About Us

Growing Minds is the afterschool program offered through the Ira B. Jones Family-Teacher Organization (FTO). Instructors are a mix of community members and Jones staff members, leading clubs dedicated to topics like Art, Soccer, Spanish, Ultimate Frisbee, Yoga, and more. Club topics vary from session to session.

Upon dismissal at 2:35pm, participating students will walk to the school’s cafeteria to eat a snack. They will then be picked up by their first club’s leader at 2:50pm. Students will return to the cafeteria at 3:50pm and transition to either car line or their second club, ending at 4:55pm.

The Growing Minds calendar aligns with the Asheville City Schools (ACS) calendar, so we will be closed on holidays, teacher workdays, conference days, snow days, and early release days. Please review the ACS calendar and be sure to make other arrangements for your child as needed.

Registration Directions:

Payment is accepted via cash/check or PayPal (please include the processing fees in your payment). Checks should be made payable to “Ira B. Jones PTO” and brought to the school’s front office.

You may choose to register for one, two, or three days of the week and choose either one (only a 3pm option) or two clubs (3pm and 4pm options) on each day.

Make note of the Girls on the Run club: this club is a 2 hour commitment on BOTH Mondays and Wednesdays. Their dates are different from our regular club schedule. Please use our website to register for this club and once the roster is complete, Ms. Courtney Booth will email you with more details.

Scholarships are available for children of Jones teachers and staff, as well as students with demonstrated financial need. If you think you qualify for a scholarship, please email us at [email protected].

Sun Soo Introduction to Tae Kwon Do club is open to new students only. If your child has already taken a Sun Soo club with us in 2023 or 2024, please select a different club for them.

Dismissal

Clubs will dismiss through the car line at either 3:55 (for 1 club students) or 4:55pm (for 2 club students). Please arrive at the school to pick up your child no later than 4:05 or 5:05pm. Pickups after 4:05 and 5:05pm will incur a late fee of $1 per minute, per child, which must be paid before the following week’s session.

Please ensure that anyone picking up your child has been added to the approved pickup list. To confirm who is on your list or make changes, you can call the front office at 828-350-6700. Drivers picking up students must have a valid ID on hand and may be asked to present it.

Program Overview

The Ira B. Jones FTO is proud to invite all Jones Global Scholars to participate in our Growing Minds Afterschool Clubs program! This program, offered on select days of the week, features fun, enriching, interest-based sessions on the Ira B. Jones campus, providing an extended-day after-school option for our students.

Devin Browning (Jones Instructional Assistant) is the Afterschool Program On-Site Coordinator. Leo Ott (Jones AmeriCorps Worker) is also supportive during the program.

Session 1 begins February 3, 2025, and lasts seven weeks, offering seven Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday sessions, ending March 20th.

Frequently Asked Questions

The club that my student wants is full! How can I get them on the waitlist?

We are sorry! We know this is disappointing, and we hope your student can find something else of interest. Please register them for another club and then email us at [email protected] with the subject line Waitlist. In your email please include your child/children's first and last name, grade, and the club they wish to wait for. If a spot were to open up we will email you to let you know. You will have 24 hours to confirm and pay any additional fees, if needed, to ensure your child/children's spot. After 24 hours we will move down the waitlist.

What is the scholarship code for teachers’ children or those who have demonstrated financial need on file at Jones?

For teachers and staff registering their Jones students, or for families who have qualified for free and reduced-price lunch, use the code “(Clubname)Coupon.” The FTO strives to offer at least 20% of each club’s space to those who need a scholarship to cover the cost. Please ensure that you qualify to use these limited scholarship spaces – they are designated for those with demonstrated financial need and the children of Jones’ teachers and staff. Any use of the code beyond these approved categories will be canceled from registration.

I want to sign up, but I know my student will be absent for one of the scheduled dates! Can I still join?

Yes! You should let an Afterschool teacher know of the absence in advance, so that staff are not looking for your student, but attendance is not required if you need to miss a day. However, please note there are no discounts given nor make-up days available for missed sessions!

How can I reach out to Devin Browning or the FTO with Afterschool Club questions?

Please email us at [email protected] OR [email protected].

Program staff will be busy during the program hours, Mondays Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:35-5pm, and likely won’t be able to check emails then. Please communicate in advance or call the Jones main office and they will communicate with Devin Browning. The school staffs its phone lines until 3:45pm daily.

What if I need to pick up my child early?

If you need to do this on a very limited or unexpected basis, please email in advance at the Afterschool Gmail account [email protected], and call the Jones office 24 hours in advance.

I only want to sign up for one day.

No problem! This program is flexible, and participants have the option of choosing any combination of Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, one, two or three days.

My child needs to ride the bus home. How will the bus pick them up?

Unfortunately, given the startup nature of this program, there is no ACS bus service available at this time. All participants must be picked up promptly at 5pm by parents or designated adults. No transportation is available beyond car pickup!

I only want my student to join a 4-5pm club session and not stay for the full 2:35-5pm period.

Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate this. All students must remain on campus from 2:35 until 5pm pickup to participate in the Afterschool Clubs program. Your student must select either a club or study hall for both the 3pm and the 4pm hours.

Does the price include a snack?

Yes! After school ends and before students walk to their first club, they’ll have a break and the program will provide snacks (e.g., pretzels, granola bars, popcorn, or similar). If you have specific dietary requests, please email in advance and we will make every effort to meet them with what we have on hand. We encourage you to send your own snack if your student has more challenging dietary restrictions. Please ensure your students have their own water bottle!

Are materials provided for arts classes?

Yes – for clubs that require materials and supplies a fee will be added to your final total upon registration.

How can I pay?

The registration platform we are using, Jumbula, accepts PayPal for credit card payments, or you may bring cash or a check to the main office during the Jones school day and leave it with Karin Doss, who will deliver it to the FTO. Please pay the Friday prior to the session start - Friday January 31st is the deadline. If your payment is not received by this date, your child will be dropped from the club and we offer their spot to a waitlisted student. 

How do I pick up my student?

As stated previously, ALL club participants must be picked up in the car-rider line, at the front of the school along Kimberly Avenue. We ask that you please be in line by 4pm or 5pm; we reserve the right to cancel registrations or charge a $1 per minute late fee for any pickups after 4:05 or 5:05pm. Late fee payments are due prior to the start of the next week of clubs. Our staff’s time is limited, and they are generously helping Jones families to realize our longtime goal of offering afterschool programming; please be respectful of the scheduled times and be on time at pickup. This is critical for the smooth operation of this program.

I qualify for the scholarship coupon code, but it’s full!

We are so sorry! We continue to work to ensure that everyone can participate, but clubs have limited space, and we realize that popular ones may fill up before everyone is able to register. Please email us at [email protected] if you would like to set up a payment plan or have further questions.

My student was able to register for a 4-5pm club, but all clubs in the first hour are full!

That should not happen with planned inventory levels, but if there are no options left for your student’s grade level, please email us and we will try to create additional space.