After-School Programs

We are excited to offer a robust set of after-school programs for Lower School students, including Extended Day, athletics, music ensembles, enrichment classes, and music lessons through Peabody Prep. Visit our After-School Programs website with all key information about each program. Here are the highlights:

• Registration for all after-school programs (Extended Day, athletics, enrichment classes, and music ensembles) opens on Monday, August 11 at 9 a.m. and takes place in a centralized registration system (CampBrain), the same platform we use for Park Camps.
• Payment for after-school programs takes place in CampBrain instead of FACTS. For extended day, families will pay a $25 deposit at registration and then complete seasonal payments (September, November, February). For seasonal enrichment classes, full payment is due at registration. 
• Registration for co-curricular opportunities (athletic teams and music ensembles for 4th and 5th Graders) will also take place in CampBrain. However, because they are part of Park’s co-curricular opportunities, these programs do not have an additional fee.
• Registration for enrichment classes (Grades 1-5) is a first-come, first-served model. Fall registration opens on August 11 at 9 a.m.; winter and spring enrichment class registration will take place later in the school year (October and January, respectively), and we will email families with the winter and spring schedules before registration opens for those seasons.
• Registration for Extended Day (Grades Pre-K-5), however, is not first-come, first-served. Any family that wants to participate in Extended Day can do so — space is not limited in that program. Please note that all children must have a completed “Extended Day” medical form in order to participate in the program. Parents can find this form in the August Schools portal.
• For Extended Day contracts, families will select the number of days per week to attend, but they do not need to select the specific days themselves. For example, if a family selects a two-day per week contract, they can come to Extended Day any two days of the week. 
• Co-curricular after-school music offerings in the Lower School are connected to the music ensembles for 4th and 5th Grade students. Our after-school ensembles include Soundwaves (a choral group for 4th and 5th Grade students) and 5th Grade Jazz Band. These activities are offered at no additional cost, and are described in more detail here. Families will also receive an email with specific information directly from the music teachers.
• In case you missed the announcement in June, we are excited to partner with Peabody Preparatory, who will run Park’s individual music lesson program. Peabody Preparatory manages the registration, scheduling, and billing for the individual music lessons, and interested families can learn more about their program and complete an inquiry form here. Park’s after-school support staff will help students that are in both Extended Day and Peabody’s individual music lesson program transition to and from their lessons. 
• Unlike individual music lessons, however, Peabody’s seasonal dance classes are integrated into Park’s enrichment class offerings, and registration takes place in our CampBrain registration system.
• Our Lower School Athletics Program provides team sports for 4th and 5th Graders in the fall and spring. We are also excited to partner with Level Five Athletics for the seasonal sports clinics for 2nd-3rd Graders, and their coaching staff will be working closely with the Park Athletics program to create alignment between the clinics in the younger grades and the team experiences that start in 4th Grade.
• Please visit our new After-School Programs website for additional information about each program, and email afterschoolprograms@parkschool.net with any questions about our offerings.

General Information

A Message from the Counseling and Wellness Office 

Dear Students and Parents, 

Welcome to the 2025-2026 academic school year! 

A new school year is always a refreshing opportunity for new beginnings; this year is no exception. 

The entire Counseling and Wellness Team, with unwavering dedication, is committed to providing the high-quality social and emotional programming and support you are accustomed to. We are thrilled to continue to provide fresh initiatives and approaches to the school community, ensuring a smooth transition for students and families.

Here is what you can expect from the Counseling and Wellness Team:

• Human Sexuality Education: Park’s Human Sexuality Education is taught by Debbie Roffman in the Lower School and Ashley Edwards in the Middle and Upper School. Holistic in nature and comprehensive in scope, Park’s trained health educators focus on healthy social and emotional development, healthy relationships with self and others, and community health and well-being. 
• Counseling: The role of Park’s school counselors is to promote wellness, facilitate student social and emotional development, and work with individual students and families to address social, emotional, and mental health challenges that affect students’ learning and development. We are always here for you, providing confidential, brief counseling support for students and families. 
• Please contact us to request support services at any time. Lower School families, please contact Lower School Counselor Amy Ancona at aancona@parkschool.net or 410-339-4129. Middle and Upper School families, please contact Kara Ker at kker@parkschool.net or 410-339-4158, Tucker Snow at tsnow@parkschool.net or 410-339-4117, and Edwin Gordon at egordon@parkschool.net or 410-339-4170.  Please note that we cannot support requests for students to participate in teletherapy with community clinicians at school.  
• Park Connects: Our Park Connects program strives to create, strengthen, and support the connections between and among students and adults in our community and to promote students’ healthy development and physical, social, and emotional well-being. To that end, this year’s Park Connects program will include the following:
  • A universal bank of online parenting resources that address current parenting challenges
  • Collaboration with the Parents’ Association to provide relevant topics and resources for parent grade-specific discussions
  • Parent Meet-and-Greet sessions with the Health Team

Please visit our Park Connects page for more information.

• Referrals: From our robust professional network, we can refer you to community providers for assessments and more extended-term treatment. 

We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming you back on campus soon! We hope you will become acquainted with us this academic year. If you or your family have concerns you want to discuss confidentially before the year officially begins, we encourage you to reach out in late August. 

Warmly, 

The Counseling and Wellness Office (Amy, Ashley, Edwin, Kara, Tucker & Debbie)

The purpose of these groups are for students to build community, engender support, and promote inclusivity and a sense of belonging with those who share a particular cultural identity. Currently, affinity groups meet on a four-week rotation during the school day and will continue expanding as the needs of our community change. Please fill out this form if you would like your child(ren) to participate. 

Partners at Park Program
The Partners at Park program traditionally pairs Lower School students of color with Upper School students. At times the program has been extended to include Middle School students or other students from historically marginalized populations in our school. 

The program reflects the school’s commitment to supporting and affirming our students as we embrace the diversity within our community. We have found that students of color may feel isolated when they are in a visible minority; an older buddy can make a significant difference in helping students become more comfortable at Park, thus enabling them to share their unique gifts and talents with all.  The Partners at Park Program has allowed children to build friendships with students across divisions and has given students of color a stronger voice within our school. If you would like your child to participate, click here. 

Common Bonds
The Common Bonds gatherings provide an opportunity for Lower School students of color to meet and forge connections with one another. It is our hope that Common Bonds will continue to be a place where students can affirm their individuality while also building lasting relationships that will carry them through their time at Park. We are excited to offer this community building experience for students in Grades 1-5. A number of Lower School faculty members will lead the group in activities, which take place once a month (on Thursdays) between 3:15 and 4:15 p.m. The dates can be found below: 

October 16, 2025

November 13, 2025 

December 4, 2025

January 15, 2026

February 5, 2026 

April 23, 2026 

May 7, 2026

More information on other programming to come from the Director of DEI. 

Lunch/Cafeteria and School Store Limits Requests

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 eat lunch in their classrooms, are not able to order lunch, and must pack a lunch daily. Students in Grades 3-5 eat lunch in the cafeteria, and can order one meal and one drink (for a total of $8.40 per meal). Cafeteria charges are billed monthly in arrears. 

Parents may set a monthly limit on the amount a Lower School student may charge in the cafeteria or in the School Store. Note that Lower Schooler’s will only have access to the School Store if/when accompanied by a parent/guardian. 

Click here to set monthly purchase limits on your child’s cafeteria account and the School Store account — if you do not want to set a limit, you do not need to fill out this form. Note: prior limits set will remain in effect unless you resubmit this form. We recommend that if you do place a limit on your child’s account, please discuss this with your child ahead of time so there is no confusion or misunderstanding at checkout time.

Save the Dates

Back-to-School Night for Parents and Guardians in Grades Pre-K-5 • Thursday, September 11, 6:45-8:45 p.m. 

• 6:45–7:25 p.m.: Kindergarten through Grade 2 parents meet with teachers in classrooms.
• 7:40–7:55 p.m.: All families meet in the Meyerhoff Theater for an address from Head of School Dan Paradis and Lower School Principal Matt Doyle.
• 8:05–8:45 p.m.: Grade 3–5 parents meet with teachers in classrooms. 

STEAM Night for Families in Grades Pre-K-5: Thursday, October 23, 6 p.m.

Literacy Night for Parents in Grades Pre-K-5: Wednesday, April 15, 6 p.m.

*Please refer to the Lower School Calendar section below for more important dates.