A Day in the Life: GMA After School Program Daily Schedule

Parents ask us all the time: what does my child actually do all afternoon? It's a fair question. You're trusting someone else with the hours between school dismissal and the end of your workday, and a list of bullet points on a website only tells you so much. So here's the full picture — an honest walkthrough of GMA's after school program daily schedule at our campus in Gallatin, TN, from the moment our team leaves to pick up your child until the moment you pull into the parking lot.

School Pickup: 2:30 – 3:15 PM

The afternoon starts before your child even knows it. At 2:30 PM, GMA's pickup team heads out to collect students from 14 local schools across Gallatin and Sumner County — elementary and middle schools including Vena Stuart, Guild, Howard, Liberty Creek, Station Camp, Benny Bills, Union STEM, Jack Anderson, St. John Vianney, and more.

Every vehicle is staffed by background-checked team members. Pickup routes are planned so children spend minimal time in transit. Most students arrive at our 6,000 sq ft facility on 509 Garnet Ct by 3:15 PM. If you're curious about how we handle that first-day transition, our guide on what to expect on your child's first day walks you through every detail.

Snack Time and Settling In: 3:15 – 3:45 PM

Kids walk through the door, drop their backpacks, and decompress. After sitting in a classroom for seven hours, they need a few minutes to breathe — and they need fuel. GMA provides daily snacks and drinks at no extra cost. The facility is fully peanut-free, so parents with allergy concerns can relax.

This 30-minute window serves a purpose beyond nutrition. Staff use it to check in with each child. How was your day? Do you have homework tonight? Anything going on? These small conversations build rapport and help instructors catch issues early — a bad test score, a conflict with a friend, a kid who seems off. It's the kind of attention that separates structured care from supervised storage.

Homework and Tutoring: 3:45 – 4:30 PM

At 3:45, the room gets quiet. Every student sits down for a dedicated 45-minute homework block with staff support. This isn't a suggestion — it's built into the daily schedule because academics come first at GMA. Report cards are actually part of the advancement criteria for our martial arts program, which means kids who let their grades slip don't move up in rank. That connection between effort in the classroom and progress on the mat motivates students in a way that nagging from parents rarely does.

Staff circulate the room, helping with math problems, quizzing spelling words, reviewing reading assignments. For students who need more intensive academic support, private 45-minute tutoring sessions are available separately at $30–$40 per hour. But most kids find the structured environment and peer accountability is enough to get their work done — and done well.

If your child finishes homework early, they'll move to quiet enrichment activities: reading, journaling, or educational games. No one sits idle, and no one reaches for a screen.

The After School Program Daily Schedule Gets Physical: 4:30 – 5:30 PM

This is the part that makes GMA fundamentally different from every other after school option in Sumner County. At 4:30, the mats come out and the real training begins.

Students participate in two structured fitness blocks — each 30 minutes — led by certified instructors from the Spillmann family's 33+ year martial arts lineage. The curriculum blends Taekwondo, self-defense fundamentals, and leadership-focused training. Kids learn technique, yes. But they also learn discipline, respect, and how to push through discomfort without quitting.

Physical education through martial arts is included free with every enrollment. No extra fees for classes, uniforms, or belt testing during the program. Students progress through the belt ranking system at their own pace, earning visible proof of their growth. That progression matters — it gives kids something concrete to work toward and a reason to show up every day ready to improve.

Parent pickup is available at 5:00 PM after the first fitness block. Most families pick up at 5:30 PM after the second block. Extended care runs until 6:00 PM for families who need the extra time.

Beyond the Daily Schedule: Fun Fridays and Family Events

Not every afternoon follows the standard template. Fun Fridays bring themed activities into the mix — Nerf wars, arts and crafts, movie afternoons, holiday parties. These are the days kids talk about at dinner. They're built into the rhythm of the week so students have something to look forward to, and so the program never feels like a grind.

GMA also runs events that extend beyond the kids. Parent Night Out gives you a chance to drop the children off for an evening of supervised fun while you get a few hours to yourself. Family Club events — cookouts, picnics, chili cook-offs — bring GMA families together outside of program hours. Voted Best in Sumner County in both 2024 and 2025, GMA's reputation is built as much on community as on curriculum.

The team behind all of this includes 16+ certified, background-checked staff members led by Grand Master K.O. Spillmann and Joanne Spillmann, who holds a B.S. in Child Development. With a Red Cross Medical Assistant on-site and CPR/First Aid certification across the team, the operational details are as strong as the programming.

Frequently Asked Questions