Principal Mrs. Bronikowski teams up to bring Club Day to Whitmer in order to provide access to club meetings for all students. Bronikowski approached activity advisors Mrs. Kosakowski and Mrs. Knaggs to start Club Day with the hopes of bringing in students who may not have time or or transportation to attend after school meetings.
Whitmer High School’s monthly Club Day meetings open up those opportunities, but the logistics and organization still needs work.
“Club day is an opportunity for our students who are involved in clubs, and our teachers who are advisors to meet with their students during the school day, so it’s not an additional meeting that happens after the school day,” principal Mrs. Bronikowski states.
Club day is meant to help the students who are heavily involved in school activities be able to have the time to participate in clubs.
“We have so many student athletes and students who are involved in multiple clubs, it allows them to better manage their time,” activities advisor and social studies teacher Mrs. Knaggs shares.
Many club advisors have seen this influx of student involvement and have seen the beneficial effects of club day.
“It has helped us so much. Last year we were always struggling – and every year – trying to get everything finished before the events happened. And between after school activities and sports, it was really hard to get kids to be able to be here, so now this has been very beneficial for us,” French club advisor and French teacher Madame Hetrick-Goff expresses.
It is not only French Club who has noticed the benefits, as Mrs. Bronikowski observes Club Day, she is seeing an influx of participation in all clubs.
“We are seeing more activity this year than we did even at the end of last year, which I’m happy about,”
— Mrs. Bronikowski states.
While Club Day may seem like the perfect solution, many club members do not have the same sentiments. Club Days happen on short activity schedules which only give clubs 30 minutes to get work done, when the average after school meeting length is 1 hour.
“With the short activity schedule we don’t really have as much time,” sophomore French club member Nicholas Stewart says.
Mrs. Kosakowski has also noticed this problem and also realizes that students have multiple clubs all wanting to meet in the same 30 minute time slot. Even though some students participate in more than 2 clubs, having that option to go to 2 instead of 1 is still a big help.
“I think it would be great to have more time, maybe that could allow you to go to 2 [clubs] as well,” activities advisor and social studies teacher Mrs. Kosakowski agrees.
Senior Tayler Staples is involved in National Honors Society, National Technical Honors Society, Math Honorary, Panther Commanders, and CTC Ambassadors. Tayler and students with similar levels of campus involvement face the problem of not being able to participate in every club on Club Day. A long activity schedule can help these students be able to participate in multiple clubs – which is what Club Day is trying to achieve. Ms. Staples communicates with her advisors, but it is still overwhelming to find that balance of time.
“Once I talk it out with my advisors, they understand, and they get that students are busy,” senior Tayler Staples elaborates.
With mixed feelings on Club Day, the administration is not sure that it will make a return next year.
“Maybe it’s not something that’s going to work,” Mrs. Bronikowksi states.
Club advisors are hopeful that over time it will become exactly what the school needs to expand Whitmer’s club culture.
“We can’t give up on something right now this soon. I hope that does not happen,” Mrs. Kosakowski expresses.
