Speyer Afterschool Programs

The Afterschool program at Speyer is designed to allow students to build their academic, social, and emotional skills as they pursue their interests in greater depth beyond school hours.

LOWER SCHOOL: INspeyerED Afterschool

Courses are offered Monday through Friday, in two sessions, The first session begins at 3:30 PM and ends at 4:30 PM. The second session begins at 4:45 PM and ends at 5:45 PM. We also offer what we call General Afterschool which meets during both periods and is a great option for students who want to get ahead on their work, read independently, or enjoy choice time.

INspeyerED Afterschool classes include a wide variety of options and the program is structured on a trimester schedule. INspeyerED Afterschool is an additional cost; discounted pricing is available for families who receive tuition assistance. For more information about INspeyerED Afterschool, please contact the director Malin Segal at msegal@speyerschool.org.

Below are just a few examples of the INspeyerED Afterschool classes we have offered recently:

Girls Who Code
Choose Your Own Adventure Writing Club
Math Club and Mathletes
Fencing
AdventureCast Podcast Workshop
Gymnastics
Girls Running Club
LEGO Engineering
Dragons Theater Troupe
Fashion Design
Build Your Own App
STEM Lab
Soccer
Hip Hop Stars
Comic Books and Graphic Novels 
Chess Study and Girls Chess Study
Journalism Club
Creative Drama
Genius Hour
Digital Art and Design
Class Guitar
Yoga
Book Club
Singin’ In the City

Middle School Afterschool: Athletics, Teams, Clubs, and Study Hall

An engaging selection of clubs, teams, and activities is available to Middle School students Monday through Thursday, 3:30 PM–4:45 PM.  We have teams that represent Speyer in Chess, Debate, and Math; these teams practice and meet once or twice a week afterschool. A supervised Study Hall is available every day for our Middle School students. 

Additionally, our Middle School athletic program practices and competes in games during this afterschool time — you can read more about it here. 

Below are a few of the Middle School afterschool classes we have offered recently and team descriptions.

Members of the Speyer Math Team compete against students at other schools in several prominent contests, including MOEMS, MATHCOUNTS, AMC 8 and AMC 10, AIME, the New York Math League, and GAIM (Girls’ Adventures in Math). Speyer students have won high honors in these competitions. 

But contest-training is not all that they do. They also use practice time to explore intriguing and challenging problems in depth, and to develop technical proficiency beyond what is required in the classroom. A team member’s participation in interscholastic competition is optional. Some interscholastic contests (MATHCOUNTS, GAIM, and AIME) are accessible only through qualifying exams, but team practices are open to all interested Speyer students.

Middle school debate is quickly becoming one of the largest academic competitions in the country. Debate gives Speyer students the chance to meet and exchange ideas with their peers from schools all over the city and even from across the nation. Debate is an engaging way for students to learn about important societal issues and to advocate for their beliefs. Honing critical thinking skills, practicing in depth researching, and polishing their persuasive presentation skills are all an important part of debate. 

Debate practice includes topic analysis and discussing everything from international relations to school policies. Team members also work on skill area drills and hold both formal and fun practice debates. 

The MS debate team competes in parliamentary debate in both the Urban Debate League and New York Debate League, attending tournaments locally. Additionally, Speyer hosts scrimmages with nearby schools in a less formal setting. Preparation for tournaments requires substantial work outside of school and tournament participation requires occasional parent involvement as volunteer judges, for which training is provided. Speyer has a strong competitive record including multiple city and state championship titles. Students are not required to attend tournaments to be on the team, but they are expected to follow through on commitments if they decide to compete. 

Students explore many different kinds of writing, sharpening their skills with words and expressing their ideas. Special emphasis on using our creativity and resourcefulness when writing.

Learn to think on your feet and make 'em laugh -- Improvisation is a physical and mental workout, and a ton of fun! Through improvisation games and exercises, students experience the power of saying Yes, build teamwork and communication skills, and have fun in a daring, respectful, creative environment.

This chess club is best for students rated 1200 or above, but is suitable for any student who wants to play tournaments and is committed to improving. This course, featuring the instruction by our faculty Grandmaster will offer our top students the opportunity to work and train together, and to build relationships with their teammates. 

Study hall provides a quiet and relaxing space for students to focus on their extended assignments, ongoing projects, or other independent work. It can be a great way to get a jump start on work or an opportunity to wind down from the day with a good book. Study hall offers a supervised and comfortable space for students from all grades. Students may sign up for one or more days.