After-School Activities Overview

Introduction:

After-school activities play a crucial role in fostering students' holistic development, providing opportunities beyond the classroom to explore diverse interests and enhance various skills. It is our goal this year to increase the outside of school hour offerings to students in order to return the same level prior to 2020.  Our hope is to bring back some familiar competitions and clubs, as well as introduce new offerings to students. This document categorizes our after-school activities into four main groups: Sports, Arts, Academics, and Clubs.  

Sports

Sports activities aim to promote physical fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Through participation, students develop discipline, resilience, and leadership skills. These activities complement classroom learning by fostering a healthy lifestyle and teaching valuable life lessons.  We provide intramural level sports for 5th and 6th grade students as follows:  Fall - Volleyball, Winter - Basketball, Spring - Soccer.  See the schedule below for more details.  Practices are from 3:15-4:30pm with a culminating competition at the end of the season.

The Arts

Artistic pursuits, including visual arts, music, and drama, encourage creativity and self-expression. These activities enrich students' lives by fostering a deeper appreciation for the arts, promoting confidence, and developing critical thinking skills. They serve as an extension of classroom learning by allowing students to explore and showcase their talents.  This area includes our Musical, primary art and intermediate art.  Some clubs in this section may run 2x4 weeks sessions in each season.  Additionally, our Musical/Drama timeframes may go into 2 seasons.

Academics

Academic activities provide additional opportunities for intellectual growth. They may include subjects such as mathematics, science, and language arts, offering students a chance to delve deeper into specific areas of interest. These activities reinforce and extend classroom learning, helping students excel in their academic pursuits.  Examples of these are Geography bee, Spelling Bee, and Math club.

Clubs

Clubs offer a diverse range of interests, catering to specific hobbies or shared passions among students. The goal is to create a sense of community, provide an avenue for social interaction, and allow students to explore niche areas of interest. Clubs serve as an extension of classroom learning by fostering camaraderie and collaborative learning experiences.  Examples of these are Yearbook club, Newspaper, and StuGo.

Formation of After School Activities:

Clubs are typically formed by interested students with the guidance of a supervising staff member. Students propose the idea for a club, outline its purpose, and seek approval from the school administration using this form and return to the main office. Once approved, the club is officially recognized, and members can start organizing activities.  

Club and Activity Calendar

Teachers/sponsors will work together to ensure the club and activity offerings are spread across the days of the week to allow students the potential to select multiple offerings if allowed.   9 weeks is provided to compensate for any lost days.  All activities end at 4:30 PM unless otherwise agreed upon with administration (examples could be competitions, festivals, culminating event).

Fall

8 weeks Sept 9th, 2024- November 8th 2024 (9 weeks).  Clubs/Activities will meet 1 day a week for 1 and a half hours.

Winter

8 weeks starting November 11th, 2024 - January 31st, 2025 (9 weeks).  Clubs/Activities will meet 1 day a week for 1 and a half hours.

Spring

8 weeks starting February 3rd, 2025 - April 11th, 2024.  Clubs/Activities will meet 1 day a week for 1 and a half hours.

Creativity Club is an after school enrichment opportunity offered to first and second grade students. 

Art club is an after school enrichment opportunity offered to 3rd -6th grade students who express a passion for the visual arts.