Dear Parent / Guardian,

Thank you for encouraging your child to participate in our Afterschool program at The COVE Art Center! If you’d like to learn more about our organization & all our activities for students & adults throughout the year, visit www.thenoveltycollective.org. We also encourage you to visit with your child or reach out to schedule a time to meet our
staff & establish a connection with the team providing this invaluable service to our shared community. We can’t wait to meet you!

Please read through the form carefully & complete the required sections so your child may continue to attend Afterschool. Signed permission from a parent or guardian is required for each child’s continual participation. 

The mission of The Novelty Collective is to make art accessible, illuminate the value of art, & empower the artist to create. During Afterschool, we hope to inspire our students, challenge them, expand their imaginations, & teach them valuable skills that will enable them to express their creativity in powerful new ways.

If you have any questions while you are filling out this form, please email  contact@thenoveltycollective.org.

1. The COVE Afterschool program is for middle school & high school students in grades 6 - 12. Younger children will not be permitted to attend.
2. Program hours are 3pm - 6pm, Mondays - Thursdays when school is in session. We will notify parents/guardians & children of additional days off. (We typically operate in accordance with the Northgate School District calendar.)
3. Children will be under the supervision of at least two adult leaders during program hours. (If two authorized adults with required clearances are not able to be present, the program
   will shut down for that day.)
4. Some art projects may be messy! The COVE offers gloves, smocks, & other basic protective layers. (We are not responsible for damage to clothing.)
5. The students may participate in art projects that involve heavy, sharp, or hot tools. The COVE provides personal protective equipment (PPE), close supervision, & hands-on training to mitigate the risk of accident or injury. Adult leaders will administer first aid in the case of minor injuries, & emergency responders will be called in the case of more serious injury. (We have not had one serious injury in all nine years of programming!)
6. The COVE Afterschool has a simple set of rules for participating students:
   
   • Check in when you arrive at The COVE, & check out when you leave.
   • Always show respect & kindness to your peers & leaders.
   • Listen attentively & follow instructions from leaders.
   • Do not bully, gossip, engage in inappropriate conversations, or use foul language.
   • Do not view, listen to, or share inappropriate content on personal mobile devices (or The COVE’s digital devices).
   • Do not engage in disruptive or unsafe behavior that could cause harm to yourself or others.
   • Help us care for our space; operate tools & equipment in the ways they are meant to be used, & always clean up after yourself when you have finished working on a project (especially at the end of the program day).
   • Snacks are not allowed in any of the art studios; food & beverages must be consumed in the designated area.
   • Respect the other programs in the building we all share when entering or exiting, walking through hallways, & using the facilities.

It is our goal to maintain a safe & orderly environment for every student who participates in our programming. Disruptive behavior, bullying, & intentional damage to personal or program property will not be tolerated. When rules are broken or behavior becomes unruly, a leader will use redirection & verbal communication to guide a child’s behavior on an individual basis. If all means to restore order fail, a staff member will ask the misbehaving child to leave for the day. Depending on the severity of the infraction, a child may be asked to leave for a longer period of time. (Corporal discipline verbal abuse are strictly prohibited.)

We regularly capture photo & video content of our activities, solely for use in official
publications & social media to raise awareness about The COVE & its mission, raise funds for the continuation of programming, etc. Occasionally, we hire professional photographers & videographers who share our vision & care about our efforts in the community! All content is vetted & published by our directors. We value your privacy. Images & personal information will not be distributed to other individuals, nonprofit organizations, or business entities.

I consent to allow staff members & photographers under contract with The Novelty Collective to photograph my child & use his/her image for the purposes stated above.

I release The Novelty Collective*, its sponsors, employees, board members, volunteers & agents from any & all claims & liabilities (including costs & attorney fees) arising out of or in any way connected to my child’s participation, unless the claim is based upon the conduct of an employee in the scope & course of his/her employment. I further agree to indemnify & hold The Novelty Collective harmless from any & all claims arising from my conduct or the conduct of my child while he/she is attending The COVE Afterschool program.

*The Novelty Collective is our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization & umbrella for The COVE Afterschool art program.

World Vision is a nonprofit that supplies other helping organizations around the world with everything from essentials to household appliances & other more. Our partnership with World Vision has been instrumental in distributing snacks to the students, furnishing The COVE Art Center, & restocking our art studios.

We often share stories & pictures from our programs & events with World Vision, & they require their own photo release for their monthly reports:

"I give my permission to World Vision, Inc. (World Vision) & all its affiliated organizations (or agents thereof) to use my child's name, photograph, video/film footage, voice recording &/or likeness thereof recorded – for the purposes of public relations, public awareness or education, public service, &/or fundraising.

"I agree that World Vision has unlimited use of my image or likeness, both visually & audibly, for the purposes described above, with or without additional remuneration beyond that, if any, which has been agreed upon this day."

The Novelty Collective Newsletter is our primary way of communicating event announcements, program updates, compelling stories, & more. When you subscribe, you'll hear about what we are up to & see great photos of people creating at The COVE Art Center (including your child if you cleared us for photos in the pages above)! You can unsubscribe at any time, but we highly recommend giving it a shot. You may even discover an activity you'd be interested in engaging with, like Open Studios, The Gold Thread, or NoCo Fest!

By signing this form, I hereby acknowledge that I have completely read, fully understand, & agree to The COVE Afterschool policies & guidelines.

Address: 939 California Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15202
The COVE is located inside Greenstone United Methodist Church

Email: contact@thenoveltycollective.org
Website: www.thenoveltycollective.org
Social Media:

Facebook – www.facebook.com/thecoveartcenter
Instagram – www.instagram.com/thecoveartcenter/
YouTube – www.youtube.com/@thenoveltycollective

Executive Director: Brittany Hartman-King   Phone: (305) 975-0825
Communications Director: Jordan King   Phone: (248) 961-7622

Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns at your convenience. We encourage you to visit before & during program hours. Let us know when you would like to drop by to say hello!

Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest program updates, event announcements, & much more!