Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about Kaleidoscope Place and our Programs. This is a great place to start because it addresses many of the common questions we get.  If you have a question that you don’t see an answer for please don’t hesitate to call us at (612)-871-9268 or go through the Contact Us! form.

 

What programs do you offer?

We have an after school program, a summer program, and a youth employment program during the summer.

 

What are your program’s hours and what months do your programs run

During the school year our After School Kids program hours are 2:00pm-6:30pm Monday through Thursday on days when Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) are open.  After school Kids runs from Mid-September until Mid May.  During the summer our Summer Kids program hours are 8:00am-4:30pm Monday through Thursday.  We are closed on Fridays.  Summer kids runs from mid-June until mid-August.

 

Are you open when schools are closed? When are you closed?

For our after school program, Kaleidoscope Place is closed on days when Minneapolis Public schools (MPS) are closed.  This includes school holidays, conferences, teacher work days, snow days, etc.  Our calender follows the Minneapolis Public Schools calendar.  For our Summer Program, we are open for 8 weeks in the summer, from mid-June to mid-August.

 

What ages do you serve?

Our After School Kids program serves students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Our Summer Kids program serves students going into 1st grade through students going into 6th grade.  For the youngest students, they need to have finished Kindergarten.

Our Youth Employment program serves students 12 to 21 years old.

 

How many students do you serve? What are the class sizes and student to teacher ratio?

Each year we serve over 200 students through our programs.  We take pride in our small class sizes which rarely exceed more that 20 students.  Taking into account both our staff and volunteers are student to staff ratio is 5 to 1.

 

Does my child’s school bus go to Kaleidoscope?

We have a limited number of schools that bus to our location.  The best way to find out is to call your child’s school and ask them if they will bus to our address 2504 Columbus Ave, S Minneapolis, MN 55404.  You may also go to the Minneapolis public school website and enter our address to see which schools bus to our location.

 

Is there a fee for your programs?

Yes.  We have a highly affordable fee associated with our programs.  Fees are different for each program please visit the About our Programs.  If you have any additional questions visit the contact us page or call us at (612) 871-9268.

 

Do I have to pay the whole fee before my child can come to the program?

Yes.  The entire program fee for each child you register is due at the time of registration.

 

I have registered in the past, do I need to register again?

Yes. This is necessary because we need to make sure that all of your contact and child information is up to date.

 

Do children just play at your program or are they learning?

Kaleidoscope Place is an authorized Area Learning Center with Minneapolis Public Schools.  Students are divided into classrooms based on their age and or academics abilities and receive academic instruction in mathematics, reading, and writing based on the Minnesota Basic Standards.  Students also participate in enrichment and recreational activities.

 

Do you provide homework help?

Kaleidoscope Place provides homework help only when time permits.

Are you a drop in center?

No.  Your child must be registered for our programs in order to come to Kaleidoscope Place.  Registration is on a first come first serve basis.

 

How do students get to your program?

Most students are dropped off by the buses from their school.  Some students walk to Kaleidoscope and we also have some parents and guardians that drop their children off at Kaleidoscope.  Our program itself does not provide any sort of transportation.

 

Do you provide snack or meals in any of your programs?

Yes! Our After School Kids program provides a healthy snack for it’s students when they arrive at the program and also offers a well balanced supper for all students everyday. Our Summer Kids program provides a well balanced breakfast and lunch as well as a healthy snack in the afternoon.

 

Can you accommodate my child’s food allergies and/or food restrictions?

If your child has food allergies and/or restrictions we can usually offer an alternative.  Also make note that Kaleidoscope Place DOES NOT serve pork or pork based products.

 

What if I have more questions?

If you have more questions don’t hesitate to contact us or call us by phone at (612)-871-9268.  We would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have!