Extra-curricular Activities
By GreenMoo
@GreenMoo (11833)
February 8, 2013 3:30pm CST
I mean at school!
My son's school has one afternoon per week where there are no scheduled lessons, but the school does supply a range of other activities for the kids to get involved in if they would like. He chooses something called 'multi activities' which is a range of quite way out sport activities (orienteering, rockclimbing, shooting ....) and has also just started attended sessions run by a local youth group who aim to better the lives of local residents through voluntary activities and also arrange outings and such. From time to time he also does badminton, although I think the multi activity sessions normally win over that as he's managed to get on the school team and competes throughout our district.
The extra curricular activities are all timetabled to be within the school transport hours which make them trouble free to attend, and if he has to stay late for something (a district event for instance) then he gets brought home when it ends either by the teacher in charge or on a specially organised mini bus.
In addition, there are the more usual concerts, sports days and an annual cross country run, plus occasional other opportunities for parents to visit the school. A couple of years ago they organised a meal in the school canteen for parents to see what it was like (my son said it was masses better than day to day, but what do you expect?!).
I think it's all absolutely amazing, and all credit to our local school for providing such superb opportunities.
When I was at school there was the normal orchestra, drama club and sports clubs, but they seem a little tame by comparison. I remember at one stage I was a member of a group who cut stamps off envelopes on behalf of a major charity. Exciting stuff, but I think my main motivation was to be allowed to stay inside on winter lunchtimes and chat with my mates!
Do your kids attend any extra curricular activities at school? What did you enjoy doing yourself?
2 people like this
11 responses
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
8 Feb 13
Schools are so very different now compared to when I was a boy. Most of my teachers had been in the war and were just pleased to still be alive I think! The younger ones did run extra curricular activities. We had a Scalextric club, table tennis and guitar lessons. There was also croquet, tennis and archery available In the summer term. I was at a boarding school so I suppose they had to put a little extra effort into entertainments. I cannot remember what my daughter did when she was at school. Not a great deal if I remember. She went to boarding school for her sixth form and life was very different there. But I think there was quite a lot of going into the village and drifting round the shop and sneaking into the pub illegally rather than anything terribly intellectual or physical. Plus there were boys there!
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11833)
•
9 Feb 13
I must admit that the extra curricular activities I was involved in were mainly in my younger years at school. In my senior years the chip shop seemed to hold greater appeal!
I love the idea of a Scalextric club, although the pleasure of Scalextric is always enhanced for me by involving a cat to chase the cars and I don't suppose they supplied those.
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
9 Feb 13
My kids are no longer in school, but this sounds well planned and interesting for a variety of students, not just musicians, athletes and brains. I believe that when my great niece was at middle school age they did similar at her school. That would be about 12-15 years old.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
8 Feb 13
hi greenmoo that sounds like a great school and I am all for those extra curricular activities. Ii was born in the depression years but when I was in the fifth grade I had a teacher who made subjects fun She took us on outings to find the different trees in town, botany, flowers, we went to a zoo, a sugar beet factory, we went to see iron ore being turned into other things. She believed in on the spot learning. We visited a nursing home, a hospital, a church. That was the most wonderful year in my childhood and I got such good grades I was skipped from the fifth grade to the seventh grade., Again at the end of that seventh year I ws skipped again to the ninth grade.Here I am 86 and still remember that fifth grade and that fun teacher.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
12 Feb 13
My kids go to a small school, one class per grade. Yet, their school joins inter-school sports activities. So, my son joined their soccer team in the fall, and is now with their basketball team.
I've seen their team play, and there's only a handful of them who are actually good. Their team winning is always dependent on these handful of kids. Unfortunately my son isn't one of them. Yet, his coach/teacher puts him in (usually at the start of the game). He enjoys both sports.
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
19 Feb 13
This is fantastic! I had nothing like that when I was in school!
In primary school all we had was P.E and the once a year school fair lol. and in grammar school, all I had was PE and an outisde of school sports club, that you only got to be in if you were in any sports teams lol. How rubbish!!
This is fantastic for your son, and will really round him as a person! Big ups to your choosen school!
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
9 Feb 13
I actually got to run my own chess group at school as one of the extra curricular activities, it was after school and I managed to sweet talk a teacher into letting us use her classroom, I opened it for all ages, girls and boys, I was a fifth year student and we had this first year girl come to play and her chess skills were exceptional and no one could beat her! I think it is important for schools to offer this, it's all based on academic results, more should be focused on other abilities through sport, music and other non-acadmeic interests.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
11 Feb 13
My granddaughter does but it's not through the school....it's through the YMCA...so its mostly in the evening..and I think sometimes too late for the little ones. She is seven and her basketball is from 6 to 8.....and that is getting late for a little one.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
9 Feb 13
That's nice that they figured it out that way so the kids can still get home no problem and have so many choices.
My kids are in a lot of activities, but for the younger ones those activities are not through the school. We sign up for sports and stuff through the rec department of our town and they'll have 1 or 2 practices a week then games on Saturday. In the fall they play soccer, in the winter it's basketball, in the spring it's baseball/softball. My daughter is currently in dance and in the past she's done baton also.
My oldest's sports do go through the school.. but it's after school hours so I'll have to pick him up when he's done.
I didn't get involved in a lot of activities when I was a kid.
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
9 Feb 13
My school had the usual extra-curricular activities. I don't have any children in school today. I actually remember more about activities outside than inside the classroom. i was active in the interdenominational Christian club, which was run entirely by students for students and met twice a week in the gym during lunch, and the Latin club, which met once a week during lunch. The Latin club had the most fun outside of school, and I was an officer. But the teacher also took a few of us in the inner circle to the beach each Friday to sail when we were on half-day sessions. The club also visited number of cultural places, such as the Huntington Library. I was kept busy and happy.
@giggles721 (275)
• Philippines
9 Feb 13
When I was in elementary school I joined the volleyball club and hula club. We used soft volleyball because we were small kids then and t'was easier to serve/hit the softball. We went to another school for a fun match (was more of playing) and enjoyed it. The other was a hula dance club. Our parents were given the materials and instructions to make our own costumes. Once a week after school we practice our hula dance in the gym. Our dance instructor was a hula dancer in Hawaii and has been teaching at her own dance studio. We presented our dance on Christmas programs and during field day (sports day). When I have my kids I would love for them to have the best time in school both in academics and extra-curricular activities.
