Your Child’s First Day at GMA After School

Starting a new after school program is a big deal — for your child and for you. You’re trusting a team of people you may have just met with the most important person in your life. That takes courage.

At GMA Academy in Gallatin, TN, we’ve welcomed hundreds of new families over the past 33 years. We know exactly what first-day jitters look like, and we know how to turn them into first-day confidence. Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of what your child’s first afternoon with us actually looks like.

Before Day One: The Free Assessment

Your child’s first day doesn’t actually start on their first day. Before they ever walk through the door with a group, every new student gets a free private assessment with our team. This one-on-one session lets us understand your child’s personality, learning style, comfort level, and any special needs.

Our Director of Child Development, who holds a B.S. in Child Development and has over 16 years of experience working with children of all abilities, personally oversees this process. The assessment isn’t a test — it’s a chance for your child to see the campus, meet the staff, and start feeling at home before they’re ever in a group setting.

By the time their first real day arrives, your child already knows at least one friendly face and one familiar room. That matters more than most parents realize.

2:30 PM — School Pickup

Our team picks up from 14 local schools across Gallatin and Sumner County — including Vena Stuart, Guild, Howard, Liberty Creek, Station Camp, Benny Bills, Union STEM, Jack Anderson, and more. On your child’s first day, a staff member they’ve already met during their assessment will be on the pickup route.

Kids board our vehicles at school dismissal and arrive at our 6,000 sq ft campus within minutes. The ride itself is supervised, and many kids tell us it’s their favorite part — hanging out with friends on the way over.

Don’t see your school on our list? Check our FAQ or call us at 731-324-3850. We can often add stops.

3:00 PM — Snack Time & Settling In

When kids arrive at the campus, the first thing they do is grab a snack. We provide daily snacks — no need to pack anything extra. Our facility is peanut-free, so every child can eat safely.

This is deliberately low-key. After a full school day, kids need a few minutes to decompress before jumping into activities. Staff circulate, check in with each child, and make sure new students are connecting with the group.

3:15 PM — Homework & Tutoring

Every afternoon includes dedicated homework time with staff support. Your child sits down, unpacks their homework, and gets to work — with real help available if they need it.

This isn’t a quiet room where kids are left alone with a worksheet. Our staff actively engages with students, checks their work, and helps them understand concepts they’re struggling with. Report cards are part of our advancement criteria at GMA — academics always come first.

For families who need more intensive academic support, private 45-minute tutoring sessions are also available separately. But for most kids, the daily homework block is more than enough to keep them on track.

4:00 PM — Physical Education Through Martial Arts

This is where GMA is genuinely different from every other after school program in the area. Every student receives structured physical education through martial arts — included free with enrollment. No extra fees, no separate sign-up.

On your child’s first day, they’ll participate at their own level. Our instructors are Kukkiwon certified and IBJJF registered, with decades of experience teaching children of every age and ability level. Nobody gets thrown into the deep end.

Kids learn discipline, coordination, respect, and self-control — skills that follow them into the classroom, onto the playground, and through the rest of their lives. Most parents tell us this is the part of the program that surprised them the most — in the best way.

4:45 PM — Life Skills, Arts & Fun Fridays

The final block of the afternoon rotates between leadership workshops, arts and crafts, team-building activities, and our popular Fun Fridays with themed activities and community events.

This is where friendships form. New students who were quiet at 3:00 PM are usually laughing with the group by 4:45. The structure of the day — homework first, fitness second, fun third — gives every child a rhythm they can settle into quickly.

5:00–5:30 PM — Parent Pickup

You arrive. Your child runs up with a story about something they learned, a friend they made, or a move they practiced. Staff are available to chat about how the day went — especially on that first day, when you’ll want to know everything.

Extended care is available until 6:00 PM for families who need it. Just let us know during enrollment and we’ll make sure your child is covered.

By the end of that first afternoon, most parents tell us the same thing: “I was more nervous than my kid was.”

Frequently Asked Questions