• Our permanent staff is composed of school staff. (34 staff members)
• Regular Education, Special Education, and Specialist teachers as well as paraprofessionals and interns.
• Our enrichment activities are staffed by professionals, consultants and volunteers.
What we do
• In addition to the after school program, we offer the Murphy School Saturday Academy where we provide focused and guided test preparation for the I.S.E.E. and M.C.A.S. exams.
• We also operate a program called Summer Stars for four weeks during the summer Monday through Friday.
Why we do it
• We provide a safe and healthy environment for our students to receive academic support and participate in enrichment activities.
• We seek to give our students genuine opportunities to learn coupled with contingencies to demonstrate learning.
What it looks like
• Students are escorted from their classrooms to designated meeting points within the building by program staff.
• A wholesome snack is provided and children socialize appropriately before the homework segment of the program begins.
•There is at least an hour dedicated to homework each day. During this time, students may seek assistance from their peers and their afterschool instructor who is familiar with the curriculum.
• After the homework hour has passed, students are invited and encouraged to select activities that match their interests and challenge their abilities. Classes for the activities are offered on different days so students may participate in more than one activity.
A Time Line of Change
1999 Babysitting service designed to keep students safe and active
2000 Intro of homework help and tutorial sessions by certified teachers who know the curriculum
2001 Introduction of more partnership activities
2002 Introduction of physical activities such as swimming, SPARK, sports activities and dance
2004 Introduction of music instruction through a joint grant with Boston Arts Academy
2005 Introduction of Saturday Scholars, MCAS and ISEE Prep Classes
2006 The use of data and data analysis to drive after school initiatives
2006 Introduction of group competition Destination Imagination Teams
2007 Partnership involvement focused on instruction (Historic New England & Dot Art)
2008 Professional Development focused on science instruction through Urban Ecology
2009 Building Stronger Professional Learning Communities and Extra Time to Learn Opportunities
2010 Building connections with large commitment through S.T.E.M. Projects. Programmatic
expansion to include services for students with moderate to severe special needs
