Two of our staff members comment on school communication–or lack thereof.
The Issue: There are many programs in this school with a lack of advertising, causing them to be
unknown or forgotten by the general student body. These programs are usually clubs
based around specific or “unconventional” topics apart from the usual curriculum, such
as pop culture, animal life, or gaming. While these subjects may interest many students,
they are often unaware that these places of self-expression exist in the first place. This
leads to a difficult dichotomy where students may feel unfulfilled by what classes have to
offer while being unaware of alternatives. In my opinion, this would not be (or would be less
of) an issue if more clubs had proper advertising and promotion to make known that they
exist.
What this Means: While many clubs and programs participate at the start of the year in Club Rush, which is a
good way for every club to show themselves off and advertise what they’re about, that
usually isn’t enough alone for a club to be memorable in a student’s mind. With so many
other things grabbing their attention, it’s likely a student will forget about most of the clubs
they see. More programs need forms of continuous, solo advertising instead of all doing it
at once.
My Take: I believe some ways to have a steadier flow of advertising would not only to hang
posters around the school with information and details about what a program entails, but
having a set location where students could check for that information and sign up from QR
codes. Another idea is that clubs could also have segments/skits on the school news
showing off what they do. While it would cost time and possibly money, it would be worth it
to make their programs more well known, while also allowing their club members to
express themselves. Things like this would help individual clubs stick out more in a
student’s mind, and would make them more aware of what they can sign up for.
Another option is having a website showing off this school’s clubs. Each club could have
their own webpage with information about who runs the club, what it’s about, what’s
needed to join, etc., with a QR code that links to it. The recent Elective class virtual fair,
which had course “posters” and information posted on the school website, is an idea that
should be extended to school clubs. In the age of technology, a readily available digital
source of information, including a calendar would be very helpful for club leaders and
students alike. It would allow students to source information at any time, and could be
partially funded by the club pitching in dues to keep it running. It would also help with
quickly updating information, such as if ownership in a program is transferred or if the
direction, location, or requirements of a club have shifted. This aids in making sure that
any information on a club is no longer outdated, something a poster or skit can’t do as well
since they can’t consistently update themselves.
I think that a central calendar for both parents/guardians and students would also assist
with this issue. It could exist both online and physically, and could list school events, like
major club or sporting occurrences. This would help both adults and teens with knowing
when and where things are happening farther into advance, which would cause less
confusion and frustration when it comes to scheduling for those who want to participate in
school events. Its an ongoing problem for students and staff alike that many people don’t
know when certain things are happening, and only hear about them after the fact.
Improvements in communication could lessen this issue greatly, and make the general
student body more ready and willing to be apart of what this school has to offer.
Overall, I believe there should be more advertising and support for the many clubs and
programs this school has to offer, so that they aren’t forgotten. This school has so many
unique opportunities for students which are routinely looked over, and there should be
more effort to make sure this doesn’t happen as much as it does. I believe further
acknowledgement of these programs will lead to a firmer school identity and a happier
student body.
Nazara Heath:
The Issue: In North Springs, there’s a vast number of programs, volunteer options, clubs, and electives. But when it comes to actually finding these things, where is easy access? Some students don’t even know how to get to the school website, let alone navigate it. If the school has all these classes, students who are interested should be able to let you know. School website pages are wordy, busy, and unorganized. Having to find a single page is difficult when it’s hiding behind six other tabs. If districts and schools do not organize their pages better, they should at least teach us how to navigate them. In addition, the websites are outdated; the North Springs club page still has older clubs there, and new student clubs have not been put on. Information is wrong, unorganized, and clearly has not been taken care of properly.
What This Means: Sports for starters, mainstream sports like track, basketball, and soccer are always broadcasted and singing up for those sports are easy. At the start of the school year, they always have large stands, and on school websites they are usually somewhere on the front page. However, smaller sports like golf, lacrosse, volleyball etc., don’t get as much light as the other sports. Simply finding the teachers who coach these sports can be a hassle in such a large school, especially if you’re a freshman. Secondly, updates about grades, bus changes, updates on meetings, all get put in outlook. Which is great, but how many students even truly use their personal email? Rather than to update a forgotten password or redeem something. Outlook is embedded in our school laptops and should be utilized. Students who usually miss their bus, or their classroom is too loud to hear the announcements can utilize this app by downloading it on their phone for quick access. As for clubs, the app GroupMe is used by majority to keep up with meeting dates, osp’s and just chat with group members. Although this is a great way to stay in contact and be up to date, this app is not protected. Personally, there have been multiple instances where scammers join the chat to try and get money. Additionally, since these group chats are not monitored by the school, censoring and moderation is not as easy. People who can talk in the chat are not restricted, things are not organized, and people can spam irrelevant things in the chat, keeping actually important messages hidden.
My Take: As a freshman, knowing what’s going on in school is important. Being in clubs, doing sports, and taking certain electives can look good on your resume. There are many clubs and classes at this school that spike my interest, but I don’t even see posters around the building about them. When I check outlook, there’s also nothing, as well as canvas. Learning about these clubs can just happen by chance, or you’ll only hear about them and just the opportunity to join if you’re in a certain class. Since all students cannot get placed in all the classes they want to be in, clubs are the best chance they can get at being in the class they might miss.
