Operation Smile club meeting
Students need more clubs and activities at Churchland High School. They should have a place and an opportunity where they can feel safe, comfortable, and can express themselves and interests with peers and friends.
Many students think that Churchland should offer more than what is provided. Here students have clubs such as Operation Smiles, Chess Club, ROTC military club, Model UN Club, Blue Crab Bowl, American Sign Language, and the Drama Club. But a good deal of students aren't interested in those options.
This topic is important because many kids go through some challenges at home and possibly during school hours. Everyone should have the opportunity to feel loved and safe around their peers. Kids also may use school to get away from problems they may be facing or even as an escape place.
VNA Health Care Studies shows that teens joining a club or a hobby can help improve mental health tremendously by boosting the teens confidence, being able to communicate efficiently with their peers, and learning how to take responsibility.
When teens are in a class for up to seven hours Monday-Friday it's hard for them to express themselves and even have the chance to enjoy themselves. Cross River Therapy Studies shows that up to 45% of teens in high school admit to being stressed out in school almost every day. So teens should be able to have a place where they can at least forget about their problems, even if it is for only 1 hour.
But there's one issue. There are not enough sponsors that are willing to help out with this issue. Mr.Bolduc, Journalism and English 9 honors teacher, who sponsors the guitar club at Churchland, states that there is a shortage of help. Many teachers are too busy to sponsor a club.
Getting more volunteers that are outside of school is a solution for the lack of help. For example, some parents love being involved within their child's education and their personal life. Some other family members love to also help out as well. Of course the extra volunteer has to be approved by the principal or any other school administration.
Yes, Churchland already has clubs, but not everyone likes chess, scholastic bowl, drama or a recycling club. Kids deserve to have a place where they can break away from the real world. Some ideas for future clubs can include, a cooking club, book club, volunteering club, coding club, and a future medical professional club.
Valentines Day fundraiser for Operation Smile February 2023
Cites Used:
Cross River Therapy: https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/student-stress-statistics#:~:text=Surprising%20Student%20Stress%20Statistics,stress%20over%20producing%20satisfactory%20grades.
Photos: Courtesy of Ms.Carmack