“Thank you” was the message After School Program (ASP) students were delivering to their principals and parents in recognition of Lights on Afterschool, the only national celebration of afterschool programs sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance.
Every afternoon after the last bell rings, over 1,100 elementary students in grades K-5 stay at their schools to participate in the ASP where they are engaged in constructive activities that focus on academics, recreation, arts and crafts, and community service.
Students used the national awareness event, now in its 17th year, to design and write thank you notes to their school principals for supporting the program, and to their parents for allowing them to participate in it.
The students of the Peeples Elementary After School Leadership Group presented their principal, Buffy Blodgett, with a special card they designed to show their appreciation for keeping the lights on after three o’clock every school day. On average, over 100 students attend the program daily at Peeples.
“ASP is absolutely needed. It is like family. The children can relax, do their homework using the technology needed, and play with their school friends,” said Blodgett.
Blodgett’s own children attend the school’s ASP, and typically do not want to leave when it is time to go.
“That’s the best compliment we get, when children do not want to leave,” said ASP coordinator Sharon Walters. “It lets us know that we are doing something right.”
In addition to the thank you cards and notes, students at all sites designed light bulb art that was displayed in the halls of the schools. Some of the most creative artwork will be on display in the lobby the Fayette County Board of Education office Oct. 21-31.
The Fayette County ASP started in 1987 with nine elementary schools and 250 students. It now has an average daily attendance of 1,164 students, representing approximately 20 percent of the school system’s elementary student population.
Students pictured include Kaitlin Deyton, Sadie Blodgett, C.J. McKenna, Ishan Kasaju, Kathryn Wheeler and Jake Harper. Adults in the back are ASP site manager DeAnn Cruse, Peeples Elementary principal Buffy Blodgett and ASP coordinator Sharon Walters.
