Need to Know
Preparation
Email your student's teacher the week before they begin their first chess club session letting them know they will be participating. We also provide a list each week to the school but your direction will always take precedence.
Discuss etiquette - be a good sport, shake hands after each match, focus on chess (not the books in the media center), no running, listen to coaches, help with clean up. Keep things fun and respectful by reviewing our club ground rules.
Pack a snack - After teachers drop off the students in the hall, students may have a quick snack. Snacks aren't allowed in the media center.
Leaving chess club - Make sure your student knows how they will leave chess club (see below), especially if it varies from your normal routine.
Student Release
Chess Club ends at 4:55.
REGISTRATION TIP: If your student will sometimes depart on their own & sometimes be picked up, they will be welcome to wait with us but please choose "Self-Directed" when you register (and make sure they know each week how they will go home).
OPTIONS
HOLD for Parent-Pickup : We will hold the student for pick up at the media center on the 2nd floor (see Finding Us / Picking Up below). On exit, we collect the name tag from the student so that we can track our attendance and that our release processes are followed. CRITICAL: We rely on students to recognize their caregivers. WE ARE UNABLE TO VERIFY THE INDIVIDUAL PICKING THEM UP.
TRANSFER to Minneapolis Kids or Rec+ : If you indicated Rec+ or Minneapolis Kids, one of our volunteers will bring them to those programs.
Self-Directed : We will allow your child to leave without an adult. If they are being picked up, they are always welcome to wait with us.
If there's an ongoing change, please contact us and we will update our records and name tags.
Picking Up Early?
If you're picking up more than 10 minutes early, we may not yet have our volunteers in place to control the exit process. We need to collect your student's name tag on exit. Find the session lead or one of the Recorders (usually 2 in the media center with tablets or laptops) to hand it to.
Running Late?
It happens. Please let us know if it's more than 10 minutes - The session lead's email and phone number should be in the weekly email from chess club. We're usually wrapping up take down and release processes for a little bit after our session. If we don't hear from you, we'll reach out to the contacts you provided when you registered.
Finding Us / Picking up
Please enter the school via the main doors, located along 50th street. Turn left and proceed to either the large staircase or the elevator near the stairs. Proceed to the 2nd floor. You should immediately see the media center and may even see some activity on the bridge adjacent to it. Please proceed down the hallway, pass the media center's double doors (used only for exiting students), and enter the smaller door to the lab.
Once in the lab, find your student(s), make sure they have all their belongings, encourage them to help clean up (bag chess sets, return board), and then exit the media center via the double doors. While exiting, return name tags to the volunteers at the door so that we can track our release process.