After the 2:10 bell rings, signifying the end of the school day, we go in many different directions including to sports practice, to see a teacher, or we run straight for the front door … but what if none of those choices look appealing? Two more choices that are available to you are the George B. Thomas Learning Academy, held in the Media Center, and Sports Academy, which is held in the school cafeteria.

At one point or another, students struggle with keeping grades up. During LAP, students often search for teachers to get help with the assignments that they don’t understand. It is VERY frustrating when you check a teacher’s room multiple times and he or she is not there, just when you need him or her the most. This also can be detrimental to one’s grades. The George B. Thomas Academy helps solve that problem. Held Monday through Thursday from 2:20-3:45 in the Media Center, a teacher for math, social studies, science, and English is there at your fingertips. If you really want to get that assignment done, taking an hour and 45 minutes out of the time you probably would have spent napping on the couch at home is really worth it.

Paint Branch High is one of 12 schools in Montgomery County to have the George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy Inc. as an after-school program. This academy, founded in 1986 by George B. Thomas Sr. who is still president, was originally started out as the Olney Saturday School because it was held in a daycare center of the Housing Opportunities Commissions in Olney. According to the Montgomery County Public Schools Website, it was run by members of the Mu Nu Chapter of the black fraternity called Omega Psi Phi Inc. The fraternity members began "recognizing a growing need in the community" to help young people who needed academic support in order to be successful in school. The Academy’s mission is to "accelerate students’ mastery of academics, specifically reading, language arts, and mathematics, and to close the achievement gap." According to the MCPS Website, Superintendent Jerry Weast, in an attempt to close the academic gap that exists primarily between African-American and Hispanics students and their White and Asian peers, made the George B. Thomas program part of the county’s "Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence" plan.

How do you sign up for this program? Assistant Principal Ms. Pettis-Jones explains, "It is open to all students. They can just show up in the Media Center at 2:20 pm." Ms. Pettis-Jones says that the main goal for the program here at Paint Branch is to "improve the academic performance of students." Students that come to the program are able to pull up grades, enabling participate in school activities including clubs and becoming eligible for sports. Ms. Pettis-Jones happily reports that more than 80 percent of students involved in the program show academic improvements. "They begin to better understand what they are being taught, and are now passing classes that they may have been failing before," she adds.

Sports Academy gives students the opportunity to relax and have fun after a long school day filled with tests, quizzes and assignments. Sports Academy is the alternative or companion to the Goerge B. Thomas Academy because when parents sign their child up, they have the choice of signing up for one or both programs. Held in the cafeteria, Sports Academy allots 30 minutes for students to do homework and when that time is up, the fun begins. The students play a variety of games such as intramural basketball and soccer, pool, Wii, DDR, and many more. A few of you may be wondering, "Can’t they just do homework and have fun at home?" Some kids may not go directly home, often because their parents aren’t at home, and they need a place to hang out and keep them from getting into things. "The purpose of the program is to help the kids who come here with their homework and keep them out of trouble," according to 2004 Paint Branch graduate and Sports Academy staff member Anthony Morrison.

These programs give students a great opportunity to get homework done quickly, to relax, and to have fun with friends. And it’s not even the weekend.