After School Program

From its humble beginnings as day care in the seventies and early eighties, the After School Program has grown and prospered. In addition to ASEP and MSED, the After School Clubs Program and Middle School Athletics have enriched a student’s time between the end of school and six pm. Summer Camps and Special Programs for conferences and teacher in-service days have continued to expand. Diane Pepe, Director of The After School Enrichment Program from 1993 until 2018, reflects on her work in ASEP.

In the 1990’s, aftercare at TPS was known as Day Care. Missy Randolph directed the activities for fifteen Primary Unit students in a shared space in the corner of the Multipurpose room. I became Director in 1993 and renamed the program The After School Enrichment Program to reflect the expanded curriculum that included significant educational and enrichment activities. ASEP, as the program was called internally, was a theme-based, art-oriented program that offered students a choice of activities during the hours after school. Students encountered a comprehensive experience with visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory and olfactory sensations related to various concepts that broadened their capacity for learning and memory. Under the leadership of Ann DiMezza, the program was expanded to include Preschool students. By 1998 Middle school students had their own focus. By 2018, more than 185 TPS students were enrolled in ASEP on a yearly basis utilizing locations throughout TPS.

A day at ASEP began with an introduction of the current theme (e.g. Layers of the Earth, The Elements, Math in Nature, and Leonardo’s Inventions). Each theme was presented via a Theme Board, with colorful images and supportive text that explained the initial educational concept. Students participated in art or science projects as well as cooking activities related to the theme. Additional choices for students included indoor and outdoor games in the yard or gym; reading in the library; building constructions in the Lego room; completing homework in the supervised study hall; playing monitored computer games; and interacting with their friends and siblings in a nurturing, home-like environment.

The After School Enrichment Program also offered Special ASEP Programs (currently called Special Programs) during conferences or on teacher in-service days, when regular school was not in session. These programs enabled students to enjoy trips, tours, and interactive activities at locations throughout Philadelphia and neighboring regions. Venues included cultural centers; art, science, and history museums; universities; theaters; musical institutions; and horticultural parks, farms, orchards, arboretums, and gardens. An example of a two-day Special ASEP Program celebrating the Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Festival was an immersive experience in Japanese culture. On the first day students traveled to the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center in Fairmount Park, toured the historic Shofuso House, and enjoyed a traditional tea ceremony. The following day, Japanese KyoDaiko Drummers came to TPS for a live performance and students participated in interactive drum lessons with the musicians. For snacks, students formed handmade sushi rolls and prepared sticky rice balls with Japanese noodle soup. Students then created decorative papers using the vibrant art of Suminagashi, Japanese marbling. The program concluded with a hands-on activity when students learned about the history and art of nurturing small trees while they planted miniature Bonsai trees to take home.

Kimberly Carter, the current Director of After School and Auxiliary Programs adds that “ Auxiliary Programs were expanding prior to pandemic, and even more so now as TPS attracts more families with two working parents. Currently, more than 80% of the TPS student body participates in after school programming. After more than thirty years, the ASEP program has returned to housing the program hub in the Multipurpose Room, with many more children than Missy Randolph’s group of fifteen. Even after enrolling more than 140 students per day, there is a waitlist for the After School Enrichment Program.”

Chelsea Weis Passmore, PE teacher and Athletic Director, shares how the athletics program has developed over time:

“The middle school athletics program continues to grow to become a more competitive and comprehensive program. Prior to the pandemic, in the winter of 2020, highlights included the girls basketball team winning the annual TPS Tigers Invitational Basketball Tournament, while the boys team were runners-up. While the pandemic put a pause on middle school athletics, we were able to come back in the spring of 2021 thinking outside the box, offering intramural soccer and a running club. The fall of 2021 brought back the return of TPS athletics, and while athletes still had to wear masks while competing, they rose to the challenge and represented TPS well. A highlight of the 2021-2022 athletics year was TPS once again qualifying and competing at Penn Relays! In the 2022-2023 school year, the program continues to grow and expand, now offering athletics four days a week across all seasons, and more opportunities to compete, practice, and grow. With a growing interest in athletics our boys soccer team now has an A and B team, with potential growth in 2023 for two girls soccer teams as well as three boys basketball teams. The athletics department hopes to continue to improve and become more competitive with our peer schools, demonstrating tiger pride and tenacity to get after it!”