News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Cooking Club at Sisters Middle School is one of several saved by teachers’ efforts.
Part of the joy of being in middle school is the opportunity to learn new things - not necessarily in a formal classroom setting.
In the past, Sisters Middle School students got to experience activities ranging from crafts to outdoorsmanship during Interim Week, a program that took them out of their regular schedule for a week each year.
According to Principal Kathy Miner, that practice was discontinued because it took too much time away from academics. Instead, the fun of learning in an informal environment was transferred to club activities.
This year, facing budget cuts due to reductions in state funding and declining enrollment, it looked like clubs would be canceled.
"They were part of our athletics budget," Miner said. "Our athletic budget was cut slightly and we lost all the clubs."
But then teachers stepped up.
Teachers voted to use their professional development money... on funds for the clubs," Miner said.
It wasn't a huge sum - about $2,000 - but it was enough to provide stipends for teachers to lead club activities after school hours - and for the modest supply needs.
"You get a lot of bang for the buck with it," Miner said. "You can run a club for $600 all year."
Clubs like Lego robotics (where kids learn how to build and program a robot made of Legos), jazz band, cooking and chess either continue year-round or repeat each trimester.
Most clubs are for 6th-8th graders, though some allow fifth-graders and an upcoming Americana Guitar Club set for winter will be for fifth-graders only.
Other winter clubs include Drama and Advanced Science (which will be renamed Rocket Club to attract more interest, Miner says).
SMS also offers sports, including cross country for 6th-8th graders; football for 7th-8th graders and volleyball for 7th-8th graders.
Altogether, 138 students participate in after-school sports; while 60-75 participate in clubs, out of a student population of 415. Miner notes that at middle-school age, many students participate in community athletic programs like soccer, which the school does not track.
Miner said the school actively encourages kids to be involved in activities outside school hours. It's especially important for kids who might be struggling in school.
"Research says that to get disengaged kids involved in at least three activities in a year raises their achievement," Miner said.
Activities including sports foster a sense of belonging and team spirit, giving kids a sense that they have a stake in their school and their school has a stake in their success.
Clubs are free; athletics carries a fee of $75 per sport. Scholarships are available through contributions by the Sisters Schools Foundation, and there are payment plans as well as partial scholarships to ease the burden on families in tough times.
"We haven't turned anyone down," Miner said.
Parents are welcome to suggest or lead a club. They have to go through the district's volunteer screening process. Clubs must not carry a fee.
For more information, call Sisters Middle School at 549-2099.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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