Published: October 21, 2009 08:47 am      

Mayfield program gives students a safe atmosphere

When school lets out, there is no place for many students to go but to an empty home.

Mayfield Elementary School has found a way to help give students in need a free, safe after-school environment for three days a week.

Using a grant from the Department of Education, Mayfield is working with the 21st Century Community Learning Centers to provide students an afterschool program on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The program is described as providing “academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high poverty and low-performing schools,” according to the Web site.

For Mayfield, the program has been a perfect opportunity to provide 96 students a safe haven from 2:20-4:30 p.m.

“It gives them a safe place to go after school and helps them with homework and getting them involved with extra-curricular activities, social skills and peer interaction,” said Blair Haydon, site coordinator of Mayfield’s 21st Century Program.

Haydon has enlisted a host of teachers, parents and community members to serve as volunteers for the program.

The students, ranging from first through fifth-grade, are given a snack before being split into groups, where during 30-minute increments, they work on a variety of activities, ranging from homework to performing arts to using the computer lab to participating in a reading program in the library.

As part of the library program, the students are able to check out a book.

“They get so excited about being able to take a library book home with them,” Haydon said.

This is the last year of the grant, but Haydon said her hope is that it will be renewed for next year.

“It’s really important for these kids,” Haydon said. “We want to bring attention to after-school programs, keep the kids safe and inspire them to learn.”

Elizabeth Woodard, 9, a third-grader, said her favorite part of the program is the computer lab, while James Fell, 9, also in third-grade, talks of learning about the food pyramid and how he has learned to make crafts.

“I’ve been learning about calories and I’ve been learning spelling,” said Travis Issacs, 8, a third-grade student.

The program, which began on Sept. 21, runs for nine weeks in the fall and nine weeks in the spring. Bus transportation is provided for all students that do not have a ride home.

Tim Mandell can be reached at tmandell@richmondregister.com or 623-1669 ext. 6696.