Afterschool
What to Know
PS 261’s Afterschool is a PTA-led, professionally directed program providing affordable, high-quality childcare, plus robust and varied enrichment classes for our school community, Pre-K through 5th grade. Such classes include chess, soccer, karate, painting, tennis, poetry, hip-hop dance, and much more. Need-based financial aid is available.
Currently, PS 261 offers an Afterschool option for 3K run through a different program in partnership with Ladybug Daycare and Preschool.
How it Works
Led by Afterschool Director Ricky Merisier, the program offers 70+ different arts and athletic classes during Fall, Winter, and Spring sessions, serving more than 200 children each weekday. In the spring, we produce a spectacular annual Spring Musical. The program runs from 2:35 PM (when the school day ends) to 6:00 PM sharp.
PS 261 offers need-based financial aid to families for Afterschool tuition. Click here to access the need-bases sliding-scale tuition application.
Currently, PS 261 offers Afterschool to our 3K families through a partnership with Ladybug, located on Pacific across the street from PS 261. Click here for more information.
Afterschool Sessions
Fall, Winter, & Spring
The program offers 70+ different arts and athletic classes in Fall, Winter, and Spring sessions, serving more than 200 children each weekday. Before the start of each new session, families rank their preferred enrichment programs, and then are entered into a lottery.
For the specific dates of each session, please click on the button below to access our FAQ.
New to Afterschool?
To register your child, please Director Ricky Merisier at ps261afterschool@gmail.com with the following information:
Guardian(s) first and last name with an email address and phone number and your child’s name, grade, and desired session and afterschool care days.
We will follow up with an email invitation to fill out an enrollment packet on Brightwheel.
Cost & Fine Print
Afterschool tuition includes care from dismissal until 6pm, a healthy snack, outdoor recess in the Big Yard (construction and weather permitting), and an enrichment class.
Afterschool has an annual registration fee of $100. Afterschool care costs $35 per child/per day, or about $700 a month for full-time care depending on the school’s schedule, billed monthly. Pay by credit or debit card, or ACH through the Brighthweel app.
All Afterschool communications and processing are done through the Brightwheel app, including registration, payment, and pick-up. When enrolling for enrichment classes, individual links will be sent to the student’s guardian to rank specific classes for each day they are in Afterschool.
PS261 Afterschool is a program of the PS 261 PTA, a non-profit 501(c)3. More than 20% of our operating budget supports our community financial aid program, featuring need-based, sliding-scale tuition from $3.50 per child/per day. Your support for Afterschool child care also funds the Afterschool Spring Musical and the PTA’s lunch and recess counselor program.
Contact Us
The Afterschool office is open from 11 AM to 6 PM. Our phone number is (718) 330-9275 x 5016 and our email is ps261afterschool@gmail.com.
Afterschool offers before-school care for a $40 monthly tuition fee per family (covers every school day or as needed), but you must register first to participate. Please email ps261afterschool@gmail.com for information on how to register.
Before-School Care starts at 7:30 AM each school day and is a warm, welcoming space for quiet activities for Pre-K through 5th grade students. No need to schedule care in advance—just drop off at the Pacific Street school entrance. Children are supervised in the auditorium until the school day begins at 8:17 AM. Then students can pick up a school breakfast to take to their classrooms.