On-Site Care, Lunch, and Recess

Affordable and flexible before and after-school care is available to all currently enrolled NPES students on a drop-in basis. Before Care begins at 7:30 am and After Care runs from dismissal until 6:00 pm. Homework help is also available during After Care, and students who are participating in after-school clubs can join After Care when their club session ends.

Our Auxiliary Programs Manager runs After Care, and leads a team of engaged After Care Associate Teachers who supervise snack and after-school play (and some time for homework, if desired) Monday through Friday when school is in session, and during fall and spring conferences with parents/caregivers. Before and After Care feature a program designed specifically for Preschool students, and another program for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.

NPES offers a flexible hot and cold lunch program catered by Yay!, a caterer committed to using organic and locally-grown products in its meals. The cost ranges from $6-$12 per meal, and meals can be ordered on a subscription basis by families online. While many NPES students bring a sack lunch from home, for others the convenience of ordering through Yay! is appreciated. The lunch program at NPES is managed by our Auxiliary Programs Manager.

NPES students enjoy recess in our play lot daily for a minimum of 20 minutes (weather permitting), supervised by faculty, staff, and parent volunteers. Play, and time for children to manage some independence, are important aspects of each school day as people of all ages need a break and some autonomy, time to rest, restore, and connect with others. They also need additional time for movement in their day, beyond what PE offers. Recess is not the only time during a school day that NPES connect with others or move–our educational model is collaborative, engaging, and community-based–but seldom do students exercise as much freedom over how they spend their time as they do in Before and After Care, and at recess.

In inclement weather, recess is held in classrooms or other indoor spaces, where children can play games. Recess is also an important time for children to practice navigating semi-independently miscommunication and social conflicts that arise among human beings, with the coaching and mentorship of their adult proctors as needed.