Afterschool Activities
While there is some variation from year to year, school-wide after-school activities have included chorus, chess club, folkloric dance, drama club, Destination Imagination, math club, and Math Kangaroo. For families needing after school child care, PACT has orchestrated its own program called PACT PALS.
PACT PALS is the onsite after-school care available at Stevenson School. It comprises of a-la-carte enrichment classes taught by various professional extra-curriculum service providers, and extended care by Newton Center. With PACT PALS, a student does not have to leave campus till up to 6pm. Cost of each class and extended care session is incremental. Your total cost depends on total time and selection of classes, many in the $12-$13 per hour range. A sample of classes offered from Winter 2011 include Spanish, Drama, Mandarin, Karate, Newton Center, Chess, Tae Kwon Do, Public Speaking, Yoga, Lego, Dance, Math, Music, Art, Mad Science, Photography, and After-school Aviators. PACT parents volunteer to assist in supervision in these classes. After enrichment classes, Newton Center offers extended care (Homework and Free Play Club) till 6:00pm, where children can do their homework, join some additional enrichment project, or choose another safe activity under supervision.
Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination Opens to All at Stevenson PACT
This worldwide program promotes creative team-based problem solving skills, develops self-confidence, and helps students become successful problem solvers in their daily lives. Student teams create solutions to challenging problems while learning to brainstorm, think critically, and test solutions. Students who choose a Performance Challenge write their own short plays or skits, and present a performance with costumes, props, and set, all designed and made by students. Students who choose an Engineering challenge design and build machines, vehicles, and structures to solve challenging and fun problems.
Most schools have Destination Imagination available only to the GATE program students. Here at Stevenson PACT we see a close fit between our own goals as a school and the DI program, so it is open to all students who are interested. Parents volunteer effort is required - a team manager for every team of seven, plus two more volunteers committed for weekend training and competition shifts.
Stevenson PACT sent seven teams to the Silicon Valley regional competition during our first year in the program - as many teams as the middle schools, who have six times the student population! We are looking forward to our second year in Destination Imagination.
Math Kangaroo
Kangaroo Math competition is coming to Stevenson!
This international math competition is open to grades 1- 12. The Stevenson site will be accepting registrations ONLY from current PACT students and their siblings. To register, please go directly to http:’/www.mathkangaroo.org. If you have any additional questions Anya or Stephanie will be happy to answer them.
