What we do......
who it's for......
how it's run......
Explorers' Club Saturdays can be hectic affairs, just as challenging for parents, in their way, as for the children!The keynote is ORGANISATION. The way we run the sessions has evolved over the years with the aim of providing the greatest opportunity for the greatest number of children to benefit from the activities.
So to new members we say please give these arrangements a try before suggesting alterations. They do have a point even if it is not immediately obvious. Hardened regulars, too, might pick up a few points they've missed in the past. So please keep this handy for reference.
Please book for activities as early as possible, preferably as soon as you receive details in the newsletter or webpages. That way we have time to provide more session leaders for an activity that proves particularly popular.
To make early booking easier, we will accept cheques postdated to the day of the activity. This we hope will encourage parents to book for the whole term at once, without financial penalty.
SIZE OF GROUPS
Experience has shown that groups of ten to twelve children are the most that activity leaders can cope with.Where the number of bookings justifies it, and if we have sufficient notice of the demand, we will organise more than one session of an activity.
In this case, grouping is done largly by age. In the case of two sessions, the groups will generally be of ages 4 to 7 and 8 upwards. Where numbers dictate three groups, these are likely to be ages 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 and over.
This is not just bureaucracy. It is essential for us to know exactly how many bodies we have on the premises, for all the obvious safety reasons.
So there will be a registration point at all club meetings. Please don't leave your children (if you intend to) UNTIL after they register.
Fruit juice and biscuits are available during breaks in the children's morning and afternoon sessions at Mascall's and are included in the charge. (However, a contribution would be welcome to cover refreshments for younger children not booked into activities.) Tea or coffee and biscuits are also for sale to adults.
Families staying all day should bring their own packed lunches, as the lunch break is often very short. Please don't forget to bring drinks for the children and cold drinks for adults, if needed, in hot weather.
It is important to tell us on the booking form if you intend to stay during the activity(ies). A considerable number of parents do stay and their presence and help is always greatly appreciated. However, there are some who seldom or never do so. perhaps they should be reminded that we are a co-operative group; it is unfair to expect others always to shoulder the burden. Parents sitting in on an activity are expected to keep an eye on and help all children, not just their own.
Whilst we appreciate the need for the children to be themselves, we do not want any accidents, so please encourage them to respect other people and property, as any damage must be paid for.
Children should not be left until they are confident on their own. Mascalls is a large, geographically confusing place where many adults can (and do) get lost.
NO child should be left on his/her first Explorers' Club day.
We recognise the problems of families including children under 4, and we provide (for a modest charge) a play area with puzzles, games and other materials, supervised by a qualified pre-school leader, to occupy the younger ones.
But we must ask that at least one parent stay around to ensure that their child(ren) do not disrupt the main activities. Occasionally we might accept a three-year old for a formal activity, but this depends entirely on circumstances and is done on a "pay on the day" basis.
On the days when we have a guest speaker to address parents, it is particularly important that all under 4s join this group. Parents who do you not wish to leave their young ones in another room, may be asked to stay with them to avoid undue distraction to speakers and other parents.
Young siblings can present particular problems on family outings (see below), since no special arrangements can be made for the under-4s. we must sometimes ask parents to leave a talk or demonstration if crying babies or noisy toddlers make it difficult for the activity leader or other members to concentrate.
Please see that your child wears or brings suitable clothing; cover-ups like aprons or old shirts for craft-work or science, stout shoes or wellingtons for outdoor activities, or the right footwear for sports.
(Even when we spell out such things in the events listings, you'd be surprised how often they are forgotten!)
In addition to the Saturday sessions at mascalls, we try to arrange several family outings during the year, at half term or between terms.
Last-minute changes of plan by families are a major source of problems on outings.
So if you book to attend an outing and find at the last minute that you cannot attend,
PLEASE LET US KNOW.
We make a practice of delaying the start of outings until everyone booked in has arrived.(Unless the delay is inordinate, in which case we make arrangements for you to join us some way through - worth knowing if you are unavoidably held up en route) So we must know if you are unable to turn up at all, or everybody else will be inconvenienced, to put it mildly.
If it's possible to give us more notice of non-attendance, it may mean that another family can take your place i in which case, your booking fee can be carried over to a future activity.
We're constantly on the look-out for new and stimulating activities. Especially welcome, of course, are parents offering to run a session themselves. But failing that, your ideas are also needed, along with contact details, please, for someone we could approach to organise the activity.
The Explorers' Club is run by and for members of the national Association for Gifted Children. Non-members are welcome to attend two or three club days or outings as guests. After that, they will be expected to join the Association if they wish to continue to benefit from the activities on offer.
These guidelines are under constant review in the light of circumstances. Let us know if you have any suggestions or if anything is not clear. A copy of the latest version will be sent to all new members.
WE MEET on three or four Saturdays each term at Mascalls School, Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood,Kent TN12 6LT. The school is off the B2160 to the south of Paddock Wood. We cater for children aged from 4 to 12, there are usually three or four activities running in parallel each day.
For a full club day, the cost is £8 per head, maximum £20 per family. This includes mid-session refreshments. The cost of individual half-day activities varies according to their length - details are given on the booking form with each issue of the newsletter.
Your Kent Branch committee members...
Secretary: Judy Galbraith Treasurer: Philip Runacres Membership Secretary: Shambles, 43 Bentley Road. Ashford,Kent TN24 0HR Lyn Kolsteren Explorers' Club Co-ordinator: Tara Shilling Newsletter Editor: Ann Bodimeade
Other members: Pat Fysh Alison Macdonald Maddy Heath Alan Rudd Kathy Leaf Chris and Rob Sankey Rosemary Taylor
Top of Page Contact Lyn Kolsteren for all Newsletter/Booking form enquiries.
Last Revision 29/3/98 © NAGC 1998 - Layout by Bob moore
