Before and After School Programs

The Chess Club instructor divides students by experience and provides each group with 10-15 minutes of whole group instruction which is followed by challenging chess matches.  Our instructor is Mr. Babakuli Annakov with support from Zora Skelton and Nurse Carla. For more information on Mr. Annakov, please review his biography.  

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Does your child need a little extra support and guidance completing their homework in the evenings? Do they need help developing classroom skills? Homework club might be just the after school program for them! Students will have an opportunity to complete homework in a classroom setting with the help of a teacher and their peers.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Math Olympiads provides opportunities for young mathematicians to engage in creative, problem-solving activities while developing the ability to reason logically and resourcefully using word problems. Under the direction of Zora Skelton, Math Coach and Brenda Wilder, fourth grade math teacher, students will prepare for monthly Olympiad contests. These problems require a combination of grade-appropriate math skills and deductive reasoning. Students will practice individually, with partners or with teams to solve these logic and reasoning questions in preparation for the monthly contests. This is not a competition, but rather an opportunity to challenge students to higher level thinking. Math Olympiads is an excellent option for students seeking a challenge as well as those who might need an added mathematical boost.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Handwriting camps are ideal for students who would benefit from more individualized assistance with handwriting skills, pencil grip and overall fine motor strength. Weekly camp sessions focus on developing and strengthening fine motor skills along with writing endurance. Each week proper letter and number formations will be reviewed. Line placement, proper sentence structure, and self-editing skills will also be incorporated. Activities are sent home as a way to ensure continued success across all environments.

Handwriting Camp is led by Keelie Washer, Pediatric Occupational Therapist. The Handwriting Without Tears curriculum is utilized as a guide for letter formations. Occupational therapy groups can be submitted to insurance for potential reimbursement. Supplies and workbooks are included in the tuition price. 

Please fill out and return the registration form if you are interested in participating in the spring handwriting camp.   

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Join Mrs. Stautzenberger and learn to work with different mediums such as ink, cloth, acrylics, and more to create various mixed media art pieces. Artists will have the opportunity to show their creations in a mini gallery for your viewing pleasure on our final meeting date.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Join Amber Stautzenberger to learn about female artists and their value in the art world. Students will create masterpieces that will come from their influence and methods. Artists will have the opportunity to show their creations in a mini gallery for your viewing pleasure on our final meeting date. Women of Art is a club open to all genders.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Field Hockey + YOU = FUN. Join Coach Hudson and friends for an opportunity to play and learn about the sport of field hockey, one of the most popular sports in the world! Students will learn the fundamentals of field hockey in a fun, fresh and engaging environment. Sticks and balls will be provided.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Join Nurse Carla, Ms. Gwinn, Mrs. Beck, and Dr. Holmes for the ninth year of Girls on the Run (GOTR) at ESD. This program inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident through running. The 10 week curriculum addresses all aspects of a girl’s development by nurturing her physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual well-being.

GOTR meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, rain or shine! Please be aware that GOTR policy requires your daughter to commit to attend both days each week in order to participate. The GOTR 5K Celebration will be on Saturday, April 25. Please confirm via email to Nurse Carla that your child will participate. 

Cost: There will be a $100 charge to your child’s Eagles Nest account and a $175.00 cost paid directly to GOTR, for a total program cost of $275. The fee includes life skill lessons by our trained staff, 5K training, a program t-shirt, water bottle, 5K entry fee and a parent guide.

We hope your daughter will consider participating in this outstanding after-school program! For more information on the program, visit the GOTR website or contact one of our coaches. 

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 
**Please confirm via email to Nurse Carla that your child will participate.

Join varsity soccer coach, Susan Quill, to learn soccer fundamentals. Students will learn a new skill each week such as dribbling, passing, footwork, shooting, changing directions, and ball control. This is a great introduction to soccer or the perfect avenue to build on the fundamentals. Each session will end with a fun game that incorporates the skill of the day.  Come with your friends to enjoy playing the most popular sport in the world! 

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Super Sports Sampler is a great way for kids to learn about fitness and experience a wide variety of sports in a non-competitive environment. Each week kids are introduced to a new sport/fitness activity with curriculum designed to teach the fundamentals. Included each week are the basics of physiology and fitness components, and the development of key physical skills like gross motor development, right/left brain stimulation, forward/backward movement, crossing the midline, coordination, and self-confidence. Football, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, soccer, volleyball, jump rope, cricket, and baseball are just a few of the 30+ activities introduced. All equipment is provided. 

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Did you know archery was introduced into the US Olympics in 1900 and one of the first sports to include both genders in a sporting event? The sport thrives today and develops skills such as focus, concentration, coordination, balance, clarity of mind, strength, stability and more. USA Archery Clinic is presented by Kidokinetics Dallas, an official partner of USA Archery. Kidokinetics coaches are certified by USA Archery for safety and quality of curriculum presentation, and utilizes professional equipment with the support of a nationally recognized curriculum. 

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Tippi Toes Ballet, Tap, and Jazz Combo incorporates ballet, jazz, and tap technique while also encouraging self-expression and creativity.  High energy music is used throughout the class to get dancers moving and having fun!  A dance recital is held at the end of the season where dancers showcase all they have learned!

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks.

Tippi Toes Hip Hop and Jazz incorporates hip hop and jazz technique while also encouraging self-expression and creativity.  High energy music is used throughout the class to get dancers moving and having fun!  A dance recital is held at the end of the season where dancers showcase all they have learned!

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Once upon a time there lived a very silly librarian. More than anything in the world she loved sharing the magic of stories with children during and even AFTER school! So one day she decided to invite them to join a club where they could tell stories together, read new books, sing songs while she played her trusty ukulele, puppeteer, and maybe even make a craft or two! She hoped to have lots of friends join her. To be continued...

Book Nook Story Club Wednesday's and Thursday's are identical programs, so please only sign up for one.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Once upon a time there lived a very silly librarian. More than anything in the world she loved sharing the magic of stories with children during and even AFTER school! So one day she decided to invite them to join a club where they could tell stories together, read new books, sing songs while she played her trusty ukulele, puppeteer, and maybe even make a craft or two! She hoped to have lots of friends join her. To be continued...

Book Nook Story Club Wednesday's and Thursday's are identical programs, so please only sign up for one.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Students will have fun learning Spanish with Senora O'Brien by using a mixture of reading and storytelling. They will establish meaning by being introduced to new vocabulary, playing games and working on conversations so they can repeat and hear the words and phrases in context. They will also use a combination of translation, gestures, and personalized and comprehensible questions to understand and interpret Spanish. Books being utilized include numeros/numbers, colors/colores, la familia/family, lugares/places, tamaños/sizes, and categorias/categories. Students will mainly focus on comprehensible input, and once they understand all the content of the story they will act it out with props and fun music. Throughout the program, students will be creating a book in Spanish that they will take home at the end.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Do you want to learn a new language? Have you wanted to learn French? This club is for you. Join Mrs. Talbot for 8 weeks of fun. Learn basic vocabulary and phrases, sing songs, and make crêpes!

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Come learn how to play hand chimes and handbells with Mrs. Awbrey. We will learn the basics of bell ringing and note reading.  (Prior music reading experience is not required.) Our handbell ensemble has performed in chapel and for Fine Arts night in the past and we will look for opportunities to play throughout our new campus this Spring. Students will be brought to carpool on Montwood at 4:15 pm.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

If your student has experience playing a stringed instrument and is currently enrolled in private lessons, you are invited to join Dr. Adrian Demian's string ensemble club. This club plays for Chapel services, fine arts nights, the spring concert, and more. To enroll in the club, please contact Dr. Demian for more information or call 972-510-3304.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Have you ever wanted to record your own songs using professional level audio studio equipment? If so, this is the class for you!  We will learn the art and science of being an audio engineer. By the end of this class you will have a recording to take home!  Have a few songs or pieces of music ready to play before the first class. They don’t need to be perfect or polished, we just need something to work with. 

This program is identical to the one listed under the STEM programs. 

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Playing on the xylophones can make for an exciting afternoon, especially when you get to create your own melodies. Join Becca Bryan and come together with your friends to play challenging music in a simple way. The skills we will learn: mallet techniques, composing a rondo, and performing for our families. You may sign up for Rhythm Rockets I and II for a total of 13 sessions, or you may choose to sign up for just session I or II. 

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Playing on the xylophones can make for an exciting afternoon, especially when you get to create your own melodies.  Join Becca Bryan and come together with your friends to play challenging music in a simple way.  The skills we will learn: mallet techniques, composing a rondo, and performing for our families.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Have you ever wanted to play your very own instrument and sing along? The ukulele is an easy and fun instrument to play and on top of that, research shows that learning to play an instrument stimulates the brain in unique ways to improve long term memory, strengthen mental alacrity and helps brains integrate multi-sensory inputs.  In this introductory class you will learn three chords and strumming techniques that will allow you to play hundreds of songs! Please provide your own ukulele.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Join Pre-Elementary teachers Mrs. Manning and Ms. Maguire in a fun, unique, and adventurous culinary class based on some of our favorite story books. Each week we'll choose a book to serve as the theme for our cooking exploration. This class will help us build teamwork skills, work on our knowledge of numbers and mathematics, and become miniature chefs as we delve into some of our favorite food based stories. We can't wait to begin this culinary adventure with you! 

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Students will work on various engineering challenges like a confetti launcher, hovercraft, earth friendly sneakers, and a zip line with Ms. O'Mullane. They will also learn about engineering and the design process as well as play various engineering games like Feed the Fidgets, to challenge their brains.This program is designed to show students that engineering is active, fun and collaborative,

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Have you ever wanted to record your own songs using professional level audio studio equipment? If so, this is the class for you!  We will learn the art and science of being an audio engineer. By the end of this class you will have a recording to take home!  Have a few songs or pieces of music ready to play before the first class. They don’t need to be perfect or polished, we just need something to work with.

This program is identical to the one listed under Music programs.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Are you interested in physics? Do you love to experiment? Join Mrs. Talbot to experience the laws of motion through design and experimentation. Small snack included

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Are you interested in studying and designing rockets?  This club is for you!  Join Mrs. Talbot for a 4-week study to see what rocket designs fly best.  How can we measure this?  Build and take home your own stomp rocket launcher at the end of the program.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

STEM Clubs are a powerful and enjoyable way to engage young people with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through fun hands-on activities. These activities help develop the creators, thinkers, innovators, and inventors of tomorrow. Each class will focus on developing 21st century skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and peer collaboration. These life skills provide students with the confidence to approach challenges in their lives while helping them realize that they can succeed in almost anything. Club taught by Mrs. Guzik.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

STEM Clubs are a powerful and enjoyable way to engage young people with science, technology, engineering and mathematics through fun hands-on activities. These activities help develop the creators, thinkers, innovators, and inventors of tomorrow. Each class will focus on developing 21st century skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and peer collaboration. These life skills provide students with the confidence to approach challenges in their lives while helping them realize that they can succeed in almost anything. Club taught by Mrs. Guzik.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

The purpose of the Family Tree/Genealogy Club is to assist students in finding out more about their family histories: who their ancestors were, what region of the country their families are from, and how we are more similar than different in regard to the movement of people. I will share my knowledge and skills on how to do genealogy research and build a personalized family tree. With my assistance, each student will work on their personal genealogical research and family tree.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Students will have the opportunity to work with Graduate Level educators/writers to enhance writing skills and creativity. Students will be given prompts and a variety of inspiration for generating creative writing. They will also be in charge of (blind) submission blitzes and will help to select pieces for our Middle School Writer's Forum publication. They will also help plan the celebration reception in May. The work will culminate with the reception in May.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

The Youth and Government club is the perfect organization for 6th-8th grade student leaders who want to model and experience the Texas state government. Students who are interested in debate, politics, and current events will thrive in this program! Each year, club participants engage with the law-making process by researching contemporary issues facing Texas and then proposing legislative bills or proposals to address these topics. In October and February, club members get the unique opportunity to present their proposals before judges and peers from around the state. Students who participate in Youth and Government may have to put in some time working at home in order to prepare for these competitions and will also compete on the follow dates.

• District Competition: November 19 (Duncanville)

• State Competition: February 21- 23 (Austin)
   

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks.

Join ESD’s eighth-grade science teacher (and gamer), Mr. Goetsch, as you explore the fun of modern-day tabletop gaming.  His collection of over 250 tabletop games includes dexterity games such as Loopin’ Louie, Pitch Car, Crossbows & Catapults, and Crokinole; dice games such as Martian Dice, Perudo, and Dungeon Roll; cooperative games such as Pandemic, Hanabi, and Forbidden Island; card games such as Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game, Munchkin, Little Devils; and board games such as Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Puerto Rico, and Homesteaders.

While tabletop games are both entertaining and fun, they are also premier tools for teaching strategic thinking, foreseeing consequences, weighing options and making decisions. Furthermore, these games teach higher-level thinking skills such as the ability to visualize, analyze, and think critically. Students will have mini-lessons on strategy and take one another on head-to-head.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Where string players come to make beautiful music together. Some experience playing a string instrument and reading music is required.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

We will watch classic clay animated short films and learn about the art of stop motion animation.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

A time to learn and explore what dance is and how it enriches our world. To encourage an understanding of, and appreciation for, dance as an art form and develop knowledgeable audiences for tomorrow. All levels welcome.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Today's the day you discover a lifelong hobby -- knitting! Learning how to knit is fun and easy with expert instruction brought to you by Ms. Nutter. You will learn the basics,  such as how to hold the knitting needles and yarn, and progresses you through all the basic stitches, casting on, binding off and easy increasing and decreasing. Step-by-step, Ms. Nutter will help you build skill upon skill to learn how to confidently knit any beginner-level pattern. Also using your Math skill you will discover how easy it is to knit a custom hat using the proportions of your head.

In this class you'll learn:

• Which needles and yarn are best for beginners to use
• How to tie a slip knot
• How to cast on your first stitches
• How to knit and purl
• How to bind off
• How to work the stockinette stitch, ribbing and seed stitch
• Swatching
• How to increase and decrease stitches
• Seaming with mattress stitch
• Embroidering on your knitting (if time permits)

You'll learn all the essential knitting techniques to knit your own scarf and matching hat. All supplies are included in the price of the class.

*Clubs meet on school days and not over breaks. 

Program Registration

For Teacher-led programming, the cost can be found in the program description above. If you have questions about financial assistance, please contact Shelle Montgomery, Director of Tuition Assistance. 

For student-lead clubs, there is no cost.

Students wishing to form or lead their own clubs are encouraged to do so after reaching out to Meg Fahrenbrook '01, Assistant Head of Middle School or Jonathan Chein, Head of Middle School, for approval.

After receiving approval and working out the details of the club, students are encouraged to find a Faculty Advisor that will help organize and plan. Student-led clubs are free and the faculty advisor supervises the activities but does not plan or lead the club.