Clark opens after-school activities

Clark+opens+up+enrichment+activities+to+allow+students+an+opportunity+to+socialize.

Christopher Davis

Clark opens up enrichment activities to allow students an opportunity to socialize.

In May, Clark opened up some enrichment activities for students to do after school. These activities are led by teachers and provide an opportunity for students to get together and work on something.

Overall, the feedback from the people who have attended the classes has been positive. “The enrichment activities were a good idea,” said senior Sion Fallah. “We’ve been stuck at home for most of the year and going to school to spend some time there is pretty fun.”

One afterschool class, Clark Fitness, allows students to exercise a little after school to make up for their being stuck inside all quarantine. “I really liked it because the teachers made exercising fun and worked out with us,” said junior Garen Madirossian.

The Clark Fitness Enrichment class has students working out with health teacher Narbeh Der-Gevorkian and Coach Steven Fraser guiding them. Students rotate through various exercise stations and get a full workout while at school. “We even have a boxing station, which I love,” Der-Gevorkian said.

There were also some enrichment activities that allowed students to express their creativity, such as the Drama/Improv Class led by history teacher Eric Kursinski. These classes’ main focus is both to encourage students to be creative and to allow us some time to socialize in person with other people. “I think [the students] really just enjoyed being able to interact with their peers again,” Kursinski said, “even if we were all wearing masks.”

Ethan Rees

Kursinski’s Improv class consists of students participating in group improv games with each other. Through this they improve upon their improvisation skills while also having a lot of fun with it. “[The class] was very entertaining and very funny,” said junior Ella Hsieh. “I died laughing.”

Enrichment activities that aim to help students with their future were also offered. The College Application Boot Camp led by English teacher Jennifer Davis is a prime example of this. The main focus of these classes is to help students with parts of life they might not be able to work though on their own. “We talk a lot about what colleges look for in students,” Davis said. “We also practice doing the Common Application essay questions and go over what types of writing would stand out to a college admissions officer.”

This enrichment activity aims to teach students some useful techniques to help them get into college, should they want to. “With the use of specific writing strategies, as well as tips and tricks to impress colleges, I can improve upon my writing and increase my chances of getting into my dream school,” said sophomore Lilia Hacoupian.

It isn’t confirmed that these classes will stick around until after the school year starts up again, but assistant principal Brian Landisi said that could happen. “Depending on interest and if teachers are available, we can certainly look into adding them back in once school starts,” Dr. Landisi said.