New after-school program at Polk St.

Students in the Franklin Square School District will have a familiar place to go after hours once school starts again — a campus they should be very familiar with.

On Sept. 8, children in the district can attend the district’s new After School Care and Enrichment program. The daily program — called ASCE for short — is a way for the district to help parents keep their kids safe during the day, and for the safe place to be a learning environment.

“We’d like them to be able to have more than just a place for children to sit for three hours then have parents come and pick them up, “ Franklin Square Board of Education President Joe Armocida said. “We’re confident that the kids are going to have a good outcome from the program.”

The program will be run by new Polk Street Assistant Principal Tom Riccobono, with the help of Washington Street teacher Jason Tomack. Tomack will be in charge of the program’s day-to-day operations while Riccobono will work as the overseer.

“It’s going to provide the childeren obviously a safe, fun and educational environment after shool for working parents,” Riccobono said.

Each after school session will last from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. every day school in the district is open. Every programming day will be broken into four parts, with children moving between them, and separated by grade.

“Everyone will have a homework time, a physical education time, a game time, and an enrichment time — enrichment could be technology, which includes computers and digital cameras, arts and crafts, sign language and science.”

As the program grows, Riccobono said, more and more enrichment programs will be offered, with possibilities including drama classes and foreign language instruction.

“It’s a self-sustaining program, the more kids join, the more there will be that we can do.”

Parents hoping to enroll their children will be able to select from 3-, 4-, or 5-day-a-week participation, with a monthly fee paid per child enrolled. Fees begin at $170 for three days, $220 for four and $270 for five-day participation, in addition to a $50 registration fee. Parents with multiple children in the program can pay discounted prices for multiple students in the program.