The Creative Academy^TM

Welcome to The Creative Academy^TM web site! http://tebuco.com/creativeacademy

The Creative Academy, an unlicensed informal after-school child-care-taking relationship and enrichment program, provides a small number of Nock Middle School (5th through 8th grade) students a forum to create and execute projects that benefit the Greater Newburyport community through art and public service.

The primary goal of The Creative Academy is to:

• Give the students safe after-school care.

Additional goals of The Creative Academy are to:

• Make community service fun. Our motto: "Have fun by doing good well."
• Do interesting things well enough to give students items for their college and job applications; or at least, to perhaps get the students' names in a publication such as the Boston Globe.

Our goals are met through creating public performance art/engineering projects around Newburyport throughout the school year.

The First Session of The Creative Academy was September through December 2003. The first day was Wednesday, September 3, 2003. We are now in our third year (September 2005 through June 2006)! We operate from 2:30 to 5:00 pm on Mondays during the Nock Middle School calendar. This year, we operate from Monday, September 12, 2005, through Monday, June 19, 2006.

If you are interested in being involved in any way, please contact Pete Jalajas at email: "creativeacademy at tebuco.com" (replace "at" with "@") or 4 6 5_8 2 5 2.

We've had a total of seven kids in the program: Erik, Luke, Charles, Nate, Mike, Adlai, and Brent. Great job, guys!

We've produced three videos, so far! The first, "The Legend of Sleepy Creek" (December 2003), was shown at two venues in Newburyport, raising a couple of boxes of canned goods for The Pettengill House (Salisbury) and Community Service of Newburyport.

Here are all three of our videos (requires Real player): The Legend of Sleepy Creek (December 2003) (8 MB), Come and Get Me! (June 2004) (20 MB), featuring the hit song "Best Friend in the World" by David Corey and Mooshu Battle! (January 2005) (13 MB). We showed the three videos to a huge audience at the Newburyport Firehouse Center for the Arts on May 18, 2005.

Visit Us! We offer one free visit to our sessions for interested candidates. Please contact us at 4 6 5_8 2 5 2 or creativeacademy at tebuco.com.

Space is very limited (4-6 children). The application process is competitive. Students should send in an application describing why they want to join, and why they should be accepted over other students. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Application should be delivered to 40 Broad Street, Newburyport, MA 01950 or via email to "creativeacademy at tebuco.com" (replace "at" with "@"). Application should include $100, credited against their first month, payable to "E.W. Peter Jalajas". Payment will be refunded if application is denied. Applicants should emphasize their past successes in creative and team-based programs. Applications should be creative. Application materials become the property of E.W. Peter Jalajas.

Here is a list of some of the current operating parameters, that we parents agree upon, subject to change with notice (please refer also to the Creative Academy Health and Safety Information form which must be signed before entering the program).

• The Creative Academy is an unlicensed informal after-school child-care-taking relationship and enrichment program; see http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/28a-9.htm, and http://www.eec.state.ma.us/docs/PFCC11InformalCooperativeOccasionalCare.pdf
• The Creative Academy is not subject to licensure because:
  • We only meet one day per week.
  • We only accept children over 10 years old.
  • We only accept up to six children into the program.
• The Creative Academy is operated by Tebuco, Inc., with its President, E.W. Peter Jalajas. You leave your child with me at your own risk. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold Tebuco, Inc., and me and my family, harmless for any illness or injury that may occur. The children will be performing hazardous work with hazardous materials (construction materials, paints, tools, etc.). I will take reasonable-man measures to protect your child's health and safety as if he/she were my own. I may need to leave the children alone in the house for a few minutes for various reasons related to the program or for personal reasons (for example, picking up my other child from school). I may take the children driving around Newburyport and surrounding communities for various reasons related to the program (for example, delivering canned goods or performing on-location videography).
• I have no formal training, licenses, permits, accreditation, or affiliation with any governmental agency or organized child-care institution. I have been a Destination Imagination coach for 5 years; my teams have won the coveted DaVinci Award for Creativity twice (2002 and 2005), and made it to the State Finals (2003). I believe a CORI background check was run on me in 2003 and 2005.
• Transportation: Students will walk from Nock School to my house. I will shuttle them to my house in severe inclement weather.
• Fees: Flat rate of $100 per student per month for each of the 10 months from September through June. Payable monthly, in advance, by the 1st of each month. Upon request from parents, the Creative Academy will be held on days Nock Middle School is in session, as well as teacher in-service days, and snow days. Creative Academy will be closed on Nock Middle school holidays and vacations. Sorry, no refunds for days in that month that your child cannot attend Creative Academy. Late pick-up fee: $1 per minute. Snacks will be provided (sodas, pretzels, etc.)
• Scholarships: Students are encouraged to obtain funding from local businesses. The Creative Academy will acknowledge such donations in as many different ways as possible, including this website, and at our public events.
• Behavioral problems will not be tolerated and will be summarily removed from the program without refund.
• Parental involvement is strongly encouraged and appreciated!