Hi Stars & Comets Team,

I am thrilled you have joined us for the 2024 - 2025 school year.  Here are a few important things to note for the upcoming year, including setup, scheduling info and more.  I know this is a lot of information, and I thank you in advance for reading all of it and being prepared for the upcoming year!

 

• Transition / Start of School Year Schedule / Full Days -

  • Camp CUBBER officially ends on Friday, August 2.  We will have a camp team working on Saturday, August 3 to get as much as possible from camp taken back to storage so that we can start as fresh as possible for Stars & Comets.

  • All Stars & Comets staff will have workdays on Monday, August 5, Tuesday, August 6, and Wednesday, August 7 from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM to finish some final camp close down stuff, clean and setup rooms for Stars & Comets, do other Stars & Comets school year prep work, do some staff training, and provide some general facility help to get the campus ready for the school year.  Stars & Comets staff are expected to be present unless you have specifically requested those days off in advance.  Stars & Comets staff that also work for Robin's Nest are expected to be present for any days you are not required to report for Robin's Nest.  If you cannot be present or have limitations to your availability those days, please let me know immediately (if you have not already done so).​​  Here is a little info on what to expect for the week.​

    • ​On Monday, August 5 we will do an introductory staff meeting, help move any remaining camp equipment to storage (if any), and then help with some general facility projects to get the campus ready for the school year.  This could include things like dusting / cleaning, touch-up painting, moving furniture, etc.  That will take the majority of the day, however; staff who are required to report back to Robin's Nest on Tuesday will be able to work on their Stars & Comets classrooms after lunch.  A selection of Jimmy John's sandwiches will be provided for lunch by Stars & Comets.

    • On Tuesday, August 6 we will do more staff training, including an Active Assailant Training at 10:00 AM for all campus staff.  That training will be immediately followed by a luncheon for all staff.​  Then we will work on Stars & Comets classrooms / cabinets.

    • On Wednesday, August 7 we will do new staff 

  • We will then be closed on Thursday, August 8 - Friday, August 9.  Those closed days are not paid unless you choose to use sick / personal days to cover them.

  • Stars & Comets will officially open to students on Monday, August 12.  School will begin that day for Pinellas County public and charter school students, so regular before and after school care will be provided.  Westlake Christian School will not begin until Tuesday, August 13, so we will provide full day care for students of Westlake Christian on Monday, August 12.

    • As a note, on full days, we are open from 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM and need coverage for all of that time.  For full days where it is only Westlake not in school, a smaller team will be selected to work to cover that.

    • And please remember that as with all full days, staff are expected to work on those days (unless you have specifically requested time off) to help provide full day care for the families in our program.  Staff should plan to work additional hours on full days to help provide the needed coverage.  If another job, a college class, or child care / parenting obligation prohibits you from doing so, it is an expectation that staff work at least their regular shift, or an equivalent to their regular shift on those days.  Again, if you need time off, please be sure to put in a request for that in advance.

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• Scheduling - To help me schedule for August 12 (regular before / after care and a Westlake only full day), I will have an availability form that will be sent around this week.  Any time we have full days, this is how I will plan and you will see a similar form circulating, usually a few weeks in advance.  The availability form is for you to list any hours you are unavailable (due to things like another job, a college class, or child care / parenting obligation) as well as shift preferences if desired.  Please note that shift preferences should be just that - a preference.  We are open from 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM, so not all staff can work the early shift (or the late shift).  I do my best to be fair and spread the love around for shift preferences.  Typical full day shifts could be things like 7:00 AM - 12:30 PM, 8:45 AM - 4:45 PM, and 12:15 PM - 6:00 PM.  That said, hours will likely vary depending on staffing and the field trip / special activity.

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• First Aid / CPR - If your First Aid / CPR is scheduled to be renewed, or you have not yet taken First Aid / CPR, that will need to be completed (via ZOOM class) before August 12.  I will text date options to those who need that class, but please see me (or reply to the text) to schedule.

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• New Staff Training - As a reminder, in addition to First Aid / CPR, all new staff must have completed the Transportation Safety module on the DCF training website prior to August 12.  Also, new staff must complete the Achieving and Maintaining Quality in Afterschool Practices (AMAP) training module by October 1.  All new staff will be signed up for those classes and will be provided with a link for logging in.  If you want to get a jump start on that stuff this week, please feel free to stop by and see me so we can get your account for that training set up.  Once all 6 intro classes (AMAP, CAAN, HSAN, RNRF, SAPR, UDAP) have been completed OR once you are ready to try to competency test out of them, please see me or Ms. Amanda for help signing up for the tests for those.  As a reminder, once you pass the test for all 6 classes, there is an increase in pay available.

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• Returning Staff Training - All other staff have their 40 clock hours to finish (if last school year was their first year with Stars & Comets) and / or 10 annual in-service hours of training to complete by May.

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• Stars & Comets School Year Schedule -

  • August 5 - 7:  All Staff Work Days

  • August 8 - 9:  Closed

  • August 12:  Public and charter schools start (regular schedules start for most staff) / Full Day Care for Westlake students

  • August 13:  Westlake Starts

  • September 2:  Labor Day - Stars & Comets Closed

  • September 23:  Full Day Care

  • October 10 - 11: Westlake Fall Break (Full Day Care for Westlake students) / Regular before & after care for public and charter school students

  • October 14:  Full Day Care (All students)

  • November 25 - 27:  Full Day Care (All students)

  • November 28 - 29:  Thanksgiving Holiday - Stars & Comets Closed

  • December 20:  Westlake Early Release Day

  • December 23:  Full Day Care (All students)

  • December 24 - 25:  Christmas Observance - Stars & Comets Closed

  • December 26 - 27:  Full Day Care (All students)

  • December 30:  Full Day Care (All students)

  • December 31 - January 1:  New Year’s Observance - Stars & Comets Closed

  • January 2 - 3:  Full Day Care (All students)

  • January 6: Full Day Care (Public and charter school students) / Regular before and after care for Westlake students

  • January 20:  Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - Stars & Comets Closed

  • February 17:  Full Day Care (All students)

  • March 17 - 21:  Full Day Care

  • April 18:  Good Friday Holiday - Stars & Comets Closed

  • April 21:  Full Day Care (All students)

  • May 23:  Westlake Early Release Day

  • May 26:  Memorial Day Holiday - Stars & Comets Closed

  • May 27 - 28:  Full Day Care for Westlake students / Regular before & after care for public and charter school students

  • May 29:  Full Day Care for Westlake students / Regular before care but Early Release Day for after care for public and charter school students (all staff report 2 hours early)

  • May 30:  Camp CUBBER 2025 Orientation (Stars & Comets Closed)

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• Holiday Pay - After 90 days of employment, holidays are paid (even for part time staff).  Staff returning for their second (or third, fourth, or seventeenth) year do not have a 90 day wait for holiday pay.  Staff will receive the hours normally worked on a regular Stars & Comets day on that specific day of the week, which is 3.5 hours for most staff.  If you are not regularly scheduled to work 5 days a week and a holiday occurs on a day you do not normally work, you will not be paid for said holiday.

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• Calling Out / Missing a Shift - If you cannot work your shift (due to illness, family emergency, vehicle issue, etc.) please let us know as soon as possible and always PRIOR to the start of your shift.  To do that, please text both me and Ms. Pamela or call the Stars & Comets office directly.  My cell is (727) 415 - 0212 and Pamela's cell is (727) 510 - 1259.  If you can do this as a group text it is great.  Or again you can call the Stars & Comets office line at (727) 781 - 6343.  Please remember the Stars & Comets office line is for phone calls only (no texts).

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• Paid Time Off - After 90 days of employment, all staff (even part time staff) qualify for personal / sick days.  Staff returning for their second (or third, fourth, or seventeenth) year do not have a 90 day wait for paid time off.  The number of days provided is based on several factors including whether you are full or part time, whether you work mornings and afternoons (or just one or the other), how long you have been working at Stars & Comets, and more.  Sick / personal days will be discussed when going over staff contracts, which we will do within the first few weeks of the school year.

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• Time-Off Requests - For time-off needs, time-off request forms (purple form) can be found in the staff mailbox in the kitchenette area.  Those should be turned in to my office as soon as possible (once known) and at least 2 weeks in advance for regular days and at least 4 weeks in advance for full days.  Like camp, time-off is offered on a first come, first served basis.  As much as I would love to approve all requests, we cannot operate as a program without enough staff.  So, please remember to get needed time-off requests in as soon as you know the dates you need.  Also, please remember that time-off is a shared resource.  As such, staff should not be requesting to be off for every full day or for week long vacations surrounding multiple holidays.  So if you are hoping to take a long vacation at Thanksgiving… great!  Just know that it would be unfair to the rest of the team to ask for another long vacation at Christmas or at New Years.  If you have questions about the holiday schedule and expectations please feel free to let me know!

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• Church Service Attendance - Stars & Comets staff are expected to attend at least one church service at Palm Harbor UMC annually - the Blessing of the Staff / Board of Education Recognition Sunday, which will be on August 25.  Because it is a requirement, I do pay staff for attendance.

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• Staff Meetings - Stars & Comets staff are expected to attend a once a month staff meeting.  Those are often on a Friday, typically @ 1:30 PM; however, the times and days are occasionally moved around to accommodate as many staff to be in attendance as possible.  If you are not regularly scheduled on the date of a staff meeting, you are not expected to be present UNLESS specifically asked to be present.  If a shift at another job (i.e. - Robin’s Nest) prevents you from being there, please let Mr. Chris or Ms. Pamela know prior to the meeting.  Typically a meeting notes / minutes will be available after each staff meeting.

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• Dress Code - Please note that staff are not required to wear Stars & Comets shirts during the school year EXCEPT on full days with a field trip (when kids will wear them as well).  That said, if you have staff shirts, it might be a good idea to wear them for a few days as we kick off the school year, perhaps August 12 - 16.  We will be ordering additional staff shirts prior to the first field trip in October.  Dress code is similar to summer.  Dress in a manner that makes both children and parents feel that you care about your appearance, in a manner that is both appropriate and professional:  Pants, jeans, and reasonable length shorts are appropriate.  Jeans may have rips / holes, but please no rips or holes above the knee.  Shorts must go to the MID THIGH or longer.  Basketball shorts, “Soffe” style shorts / cheer shorts, and other gym shorts are not acceptable.   If you choose to wear leggings / yoga pants, please be sure your shirt / top goes to your mid thigh and completely covers your back side.  When you are not wearing a staff shirt, please make sure you are still wearing something appropriate for working at a church program.  T-shirts are ok, but should not have things like band names, movies titles or quotes from movies above a PG rating, crude memes or graphics, or questionable brand labels (alcohol brands, cigarette brands, etc.).  And nothing political!  In addition, no tank tops, or anything that would be considered revealing or immodest.  I would suggest, if in doubt that you wear something else.  Remember that you are working with children, be prepared for messy crafts and active games.  Closed toed shoes are required Mondays through Thursdays. Fridays are the one sandal / open toe shoe day exception, since it is often movie day for most groups.  Our program, by its nature, is full of activities that require movement where sandals or other open toed shoes are not appropriate.  Sandals or flip flops may be worn on water days only.  Please note that any staff that arrives to work in inappropriate attire (including inappropriate foot wear) may be sent home without pay to change into acceptable attire before returning to work.

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• Phones - Please remember that our phones can be a valuable tool, but we need to treat them as such…  a tool and not an addiction.  As a tool, we will have a group iMessage (for all staff with iPhones) and a group text (for our few Android folks) that we will send updates, and reminders out on.  The office team (Ms. Pamela, Ms. Pam, Ms. Amanda, and I) will also use text as a way to communicate other important info or ask job work related questions.  In an emergency, the phones (and specifically texting) give us a great, and silent, way to communicate.  That said, as a general rule, please try to keep phone usage around our students to a minimum - especially when supervising a group.  If you need to make a call or be on the phone for an extended period of time, please call for a floater or Admin to cover your class so you can do so.

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• Chapel - We are doing monthly chapel again for the 2024 - 2025 school year, though it will be moving days this year to be on a Monday. There will be no chapel in August.  Starting in September, Chapel will be on either the first or second Monday of the month (through the month of May).  Chapel will go from 3:45 PM - 4:15 PM.  Here are the current projected dates for chapel for the year:

  • September 9

  • October 7

  • November 4

  • December 2

  • January 13

  • February 3

  • March 3

  • April 7

  • May 5

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• Group Leaders Responsibilities -

  • As a group leader, you are the first line of supervision and care for our students.  This is your single most important responsibility.  This includes having an accurate attendance and knowing how many students are in your care AT ALL TIMES and ensuring they are safe while in our care.  Classroom attendance is done on paper during the school year.  That attendance requires students to be “slashed in”, “slashed out”, and put the time in and time out.

  • Group leaders are also expected to appropriately interact with parents at pickup (and ensure that the person picking up is eligible to do so by being listed on the student’s appropriate pickup list).  Remember to be cordial.  Building a rapport with parents (where you ask about their day, tell them good things about their child’s day) will make it significantly easier when there are times when you need to discuss behavior issues with them.  If there is a behavior situation (or anything else) you do not feel comfortable speaking to a parent about, please do not leave it unsaid.  Let an Admin staff know and we will help with that conversation.

  • While we have custodial staff on campus, group leaders are still expected to do some light custodial work to ensure the facility is taken care of (and looks appropriate / professional).  This includes wiping down the tables with either cleaning wipes or cleaning spray & paper towels both before and after snack as well as at the end of the day.  Group leaders will also need to pick up / sweep up any major debris from the floor in the room at the end of the day and stack chairs in the designated spot at the end of the day.  Students may help with some of these tasks, but students should not be handling cleaning wipes, cleaning spray, or come into direct contact with wet spray that has already been applied to a table.  Those things all say the words "keep out of reach of children" on the bottle or dispenser, which means it is up to you as a group leader to be the one to wipe down the tables.  Thank you for your help with that!

  • Group leaders are expected to put away all Stars & Comets belongings and supplies at the end of each day (back into the Stars & Comets designated cabinet) and ensure that that cabinet remains moderately clean and organized.  Students should be a regular part of both putting things away and helping straighten up / sort the Stars & Comets cabinets.  All groups will also be provided with an equipment bag with supplies for outdoor play.  That should be brought outside with you for play AND brought back up after play and returned to your room.  This year, I will be asking all groups to label their equipment with their group name (more on that later) so we can better track equipment.  Also, when on the field and playground, we need to make sure our students are picking up after themselves, and often helping pick up after lots of use throughout the day.  Trash or other debris should be picked up and thrown away (even if you are not sure that it was left by your students).  Have the kids help with this!  Also, leftover belongings that are believe to belong to a Stars & Comets child should be brought up and put in lost & found area at the end of the day.  Leftover belongings that are believed to belong to a Westlake child should be brought inside the cafeteria.  And cones should be stacked on the court at the end of the day.  Let's continue to be the ones that leave the playground / field (as well as everywhere else) better than condition than we found it in.  Thank you for your help with all of that!!!

  • Group leaders should be planning activities for their groups on a regular basis.  Those can include group games, crafts, science projects, team building / creative thinking activities and more.  While those activities will depend on your group’s interests, there are certain general expectations.  There should be at least one “take-home” activity every two weeks.  Something that they make here at Stars & Comets that goes home.  It is also important that we have things going home at key times during the school year.  Please plan to make a Christmas themed craft that your students can give to a parent as a Christmas gift.  Please plan to do the same for Mother’s Day.  There will also be occasional special craft activities requested to support things like Honor Flight / Veterans, Metropolitan Ministries, and more.

  • As part of being a group leader, we will celebrate certain holidays with the kids, typically with a class party (ie - Halloween Party, Christmas Party, Easter Party, etc.)  Typically, the more you put into those celebrations, the more they will enjoy it.  And while we are not looking for anyone to go overboard, be sure to plan appropriate activities and purchase needed supplies.  We will discuss any upcoming holiday celebrations at the prior month’s staff meeting.  

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• Floaters Responsibilities - Please rotate among all rooms and assist with homework time, crafts or projects, staff bathroom breaks, making sure snack is put away, and other needed errands / duties as they arise.  Floaters should be sure to “spread the love” around and make sure their time is divided between all groups in your assigned area (not just one or two).  Unless specifically helping with homework time or a project, floaters should not be spending more than 10 minutes in any given room at a time.  Floaters should also not use the office as their “home base” when not assigned to do something.  If the office needs you, they will radio for your help.

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• Drivers Responsibilities -

  • Please make sure you are driving carefully and never using your cell phone while driving.  If you need to call the office (or answer a call from the office) while driving, please be sure to do so with speaker / hands free.  Even holding a phone while in a school zone is a citation in Florida.

  • Please make sure your vehicle is kept clean and is swept out regularly, preferably once a week or every couple of weeks.  A great time to do this is after your morning run (if you drive in the morning).  If you only drive in the afternoon and need help finding time to do this, please see Mr. Chris or Ms. Pamela.

  • Please make sure your vehicle is kept fueled.  We have multiple gas cards, so we do not have to assign specific fueling days, but as a general expectation please plan to fill your vehicle when it is at half a tank and definitely before it gets under 1/4 of a tank.  Fueling after one of your morning runs each week (if you drive in the morning) is also recommended.  If you only drive in the afternoon and you need to come in a few minutes before your assigned shift to fuel your vehicle, please feel free to come in, clock in, and go do so.

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Again, thank you for being a part of the Stars & Comets Team for the 2024 - 2025 school year.  I know this is going to be an amazing year and I am very happy to have you be a part of it!  If you have any questions about any of the above referenced material (or anything else for that matter), please feel free to stop by and see me, email me, or text me.  My cell is (727) 415 - 0212.

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Thank you for taking the time to read all of this information.  Please reply to the text with the word "complete" once you have finished reading this staff information.  Thanks!

 

Chris Steurnagel

Director, Stars & Comets / Camp CUBBER