By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

As faculty and staff at Kennebunk schools gear up for a new school year, two faculty members are focused on providing after school activities for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Program Director Jo Dill developed Stretch Beyond, an after school program, in 1988 as a part of moving up on the career ladder at Kennebunk schools. Dill said Stretch Beyond offers one-hour classes once a week after school for six weeks to students. Each class costs parents between $25 and $50 per session. Four years ago, she added another after school program called Healthy Kids Club, which provides children with afternoon exercise, homework help, fun activities and advice on living a healthy lifestyle  daily during the school week. Fees for Healthy Kids Club, which lasts until 5:30 p.m. each day, depend on the number of children parents sign up and the number of days per week. Fees parents pay for both programs completely fund the after school activities, and all classes are located at Kennebunk Elementary School.

“[Stretch Beyond] is a good after school program. We try and keep it educational so children can take something not offered during the regular school day,” Dill said. 

This year, Stretch Beyond is offering 13 classes and Dill said more may be scheduled before school starts. Classes include homework help, German, American Sign Language, woodworking, gymnastics, board games, indoor and outdoor play, Making Friends with Whales and Dolphins, CheerTastic! Animal Friends for Life, Flags, Hoops, Batons and Ribbons dance class, Hands on History and Mad Science.

Most of the instructors are not schoolteachers, but community members, and some instructors volunteer their time, such as Kennebunk High School cheerleaders teaching CheerTastic.  Others are paid a small stipend for teaching the class, Dill said. She said the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk is helping with the history class, allowing each student to design a mini-museum exhibit to be displayed at the museum. The Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk is teaching Animal Friends for Life, which will include a field trip to the shelter.

While Stretch Beyond has a full schedule for this session, Dill said she welcomes any community members interested in teaching a one-hour class to participate. She said the program is always interested in instructors willing to teach chess, foreign languages or arts and crafts, but is also interested in any suggestions. 

Dill said retired Kennebunk school counselor Tony Viehmann has been an instructor since Stretch Beyond started and is still involved in the program, teaching three classes this session. Viehmann said after retiring three years ago, he wanted to stay involved because he loved teaching children new skills.  

Viehmann said he teaches Making Friends with Whales and Dolphins, indoor and outdoor games and the woodworking class. He said past students in the woodworking class have completed projects such as making cars, gumball machines, lamps and boxes.

“I figure out what to make and cut out a lot of the pieces at home. So the kids get to do the gluing and nailing together,” Viehmann said. “I like to build creativity into the projects. I give basic directions, but encourage kids to try different ways of putting things together.”

He said he tries to find challenging projects for students to work on, but something easy enough so they can finish in six weeks and have something to take home. 

While Stretch Beyond has new classes starting every six weeks, Healthy Kids Club is offered five days a week for the entire school year. Dill said Healthy Kids Club teaches children healthy living with educational activities and is a good after school care alternative. Children are separated by grade, placing kindergarten and first grade in one room, second and third grades in another and fourth and fifth grades in a third room. Staff for the program also provides homework help for those who need assistance. 

There is no student limit to either program with the exception of some of the hands-on courses that require at least 10 students, but no more than 15, Dill said. She said at least 10 to 15 percent of students between kindergarten and fifth grade take advantage of Healthy Kids Club and Stretch Beyond. 

If you are interested in signing your child up for either Stretch Beyond or Healthy Kids Club, contact Jo Dill at 985-6800 or email jdill@msad71.net.