Through Clubs, St. Margaret’s Students Build Leadership Skills and Create Communities

Clubs are a cherished part of the Tartan experience in the Upper School and Middle School, and an important way for students to experience a leadership role. 
Middle School Director of Community Life Kylie Middlebrook couldn’t help but be impressed.
 
As she reviewed more than a dozen applications for new clubs put together by students in grades 6-8 this fall, she was inspired by the students’ ideas –the creativity, the passion behind them, and the vision they expressed to make their idea a success.
 
“The quality of the clubs have really stood out, and the leadership skills the students have shown have made their ideas a reality,” Mrs. Middlebrook said. “It has been fantastic.” 
 
It is what school leaders hoped for when encouraging students in both Upper School and Middle School to take ownership in creating student clubs that bring together classmates with similar interests. Students have the option to join one or more clubs in their division, where they meet during breaks in the block schedule to further explore a passion, learn a new skill or simply find a community of peers with something in common. 
 
Upper School clubs, for example, are 100 percent student-led and initiated, and are divided into academic, advocacy, activity and affinity groups. Students apply to start a club, articulating both the club’s purpose and the intended activities. Club officers must also seek out a faculty member to serve as a sponsor, which can be anything from hands-off supervision to lending an area of expertise and guidance to the student-led club.
 
There typically are more than 40 clubs each year in the Upper School. Some are established and passed down over the years, while others are new and reflect the leader’s passion and vision.
 
“Clubs provide a safe place to be led, and, ultimately, to lead,” Upper School Director of Community Life Lora Allison said. “Most clubs in the Upper School are led by juniors and seniors, after they participate in clubs as freshmen and sophomores.
 
“Clubs really introduce self-motivation and responsibility among students. It’s not anyone saying ‘This is what you should do.’ Clubs can be as big or as little as the officers work to make them. If it happens, it’s because they made it happen.”
 
After a student’s application is approved, an Upper School Clubs Fair takes place in the senior courtyard and students are free to move about, exploring different clubs’ tables, listening to presentations and asking questions.
 
Some of the student-led Upper School clubs in place for 2021-2022 include:
  • Environmental Club
  • STEAM Club
  • Finance and Investing Club
  • Prose and Poetry Society
  • LGBTQ+ Club
  • Indigenous Peoples Club
  • ASL Club (to learn American Sign Language)
Most of the Middle School clubs are student-led, as well. Like the Upper School, students interested in starting their own Middle School club must find a faculty sponsor willing to provide supervision and a classroom for the club to meet. The students express the merits of their idea, and Middle School administrators review and approve each application. 
 
Middle School student leaders market their club through a one-minute presentation, often with visuals and multimedia components, to convince fellow students to join. Students in their advisories rotate through each pitch during the Middle School Clubs Fair and decide if a club is a good fit for them.
 
This year’s list of Middle School clubs includes:
  • The Creative Architects Club
  • Speed Cubing Club
  • Math Club
  • Greek Mythology Club
  • The Horsemen (a club to learn magic)
  • Teen Geniuses (a club exploring engineering)
  • Chess Club
  • Guitar Club
Clubs are a cherished part of the Tartan experience for students grades 6-12, and an important way to begin building a life of leadership—a pillar of the St. Margaret’s experience as expressed in the school’s Mission statement.  
 
“We see the leadership qualities developed by clubs carry over into other school initiatives,” Mrs. Allison said. “Students embrace their role as leaders in clubs and go on to join more formal leadership groups such as ASB, Honor Committee, Peer Counselors or to seek out other opportunities. It really is the basis of how many of our students first experience authentic leadership at St. Margaret’s.”
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An Independent Preschool Through Grade 12 College-Preparatory Day School in Orange County California

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St. Margaret's Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, hiring and athletic policies or in other school-administered programs.