Next week, we will kick off our MS Clubs and Activities program with an assembly on Monday and a Club Fair on Tuesday. This will be a chance for students to learn about the various options for lunch time or after school activities offered in the MS. Some clubs are initiated while others may be long-standing ISB institutions or new faculty offerings.
This has taken some time to establish and build a schedule for, this year, as we have revamped our offerings to provide more choices. With many new faculty to take the lead on clubs, a newly developed after school schedule for athletics (impacting students’ and teachers’ schedules), and a lengthy process of collecting student ideas for new clubs (and finding teachers to sponsor them), it has taken some time to build a schedule and assign meeting times. For example, MS athletics practices(involving over 100 MS students) take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays this year, which many of our clubs have tried to work around.
We try to work around existing programs within the MS, but recognize there are also CAO activities, Panther Athletics programs outside of the U14 and U12 programs, and individual conflicts with tutors, lessons, or outside interests. The best we can do is plan around our own MS activities. Now that our schedule is in place, we are able to communicate with students about the program offerings. Next week’s eNews will include this information, but please also talk with your children on Monday and/or Tuesday afternoon.
We understand that there may be conflicts for some students on some days with a club they are interested in and an existing commitment. It’s okay if a student is unable to start the club right away. They can still express interest and join the club later in the year when their schedule allows. Our goal is for clubs to be inclusive of anyone who wants to participate, but we recognize that schedules sometimes end up with conflicts.
We are excited for the many opportunities that our clubs, leadership councils, and activities provide students for connecting with others, developing interests, and engaging in some fun.