Packer+ Auxiliary Programs

On any given day, Lower School students have the opportunity to enroll in one of our Enrichment Courses, join the Pick-n-Play Extended Day program, or even do both.

Enrichment Courses

Afterschool Enrichment Courses are designed to spark curiosity around a broad range of topics like chess, film-making, karate, robotics, pottery, and even magic. Led by experienced teachers, many of whom are full-time faculty, students engage, explore, and experiment as they pursue their varied interests.

Courses take place weekly and registration is based on a trimester schedule (fall, winter, and spring). New options are always being rotated in, so no two trimesters ever look the same. 

Pick-n-Play Extended Day

Students in Kindergarten through 4th Grade can also join our Pick-n-Play Extended Day program that runs from dismissal until 6 pm on each day that Lower School classes are in session.

Pick-n-Play consists of a snack, followed by three structured activity blocks during which students can participate in sports, arts and crafts, group games, and more. Pick-n-Play staff members approach the time with a “fun first” mindset, and activities are constantly changing so that each afternoon is new and unique.

Pick-n-Play also includes an optional Homework Help period at the beginning of each afternoon. This quiet, proctored time allows students to complete their assignments before moving on to participate in other activities.

While advance notice of Pick-n-Play attendance is highly encouraged, parents are welcome to register their child on an as-needed basis. Please note that students attending one of our Enrichment Courses also have the option to join Pick-n-Play after their class. 

Middle School students have a wide range of options available to them after school. For example, they can:

• Spend time in the Packer Garden until 5 pm
• Attend a proctored Study Hall until 6 pm
• Join an Academic Team 
• Participate in one of our Middle School Enrichment Courses

Academic Teams & Enrichment Courses

Packer’s Middle School Chess, Robotics, and Debate Teams provide an excellent opportunity for students to collaborate with their peers while honing their skills as a member of a competitive squad (read more in the “Academic Teams'' section below).

In addition, a rotating selection of Middle School Enrichment Courses help to round out the after-school schedule, while ensuring that students have an interesting array of possibilities to select from each week. 

Enrollment for each program is open throughout the school year, and students are encouraged to try out anything that piques their interest. However, once they have committed to a team or activity, they’re asked to attend each session for the duration of the season.

Upper School students have the option to stay in a supervised area of campus each day until 7 pm. In addition to attending sports practices, games, rehearsals, teacher meetings, etc., they may:

• Study in the Blackburne Library
• Play in the Packer Garden 
• Spend time socializing in the Student Center
• Join the Pelikings Chess Team and/or the Debate Team (see the “Academic Teams” section below).

There are also several paid employment opportunities available to Upper School students who are interested in working as assistants in our Lower School program. 

Open to students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade. No prior experience required.

Packer’s robust chess program offers opportunities for both casual and competitive play.

In addition to fielding teams for “away games,” the Pelikings host several large, on-campus tournaments each season that are open to the public and easily accessible for Packer students. Popular and prestigious in their own right, these home-grown events are a fantastic opportunity for our novice players to test the waters of competitive chess on their own turf.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to chess@packer.edu.

Open to students in grades 5 through 8. No prior experience required.

The Middle School Robotics Team meets twice weekly to explore the basics of coding with the goal of designing and building a robot to compete in the F.I.R.S.T. Lego League series. 

During afternoon practice sessions, the team works together to conduct research, tinker, get input from industry experts, and even participate in mock competitions with other schools. Then on game day, they test the limits of their robot creation by carefully navigating it through a series of challenging tasks in the hopes of taking home the top prize.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to robotics@packer.edu.
 

Open to students in grades 5 through 12. No prior experience required.

Packer’s Debate Team trains students to compete in a variety of speech, debate, and interpretation formats, including:

• Congressional Debate 
• Public Forum Debate
• Parliamentary Debate
• Lincoln Douglas Debate 
• Extemporaneous Speaking
• Impromptu Speaking
• Persuasive Speaking
• Expository Speaking
• Dramatic Interpretation
• Duo Interpretation

The team has successfully competed at the local, state, and national levels for the past several years and routinely attends annual invitational tournaments at Emory, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

Students of any experience level are welcome to join the team, provided that they can attend weekly practices and invest time in outside preparation. 

Interested in learning more? Reach out to debate@packer.edu.