On Wednesday, 18 fourth-grade students throughout Starkville sat at their computers in anticipation of what some parents say has become the highlight of the kids’ week this year — science club.
The club is a long-standing organization for fourth-grade students at Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School. This year, it looks a bit different compared to previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that has not stopped club adviser and fourth-grade teacher Brooke Crosland from developing the students’ interest in STEM education through hands-on learning.
Last week, Crosland virtually taught her students how to make anemometers, weather vanes to measure the wind. She provided students with the materials they needed to create the anemometers and demonstrated how to build them so the students could follow along.
“Y’all are doing great,” said Crosland, encouraging her students from her Google Classroom.
Because of the experience gained from being a virtual teacher the first nine weeks of the school year, Crosland has learned how to educate students online while still keeping them engaged.
“You have to be aware that issues are going to happen, and you need to make those accommodations for students,” Crosland said. “But I know students need that social interaction, so that is why I believe in still having this club virtually.”
Sarah Walker, a mother of one of Crosland’s students, Mary Mac, said Crosland has given students the “Bill Nye the Science Guy” experience, referencing a scientist who hosts a popular kids’ show.
“Virtual science club is the coolest,” Walker said. “This is what Mary Mac looks forward to every week.”
It’s not just Crosland’s fourth-graders whose club has changed this year. In a year of limited social gatherings and virtual learning, schools all over the Golden Triangle area are finding ways to still have extracurricular activities for students, whether they meet online like the science club or find safe ways of gathering in person.
At Fairview Elementary in Columbus, the Cyber League’s third- through fifth-grade girls are meeting virtually. Because the league is a coding program, moving the club to an online platform has not been difficult, teacher Shameria Roby said.
“With this being a computer science course, it makes it a little easier because we have prior knowledge about what we’re doing,” Roby said. “I think the girls are very excited about still being able to have something to do.”
Meanwhile, students in Starkville High School’s choral program rehearse by spreading out six feet apart in the cafeteria, said choral director Jennifer Davis. She said the Mississippi Department of Education extensively researched with national music organizations over the past year to find the best protocols for high school music programs, including smaller choirs, limited movement, social distancing and the wearing of protective facial coverings.
“Not a single student has fussed about singing behind a mask,” she said. “Why? Because they’re at least singing, and that is all that matters.”
Camaraderie ‘suffers’ somewhat
New Hope Middle School Robotics Club is operating under a hybrid model of in-person and virtual. High school teacher and robotics club adviser Susie Oglesby said the students are still meeting in person, but all competitions are virtual. When students are working in the robotics shop, they are separated into stations to keep everything sanitized and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The new model has not been without its challenges, Oglesby said. The biggest problem, she said, was not being able to recruit new members due to restrictions on large gatherings and funding limitations.
“It’s kind of discouraging sometimes,” Oglesby said. “You don’t get to see the other teams you’re competing against. You don’t get the recognition you deserve. So, it’s a bit hard on the students and sometimes hard for them to stay motivated.”
Sonya Harvey, adviser for the speech and debate team at Starkville High, echoed these concerns. Part of the draw for her team is traveling to competitions. With no in-person competitions happening this year, she said, students do not want to join.
“It’s just hard to convince teenagers to spend their Friday and Saturdays on a laptop for a virtual speech competition,” Harvey said. “The camaraderie is just definitely something that has suffered.”
Still, she said, she has seen how an online platform has allowed for opportunities that her students would not have otherwise had.
“Speech doesn’t translate as well to a virtual platform for some people,” Harvey said, “but it has allowed us to do things we might not be able to do, like attend virtual competitions that we never would have been able to go to in person.”
While clubs and organizations have changed over the past year, Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Public Information Officer Nicole Thomas said, allowing students to still have organizations to participate in is essential to their well-being.
“Everything is definitely different, but this is better than having no social interaction,” Thomas said. “We’re just glad we can give students a way to still get to participate in these clubs.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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