Clubs during COVID. South Forsyth High School offers a variety of clubs to their students. While these club might have to adjust their operations, all students will have the opportunity to participate in them, regardless if they are virtual or in-person. (Shree Delwadia)
Clubs during COVID. South Forsyth High School offers a variety of clubs to their students. While these club might have to adjust their operations, all students will have the opportunity to participate in them, regardless if they are virtual or in-person.
At South Forsyth High School, clubs and organizations are an integral part of the student body. With over 50 clubs to choose from, students have the ability to connect with new individuals as well as find a place to belong; they also have the opportunity to explore different fields or to dive into organizations they are passionate about. However, to fit the CDC guidelines due to the COVID-19, clubs have altered their operations to ensure that the students are safe and healthy.
Virtual meetings. As one of the largest FBLA chapters in the world, SFHS FBLA is working virtually to accommodate all of its members. They, along with other clubs, found different ways to satisfy their club requirements virtually. (Used with permission from SFHS FBLA)
The yearly South Forsyth Club Blitz took place virtually this year to respect safety guidelines. Students were able to see a Google Slides Presentation with slides showcasing all the different clubs that the school has to offer. Each organization designed a slide to display its purpose, important information, communication resources and meeting dates. Virtual Club Blitz was a great opportunity for rising freshmen to find possible organizations they were interested in.
Furthermore, with certain students virtual and others face-to-face, many clubs had to adjust their procedures, so they would be able to involve all students, regardless of how they were attending school. Therefore, as of now, most club meetings are conducted virtually in order to keep the student body protected.
Recorded meetings. SFHS Beta club records its meetings on Microsoft Teams beforehand due to the large number of members they have. For their first meeting, they gave their members a week to watch the meeting and fill out the attendance form, in order to accommodate the virtual and in-person students. (Used with permission from SFHS Beta)
There are a variety of online resources that clubs use such as Microsoft Team Meetings, Google Slide Presentations, Google Meets, Youtube Live Stream and more. Depending on the type of club, virtual meetings were either live or recorded and then posted for their members.
“Our meetings are normally super interactive, so our biggest challenge was keeping them interactive and interesting while complying with the school’s guidelines,” said SFHS DECA officers. “We started pre-posting our “challenges” and activities and announcing winners during our pre-recorded meetings.”
Also, a variety of clubs, such as Unicef and BETA Club, have created club websites to make sure all students have access to important information, meeting dates and other possible opportunities.While some might think of these guidelines to be an obstacle, SFHS clubs have adjusted to these rules and have found many creative ways to give all their members a memorable experience this year.
For example, SFHS FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) is utilizing many online resources so its members still have fun during their meetings.
“Since we are losing the aspect of physical interaction, we have added new things such as Kahoots in the meetings, ” explained SFHS FBLA officers. “The members can benefit from not only from the meetings but also the social media posts.”
Like FBLA, many other clubs are taking similar steps to further accommodate all its members. While all meetings are virtual, the opportunities within the club are still endless. Organizations centered around service are adjusting their opportunities so virtual and face-to-face students can participate and interact with the community.
Social media recaps. Women in Stem, a new organization at SFHS, use their social media platforms to post monthly meetings recaps. WISTEM’s first meeting was an introductory meeting to the different things their members can experience within their club. (Used with permission from Kelsey Parent)
Similarly, members still have the opportunity to earn many service hours to fulfill the requirement for their club. For instance, many service organizations, such as Beta Club, are offering service hours for making cards for senior citizens and donation drives with drop-off zones accessible outside of school. Clubs are also partnering with each other to maximize the number of opportunities each member has.
Since the majority of the student body is not together all day, communication between club leaders and its members is key. Many clubs are using different social media platforms such as Instagram and Remind to help broadcast important information and activities after their meetings for their members.
Another organization, SFHS Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), is finding different ways to safely adapt to these guidelines. While they do hold meetings before school with their team (respecting social distancing guidelines), they also allow virtual members to participate. This organization hopes to positively impact the entire student body with the unique activities they offer.
“To share our huddles in order to impact teams and the student body, we are planning to make monthly videos which will be posted on our Instagram and Youtube Channel,” mentioned SFHS FCA officers. “We hope to also have Sofo Devotionals on certain weeks through a virtual gathering on Google Meets.”
When it comes to certain clubs, competitions are an important thing for many members. Competitions are a great way for members to express their interests as well as network with others who have similar passions. To adhere to COVID-19 Guidelines, certain competitions might take place virtually, allowing members to still participate in their competitions. Whether competitions will take place virtually or in-person, preparation meetings and activities for these competitions are already taking place online so members are can still for their events.
Despite the changes made to the current school year, South Forsyth club leaders and sponsors are working harder than ever to make sure each member gets to fully participate and experience what it’s like to be part of that specific club. To view the full list of clubs offered at SFHS, please click here.
Shree Delwadia is excited to be part of The Bird Feed as a senior! This year is her fourth year on staff, and she cannot wait to take on her new responsibilities as the Editor-In-Chief. By working on the staff as a writer and an editor, she has learned a variety of communication, teamwork, and accountability skills that she will take on to other roles in her life. At school, she is a part of MDJunior, Beta Club, and UNICEF. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her friends and family or discovering new things to do. Two of her ride-or-die tv shows are Grey’s Anatomy and Friends. Moreover, Shree has a strong interest in medicine and hopes to pursue a career in healthcare one day. You can contact her via twitter @ShreeDBirdFeed or using her email [email protected].
