Frequently Asked Questions

Elementary After School

After School Questions

The STEAM Enrichment Academy elementary afterschool program is brought to you as a result of our school community outreach to which our families overwhelmingly requested afterschool programs for their elementary school students.

DPIE STEAM Enrichment Academy’s goal is to help students develop a love and interest in learning either by exploring programs of high interest or taking courses that are outside of their normal classroom experience.  All courses are designed to be fun as well as challenging.

Who can enroll in the elementary afterschool program?

Students in grades K -5 who attend school in the Dublin Unified School District may enroll in the courses offered at their home school.

Where will the elementary afterschool program be held?

The DPIE STEAM Enrichment Academy elementary afterschool program offers courses at all elementary school sites in the Dublin Unified School District.

What are the dates and hours for the elementary afterschool program?

Each school year three different sessions of the elementary afterschool program are offered: Fall, Winter and Spring. Exact dates are determined based on the DUSD school calendar and vary annually. Most courses offered are 60 minutes in length, once a week over 10 weeks for a total of 10 hours of instruction per session. Some courses may run 70 - 90 minutes based on scheduling conflicts.

FALL: August through November

WINTER: November through March

SPRING: March through May

Why do I have to pay to enroll my student in elementary afterschool courses?

The State of California does not fund afterschool enrichment courses for any California public school district. Without your fees, there could not be a STEAM Enrichment Academy.

What does the enrollment fee for the elementary afterschool program cover?

DPIE charges a fee for its STEAM Enrichment Academy afterschool program to pay the costs for teacher and staff salaries, additional mandatory employer expenses, utilities, custodial service, supplies and rental of classroom facilities, chrome books, and other related costs. After all program related costs are covered, DPIE offers donations back to each school site administration, PFC and student council for their discretionary use. Therefore, a portion of your tuition cost is given directly to your student’s school for their benefit.

What method of payment do you accept?

When you enroll online, you will be required to pay the enrollment fee with your credit card. Our website is secure and encrypted so you can feel safe in paying online. Your card number is not stored. Please contact us if you need additional payment information or have payment questions.

Is financial aid available?  

Yes, any family that qualifies for the National School Lunch program which provides free and reduced lunches to students can receive financial assistance. If you are already in the program email us your child’s full name, their student ID number and school of attendance. Once we have confirmed your student’s qualification to the program, we will send you information to help you enroll your child in the class of their choice.   

If you would like to know more about the National School Lunch Program and complete an online application, please click here http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=2203112030183753. Upon notification of qualification to this program, please see above for details on how to proceed to request a financial aid package from DPIE.

Which grade levels may enroll in elementary afterschool courses?

Students currently enrolled in grades K-8 may enroll in the elementary afterschool courses. Please review course details closely as appropriate grade level varies for each course offered.

What is the cost of enrolling in an elementary afterschool course?

STEAM Enrichment Academy elementary afterschool program enrollment tuition varies.  Please keep an eye on our website for upcoming session course offerings and pricing. We offer discount pricing for early enrollments so…..Enroll Early and Save

What is the refund policy if we change our mind or have a scheduling conflict?

Before enrolling your child, please be aware that DPIE has a strict “NO REFUND” policy in place so we recommend you only make the decision to enroll if you are confident you have no conflicting plans.

We hire our teachers and contract with vendor partners based on the number of enrollments for their course and once we solidify our contracts with teachers and vendor partners, we are obligated to pay them. As a non-profit, we cannot afford to give refunds once we’ve committed to hire a teacher and have a vendor contract in place.

We do our best to keep costs down and make the program affordable to enrolling families.

Do you prorate the enrollment fee if my child is ill and or has a schedule conflict that causes him/her to be absent?

DPIE does not prorate the tuition fee to accommodate any type of absence or tardy. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to thoroughly review your calendar for any conflicts prior to enrolling your student in one of our courses. 

My child has special needs, can I enroll them in the afterschool program? 

If you have a student with special needs, please call our offices prior to enrolling your student to discuss their specific circumstances and in which course you would like to enroll him/her.  We will then communicate with the teacher to see if they are able to meet your student’s needs and if the course curriculum is compatible with your child’s needs/abilities.

If my child goes to EDCC, can I enroll them in the afterschool program and how will he/she get to and from EDCC? 

EDCC students enrolled in the DPIE STEAM Academy elementary afterschool program must check in to EDCC before going to their DPIE course.

Kindergarten students only will be checked out from EDCC just prior to the beginning of the class meeting and will be checked back in to EDCC at the end of the class by the DPIE vendor instructor or teacher. Students in grades 1-5 will be allowed to walk to and from EDCC on their own before and after their DPIE class. EDCC teachers will sign the students in from their afterschool course.

DPIE provides a list of all EDCC students in our program to each EDCC Site Director at the beginning of each afterschool session.

How do I enroll my child in the elementary afterschool program?

Enrollment in our program takes place online at www.dpie.org. Click on the Academy tab and select After School Programs, then select your student’s school site which will take you to the list of courses offered at their school site and all details in relation to those courses. Courses are filled on a first come, first served basis, as determined by the date stamp at the completion of enrollment. Seating is limited so please consider enrolling early. Once you have completed enrollment you will receive an email receipt.  You will receive a welcome email a few days before the course begins verifying course details – dates, time & room #.

May my child take more than one course at the same time in the DPIE elementary afterschool program?

Yes. Because we offer different courses on different days of the week, you are able to mix and match multiple courses that fit together and work with your family schedule and the number of days out of the week in which you would like your student to be involved in our program. A student can take 1- 5 courses in each session if they so desire.

When may I enroll my child in the STEAM elementary afterschool program? 

Enrollment for each session of our afterschool program typically opens as follows:

FALL: July

WINTER: September

SPRING: February

Families who have previously participated in our program will receive email notification in advance informing of when enrollment will open as well as when it is open.

When will I receive confirmation of enrollment and details about my child’s course?

You will receive several emails from DPIE between the time you enroll and shortly before your child’s course begins

  1. You will receive an enrollment receipt upon enrollment in the program. Please keep this for your records and proof of enrollment.
  2. Approximately 1 week before instruction begins, you will receive a welcome email with details specific to your student’s course.
  3. Additional emails will be sent during the afterschool program to inform you of any program updates.

How can I learn about what my child is doing in class?

Instructors are asked to send an email communication to parents as follows:

  1. Within the first two weeks of the beginning of instruction.
  2. Approximately 5 – 6 weeks into the session
  3. Two to three weeks before the end of the session

Will my child be assigned homework?

As an enrichment program, we strive to engage students in learning through fun. This fun learning occurs in the classroom with our teachers/instructors and their peers.  Because our teachers are “teaching their passion” and have no content standards to get through in an enrichment program vs. the quicker pace in the regular school year to get through all the content standards, they are able to go more in depth regarding their content through engaging and creative methods in the classroom. This richer and more varied educational experience provides a greater comprehensiveness than in a typical classroom getting students to a place of enduring understanding about that content. 

What is the attendance policy?

The elementary afterschool program is an enrichment program therefore, there is no formal attendance policy, however, please be reminded that absences and/or tardies will create a gap in your child’s experience and can cause a disruption for other students enrolled in the course. DPIE does not prorate tuition fee to accommodate any type of absence or tardy.

What happens if I am unable to pick up my student at the time of dismissal of the afterschool program?

Student safety is a top priority for us.  As such, no students will be left unattended. DPIE instructors/teachers are only contracted to be on site for the duration of the class. Students must be picked up immediately following dismissal. Should you anticipate a late pickup, please call the DPIE offices so that we may notify the instructor.

As part of the instructor/teacher contracts, DPIE incurs extra payroll costs if an instructor must wait longer than 15 minutes for a student pickup.  Therefore, student pickups later than 15 minutes after dismissal will result in a late pickup charge.

Are report cards distributed? 

No. The DPIE STEAM Enrichment Academy elementary afterschool program is for enrichment only and is a chance for your student to learn while having fun.

My questions were not answered, what should I do? 

If you need additional information or have a question that was not answered, please contact:

Vickie Constantinides
Academy Program Manager
Dublin Partners In Education
(925) 587-5610 Ext. 1003
vickie@dpie.org

or

Rich Boschetti
Academy Superintendent
Dublin Partners in Education
925 587-5610 Ext. 1004
rich@dpie.org

Elementary Schools

Questions or Comments

We are here to help. Please contact us with questions or feedback.

Main Office
(925) 587-5610

Rich Boschetti
Academy Director
(925) 587-5613
rich@dpie.org

Angela Clifford
Academy Program Manager
(925) 587-5614
angela@dpie.org


Local, Qualified Teachers

Courses organized by local teachers with California Teaching Credentials.