2010 Fishing Day
- WELCOME TO
FORT BLISS SCHOOL AGE CENTERS
- School Age Centers (SAC) is the bridge between early child care and middle school &
teen under the Child and Youth Services (CYS) umbrella
of oversight and management. Our top priority is to
bolster operations and increase availability of quality
affordable services to families. We plan our program in
cooperation with all CYS programs, Morale, Welfare and
Recreation (MWR) programs, and all other community organizations
that can support the health, safety, education, and welfare of
children.
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 Fort
Bliss SAC sites are nationally accredited by the National
After School Association (NAA) formerly National School Age Care
Alliance (NSACA). This accreditation assures parents of a
commitment to responsive and loving care, trained and competent
staff, a safe and healthy environment, and consistent program
improvement and quality. We use Assessing School-Age Child
Care Quality (ASQ) tools, a five-step process which guides us as we
look at program quality so that we can develop important priorities.
We involve the children, families, staff, and community in an open
dialogue about the program. Together, we make changes which
benefit the whole community. The ASQ process provides that
“you”, administration, staff, families, children and the community
members are the best people to make the changes that will improve
the program. |
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On October 1, 2010 the Army will launch the Fee Policy for School Year 2010/2011 as recently released by the Department of Defense Child Care Fee Policy. There are several changes that may affect you.
A copy of the new fee categories and fees are available from your child’s program, Parent Central, as well as on our website: http://blissmwr.com/cds/servicefees.aspx
Fee categories have changed and been expanded from 6 categories to 9. If you are currently a Category VI patron please bring your total family income information to Parent Central, B 1743, as soon as possible, so your category can be re-verified. Without total family income documentation patrons will be charged Category IX.
Our child care programs will continue to help reduce the conflict between your parental responsibilities and the Army mission, help with stress of parental separations and set the stage for your child’s future academic success. We appreciate your patronage and the sacrifices that you make as an Army Family in defense of our nation!
CYS Services would like to announce the grand opening celebration of the Bliss School Age Center on Thursday September 9 at 1600 hrs. The new SAC facility is located at 2012 Sheridan Rd, next door to Bliss Elementary school on Fort Bliss. Information regarding SAC programs and other Fort Bliss agencies that are here to support our families will be available. All are invited to attend and tour the new facility with refreshments. For more information call the Bliss SAC Director at 568-7187/8401.
Team Bliss Youth Sports Cross Country registration is through September 30 for boys and girls ages 5 to 18. The season begins August 23. Cost is $40 for the first child and 20% off for each additional child.
Your child must be a Child, Youth and School Services member, if not please register at Parent Central (call 568-4374 to make an appointment). Children must also have a sports physical on file or in hand upon enrollment. Call WBAMC Central appointments for sports physicals at 569-2273. For more information on Youth Sports call 568-2617. Click here to view flyer
- Safety
- School-Age Centers is committed to safety. We are
annually inspected and certified by the Department of
Army and comply with the Army regulations governing
facilities providing care to children. These
regulations are intended to establish minimum standards
in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of
children. Our activity space, supplies and equipment are
high quality, maintained in good repair and inspected by
the higher headquarters' authority. Parents as
well as Training and Program Specialists are involved in
observing and documenting the fact that we meet our own
standards of quality that exceed the minimum state
licensing regulations. For example, Texas Department of
Protective and Regulatory Services (TDPRS) licensing
regulations require a child to staff ratio of 26:1, but
Fort Bliss School-Age Centers provides a ratio of 15:1,
so for a site with 78 children we provide six staff when
state licensing regulations require only three. We know
that child to staff ratios are the number one predictor
of quality and safety in a childcare program. We
understand that even with sound risk management,
accidents sometimes happen. The School-Age Services
participants are covered under an Army liability
insurance policy.
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- STAFF CERTIFICATIONS
- School-Age Centers direct care staff is
composed of Child & Youth Services Program
Assistants. Each has had extensive
background checks by PMO, CID, SWS, ADAPCO (drug
testing), EPPD and NACI. Training in:
Ages & Stages growth characteristics,
Age-appropriate developmental and recreational
activities; environments; guidance techniques;
child health, sanitation, and nutrition;
administering medication and communicable
diseases; safety and emergency procedures; child
abuse identification, reporting, and prevention;
special needs awareness; CPR and first-aid;
regulations and SOPs; and parent/public
relations. Each receives 36 clock hours of
training per year when the state licensing
regulations only require 16 hours per year.
We require all our staff to have CPR and
first-aid certification, whereas, the state only
requires that one person on duty be certified.
All staff is required to wear a name tag when on
duty at any CYS operation.
- School-Age
Centers Facility Managers are responsible for the
day-to-day operation of their SAS program site. They
lead the staff, communicate with families, build
relationships with the school staff and faculty, and
oversee all program activities. The Facility Managers are
available to answer your questions and provide you
with a program orientation.
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- SITE LOCATIONS AND SCHOOLS SERVICED
- SAC
operates two before and after-school sites. We
transport children to and from all schools that are
either on post or adjacent to post. Working
parents whose children do not attend the schools
serviced by our programs in the EPISD can request a
"Working Parent Transfer" to a listed school through
Pupil Services at 6531 Boeing Drive. Children
arriving after buses have departed become the parent's
responsibility to transport to school. Please note
that breakfast ends at 7:30am.
- Main SAS, Bldg. 131 on Doniphan Rd.
provides before & after-school, full-day, and weekend
programs for:
- BLISS ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
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- HUGHEY ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
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- ROSS MIDDLE SCHOOL
- (before only)
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- School-Age Centers Bldg. 3505 on Ellerthorpe rd. provides before & after-school, and full-day care programs for:
- LOGAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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- COLIN POWELLELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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- TRAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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- BURNET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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- OUR LADY OF ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC SCHOOL
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Milam SAC, Bldg.11898 on Haan Rd. provides before & after-school and full-day care programs for:
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- MILAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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- ROSS MIDDLE SCHOOL(before only)
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 WHAT
DO SCHOOL AGE CENTERS KIDS GET TO DO?
- School-Age Centers offers a variety of well-rounded
daily activities for children to choose from that are
safe, fun and educational. There are a wide variety of
child-directed activities, staff-directed activities,
clubs, 4-H projects, field trips, presentations and
visits from outside groups, special events and daily
snacks. Activities are planned in advance and outlined
on a monthly activity calendar that families can use for
home-time discussions and planning. Each day the
activity area is transformed from the youth center into
a model SAC indoor environment, which includes a quiet
home-like area appropriate for relaxing, a homework lab,
a Youth Technology Lab, special interest areas, a fine
motor area, an open ended art area, a dramatic play
area, an active play area, a strategy building games
area, a snack area, and more! We offer arts and crafts
with many craft materials to make whatever they want,
imaginative indoor activities, outrageous outdoor games,
science and nature, music and drama, international and
multi-cultural activities, field trips, homework time,
daily snacks and special events.
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- Child-Directed
Activities:
- Child-Directed Activities are open-ended activities that
children are free to choose to participate in that
require little or no help from adults. Some examples of
child-directed activities are indoor and outdoor
interest centers such as sand toys, sand play, Lego's,
Lincoln Logs, other manipulative, hand puppets, dress
up, pretend businesses, other dramatic play, clay, play
dough, art, creative expression centers, strategy games,
etc.
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- Staff-Directed Activities:
- Staff-Directed Activities are scheduled activities that
require some adult direction and supervision. Some
examples of staff directed activities are Character
Counts, Power Hour, or active games such as "Octopus" or
"Loose Caboose", team sports such as soccer or softball,
other activities such as a cooking or sewing project, or
a more complex art project or a fine arts play.
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- Clubs:
- Clubs are special interest groups that children may join
which are facilitated by staff and lead by children.
Some examples of club themes are reading, science,
drama, journalism, fitness, cooking and the environment.
These clubs will vary based on children's expressed
interest. SAS sites also offer in conjunction with
the Texas Cooperative Extension office, a 4-H club and
projects.
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 Homework
and Youth Technology Labs:
- Within each SAC program site we have a Homework Center
and a Youth Technology Lab. Children who chose to do
their homework may go into the Homework Center for Power
Hour. Staff will help them with their homework and
provide additional educational opportunities such as
special projects of fun Power Pages to practice math or
vocabulary. When they are done with their homework they
are free to put their books away and go play with their
friends. If children refuse to complete their homework,
that is an issue that they can discuss at home with
their parents. SAC staff cannot "make" children sit and
complete homework, it is their choice.
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- Children
can sign-up for the Youth Technology Lab each day. Their
name will be called in turn for the lab. Usually the lab
can accommodate 9 to 15 children. The Youth Technology
Lab technician has children work on projects and games
together to build computer skills and social skills. The
Youth Technology Lab is seen as an opportunity for
children to build skills in technology, personal and
written communication, cognitive and social skills.
- Parents will be asked at registration to give permission
for their children to access the internet. Screening
software is installed on all computers and children are
monitored very closely.
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Hours of Operation:
Before
School Monday - Friday |
5:30am-First Bell |
After School
Monday - Friday |
Dismissal Bell - 6pm |
Super Awesome Saturdays every Saturday of the month at Logan SAS, Bldg. 3505 |
3-10pm |
Summer,
Winter, Spring Camps |
5:30am-6pm |
School Out
Days |
5:30am-6pm |
Sunday &
Federal Holidays |
CLOSED |
- Main SaC
- bldg.131 Doniphan Rd.
- Main Post
- 568-7187/5544
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- Logan SAC
- Bldg. 3505, Ellerthorpe rd.
- Logan Heights
- 915-569-5779/5784
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- MILAM SAC
- Bldg. 11898, HAAN rd.
- EAST FORT BLISS
- 915-744-2274
Eligibility: Priority for Care:
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Category I – Single (sole
parent) active duty military patron; dual active
duty military patron or single DoD civilian; CYS
staff children and/or siblings of children already
in a full-time program.
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Category II – Active duty
military or DoD civilian with full-time working
spouse.
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Category III – Active duty
military or DoD civilian with a full-time student
spouse.
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Category IV – DoD contractors
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Category V – Active duty
military or DoD civilian whose spouse is not working
or attending school full time.
Children participating in the
Before and After School program must be enrolled in
grades first through fifth. Children participating
in SAC summer camp program must have completed the first
grade and be under the age of 12. Transition from
kindergarten/CDC into SAC begins on the first day of
school. CDS offers a structured age
appropriate summer camp for children entering
kindergarten and/or first grade. Youth Services
provides a youth & staff directed summer camp program
for middle and high school youth.
Children of sponsors eligible to use MWR activities
in accordance with AR215-2 may use the services
provided by CYS programs.
- WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER FUN CAMPS
- A full-day program for school age children during
their intercession vacation, which provides
recreational and developmental activities.
Activities may include individual and group games,
swimming, bowling, roller-skating, archery, arts &
crafts, and field trips to museums, parks, and local
areas of interest to the children. Admission fees
for all activities are included in the child's
program participation fee.
Click below for monthly calendars
- DAILY SCHEDULE
- When visitors step into
the School Age Centers
(SAC) building, they see
happy, busy children, a
rich environment, caring
adults, and a variety of
activities. We have
found that talking with
the children about what
they like to do and
observing them, planning
the activity areas based
on child preferences and
developmental levels and
maintaining a variety of
activities is one of the
secrets to a successful
program. The other
critical element is
respecting children's
freedom and choice.
Children do not have to
ask to move around the
building, they are not
directed by an adult to
participate in projects
or activities.
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- Children choose what they would like to do and what
they are interested by using the “Children's Choice
Board” with their magnetic ID swipe cards. The
“Board” is used to help children make their choices
within certain limits set by staff to ensure
children's safety, but allow them freedoms to
practice responsibility and autonomy within the
program grounds. The staff communicates on a
continuous basis about the children's supervision
and location by two-way radios.
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- Mornings: An organized staff-directed
activity is scheduled every morning and children may
also enjoy the child-directed activities, or
participate in supervised in door/out door free play
depending upon the weather. Breakfast is provided
buffet style from 0630-0730. Milam School students
are transported the earliest to school at 0710,
others will leave at 0730-0745.
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- Afternoons: Children report to their
designated pick up point as soon as school is
dismissed. Attendance is taken and any child
who is absent is followed up on. The first half hour
(1530-1715) of the after school program provides
nutritious snacks buffet style and outdoor/gym play
is available. Children can choose to eat a second
snack, burn off some energy in active play - running
laps, sit and talk with their friends - sit and rap,
relax in the quiet area - read or do home work, etc.
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- From 1615 1730 all areas are open. From 1730-1800
areas of choice are gradually reduced and cleaned up
as the numbers of youth are picked up. Group
announcements and discussion time usually follows
snack on Mondays. Children hear what their choices
are for the day and discuss things like their school
day, family time, value words, scheduled activities,
etc. Each afternoon there are two or more scheduled
activities one active and one passive.
Children that do not choose to participate in the
scheduled staff-directed activity may choose a
child-directed activity or monitored indoor/outdoor
free play.
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- Parents may come into the program and observe
children moving from one place to another and feel
uncomfortable with so much freedom. The SAC program
does not resemble a formal school setting - we like
it that way. After a day at school, children want to
move or rest, play or be quiet; it is up to them.
Children don't like to wait; they want to do what
interests them. They want to spend time with their
friends or talking with a trusted adult or they are
hungry for a snack. We find that behavior problems
are kept at a minimum when children have interesting
and age appropriate choices. We also find that
children have many opportunities to extend their
math and science learning by conducting hands on
projects such as cooking, reading or using the
computer. They build social skills by participating
in clubs and group projects. They also build their
bodies by playing active games outside,
participating in fitness activities, and eating
healthy snacks. During full-day intercession, field
trips, sport events, swimming and special programs
are planned.
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
SAS utilizes government vehicles as a privilege
to our patrons and trains our staff to safely
operate them with the most precious cargo –
children. Our safe passenger rules must be
adhered to at all times, please review them with
your child, failure to follow these safety rules
may result in suspension of their vehicle
privileges.
* Seat belts must be worn at all times in vans.
Van can not move until everyone is buckled up.
* Everyone must remain seated and facing forward
on buses. Bus cannot move until everyone
is properly seated.
* Inside voice is to be used at all times in
vehicles.
* Eating, chewing, and drinking are prohibited
in vehicles.
* Nothing may be extended out a window.
* Help the group keep the vehicle clean and
trash free, place trash in designated trash
container. |
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