A student’s school experience extends beyond their classes and sports. Clubs are integral to becoming involved in a school community and enriching your academic and social experience in these four years. Leonardtown High School takes pride in its one-lunch club offerings, where students can start any club with at least 10 members, a teacher sponsor, and approval from the school administration. Over the years we have seen students start up Spikeball Club, Improv Club, DnD Club, and many more. Some of the larger and more prominent clubs include the Student Government Association, Key Club, and National Honors Society. These organizations have over 30 members and are constantly growing.
Student Government Association, better known as SGA, is a universal organization that is not just here at Leonardtown, but in schools across the nation. It is a highly engaging and expansive community that allows members to collaborate with peers as well as other students from around the state. SGA allows students to attend various collaborative conventions and workshops, where they can vote for student members of the board. In our Leonardtown High School SGA, we plan school events, vote on spirit week themes, organize homecoming, and provide service to our community.
Another one of Leonardtown’s larger club organizations is Key Club is run by Ava Controneo and sponsored by Mr. Bloch. Key Club is a service-based organization that promotes students to engage in their community and provide donations and service to their school, other schools, and the people around them. They require their members to have a certain amount of service events to be a part of the club, and have a variety of different events to choose from. These service events range from volunteering at an elementary school, to donating for breast cancer, and even arranging Christmas gifts for children in need. Key Club has grown each and every year, gaining new members every fall and having more participation than ever. Key Club is such a great opportunity to give back to your community and get involved in your school!
The National Honors Society requires a lot of dedication and hard work. Like Key Club, National Honors Society focuses on service events, as well as incorporating leadership and accountability. Addison Johnson shares that “This club has helped me become a better person, and promote better academic success. The morning meetings really help to start my day off well!” National Honors Students must have a clear record in order to join the club, along with prior service hours and school involvement. Those who apply and make it into the club often have to attend morning meetings at the school as early as 7am. The National Honors Society encourages students to push themselves and do their best academically. It shows just how capable the students of Leonardtown High School really are!
Now that you learned about some of the major clubs, let’s look at some of the more unique clubs here at Leonardtown High.
The Black Student Union is another club you should join. The benefit of joining the Black Student Union is learning more about the African-American culture with people of various backgrounds. In the club, they learn the facts about the history and the culture of the African-American community. Mr. Roberson chose to sponsor the club because he wanted to show the community the history and the culture of the black community. The Interest meetings are Friday, September 13th, and Wednesday, September 18th.
Rugby Club is a club that meets during B-lunch on Fridays in Mr David’s room, in 2E09. The benefit of joining the club is to learn and gain more knowledge about the sport’s long history. In the club, they learn how to play and compete by understanding the rules and techniques of the game. Mr. David chose to sponsor the club because he had a student who was very passionate about the game, and he was curious to learn more about it. They have an Interest meeting on Friday, September 13th.
In Critter Club you get to learn more about critters and learn how to take care of them. Mrs. Dyson chose to sponsor the club because she sees the benefits of the students taking care of and learning more about the critters. The critters they have are a ball python, a leopard gecko, some fish, 2 frogs, a hermit crab, and some mealworms. They meet on Mondays in 2F02.
These academic clubs are so important for the students who are interested in them, they give everyone a chance to become more involved, give back to the community, collaborate with peers, and learn leadership and responsibility.
