WBMS building connections through clubs

By Debbie Adams

At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, Principal Evan Noell wanted to discover a way to
create relationships between sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at William Byrd Middle School,
along with faculty and staff.

“It is our goal to give every student the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities at
William Byrd Middle School; we feel that this is a key piece to developing the culture that we
are seeking to establish,” said Noell. “Club participation, during school hours, allows each
student to participate in an activity of their choosing.  Additionally, participation in extra-
curricular activities has been shown to promote higher levels of social and emotional
intelligence.  We are proud that students from all three grade levels can focus on a common goal,
and that our students are building positive relationships with adults they may not typically work
with.”

“We first brought the idea to our staff to determine their interest in a club program,” Noell
explained. “Our staff was excited and willing to assist in any way. I am thankful for Gloria
Harris, our Counseling Department Administrative Assistant, for her diligent work at organizing
and planning this program.  Most importantly, we could not have succeeded with this initiative
without the support of our students’ parents and the Vinton community.  We received a
tremendous amount of donations; the willingness of the community to assist was inspiring.”

Staff members were asked to select an activity or two or three they were interested in and would
be willing to serve as an advisor/sponsor for. Harris says the response was “tremendous” and they ended
up with an unbelievable variety of choices for students.

The goal was to kick off the club activities during the second semester. Harris prepared a
PowerPoint for teachers to use with their students, explaining the purpose of the clubs and
describing what each one involved. Students were then asked to pick three clubs that caught their
interest. Some clubs were limited in space, so everyone wasn’t able to get their first choice.  Eighth graders were given priority.

The WBMS Clubs meet once each month, usually on a Wednesday, at the end of the day, for an
hour. All students participate, along with all faculty and staff except two administrators and the
cafeteria workers.

The 40-some available clubs include: American Sign Language (learn the alphabet, how to count
and some basic words), Basketball, Board Games, Book Club, Breakdancing, Byrd Buddies,
Card games, Chess, Cat Lovers (watch cat videos, talk about cats, look at cat pictures, and make
cat toys), CIA (Character in Action) (assisting with special events like Red Ribbon Week, and
Community Store Christmas Drive), Coloring, Cookbook (collecting recipes and creating a
Terrier Cookbook), Crafting, Creative Writing (ending up the year with the first edition of
Terrier Tales), Community Outreach (performing acts of service out in the community),
Dungeons and Dragons, Dog Lovers (making dog treats and assisting local animal shelters),
Drama, Football, Gardening, Girls on the Run, Girls Who Code, golf, Happy Soles, HAM
amateur radio, International/Geography (learn about other cultures and languages), Karaoke,
Line Dancing, Makerspace Madness (artsy projects including robotics, AI, video-making, 3D
printing, and more), Mediate and Create, Meteorology, Music/Performance Technology (hands
on experience with sound and light), Outdoor Fun (surviving in the Great Outdoors), Outdoor
Games, Pokemon, Puzzles, the SCA, Walking, Woodworking, the Yearbook, Yoga, and
YOVASO (Youth of Virginia Speak Out to keep our roads safer).

There are also some before and after school clubs offered including the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, Beekeeping, Flags, and Girls Lacrosse.

For staff member Samantha Hurt coming up with a club to advise was easy, given her obsession
with cats, as well as for students—Cat Lovers Club was in the top ten for student requests. On
the Feb. 28 club day, Hurt asked students to send her photos of their cats and they spent time
guessing which cat belonged to who. At their first meeting, the club watched cat videos. They
plan to partner with the Dog Lovers Club to make toys for the SPCA and to donate food.

Eighth grader Paxton Brown signed up for the Yearbook Club because he enjoys photography,
especially taking photos in different environments. He and other club members will be
contributing to the yearbook, and he plans to take Yearbook as an elective class at William Byrd
as a freshman.

Yearbook Club was also “first choice” for Zoe Sowers, an eighth grader. She says she loves to
take photos and just enjoys talking to people.

Staff member Stephanie Hiemstra volunteered as the advisor for the Cross-stitching Club.

“I love counted cross stitch and have made several large pictures. I am teaching students how to
do cross-stitching. For me, it is relaxing and therapeutic at the same time, as it is a stress reliver.
For what I am trying to teach the students, I actually could use more than one hour. I have 26
students who have never cross-stitched before, so I am unable to get to all students in an hour to
help them. It is nice that everyone in the club has a common interest, and it is a hobby that
hopefully they will do for years to come.”

Ben Watts and Chris Roakes are advisors for the Outdoor Games group.

“These include cornhole, ladder golf, can jam and others,” Watts said. “These are fun activities
that can be played in various settings from tailgating to the beach to cookouts. It is fun seeing the
students in a more relaxed atmosphere doing something they enjoy doing.”

Katie Hart is an advisor for the Byrd Buddies Club.

“Byrd Buddies is a club that includes students in the FAACTS (Functional Academics,
Accessibility, and Career Transition Skills) Program classroom and students in the general
education population,” Hart explains. “The students in the FAACTS classroom have various
intellectual and physical abilities. This club is copied from the high school Byrd Buddies.

“When I was with the high school FAACTS class, we had a Byrd Buddies Club. Students in the
general education population would come to participate in various activities with students in the
FAACTS class. It would meet after school and would include activities like bowling, holiday
parties (crafts, food they made etc.), and paint-nights. It was a way for the students in the special
education class to be included and for general education students to learn more about our kiddos.
This way, they can all be less intimidated of one another.

“When Mr. Noell said he wanted to start club day at the middle school, this was the first one that
came to mind. So far, we have made edible Valentine’s snacks and played Valentine’s Day
bingo. We recently went on a scavenger hunt to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

“Michelle Yamatani is a key leader in this club. She has been coming up with the activities so
far. I just assist wherever needed and help out with adapting activities for my students’ various
levels. There was a pretty good size list of students who wanted to be a part of this club. Staff
members were asked about the students to help select the ones that would be the best influence
for my kiddos.”

Teachers Bill Pratt and Scott Whitehead are the advisors for the Woodworking Club.

“Bill and I are sponsoring the woodworking club because it is an interest of ours and we enjoy
it,” Whitehead said. “It is an opportunity for us to work with these kids on some things they
might take with them and use one day for fun or to save a little money.  It is a great opportunity
to be involved with them in something that they enjoy and picked to be a part of.  Bill and I own
a small business together and the concepts fit right in with the club.”

“We are in the process of building planter boxes for the Gardening Club to use for their club; we
also are in the process of building tic-tac-toe boards that will be used as activities in Physical
Education classes at Byrd.  The last project that we are hoping to get to is a walkway in the back
parking lot.  We have small projects donated to us by Lowes Home Improvement that we are
also utilizing as individual activities as well.”

Whitehead says the students and staff members seem to be excited about club day and choosing
the clubs they are participating in.

“It is an opportunity for us to interact with kids on something that everyone is interested in,” he
remarked. “We are excited about the opportunity to interact with the kids during this time.  We
appreciate administration making it a priority to influence our school in a positive way.”

Kayla Mitchell-McCroskey, who is advising the Yoga Club said, “I’ve always enjoyed doing
yoga. I am not an instructor, nor am I flexible enough to do all of the moves myself, but I enjoy
trying new things. I chose to create a yoga club because everyone in the building can get stressed
and yoga is a great stress release. It’s very calming and peaceful.”

“Each club day we do a yoga session from YouTube. We have used ‘Yoga with Adriene’ who
has her own channel. I think next club day we will venture out to someone new just to see what
it’s like. Meditating comes with the breathing exercises we do in the video. My students are
mainly female, but I do have a football player. When asked why he joined, he simply said they
do not do enough stretching in football. The girls joined because they wanted to try something
simple and new. We’ve had great sessions so far; I’m excited to finish out the year trying new
instructors and new moves!”

Amanda Rupe and Beth Williams advise the Puzzles Club.

“We have a variety of puzzles that were donated by the parents and teachers of WBMS,” Rupe
noted. “We have anywhere from 200-piece to 1000-piece. Most of the students are choosing to
work on the 550 and under puzzles. We also have students who enjoy crossword puzzles and
word searches. “

“The parents also donated puzzle boards. That’s been a huge help for students who want to work
on the larger puzzles as they don’t finish in one hour.

“We have about half girls and half boys in the club. They are a great group of kids! About half of
them chose the club because they enjoy puzzles. The others just said they were curious. We
typically listen to some fun, upbeat music and have a great time!”

Ryan Hutchison–somewhat surprisingly since he is a technology education teacher–is the
advisor for the Drama Club.

“It starts with Mr. Noell,” Hutchison says. “Mr. Noell has provided the environment that allows
the staff to share their creativity with the student body. Mrs. Addison and I have teamed up for several years competing in the school’s annual Halloween costume contest. From that affiliation,
we decided to co-sponsor a Drama club.”

“As a technology education teacher, I foster a well-rounded education that goes beyond just
technical skills. Sponsoring the drama club allows me to support students in developing
important skills such as creativity, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving – skills
that are valuable in any career, including in the field of technology. We hope that from this club
the students develop the following core skills:

• Creativity: Drama encourages students to think creatively as they imagine and bring to
  life characters, scenes, and stories. This creativity can translate directly into their
  approach to problem-solving in technology projects, where thinking outside the box is
  often necessary to innovate and find solutions.
• Collaboration: In drama club, students work together as a team to produce a play or
  performance. They learn how to communicate effectively, delegate tasks, and support
  each other – all essential skills in technology projects where teamwork is often required
  to tackle complex problems.
• Communication: Acting involves not only verbal communication but also nonverbal cues
  such as body language and facial expressions. By participating in drama, students
  improve their communication skills, which are crucial for presenting ideas, explaining
  concepts, and working with others in the technology field.
• Problem-solving: Putting on a performance involves overcoming various challenges,
  from memorizing lines to designing dialogues to resolving conflicts among cast
  members. These problem-solving experiences can help students develop resilience and
  adaptability, skills that are invaluable when faced with technical challenges or setbacks.
• Confidence: Drama provides a platform for students to express themselves creatively and
  develop confidence in their abilities. This confidence can transfer to other areas of their
  lives, including their approach to learning and tackling new technology concepts and
  projects.

“Overall, sponsoring the drama club aligns with my belief in providing students with a well-
rounded education that nurtures not only their technical skills but also their personal and
interpersonal development. By supporting the drama club, I aim to create a supportive and
inclusive environment where students can explore their passions, develop important life skills,
and ultimately become well-rounded individuals prepared for success in any field, including
technology.”

Lindsay Divers and Whitney Peters are the advisors for the Line Dancing Club.

“We are both former cheerleaders of William Byrd High School. We have always enjoyed
dancing and being active. When we were both in middle school we participated in a ballroom
dancing club. We were trying to think of a similar club that would be relevant to today’s youth. We have various levels of experience in our club, but they are all willing to try and learn new
dances. We are fortunate that we have a parent of one of our club members, who is a line
dancing instructor who has volunteered her time to help with the club. It has been a great
learning experience for all involved!”

Robert Cronauer is the Chess Club advisor.

“All the teachers submitted ideas for clubs that they would be interested in running at the
beginning of the year,” Cronauer said. “I put chess on my list because I enjoyed playing it as a
kid. I was very pleased when they assigned it to me.

“I am certainly not a chess expert. I love the competitive and strategic nature of the game. I
learned to play from my grandfather as a kid. Where I went to school, they used to have chess
boards in the lunchroom, and I would play against my friends while we ate. I played in a few
school-sponsored scholastic tournaments when I was in middle and high school. Since then, I
haven’t really had anyone to play against, so it’s been fun to be around a group of kids who are
enthusiastic about it.”

“The school purchased a lot of the chess boards for the club. However, many of the students
wanted to bring in their own boards. I also have several boards that were given to me as gifts
from other countries that I have been bringing in. We have a solid mix of ability levels in the
club. I’ve been impressed with the experience of several of the kids and their willingness to help
some of the students who are still learning to play. Everyone has been really enthusiastic and
encouraging (with a little friendly trash talk added in, of course!).

“The kids (and teachers) love club day! I get asked throughout the month when the next club day
will be. It was a great idea!”