NEST Afterschool Home
NEST
Northampton’s Extended School Time Program
NEST is Northampton’s new after school program. Modeled after Leeds Elementary's decades-long Early Bird/Late Bird program, we're thrilled to be expanding it to all elementary schools across the district! Our programs are open to all K-5 students in the district, and we provide quality, affordable extended-day childcare on all full school days from 2:10–5:30pm.
Play
Play is at the heart of everything we do. It's how children discover the joy of movement, build socio-emotional skills, and learn to work with others.
Nurture
Through a strengths-based, restorative approach, we create a safe, nurturing space where kids feel heard and empowered.
Enrich
We craft daily experiences that blend unstructured play, enrichment clubs, creativity, and community-building.
Care
"Teachers and paraeducators from your child's school work alongside part-time staff to bring consistency and high quality to NEST."
About Our Programs
Our programs include a mix of unstructured play time and a variety of daily activities. All students are split into Clubs for the first portion of the afternoon. Clubs can include a variety of themes from Team Sports and Games to Newspaper, Music, Nature Exploration, Fiber Arts, Legos, Cooking, STEAM programming, etc. Clubs include snack time, free play, and an activity of the day. After Clubs end, students have ample free play time on the playground or in the Gym, Cafeteria, Library, Art Room, etc. with art projects, group games, board games, book clubs, and more!
Program Dates
First Day of Program: August 31, 2026
Last Day of Program: June 10th (TBC Pending additional days due to snow days
Hours of Operation: All full school days from 2:10-5:30pm.
Scheduling: We offer flexible scheduling with two possible pick up times:
- 4:15pm pick up
- 5:30pm pick up
We have rolling dismissal, so you may pick up your child any time before your scheduled pick up time. Clubs generally end around 3:30-3:45, so it’s best if you can pick your child up after ~3:30 so that they can complete the daily activity.
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Here is our approximate afternoon schedule. Each site may vary.
Kindergarten
2:15-2:30 Check-In and Story
2:30-3:15 Free Play on Playground
3:15-3:30 Snack
3:30-4 Centers / Activity of the Day
4-4:15 Clean Up and Pack Up1st-5th Grade
2:15-2:30 Program Check-In, Bathrooms, Water Bottles, Snack
(Group Leaders pick up Clubs between 2:15-2:30)
2:30-3:45 Clubs* meet
3:45-4:15 Free PlayExtended Day
4:15-5:30 Free Play All grades K-5 with a variety of activity choices**Note: Every day is different! On outdoor days, we frequently organize group games or activities outside, such as hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, kickball, capture the flag, obstacle courses, art projects, scavenger hunts, Yoga, etc. We occasionally bring groups inside for special activities.
On Rainy/Cold Days, we may have groups in the Cafeteria, Gym, Library, Music Room, STEM Room, and/or Art Room, where we set up various centers or special activities for the kids to explore - drawing and coloring, art projects, building, legos, gross motor games, dramatic play, sensory materials, quiet reading, STEM activities, etc.
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Our club offerings change 3 times per year. Registration for Clubs will be sent out approximately one month prior to the session start date. See below for dates of our fall, winter, and spring sessions.
Fall: August 31st - December 22nd, 2026
Winter: January 4th - March 26th, 2027
Spring: March 29th - Last Full Day of School
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Staffing Ratios: We follow the DESE recommended ratio of 13 children to 1 qualified staff member for students in 1st-5th grade, and 10 children to 1 qualified staff member for our Kindergarten groups.
Eligibility: Open to all K-5 children in the school community. Enrollment is contingent on staffing. We strive to make space for every family that needs childcare, and we prioritize safety at all times. If our staffing needs are not met, we may need to place some families on a waiting list. In that case, we will work to hire additional staff as soon as possible and will reach out as soon as additional spots open up. We cap our Kindergarten enrollment to no more than 16 students, depending on staffing.
Accessibility: Programs must provide reasonable accommodations (ADA/Section 504) to ensure equal access.
*A link to our full Program Handbook is coming soon!
Our Teams
Click on your student’s school above to learn more about their NEST staff!
NEST Program Director: Gabrielle Hollender
ghollender@northampton-k12.us
Site Coordinator: Myrna Devillier
Hi families! My name is Myrna, and I’m thrilled to be stepping into my role as the After School Site Coordinator at Bridge Street School. For the past two years, I’ve had the joy of working at BSS as both a 1:1 Paraeducator and BASE instructor. My favorite part of the day is cheering students on, helping them feel confident, and celebrating all the big and little wins along the way. When I’m not at school, you can usually find me gardening, laughing at my cats’ silly adventures, or searching for my next favorite show. Fun fact: when I was young and living in Puerto Rico, I had a pet chicken named Guillermina! I can’t wait for a year full of learning, laughter, creativity, and fun with your child. Let the adventure begin!
Site Coordinator: Tiffany James
I have a passion for working with children and have over 12 years of experience helping them learn and grow. As a proud mom of three, I understand the importance of creating a fun, supportive, and engaging environment. I am excited to begin this new journey as Site Coordinator and can't wait to see what this year has in store. I'm looking forward to creating fun-filled, exciting, engaging, and curiosity-driven experiences with everyone! Here's to a wonderful year ahead!
Coming soon!
Coming soon!
We are always looking for qualified staff to work with our after school programs. If you are interested in working with our programs, please send your resume and a brief description of your experiences working with elementary aged kids to ghollender@northampton-k12.us.
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Click on your student’s school above to learn more about their NEST staff!
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NEST Program Director: Gabrielle Hollender
ghollender@northampton-k12.us
-
Site Coordinator: Myrna Devillier
Hi families! My name is Myrna, and I’m thrilled to be stepping into my role as the After School Site Coordinator at Bridge Street School. For the past two years, I’ve had the joy of working at BSS as both a 1:1 Paraeducator and BASE instructor. My favorite part of the day is cheering students on, helping them feel confident, and celebrating all the big and little wins along the way. When I’m not at school, you can usually find me gardening, laughing at my cats’ silly adventures, or searching for my next favorite show. Fun fact: when I was young and living in Puerto Rico, I had a pet chicken named Guillermina! I can’t wait for a year full of learning, laughter, creativity, and fun with your child. Let the adventure begin!
-
Site Coordinator: Tiffany James
I have a passion for working with children and have over 12 years of experience helping them learn and grow. As a proud mom of three, I understand the importance of creating a fun, supportive, and engaging environment. I am excited to begin this new journey as Site Coordinator and can't wait to see what this year has in store. I'm looking forward to creating fun-filled, exciting, engaging, and curiosity-driven experiences with everyone! Here's to a wonderful year ahead!
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Coming soon!
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Coming soon!
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We are always looking for qualified staff to work with our after school programs. If you are interested in working with our programs, please send your resume and a brief description of your experiences working with elementary aged kids to ghollender@northampton-k12.us.