PS Academy Club Updates

We’re halfway through the school semester and our students have been having a great time taking part in our clubs. We have over 20 clubs this semester! Each student can select the clubs they would like to participate in, and based on seniority and availability, their schedule is determined. Clubs are a great way for our students to practice their social skills while learning and having fun.

Here are the latest updates from the teachers leading the clubs!

Chef Poiani’s Clubs

Gardening Club

We have weeded the garden beds around campus, learned about and started composting, planted seeds to transplant, learned to put in a drip system for a garden, and will be planting a garden at Agritopia tomorrow.  It will be exciting when students return after fall break to see the plants growing!

It’s important for everyone to learn where our food comes from and how to grow it!

Yoga Club

We have been practicing yoga, yoga nidra, and have made a vision board. Students are enjoying yoga nidra to help calm the mind, relax them, and help with anxiety. Introducing yoga has challenged student’s flexibility and ability to relax the mind.

Students need to release anxiety, anger and fear,and  learning to slow down and listen to calming music is a benefit for dealing with all of life’s ups and downs!

Ms. Wozniak’s Clubs

Community Club

Students have created a community rock garden to spread more kindness on campus.  They have also created 3 third party compliment boxes for campus. These will be implemented the first week back from break along with a video about what third party compliments are.  The students are able to take an active role in their school community and make a difference in other’s lives. Here is a short video of our students explaining some of the new initiatives they’re taking to spread kindness during Bullying Awareness Month (October.)

Performance Arts Club

Students have been working on creating scripts for a puppet play.  Students designed characters and will begin creating their puppet characters and acting out their scripts when they return from break.  This club helps students tap into their creative talents and express them in a variety of ways. It also teaches the students how to say “yes” and be flexible in social situations.

Theatre Production Club

Students have been working together to create PS Academy’s Theatre Production performance of Alice @ Wonderland.  Both actors and stage crew members learn to work together in a team environment while also growing their own talents individually. Take a look at the “TV Spot” students put together to promote the performance.

Ms. Merrill’s Clubs

Girl Power Club!

Girl Power Club encourages our students to feel strong, empowered, self-confident, independent and beautiful inside and out. We are building trust and resiliency skills through fun, empowering activities, teamwork, and self-worth lessons and discussions. The club made friendship candles, affirmation cards, mood stones and discussed support systems.

Social Networking 1:

We are using the SuperFlex Curriculum® to help develop awareness of our own thinking and social behaviors. We are learning strategies to help develop better self-regulation skills such as deep breathing or taking a break. So far, we learned about Super Flex (the super hero) and the Unthinkables (Rock Brain, Glassman and the Braineater). The students are very excited to find out what is next!

Social Networking 2:

Our group learned about how to build relationships through the Circles Curriculum®. We made our own circles that included family, friends, acquaintances and strangers. Being able to identify and talk about our emotions is important to building friendships too. We are working on creating a book of emotions and using our interviewing skills to talk to others about them.

Ms. Blau’s Clubs

Social Skills Club

Students in this club have had lots of fun improving their social skills!  Students play games, practice taking turns, and work on their conversational skills in this club.  This club helps students develop friendships and boost their self-confidence.

Art Club

Students have used their creativity to create beautiful pieces of art.  We have painted, made mosaics, and used stamps to create works of art. This class helps students improve their fine motor skills and learn to express themselves.

Science Club

Students in science club have had a great time exploring their world this quarter!  We have learned about physics, magnetism, and natural disasters. Students built a structure that could withstand an earthquake, made a boat out of tin foil that could hold 30 pennies, and designed paper airplanes that could fly with enough accuracy to land on a target. This class has given students an opportunity to improve their problem-solving skills.

Movement Club

In this Zumba movement club students have been working on their Zumba moves to increase their motor skills. Zumba has helped to improve the students’ fitness and coordination. Participation in Zumba is great for increasing confidence, team building, and increasing self-esteem.

Ms. Ray’s Clubs

DIY Craft

This quarter students have been using their creativity to create beautiful masterpieces. They created a one of a kind pendant using glass tile and alcohol ink. The students also created multimedia pieces using recycled newspaper and images of their choice. Some students had the opportunity to create a colorful a 3D op art piece. The DIY Club has given students an opportunity to express themselves. It also has helped them improve their social skills and self-esteem.

Art Exploration

Students have used their creativity to create beautiful art pieces. This quarter students made art pieces such as bean mosaics, watercolor paintings, yarn art, and salt and glue paintings. Art Exploration is great for creative expression, social skills, and self-esteem.

Ms. Feldbauer’s Clubs

Student Council

This club has created so much excitement already in the first quarter! We have put on two successful fundraising events so far! Our students are learning the ins and outs of event planning, professionalism and responsibility while representing our school as leaders and giving back to our community!

Junior/Senior Club

Our juniors and seniors are preparing for their lives out in the real world! So far we have worked on verbal and written communication skills, planned for community involvement and how to make that a reality, and prepared for mock job interviews that will take place after break!

Web Design Club

Our students love to watch youtube and surf the web when they aren't in school. Web Design Club is giving them the opportunity to build their creativity and make their own graphic magic to share their unique visions and perspectives with their friends and family on the web!

Mr. Olmstead’s Clubs

‘STOMP’ Club

Inspired by the Broadway sensation “STOMP” this club uses rhythm and movement, with the use of various items, to create a cohesive music experience.  Students have to work together as their part fits into the group piece. Students in STOMP Club benefit from socialization through non-verbal communication, coordination, and bilateral movement in a high-paced, energy-filled environment.

Karate Club

The Karate Club reviews basic stances and techniques with students and then applies them to real-life situations in which the students can learn appropriate responses to threats.  This may include walking away from a dangerous scenario, or having to stand up for yourself. The students benefit from physical movement, exercise, and organized instruction that elicits respect, self-control and self-confidence.

Guitar Club

The Guitar Club has used several modalities to learn the four basic chords for the key of G Major.  Using these four chords, students begin learning the patterns that are used in the majority of popular songs.  The students benefit from fine motor dexterity, bilateral coordination, and the ability to sequence and plan for upcoming chord changes.  We have been learning rock songs such as, “Brown Eyed- Girl” and “Ring of Fire.”

Music Theatre Club

Music Theatre Club strives to incorporate choreographed movement into familiar songs from movies and theatre.  The students in this club are exposed to a plethora of music from various genres. Students benefit from learning as a group and having opportunities to express emotions through musical performance.

Ms. Cordello’s Clubs

Brain Games Club

This quarter we have really stepped it up! Students are completing multi-step logic puzzles that have multiple components. In the past students would give up on these (too hard) and move on to easier level puzzles. This quarter students are using resources (people) to pool ideas and come up with problem solving strategies that ultimately bring them to the final solution.

More importantly, I can see how these skills have impacted students' work. My humanities kiddos are able to use larger words and make better word choices when writing. It's also a great assessment tool for me as well; I can assess who is a visual learner and who has great spatial awareness. During homeroom students will even try to stump me with their own puzzles they have come up with!

Yearbook Club

This quarter we analyzed last year’s yearbook and  made lists of what we liked/disliked, commentary on the layout, theme, color scheme, font, and pictures. Students came up with events (using the school calendar) that needed to be added to this year’s yearbook. We also started working on how to create interesting photo captions (5W's and a hook!). For fun, we even came up with superlatives for most of the students (a big hit!).

The students participating in Yearbook Club are doing an amazing job; students are working with people they might not have the chance to interact with on a day-to-day basis. The mix of students of differing ability levels is great for positive social thinking/interactions, and gives them an opportunity to forge relationships with students they might not interact with each day.