KEEP gears up for new school year

Sussex County — KEEP is now accepting registrations for its 23 before- and after-school programs located in 15 different schools throughout Sussex County. This year, two new before-school programs have been added to the slate of offerings — one at Stillwater School and another at Sparta Middle School. Before-school programs are also available at Alpine and Helen Morgan in Sparta; Cedar Mountain, Rolling Hills, Walnut Ridge and Lounsberry Hollow in Vernon and at the Ogdensburg School. The before-school programs begin at 7 a.m. (with the exception of Walnut Ridge, which starts at 7:10 a.m.) and they run until school starts. After-school KEEP is available at Helen Morgan, Sparta Middle School and Alpine in Sparta; and Cedar Mountain, Walnut Ridge and Lounsberry Hollow in Vernon. Children who attend Rolling Hills will be bussed to Cedar Mountain for the after-school program. Afternoon KEEP is also available at Ogdensburg, Fredon, Florence M. Burd, Hamburg, Lafayette, McKeown, Sandyston and Stillwater. All KEEP programs offer homework assistance, structured activities, free play and snack. Every day the children will participate in activities based off of a monthly curriculum that includes a theme for each month. Childcare is also available for children aged six weeks to 6 years old in the program's main facility located in Sparta. Holiday care, snow day care and summer camp are also offered. Scholarship assistance is available to all qualified applicants. For information, call 973-383-2213 or visit www.keepkids.org to register. KEEP — Kids Educational Enrichment Program — cares for children from all walks of life throughout Sussex County. Formerly the YWCA, KEEP has been offering child care for over 85 years.