Description Children will learn traditional Japanese art techniques to create their own modern works of 3-dimensional art using paper, cardboard, clay, paint, and decorative materials. Projects this session will include kaleidoscopes, kitsune masks, manekineko lucky cat sculptures, sumi-e black ink caligraphy, and more! New and repeat students are welcome.

Instructor  Miyu Asakawa is a ceramicist, sculptor, and hair stylist from Japan. Miyu is a PS154 alumni parent and your Windsor Terrace neighbor, too.

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Description  Take chess to the next level by preparing for tournament play. Children with at least two years of chess experience and a desire to compete will hone their skills with a group lesson, puzzle solving, and supervised play. New and repeat students welcome.

Instructor  Jairo Moreira and his team of chess instructors have a wealth of experience playing, teaching, and competing in tournament play. Mr. Moreira is the PS 154 chess instructor and the founder of Imagination Guru School of Chess and Computers which offers summer camps and tech-based enrichment programming for after schools in New York and New Jersey.

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Description This 2-D art class will start with read-aloud then children will continue the stories through their own visual language using crayons, pencils, pastels, paint, and found objects such as leaves, sticks, fabric, etc… Through story and art, children will learn about different cultures, their festivities, how kids their own age live and grow up around the globe with an emphasis on common aspects of our lives. As children explore stories and the visual world of their own making, they will gain confidence in their own creative abilities. Since new project projects are introduced each session, new and repeat students welcome.

Instructor Viola Yeşiltaç was born in Hanover, Germany and now lives and works in New York. She was recently artist in residence at the Istanbul Galata House and has had solo shows and been included in group exhibitions at David Lewis in New York, the Cooper Gallery in Dundee, Scotland, the New York Museum of Contemporary Art and São Paulo's 30th International Biennial. She loves making art with children!

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NOTE This 90-minute studio class dismisses at 4:30pm.

Description Bring your inner artist and delve into the beautifully vivid world of visual arts. Art Studio is an exploration into color and design through paint, pencils, oil pastels, collage and more, with a bunch of fun thrown in too! Every week, the class will view and discuss artists from around the world, and test their skills at creating a similar piece of art. Kids will get to know new artists, including Hannah Hoch, Kara Walker, Jean Michele Basquiat, Philomena Marano, Alan Aine—some of which are exhibiting in galleries and museums today!  We will also dove into art movements such as Bauhaus and fauvism. All materials will be supplied, but feel free to bring any you may have. All work will be sent home to create a personal gallery! New and repeat students welcome.

Instructor  PS 154 parent Kristen Markoplis is a professional photographer and lover of art. She is the author of the photobook "Water Towers New York City Style". When not taking pictures, she loves to teach digital photography and visual art to children.

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NOTE This class dismisses at 4:45pm.

Description  In this “Jumbo Class” kids will have longer 1 hour 45 minute sessions to dig deep into skills, dance creation, and group shares which are fundamental to the AcroBAX program. Each class offers a playful blend of partner acrobatics, gymnastics, dance, and contemporary circus. AcroBAXers learn FUNdamental tumbling and choreography skills, while increasing their flexibility and weight balance. Exploring basic concepts of time, space, shape, and form, these young AcroBAXers will learn to be expressive through dance creation, tumbling, and basic inverted movement.

The class is open to all 2nd - 5th grade student and to any 1st graders who took our Fall BAX intro or advanced class. (NOTE: The instructor will evaluate children on the first day of the class to make sure their skill set is appropriate for the activities.)

Instructor Ellie Weinman holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in choreography and performance from the University of Montana She has extensive training in contemporary, hip-hop, acrobatics, contact improvisation, modern, and musical theater. Ellie has danced professionally with Bare Bait Dance, Headwaters Dance Company and MASC ARTISANS and has performed in regional musicals including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Chicago, and The Legend of Orpheus: The Opera.

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Description Beyblades are all the rage on the PS 154 playground and now it’s time to bring them inside with Mr. Marquis. Kids will build and decorate stadiums out of cardboard boxes, mix and match different Beyblade parts (using materials we provide) to create hybrids then collect data to see how they perform. Finally, during the last 15 minutes of each class, the battles will begin! Team-building, supporting one another, and losing gracefully will be the focus of this club.

NOTE: The PS 154 After School will provide all necessary equipment. Children may bring their own Beyblades but should be ready to work as a team and test out new combos.

Instructor You know him, you love him, Mr. Marquis Facey is the Beyblade King! He’s a PS 154 recess coach during the school day and an After School Kindergarten assistant instructor after 2:30pm, but on Thursdays he’ll transform into a Blader.

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Description This is a continuation of the fall Broadway Jr. club. Children already enrolled in this club will continue meeting weekly on Mondays through the performance on February 10th. A new Child’s Play Broadway Jr club for K - 2nd graders will run February 24th - June 8th. There will be a separate registration for that club at the beginning of February.

Instructor Jocelyn Greene founded Child’s Play NY in 2009 as a way to transform theater education in her community.  She drew from her work as a student (MFA, NYU Graduate Acting, BA, Wesleyan University), an actor (The Public Theater, NYSF), and a teacher (Will Power to Youth, Oddfellows Playhouse, Epic Theater) to develop the rigorous curriculum and imagination-based games that ignite the program today. Child's Play staff is made up of professional working actors and musicians with a deep commitment to working with young people.  

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NOTES
Priority registration will be given to children on the Fall 2019 waitlist.
These 90-minute classes dismiss at 4:30pm.

Description  This session we will offer two film-making classes. New students are welcome to join the Thursday class to learn how the elements of lighting, music, screenwriting, acting and directing come together to tell a powerful story on screen. The class will begin by exploring what kinds of stories the kids in the group want to tell. Next, they will discover how a singular element such as lighting a scene can contribute to the effect on the viewer. The whole class will work together on the final product (depending on the interest of the group this will be either one longer movie or a series of shorts).

Film Level 2 is for students who have already taken a Koko Film Class at PS 154 and would like to delve deeper into the art and craft of film making. Steeped in the core values that are at the heart of all of of Koko NYC’s classes, the ideas from our group will form the basis of our creative work.

Instructor  Freddy Poey received his BFA in Film Production from the college of Motion Picture Arts at Florida State University.

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Description This is a continuation of our fall instrumental band program. Students already enrolled in band will automatically be re-enrolled by Heather. No new students will be enrolled at this time.

Band runs weekly for the full  school year. Registration is for the entire year. The fee for the full year is $1350 / child, billed in three $450 installments (once for each session--fall, winter, spring) plus a one-time $50 rental fee for any child who uses a PS 154 instrument. Students may drop band at any session break and fees will be adjusted accordingly.

Instructors  Jonah Parzen-Johnson has been playing and teaching saxophone, clarinet, and flute in Brooklyn for over 12 years. He is an active performer across Europe, Brazil, and North America, and has been named a Downbeat Magazine Critics poll rising star in 2018, and 2019. Jonah has a Bachelor's of Music from NYU, and a Master's of Music from Manhattan School of Music. He is entering his sixth year teaching at PS154, and loves helping new students approach music with joy, dedication, and excitement!

Dustin Beardsley graduated from NYU Music School in 2014 with magna cum laude and "Outstanding Jazz Student" honors. Since then he has performed in regional, national, and international theater productions. In addition to performing, Dustin has been a children's trumpet instructor as a mentor in schools and as a private teacher since 2010. You can find out more about Dustin by visiting his website https://www.dustinbeardsley.com/ 
 

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Description  “All the news that’s fit to print…” at PS 154! Ms. Hammond will lead another round of 2nd – 5th graders through the tenets of good reporting to create our student-led PS 154 newspaper. Students will learn interviewing skills, hone their non-fiction writing chops, and learn to have a photo-journalist’s eye as they record the goings-on around the After School and beyond in photos and words! New and returning students welcome. 

Instructor  You probably know Erika Hammond as one of our beloved 1st grade teachers. She’s big on inspiring kids to read and write, as much as they can. Ms. Hammond is a Park Slope native who enjoys biking and traveling in her spare time.
 

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NOTES 
Priority registration will be given to children on the Fall 2019 waitlist.
Class runs for 90 minutes. Dismissal for the Intro class is at 4:30pm, Master is at 6:00pm.

Description  Children tap into imagination with tens of thousands of LEGO® parts!  In the beginning class students will explore the magic of Harry Potter using LEGO®! Find Platform 9 ¾, build Hogwarts Express Train, work cooperatively to construct the mysterious Hogwarts Castle, and soar on the wings of a Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon. Travel to a world of wizardry and hone your magical skills while learning about Muggle (STEM) concepts.

In the master class students will build Diagon Alley in preparation for your trip to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hop on your Broomstick and play Quidditch, duel the evil Lord Voldemort, and hone your magical skills while learning about advanced Muggle (STEM) concepts.

Instructor Play-Well TEKnologies brings engineering programming to over 100,000 students per year in 23 states. Their mission is to teach through play, encouraging children to explore, solve problems, and express themselves through LEGO.  Play-Well curriculum is designed by engineers and refined by teachers, but the kids just think it's fun!

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NOTE This club is 2 hours long. Dismissal is at 5:00pm.

Description  Battling guilds, vampires, werewolves, satyrs, and nymphs! Magic players use multi-step logic, strategy, memory, and long-range planning to win—all high order critical thinking skills. (Shhh, don’t tell them they’ll also be reading, doing math, and learning to win and lose gracefully while they play.) Best of all, no prior experience or cards are required. We have everything kids need, but if your child would like to bring his or her own cards they will need to store them in their backpacks during the school day.

Instructor  Michael Smith is a PS154 alum parent and avid Magic: The Gathering player. When he’s not battling wizards, Michael is a web artist, technologist, and associate professor of Communications Technology at York College in Queens.

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Description  Change the way children learn mindfulness! Kids have fun and learn age-appropriate techniques (such as mindful listening, breathing, and body awareness skills) alongside the rules and strategies of their favorite games and sports. Mindfulness practice is a research-proven method of helping children learn to manage stress and anxiety, improve focus, and increase overall resilience. All equipment for both clubs will be provided.

Mindful Games presents 1st through 3rd grade children with various cooperative and strategy-based board and card games (including Pokemon!) Through game play, kids learn how to use mindfulness skills to increase focus and improve performance. In addition to leadership and teamwork, this club focuses on the importance of understanding feelings and thoughts, respecting others, not giving up, and practicing kindness. Every class will also include indoor athletic activities such as yoga and action-packed, imaginative-based strength and balance games that serve as the foundation for physical training.

Mindful Sportopia Kindergarten and 1st graders will explore a variety of sports including baseball, kickball, soccer, and flag-football through fun and engaging games. Age-appropriate mindfulness practices are integrated into play, helping children learn important self-regulation strategies to prepare them for challenges on and off the field. Mindful breathing, body awareness, and kindness exercises are taught alongside the sports to create a fun and developmentally valuable experience. combines fun, focus, and resilience. NOTE: Sportopia classes are held outdoors in the schoolyard, weather permitting, so please dress children appropriately. During inclement weather the club moves into the cafeteria for variations on outdoor sports and fun athletic activities alongside fun mindfulness practices.

Instructor  Sam Faeder, the founder of Mindful Sports, grew up playing baseball in New York City and went on to play pro ball in Europe. He’s coached children locally (at a summer camp for the New York Yankees) and abroad for the European Little League World Series. Sam holds an MA in Psychology and is completing a PhD, researching how mindfulness practice affects stress perception in preadolescent children playing competitive sports. 

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Description   Join the New York Aquarium as we “make waves” of change and become conservation scientists! How do angler fish survive in the deep sea? What helps a shark swim quickly to catch prey? How does a penguin stay warm and dry in freezing water? Join the New York Aquarium as we discover the unique super powers that sea creatures have! Students will learn about a variety of marine animals and their special adaptations through exploring biofacts, engaging in interactive activities, conducting science experiments, and meeting some of our ambassador animals. By the end of the semester, students will feel empowered and inspired to help conserve the world’s oceans and the animals that live there! New and repeat students welcome.

Instructor  Rachel Swanson is an Outreach Conservation Educator at WCS New York Aquarium.

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NOTES
Priority registration will be given to children on the Fall 2019 Backyard Basecamp waitlist.
This club dismisses in front of the school at 4:30pm.

Description  Nature Explorer Kids will leave the urban jungle behind to travel into the natural surroundings of beautiful Windsor Terrace and Prospect Park. Each week this club will go on an outdoor adventure to learn how amazing and useful local flora and fauna can be. Led by staff from the Prospect Park Zoo, children in this outdoor club will explore how humans and local wildlife use the natural world to survive and thrive. In each session students will use tools, artifacts, and the natural objects around us to solve the challenges city animals face. How do robins build their nests? What’s a cocoon? Where do squirrels hide their cache of acorns? How do adaptations to bird feathers provide stealth, flight, warmth, and coverage? Kids will participate in hands-on projects to answer these questions and more!

NOTE: Nature explorers are intrepid explorers so dress your kids appropriately for cold, wind, rain, and snow. Except for the most inclement weather, the explorers will be OUTSIDE!

Instructor  The Wildlife Educators at the Prospect Park Zoo develop programs for schools, after schools, and zoo goers. They bring the natural world to our urban kids in a safe, fun, and educational environment.

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Description  Do your kids love stories and animation? Do they love electronic games? Now, they can create their own animated games using Scratch — a freeware a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group developed by the MIT Media Lab. In these this class kids learn basic computer programming skills while having full control over the look and feel of their creations. Game Design Coders create characters, settings, and actions using basic programming language. Then they turn these creations into their own interactive games. Students will create racing, adventure, sports, storytelling and animation games populated with their unique characters.

Scratch programs are free and can be used outside of the class. New and returning students are welcome.

Instructor  Jairo Moreira and his team of tech instructors have a wealth of experience teaching tech classes to children. Mr. Moreira is the PS 154 chess instructor and the founder of Imagination Guru School of Chess and Computers which offers summer camps and tech-based enrichment programming for after schools in New York and New Jersey.

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NOTE Priority registration will be given to children on the Fall 2019 waitlist.

Description Get ready to get messy… and have fun! In this class kids will have the opportunity to explore, create, and problem solve. Each session will feature cool projects such as making slime, unicorn poop or marshmallow towers. Every workshop will feature student choice and the option for free exploration such as tinker stations, butcher paper free draw and beading. 
 

Instructor  Taylor Vecchio is the founder and director of Voices Advance which specializes in progressive, youth development approaches and out-of-school-time learning.  Voices Advance offers comprehensive after school and summer program design, youth development staff trainings, program quality improvement and site director coaching. 

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Description  Students will start with Bee-Bots-- cute, colorful, easy-to-operate little robots that teach pre-programming skills such as sequencing, estimation, and problem-solving. Next, they will move on to MaKey MaKey-- small, safe circuit boards that allow kids to turn physical objects (think fruits, veggies, candy, clay, coins, Lego, stuffed animals, etc…) into buttons on a laptop. Banana piano, anyone? Giggling stuffed animals? Finger drums? 

Instructor  Jairo Moreira and his team of tech instructors have a wealth of experience teaching tech classes to children. Mr. Moreira is the PS 154 chess instructor and the founder of Imagination Guru School of Chess and Computers which offers summer camps and tech-based enrichment programming for after schools in New York and New Jersey.

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Description Get ready to dive into the rich and deep world of textiles with this hands-on class. We will be exploring different kinds of weaving— bead, tapestry and straw, as well as learning about soft sculpture through various styles of felting and hand sewing. We’ll cover some the basics techniques that you can take with you anywhere, like finger knitting and kumihimo or round braiding. Whether it is your first time connecting to textiles or you have been doing it for years, you are sure to find something that connects to your creative spirit!

Instructor Textile Arts Center was founded in 2009 in Park Slope, Brooklyn where they host adult and youth programs, as well as an Artist in Residency program, and a resource library. TAC’s very own Katie Han will guide students as they begin their textile explorations. Katie is an alum of the Rhode Island School of Design. She is a practicing textile artist and works at a Brooklyn-based knit consultancy. Since teaching summer camp at Textile Arts Center in 2019, she has enjoyed many opportunities exploring the medium with fresh eyes in a children’s classroom setting.

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