Happy New Year Hayden After School Families!

Please follow Hayden After School updates through our monthly newsletters and emails. Each month, we will feature important calendar dates, operations updates, and registration information for participating families.

Scroll below to discover important information pertaining to January programming and policy.

Most importantly, we hope the end of 2022 and the start of 2023 is a time of peace, happiness, and good health for all of you and your families!

Warmly,

MaryBeth McMahon and Kristen McLeod
Hayden After School Program Co-Directors
Each month, our Hayden After School Newsletter will feature at least one of our fantastic staff members for you and your children to learn more about through quick facts!
JAN.2
No School/Hayden CLOSED


There will be no school on Monday, January 2nd in observance of the New Year's Day holiday.

The Hayden Recreation Centre will also be CLOSED. There will be no Hayden After School.
JAN.3
Return to School/Session 3 Classes Start

Students return to school following the end of the December recess from school. Hayden After School resumes operation today.

Session 3 Classes at Hayden also start today! Class Authorization Forms are mandatory for Hayden After School children enrolled in Session 3 Classes. Follow the button below to access the Class Authorization Form. Read below in the "Classes" segment within the Policy and Reminders section for additional information.
JAN.4
Session 4 Class Registration Opens

Registration for Session 4 classes begins online today at 11:00am!

Please fill out a Class Authorization Form for each child you have enrolled in Session 4 classes. Class Authorization forms MUST be filled out if your child is enrolled to attend any classes at Hayden.
JAN.5
February Vacation Camp Early Registration OPENS for HAS Families

During the February school vacation week, Hayden After School is offering a 4-day camp running from Tuesday, February 21st through Friday, February 24th. There will be no camp programming operating on Monday, February 20th in observance of President's Day.

Hayden After School families have a one-week priority registration period before registration becomes available to all other Hayden members.

Please scroll down to the next section to learn more about the camp.
JAN.11
February Vacation Camp Registration OPENS to All Hayden Members

Today marks the end of exclusive early registration access for Hayden After School families interested in our February Vacation Camp.

Registration for all Hayden members opens up today at 11am.
JAN.16
Martin Luther King, Jr. One-Day


Hayden After School is offering a one-day program, which includes a full day of activities, active play and self-directed choice. Families are advised to pay close attention to the operating hours of this one-day, as it has been adjusted from the operation hours of previous one-days. This one-day will operate from 9:00AM-3:30PM. An email with additional details will be sent to participating families as the day approaches. Enrollment is $65.00/per child.

Registration will close on Tuesday, January 10th. Requests for registration beyond this date may not be approved. Please plan accordingly.
The Hayden After School Lost and Found is filling up. Any unclaimed contest of the Lost and Found bin (located at the top of the Hayden After School stairwell) will be emptied and donated after *FRIDAY, JANUARY 13TH.

Please visit our Lost and Found for any clothing, accessories, or water bottles that your child(ren) may have left behind.
Effective immediately, a Hayden After School staff member will be located in the Girl's Locker Room and the Boy's Locker Room at a desk chair.

These "Locker Room Attendants" are present in the Locker Rooms to support children, extend supervision, and maintain the physical space.

Children will no longer utilize the Family Locker Room when changing for/from swim.
Lexington Public Schools are closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Regular Hayden After School programming will not operate on this date. Alternative one-day programming, provided and operated by Hayden After School, will be held from 9:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. If you enroll your child(ren), please pay close attention to these programming hours, as they differ from our previous One-Days and vacation camp operation hours.

Children participating in our Martin Luther King, Jr. One-Day will join Hayden After School staff for a full day of activities and active play.

Registration for this one-day is required and is available for a fee of $65.00 per child.

Registration is currently active and will close on Tuesday, January 10th. Please plan accordingly, as registration requests beyond this date may not be accommodated.
Children will be accompanied by Hayden After School staff for a 4-day week of fun, including self-directed choice, group activities, daily free swim, and active play in the gym. Programming will operate from Tuesday, February 21st through Friday, February 24th. There will be no camp on Monday, February 20th in observance of President's Day.

On Friday, children can enjoy a pajama day and complimentary lunch from Hayden After School. Children are encouraged to bring a lunch from home on this day if families choose to not have their child(ren) partake in this lunch. Pajamas are not required but are certainly encouraged for extra coziness today!

If your child is enrolled in a February vacation clinic or class at Hayden, we will bring them to and from that offering. Information on these offerings will soon be available on the Hayden website.

Daily programming will operate between 8:30AM and 6:15PM. Registration is currently available for an enrollment fee of $310.00 per child.

Hayden After School families have early access to our registration link for a week, starting on January 5th. As of 11:00 A.M. on January 11th, registration will become available to all Hayden members.


At a later date, a finalized schedule will be emailed to participating families with additional details and a daily breakdown of activities.
If your child is signed up to attend Hayden After School via the bus, families MUST directly alert Hayden After School if your child will not be on the bus for any reason (i.e., will be dropped off to Hayden via car, is absent, etc.).

Our bus lists contain the names of every child enrolled to attend HAS via the school bus on each day of programming. If you do not alert us of a transportation/attendance change for any given day, we are unclear as to whether or not your child should be on the bus with our groups, causing a safety and supervision concern.

We expect children to occasionally not be on the bus for a variety of reasons, but we do also require families to provide us with notice so we know that your child is safe and where you need them to be each day.
In the event of inclement weather such as snow, please check your email, our website, our Instagram page, and/or our Facebook page for information regarding delayed opening or closures.

If Lexington Public Schools are closed to due inclement weather, Hayden After School will also be closed.

In the event that the Superintendent of Lexington Public Schools cancels after school activities or Lexington Public Schools close early due to inclement weather, Hayden After School will also close.

  • Children will NOT be transported to the Hayden Centre as the Centre will be CLOSED.
  • It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to contact their child(ren)'s school in order to coordinate the pick up of their child(ren).

In the event that the Hayden Recreation Centre closes early due to inclement weather, parents will be notified by email and may be asked to pick their child(ren) up early from the program.
During a typical half-day schedule, children are provided ample time to consume their lunch upon arrival to Hayden After School.

For much of the first part of the school year, many children have arrived to Hayden After School without a lunch for half-day programming. While Hayden After School keeps a supply of cereals and snacks for situations of forgotten or soiled lunches, we do not regularly provide lunch for After School children.

Families must ensure that their child arrives to Hayden After School with enough food for lunch if they are not eating it at school. Under some circumstances, some children are eating their lunches during snack at school, or don't have a lunch at all.

On half-day programming days, please be sure to either send your child to school with a lunch in their bag to eat at Hayden, order a lunch for your child through their school's cafeteria, or drop off a lunch if your child arrives to school without one.

Families must notify Hayden After School ([email protected] or 781-862-8480) if your child or children will be absent from HAS and/or will not be taking the bus, as soon as possible.

Lexington Public Schools do not directly share attendance information with Hayden; families must communicate with, BOTH, your child's school and Hayden.
During dismissal times, only the adults that you have authorized in your child's Pick Up Authorization form are granted permission to dismiss your child from our program. If you wish to add additional people to your list, please send an email with all of the details to [email protected].

Between 6:00 - 6:15, all remaining children who have not yet been picked up will be located in the STEAM-Work classroom for a group story time. Please proceed to the STEAM-Work classroom if you arrive to pick up your child after 6:00pm.

If children are in the After School wing upstairs, please visit a staff member or one of our Directors in a classroom and we will inform you which specialty room your child is in at that time.

If children are outdoors, please visit the staff member situated at the top of the hill adjacent to the large field, and they will assist you in the dismissal process.

Per the parent handbook, families who are consistently late picking up your child(ren) will be charged a late fee. Your third time late, you will be given a verbal warning. On your fourth time, you will be charged $1.00 for every minute you are late, which is to be paid for on that day. On the 5th time late, a meeting will be held between the parents and the Hayden After School Program Directors to decide if Hayden After School is the appropriate program for your child.
Session 3 classes begin on Tuesday, January 3rd and conclude on Sunday, February 19th.

If your child registers for any classes during Session 3, you MUST fill out a Class Authorization Form (see button below).

Class Authorization Forms grant Hayden After School permission to escort your children from our programming to their class(es) elsewhere on the property. Hayden After School programming operates separately from Hayden classes, which is why we cannot have children leave our after school program without proper permission from their guardians and supervision by Hayden After School staff.

Please fill out and submit your child's form as soon as you register them for their class(es). There will be a one-week grace period in which children will be permitted to attend their Session 3 classes with or without their Class Authorization Forms on file. Any delays beyond our one-week grace period (Monday January 3rd - Tuesday January 10th) will impact your child's ability to attend their class(es).

If we have not received your child's Class Authorization Form by 4:15pm on Tuesday, January 10th and/or before their class(es) start(s) for the second consecutive time your child will not be brought to their class(es); once the form has been completed and submitted, we will be officially authorized to bring them to their class(es). If your child misses any classes after the grace period ends at 4:15pm on January 10th due to no receipt of a completed Class Authorization Form, refunds will not be issued under this specific circumstance.

Class Authorization Forms can be emailed to  [email protected] or dropped off to the Front Desk of the Recreation Centre.
If you decide to cancel at least one of your child's Hayden After School blocks, please notify us via email at [email protected] by the 1st of the previous month (i.e., changes for February must be submitted by January 1st). We require families to provide any schedule changes in written form (i.e., email, printed documentation).

Please inform both Hayden After School and your child's elementary school of any schedule changes as both organizations need this information in supporting your child's transportation plan and after school schedule.

Activities can be cancelled online through your account.
If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please IMMEDIATELY inform Hayden After School and keep your child home from Hayden After School. Prompt notifications assist Hayden After School in maintaining a safe and healthy program.

To keep all participants safe, healthy, and happy we ask that participants read and follow the guidelines and protocols explained below:
For further information regarding Hayden After School policy and procedure, please refer to our 2022-2023 HAS Parent Handbook:
MaryBeth McMahon,
After School Program Director
(she/her/hers)

MaryBeth McMahon joined the J.W. Hayden Recreation Centre community as the After School Program Director in 2019. MaryBeth has a passion for supporting children and families, particularly in settings beyond the classroom and school day. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education (1-6) and a Master's Degree in Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8). She has worked with children in a variety of roles, including as an early childhood educator, after school counselor, summer camp activity specialist, special education teacher, and elementary school teacher. MaryBeth enjoys photography, walking her dog, and adventuring with her family. She is thrilled to be in the midst of her fourth year at the Hayden as the After School Program Director, and she looks forward to ensuring that every child feels included, supported, and engaged while here!
Kristen McLeod,
After School Program Director
(she/her/hers)

Kristen McLeod rejoined the J.W. Hayden Recreation Centre community in 2021 as a Hayden After School Program Director, having previously been a part of the After School program as a Group Leader back in 2019. Kristen enters her second year as an After School Program Director, after serving in the role of Community Counselor at a Somerville Non-Profit for two years. Kristen holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art Therapy. Kristen's love for art and activities is one of the things that drew her back to HRC. In her free time, Kristen enjoys painting, drawing, and maintaining her large vegetable garden! She is so excited to continue within the HRC community, and work to make sure that each child feels safe, supported, and has fun!
The Hayden After School Directors can be reached via email or telephone.

Registration and enrollment questions should be directed at Kristen, while general transportation, logistical, and programming inquiries should be directed to MaryBeth.

If you need to speak to either one of us on the phone, please give the Recreation Centre's phone number (781-862-8480) a ring and they will connect you to either one of our phone extensions.

All Hayden After School inquiries, reports of student absences, and other general forms of communication should be sent to [email protected].

If you need to contact us directly, you may do so by using the following email addresses: [email protected] (MaryBeth McMahon) and/or [email protected] (Kristen McLeod). Please refrain from sending absence notifications to MaryBeth or Kristen directly, as these messages may go unseen if either Director is out that day.

If you are in the After School wing and are in need of assistance, please see one of the Hayden After School Program Directors. MaryBeth's office is located between the STEAM-Work and Creative Corner rooms. Kristen's Office is located in the back of the Zen Den. We will be wearing red name tags to make us easily identifiable.
J.W. HAYDEN RECREATION CENTRE | https://www.jwhayden.org