Middle School clubs help build a strong community for students, but infrequent meetings may limit their impact. Increasing the frequency of clubs will improve the impact and enhance students’ involvement.
Clubs meet on Fridays during Community Time. These clubs range from Volleyball to Dungeons and Dragons, and more. Some clubs simply allow the students to move outside and play a sport, while in others, students can play a card game or try food and learn about different cultures.
According to Middle School Administrative Assistant Erin Lee, the diversity of clubs helps students acquire a sense of belonging in the Middle School. “The whole goal of student life is to make sure that students feel like they belong here . . . it’s great because it . . . gives you like this little subcommunity,” she says.
We think the Westminster Middle School does an excellent job of making clubs both accessible and enjoyable, giving students a meaningful and full experience. Administration wants to allow all students to branch out and start their own clubs to connect the community further. Middle School Director of Student Life Tina McCormick says that “I will do anything that students want. So if they want a sixth-grade girls’ chat club. We’ll do it.”
To make a club, students must email McCormick to set up a meeting. At the meeting, students need to bring a group of students who also want this club to show that other students appreciate the idea. Then the students will find an advisor and promote the club. Administration takes into consideration all club ideas. McCormick claims that she will never and has never turned down a proposal.
However, an increase in meeting times is needed, and it will have a significant impact on the student body. Clubs help students branch out and explore an activity that they enjoy, but students like 8th grader Ashley Evans feel that clubs need to occur more frequently. “Clubs should definitely meet more frequently because you can get to know the people in your club,” she says.
At the same time, inconsistent attendance prevents students from gaining the full impact of their club experiences. Do students attend the same club each and every time, or do they jump from one to another? We think adding more time blocks to clubs could increase the impact they have. Lee agrees, “I think increasing the occurrence and also increasing your attendance at a particular club would be mutually beneficial,” she says.
This is why the administration’s plan to hold clubs at least twice a month is a positive step. However, we believe clubs could have even more opportunities to engage with students. Why not have clubs that could meet during recess or Office Hours for students who are free?