordinator in 1996. Jonothon has a bachelor’s of science degree in city planning from Arizona State and a teaching credential from San Francisco State. His interests include writing, literature, biking, hiking, cooking, travel, and martial arts.

Karleen, Assistant Coordinator,
Karleen, the assistant TAP coordinator, has worked at Tehiyah since 2001 and in other schools since 1991. Karleen has a bachelor’s of arts degree in history from UC Berkeley, two years in arts education at CCAC, and is currently working towards her master’s in oriental medicine. When she was little, she liked to pretend she was Julia Child in the kitchen, and you will often find her making delightful snack creations in TAP. On her days off, she hangs out with her favorite critters: her horse, two turtles, and a pug.

Michael Louis Young
Michael Louis Young moved to Oakland in 2002 to attend The California College of the Arts where he studied painting, drawing, photography, and art history. He received his BFA in painting/drawing in 2006 and has continued his art practice here in the Bay Area. When not working at Tehiyah, you can find Michael making a mess in his studio, riding his bike, or playing guitar (badly). He is also hard at work writing and illustrating a children’s book. Michael is looking forward to more sports, board games, and drawing at Tehiyah.

Jenni Norton
Jenni Norton has been with Tehiyah since 2000 and is back in 2008-09 after a year away. She has a bachelor’s of arts degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, has studied early childhood development, and is currently studying horticulture at Diablo Valley College. Jenni is an avid gardener and has broadened her studies to include permaculture, sustainable agriculture, ecological design, and biodynamic principles. She also has shown her photography in a local gallery and Tehiyah’s book fair. Jenni enjoys home schooling her four-year-old daughter, playing Wii with her husband, sci-fi, family outings, and taking care of her dog, cats and four chickens.

Kate Phelps
Kate Phelps has a bachelor’s of arts degree in linguistics from Chico State, and is currently working on her master’s in library science with a focus on children's services through San Jose State. She has traveled extensively, and lived and studied for a year on the Mediterranean island of Malta. As a former camp counselor, she introduced kids to outdoor sports such as rock climbing and hiking. Kate loves to dance, and has been part of a Chico-based African dance troupe for five years. She also loves reading her favorite stories by Maurice Sendak and Dr. Seuss, and getting her hands dirty in her vegetable garden.

Jonothon Rich, Coordinator, Tehiyah After-school Program
Tehiyah Day School, 2603 Tassajara Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530

(510) 233-3013 ext 112

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TAP - Information for Parents

TAP Staff:

• Jonothon Rich, Coordinator
• Karleen T, Assistant Coordinator

Important Phone Numbers:

• TAP Phone: 233-3013, ext 112 (for messages and general inquiries)
• TAP cell phone: 812-5981 (for urgent calls needing immediate attention
• Bus Hotline: 233 3013 ext. 250
• Front Office: 233-3013 ext 101, Cathy Fara Brown
• TAP email: tap@tehiyah.org

Sign-out Procedure:

For safety and security it is very important to make sure your child is signed out either by the parent or whoever is picking up your child. All kindergarten children need to be signed out whether they are in enrichment classes or in regular TAP. Whoever picks up your child is also requested to inform Jonothon or other TAP staff during pickup time.

Note: Any child not signed out will be signed out at 6:00 p.m. with appropriate fees applied.

If someone is supposed to pick up your child (other than the parent or someone who frequently picks up your child), please leave a note with your child’s teacher or leave a message on the TAP voicemail.

Bus Riders:

If your child normally takes the afternoon school bus and there is a change in his or her schedule, it is very important to let us know in advance. Please call the bus line at 233-3013 ext 250 by 1:00 p.m. It is also very helpful to leave a message with the child’s teacher or with TAP.

Kindergarten TAP Location:

If you are picking up your Kindergartener befor all-school dismissal at 3:15, we will be located in the Primary Yard or in one of the Kindergarten rooms.