See below for what we have offered in the past.
Akiba-Schechter offers a wide variety of after-school programs most Mondays through Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. (Kids’ Club until 5:45 p.m.). New this year, healthy kosher snacks will be provided for all students staying after school. A $75 non-refundable administrative fee, per child or a family fee of $125, will be charged to your FACTS account for all children who participate in our After-School Programs. This fee covers all personnel, building, and snack fees.
Please note that in the event that Akiba cancels school due to any type of weather or unsafe conditions, the vendors/Akiba cannot offer refunds, credits, or make-up classes.
All After-School Program participants must sign this waiver. The waiver needs to be signed if your child(ren) participate in any program after 3:30 PM, including Kids’ Club and Homework Help. Click here for waiver.
Please browse through our program offerings below and register directly through the vendor or links provided. If not listed in the description, you can find the cost on the vendor’s registration page.
If you have a general question regarding our After-School program, please be in touch with Cindy Friedman, the After-School Coordinator. If you have a vendor-specific question, please contact the vendor, directly. Registration closes on Friday, December 6, at 12:00PM.
Broadway Kids featuring songs from Descendants!
If you love musical theatre, this class is for you! “Be our guest” as we explore the foundations of theatre with fun drama games, acting, improvisation, music, and movement. In this unique class format, students will collaborate to create their very own play using their favorite songs from the hit movie ‘Descendants” as a jumping off point. We’ll be “Rotten to the Core” as we improvise a script and students will decide if they want to showcase their own version of the Descendants' story or create their own Descendants-themed musical! Whichever they choose, it promises to be a wickedly good time!
Grades: K-5th
Dates: Mondays, 1/6-6/1 (no class 1/20, 2/17, 3/9, 4/6, 4/13, 5/25)
Time: 3:30-4:25 p.m.
Cost: $271 for 16 weeks (Winter Session)
Mummies and Masterpieces: Chagim in Art - NEW FOR K-8
Leave your passports at home, we are bringing the museums to you! Join us as we study worldwide museum masterpieces that enhance the beautiful themes of our upcoming Jewish holidays. Let’s be inspired by the trees and fruit of Cézanne and Monet for Tu B’Shevat, Japanese kimonos for Purim, ancient Egyptian paintings and sculpture for Passover, Matisse’s flowers for Shavuot and Israeli art for Yom HaAtzmaut. Each week, we will engage in exciting learning-to-look games and fun, child-centered discussions, followed by opportunities to create our own works of art together! Students will learn how to “read” works of art in this class, which increases their visual literacy skills and benefits many other aspects of their lives, in and out of the classroom Our final session will be a student-curated “grape juice and cheese” art exhibit with invited family and friends, tours and explanations by our own Akiba artists, and a video montage of our weekly experiences The goal of all Mummies and Masterpieces classes is to engage all kinds of learners and enable every student to feel pride and success. Join us! Open to all ages.
Days: Mondays, 3:30-4:25 p.m., January 6 through June 1, 2020
Students: Kindergarten through 8th grade
FENCING - NO NEED TO SIGN UP IF YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY ENROLLED!
Back by popular demand! Last call to register for the year. Registration ends Monday, November 25, 2019!
This holistic program cultivates the development of the student-athlete and provides instruction in Foil and Sabre. The focus promotes athletic prowess and good citizenship in a fun and safe environment. The participants enjoy a positive and fun class atmosphere where through expert instruction, they are afforded the opportunity to grow and learn the sport of Fencing at their own pace. Classes include games, exercises, skill-building, and bouting.
Students:
Foil: 3rd – 8th graders.
Sabre: 4th – 8th graders including at least one year of prior fencing experience.
School-Year Costs (equipment rental fee included):
Tuesdays (foil): $325
Thursdays (sabre): $325
Tuesdays & Thursdays: $650
Please note: An executed registration form and participation waivers will finalize your registration for the school year.
Mummies and Masterpieces: Animals in Art - NO NEED TO SIGN UP IF YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY ENROLLED!
Leave your passports at home – we are bringing the museums to you! Join us as we take a virtual trip around the world to visit famous works of art about ANIMALS! Each week we will learn about a different masterpiece and the artist who created it through fun discussions, learning-to-look games and hands-on art workshops. From the beautiful bulls along the caves of Lascaux to the whimsical horses of Marc Chagall, we will be inspired by the world’s most talented artists. Each session (December and June) will end with a kid-curated “grape juice and cheese” art exhibit. Family and friends are invited to view a special video montage of our weekly experiences and hear our students talk about their own unique creations. Join us!
Days: Tuesdays, 3:30-4:25 p.m., September 3, 2019 through June 2, 2020
Students: Kindergarten through 5th grade
Mindful Moments
A little work on relaxation, mindful practices, and yoga techniques can go a long way! In our weekly Mindful Moments hour, we will practice exercising our bodies, breath, and minds in ways that help us bring peace into our everyday lives. We will learn in a variety of ways--through drawing from beginners' yoga techniques, and through creative activities like making 'Mindful Moments' boxes and 'Calming Jars.'
Instructor: Mary Cook, University of Chicago Social Work Intern
Days: Tuesdays, 3:30pm-4:25pm
Registration: $20 per class; 8 classes for $160 total
Grades 1-4: January 14, 2020 - March 17, 2020 (8 classes)
There will be NO class on the following dates:
March 10, 2020
Grades 5-8: March 31, 2020 - June 2, 2020 (8 classes)
There will be NO class on the following dates:
April 7, 2020
April 14, 2020
Robotics - NO NEED TO SIGN UP IF YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY ENROLLED!
Get a head start on robot building principles with “ROBOT EXPLORERS“—and let creativity run wild! In this program, the students will be working with some of the newest programmable STEM robots that will allow kids to learn through guided play in an exploratory and encouraging workshop environment. We emphasize pressure-free creativity, with a focus on discovery and fun. *Students Build Different Robots Every Session*
Days: Wednesdays, 3:30-4:25 p.m. (No class on 4/8 and 4/15)
Students: Kindergarten through 5th grades
Tinkering in the MakerSpace - NEW FOR K-4
This session will focus on learning the basics of how to create on the equipment in the Maker Space. Students can choose to create, develop, and execute a project with
Ozobots, 3D Pens, 3D Printer, etc.
Days: Wednesdays, 3:30-4:25 p.m., January 22, 2020 through June 3, 2020.
Students: Grades K-4
Instructor: Emily Schoenberg
Debate It Forward - NO NEED TO SIGN UP IF YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY ENROLLED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR!
Though debate is traditionally viewed as a competitive activity for high schoolers and typically lacks relevance for elementary age students, we believe our early debate program lays the foundation for higher level debate in a multitude of enjoyable and collaborative ways. Our program utilizes team building activities, age-appropriate topics, role playing from different perspectives, and many more strategies to enhance students’ problem solving and analytical thinking skills. This fun and engaging program teaches younger students to discuss issues they care about in a way that is both fun and relevant for them. Ideal for students who are either nervous public speakers, enjoy cognitive challenges, are competitive in nature, enjoy acting/improv, or are naturally argumentative. Now modeled after our summer camp, we will be bringing experiential debate to the classroom. Each unit will have a topic, a field experience, and a final debate. We run three intensive programs throughout the school year. These programs are not repeats, but rather build on top of each other. We would encourage you to sign your child up for the full year to enhance their experience! Learn More: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPcggPrh5Uk&app=desktop
Days: Thursdays, 3:30pm - 4:25pm
Winter: 1/9 - 3/12 (no class 2/13)
Spring: 3/19 - 6/4 (no class 4/9, 4/16, 5/28)
Students: "Littles" Class is 1st - 4th grades, and "Biggles" Class is 5th through 8th grades
If you have already signed your child up for the first trimester, we would encourage you to sign them up again, as our programs are not repeats, but build off of each other. Newcomers, we've also created our program so that if your child missed the first quarter, they can still join late and have a rewarding experience!”
Chess (spots are limited) - NO NEED TO SIGN UP IF YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY ENROLLED!
Enter into the magical and exciting world of chess with Chess Wizards! You will participate in epic chess games, fun and interactive lessons, tournaments, team matches, trivia and more! Our specialized classes are a blast for everyone as young as kindergarten and as old as eighth grade. Whether you have been playing chess for your entire life and want to improve, are brand new to the game, or you just want to have a fun experience with your friends - Chess Wizards is the place for you!
Days: Thursdays, 3:30-4:25 p.m., September 5, 2019, through June 4, 2020.
Students: Kindergarten through 4th grades
REGISTER NOW: Choose “Chicagoland” from the location drop-down menu, if you have issues with registration - please email: lesia@chesswizards.com or call 866-949-4386
Homework Help
For those students who wish to complete their homework in school and receive assistance, Mr. Esse and Mr. Amiel are available to help. Mr. Esse has taught at Akiba for eight years, working with first through eighth graders on subjects including math, science, social studies and language arts. Mr. Amiel teaches middle school math and Hebrew, and is a popular private tutor. Both are well-versed in the Akiba curriculum and have terrific rapport with students.
Days: Monday-Thursday
Instructor: Mr. Esse and Mr. Amiel
Kids’ Club
Kids’ Club is a safe and engaging environment for those younger students who stay later. Children can read, use computers, play on the playground (weather-permitting), socialize, have a snack and generally unwind from the school day.
Days: Monday-Thursday
Instructor: Molly Constantine (M/W), Julie Snyder (T/TH)