Students are at the helm with this brand new co-curricular initiative—ASCEND clubs! Over the last month Senior School students have been submitting their pitches for student-led, interest-based clubs, and now these offerings will be available to join when registration for Term 2 co-curriculars opens.
So what does ASCEND clubs mean and what do you have to look forward to? Let’s talk about it.
The Benefits of Student-Run Clubs
ASCEND is intended to bring more student voice into the co-curricular program by streamlining a process for students to propose more interest-based clubs. In addition to the already established, teacher-sponsored co-curriculars, students will have even more opportunities to pursue their interests or discover new ones. Interest-based clubs add balance to the students’ academic schedules, to incorporate fun and play into their lunchtime without overwhelming their schedules.
A primary goal of the IB programmes is to develop well-rounded students, and their co-curricular offerings should reflect this. Co-curriculars help students discover the interests they may continue after leaving SJS, encouraging an ongoing work-life balance in their lives as they go off to university, college or whatever next adventure awaits them.
Pitches for ASCEND clubs have included Service Club, Dungeons and Dragons Club, Design Club and Junior Chess Club to name a few! The possibilities are endless, but it takes more than an idea to lead a co-curricular.
Opportunities for Leadership
Students starting an ASCEND club are taking on a leadership role. It’s important to understand the commitment, and Ms. Ferguson and I have intentionally designed a proposal and setup process to help students prepare for this responsibility. It also offers an opportunity for service, as leading a club for their peers adds to our ever-rich community.
While this is a new initiative, there is great potential for the future. We hope that these clubs continue on after their leaders graduate, and provide opportunities for club leaders to mentor younger students to ascend into the leadership role in subsequent years. This is only the beginning.
Next Steps
Registration for Term 2 co-curriculars will open on November 3. When reviewing the list of options, students and parents will see ASCEND next to the student-led co-curriculars, in addition to our regular offerings. Joining an ASCEND club will count toward the student’s co-curricular requirement the same way a teacher-sponsored club does.
Students interested in submitting a proposal for a future ASCEND Club are encouraged to review the ASCEND Student Guide in preparation, which is shared with students via the morning announcements. This guide will help them understand how to create a club proposal, the meeting requirements for set-up, and how to advertise and promote their club to fellow students.
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Ferguson at tferguson@sjs.ca.
We can’t wait to see these student clubs in action.
