Activities like school dances and assemblies may be something that is usually considered part of the school experience. However, for students in our schools, these typical school activities were on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Entering the 2022-23 school year, restrictions were lifted and students entered their first school year in over two years that resembled normalcy.
One way schools are returning to a sense of normal is through activities organized by the leadership students at Meridian Middle School. Last year, leadership students were only able to host an outdoor social at the end of the school year.
“I had staff tell me that kids enjoyed the outdoor social so much that they said they would want to come to school more if we had more activities like that,” said art teacher and leadership advisor Alison Yeager. “Last year, we really focused more on just being a good leader. This year we are actually able to work in groups and we are able to plan more events. We can bring it back to the whole school and involve more students and have a spirit assembly and dances.”
In the leadership class which includes students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades, students split up into committees. Each committee leads a different aspect of planning for spirit weeks. These committees include the spirit week theme, dance theme and fundraiser.
“We have such a great legacy of school spirit in Meridian that our leadership class helps to build upon through the events and activities they plan. After coming out of a few years of limited social activities, it has been really great to see students experience the joys of spirit weeks, dances and assemblies again,” said Assistant Principal Robert Kratzig.
Students are currently working on a spirit week and dance for mid-February with a candygram themed fundraiser.
The funds from the candygram sales go into a general ASB fund that helps pay for dance decorations. Students say the increased social activities not only make school more fun but it gives them a chance to make their school a more welcoming place.
“Leadership is better this year because you know there are students who can make a difference and help the school,” said eighth grader Eliza Stoner.
School staff agree that building positive school culture leads to more engagement in the classroom.
“I have seen first hand just how important student leadership is to creating a culture of belonging at a school,” Kratzig said. “We want to create a school where students want to be each day. When students feel connected to their school and that the people here – both staff and classmates – appreciate who they are as a whole person, it increases academic achievement and buy-in in the classroom.”