An After School Programme with a difference…
Roxanne Maynard promises school away from school

By Cherisse M. Sutton/Jeffers
Reporter SKNVibes.com

Roxanne Maynard

Meet Roxanne Maynard, originally of Cardin Avenue but who currently resides at Carifesta Village in St. Peters, the proud owner of Happy Kids After School Club and Vacation Programme. 

The programme, which operates under the motto ‘After school hours matter’, is designed for children ages four to 12 and, according to Maynard, “What children do at the end of the school day is very important.”  

She stressed that too often many children at the end of the day have nothing to do, as many of their parents are at work and therefore they spend too much time playing games, riding bikes and watching TV.

This is where Maynard comes in! According to the mother and teacher, the programme helps both parents and teachers. 

She explained that after a day at school, the students arrive at her house and get started with a snack then head into homework time.

“If there are children with no homework, we provide activities for the children to do or help them in areas which they may have problems,” said Maynard. After this, she added, the children would be engaged in reading until 6:00 p.m., bringing the day’s activities to an end.

Interestingly, as if that were not enough, Maynard not only picks up the children from school, but she also takes home those among them whose parents do not have personal transportation.

Apart from the after school programme, there are additional programmes that take place during the Summer, Easter and Christmas vacations where the children engage in day camps, art and craft and sometimes field trips and other activities from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Maynard said the idea came about while she was working with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s (ECCB) After School Programme for three and a half years, which she stressed was only for the employees’ children.

She declared that she knew other people who were interested in the programme, and that is when she decided to resign from the ECCB and establish her own.  

Maynard explained that she started the after school programme on July 31, 2006 with seven children and the population has since increased to 27, along with her three assistants - Makeda Woods, Carol Elliott and Juliette Simmons.

A smiling Maynard told SKNVibes that the children are always very excited about going to her house after school and they also indicated the desire to be there on weekends.   ~~Adz:Right~~