If you were to visit Moorefield Intermediate School during club day, you might experience butter-making, tomahawk-throwing, Lego championships, or an intense game of Rummy. You would also see projects from the Art and Soul and Craft Clubs displayed throughout the school. These are just a few of the activities students can engage in as part of the MIS Student Leadership Clubs Program.
The clubs are an outgrowth of the school’s commitment to leadership development. Using Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People as a guide, the entire faculty is engaged in helping students become successful in school while developing their leadership skills through personal growth. The school hosted 13 different clubs during the 2021-2022 school year.
The creative arts clubs included the Art & Soul Club, Craft Club, Diamond Art Club, and Sketch Club. Last year, students engaged in drawing, painting, and tie-dyeing shirts. They learned watercolor techniques and about sketching with charcoal. Members of the new Diamond Art club created color pictures by placing tiny colored studs on discs. Students in these clubs enjoyed sharing their art with classmates and family, demonstrating new creative art forms they had learned.
The gaming clubs consisted of the Card Games Club and the Game-On Club, which focused on card and board games. Both clubs emphasize skills that compel students to use strategy, wit and logic to achieve success in a particular game. Students work individually and in groups to use critical thinking for successful results. These clubs also focus on using hands-on approaches instead of electronics for gaming.
The Outdoor Living Club, a favorite among students, was one of the largest clubs. Last year, students constructed and painted wooden tool boxes, learned to tie various knots, participated in a first aide class. They were also amazed by the opportunity to participate in axe throwing as members of this club.
Another favorite for students was the Science Club. This club had so much interest it required two classes last year! Students grew rock candy crystals, exploded ivory soap, and made homemade butter and bottle rockets. These projects allowed students to use imagination and innovation during construction and preparation of solutions and building materials.
The Energy Club focused on movement and stretching. Students used techniques such as yoga, aerobic activity, and meditation to help promote calm and reduce stress. Students shared those activities with classmates during classroom movement to ease daily tension and promote relaxation.
The new Karaoke Club proved to be an exciting and energetic club for students. By utilizing many genres of music appreciation, students learned not only to express themselves with singing but also developed the important skill of performing for an audience. This has given students who otherwise may be reluctant to participate in front of a group the confidence to perform in a public setting.
The new Theater Club was led by a teacher who had experience working with a local theater group. Students learned performance techniques, role play, and dramatic interpretation. They participated in production skills, costume selection and learned how plays and movies are developed and produced.
Like the science club, the Lego Club also required two classes to fit all of the participants! Students constructed Lego structures from pre-designed plans as well as from free form ideas. Students worked on some projects individually and others in groups. This club helped students develop cognitive thinking in developing structures, dexterity and precision in construction, and the ability to work collaboratively in a group-setting.
Moorefield Intermediate School has structured its Leadership Clubs Program to combine aspects of education into new and fun ways for students to learn new skills. These aspects of learning help to encourage cognitive thinking, team building, and social skills that will help our school and community thrive.
The Hardy County Community Foundation just awarded its sixth grant to the school to support the program.
