Chess Club

Fellows Chess Club Tournament Spring 2024

A chess tournament for Fellows Elementary School students will be held April 20, 2024. There will be five divisions: 1st grade and under, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, & 5th grade/open. The tournament will be a Swiss format, with all players probably playing four or five games.

Registration is not complete until BOTH payment is received and the Google Form is submitted.

Complete Google Form at: https://forms.gle/iiDmuN19aT7yQq4x7

Pay for Tournament Registration

What is Fellows Chess Club?

FCC is a group of children, parent volunteers, and coaches who meet to play and learn about chess weekly after school. Chess lessons are provided by collegiate student coaches.

When/Where is Chess Club?

FCC meets after school at Fellows Elementary from 2:45-3:45 pm. (Dismissal time has changed from previous sessions.) Exact days will depend on student interest and availability of coaches and rooms, but we are planning for groups on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Please sign up for only one class per child. If interest exceeds our capacity, admission to FCC will be by lottery.

Students will meet in their assigned room after 2:45 pm dismissal, attendance will be taken, and students will be given a small, quick nut-free and gelatin-free snack (provided by FCC). The first FCC meeting will be the week of January 23. FCC meets for ten weeks (excluding conference and break weeks) and ends in April.

Who Should Join?

No prior chess knowledge is necessary. We will have lessons for grades 1-5 at all levels of play with targeted lessons for new/inexperienced players. Classes are limited to 20 students per level.

In a departure from past years, FCC will not be open to kindergarten students. Although some kindergarten children (or even younger) absolutely can learn to play chess, many kindergarten students lack the endurance for a one-hour chess meeting after a full day of school. Although FCC will still be open to 1st grade students this year, “the consensus among chess teachers seems to be that second grade – meaning age 7 or 8 – is the ideal time to start.” (The Brainy Benefits of Chess)

What are the Expectations of Parents?

Parents are expected to volunteer for ONE class per semester, 2:30–3:55 pm. No prior chess experience is necessary to volunteer.

Please watch for the signup genius, which will be sent to you via email. The parent volunteer is responsible for checking students into chess club after school, distributing snacks, cleaning up (sweeping/wiping down the tables), and dismissal/checking kids out.

Parent Volunteering is Required!?

This program is only possible thanks to parent volunteers. We expect all parents to volunteer at least one class session per semester (we plan for one parent per ten students/two parent volunteers per class for ten weeks per semester).

We understand that not all parents may be able to volunteer, so those parents are asked to pay the volunteer “opt-out” fee of $40 per semester. Payment for the opt-out must be paid with registration.

What is the Cost?

Fees pay for our coaches and assistant coaches to educate the students on the fundamentals of chess and for club supplies, snacks, and incentives/rewards. The semester fee is $70.*

Payment will be due (online or by check) by January 17. Your child’s registration is not complete until we have received your payment; if payment is not received by the due date, your child automatically loses their spot in the program, and their spot will be offered to a waitlisted student.

*Need-based scholarships are available; please email chessclubfellows@gmail.com to request a scholarship. Cost should not be a barrier.

How Can Children Learn Chess Outside of Chess Club?

Kids can play chess on Chesskid.com. Chesskid has an app and website, so do Chess.com and Lichess.org. Chesskid also has lots of youtube content which I think is great. Here are three great playlists from them:

How to Play Chess
Chess Tactics
Chess Terms

There are also lesson plans at https://chessctr.org/teach/ if you want to help your child learn at home. They were designed so no chess knowledge is necessary to teach them.

FCC Policies

Before Signing Up, Be Sure to Read the Following Policies!

No Refund Policy

There are no refunds given on FCC registration.

Late Pick-Up Policy

Chess Club is only possible through the time commitments made by our parent volunteers. We must respect each other’s time. If you are consistently late to pick up, we will sadly have to penalize your child by ceasing their participation in FCC. FCC ends promptly at 3:45 pm. (NOTE the earlier dismissal time than previous.)

If your child is picked up more than 5 minutes late two times (TWICE), your child will no longer be able to participate; and no refunds will be given on your registration.

Behavior Policy

Chess is a concentration/thinking game. While we want FCC members to have fun playing the game, part of the instruction includes building their focus on the game. Students may only talk at a low volume. Please ask your child to be respectful to the coaches, parents and fellow students.

Quiet attention is required when the coach is teaching. FCC members are expected to follow the same rules of behavior that they would in the classroom during school. Library books, art supplies, and other school equipment are off-limits during chess club.

Appropriate classroom behavior is expected, including one person talking at a time, students raising their hand with questions or answers to questions posed by the coaches, no side conversations or “poking” of other students no matter how friendly the claimed intention, no feet on the chairs or tables, no rocking in the chairs, no food or beverages in class, no outside distractions of any kind in class including toys, fidgets/poppers, Pokemon or playing cards, phones, game players, etc.

In chess club and chess generally, a person should never comment on a game that is in progress, whether the game is yours or one that you are just watching.

If a child does not cooperate with FCC rules, parents will be called for early pick-up because we will assume that he/she is ready to go home. Repeated disruption will lead to being asked not to return to the club. There will be no refund if your child is uninvited for behavior issues. Parents, please review these rules with your child.

Inclement Weather

If school is canceled, there will be no chess club. There will be no chess club if school is released early due to inclement weather. When possible, an email will be sent notifying parents of chess club cancellation; however, if you are ever in doubt, you may call the school to check on the status of after-school activities: 515-239-3765. Every attempt will be made to make up missed classes at the end of each semester.

Policy on Children Not Picked Up from Club

This protocol should be followed when a child has not been picked up from FCC, and parent(s)/caregiver(s) or the emergency contact person(s) for the child cannot be reached. These situations are time-consuming for the coaches and parent volunteers and can be very upsetting for the child. On these occasions, a protocol must be available to enable the child to be looked after in a safe environment.

Protocol:

If a child has not been picked up by 3:50 pm, the coaches and volunteers will make every possible attempt to contact the parent(s)/caregiver(s) with all emergency numbers supplied by the family. A student will not be released into the care of another parent without the consent of the parent(s)/ caregiver(s).
At 4:00 pm, if no contact has been made and no one has arrived to collect the child, the coach will contact the Ames Community School District/Ames Police Department School Resource Officer. Children will be placed in police custody to locate their parents.