Every day at Goshen Middle School students are learning and trying new things as a part of the GMS curriculum. However, on any given day, there are also “extra” things happening after school. There are teachers, administrators, sponsors, and volunteers who gather after the last bell rings, to give students a chance to experience more. Here is a glimpse of GMS after hours:

Yearbook, Mr. Jason Rybinski: This year it is a small group of (5) students, working together on their computers; delegating assignments, designing pages, adding graphics, and taking pictures. They meet up to four days per week, right after school, striving to meet their deadline in late March.

Yearbook Staff

Student Council, Mr. Rossa Deegan: The full student council (about 35-45 students) meets every other Thursday. On this day, only the 7th and 8th grade student council leaders were meeting, in order to plan for the next large group meeting. Mr. Deegan indicated that the group has worked on several fundraisers this year; some to benefit outside organizations, and some to benefit GMS students or families. Additionally, the students have been working hard this year to build school spirit. One of their largest events of the year, GMS “Hoops Night”, is coming up on Friday, April 15th.

Student Council

Latino Club, Mrs. Vilma Padilla and Mr. Edgar Saucedo-Davila: This is a new club, which meets on Thursdays. According to Josue Vielman, club president, “Our purpose is to promote a fellowship and network among Latino students, work hard to keep our culture and customs alive, and develop a culture for service. We also want to promote Latino awareness through social and educational activities”. While the group is about educating students about Latino and Hispanic cultures and customs, this group is not limited to only Latino or Hispanic students; it is for all students who are interested in learning more. Club leaders pointed out that there is a difference between being Latino and being Hispanic, and that the GMS student population represents many different cultures, backgrounds, and countries. Through meetings that include music, food, dancing, and hearing each others’ stories, students are learning more about their classmates and their community.

Latino Club Leadership

6th Grade E3 Program, Mr. Jeromy Sheets: E3, by its’ definition, means Survival Skills for Life.  “We believe that by engaging, empowering and equipping youth, we position them for success and we strengthen our communities!”  This group of boys meets monthly with community members/mentors who volunteer to work with students on various projects. Over the course of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, some of their bigger projects include bicycle maintenance, lawnmower maintenance, and vehicle maintenance. On this particular day, they were working on bird houses, including assembly and painting. As the students were working, the mentors were giving encouragement and suggestions, and talking with the boys about problem-solving. At the end of each school year, there is an E3 End of Year Celebration, and also a 3 day/2 night camping experience at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Michigan.

E3

Tech Club, Mr. Brian Sapp: During this visit, some of the students were working on a video in the cafeteria, filming a “trick shot”. They talked about all of the things they are doing in Tech club, including editing videos, posting stuff to our own (approved) YouTube channel, creating games, and learning coding.

Tech Club

Science Olympiad Club, Mr. Joseph Vance: This is the second year for Science Olympiad. With up to 45 students participating, students in the club spend time learning more about their particular event(s) for upcoming Science Olympiad competitions. The group’s first competition for this year will be in February.

Science Olympiad

Robotics Club, Mr. Geoff Schuetz: This new club, which meets on Mondays and Wednesdays after school, currently has 18 members (or three teams of six members). The students were using an app on iPads, computers, and phones to program a small robot to follow a preset path and move an object to within a targeted area. There were cheers for successes, and groans for near-misses as the students fine-tuned their programming and made multiple attempts. There were also several times that the students broke out in the Star Wars theme song, which seemed to be celebratory!

Robotics

Overall, there are many clubs and activities taking place at Goshen Middle School every week, including some that were not mentioned in this post. If students want to learn more or experience more, there are plenty of ways to get involved!

A huge thank you to the adults who make it possible for GMS students to do more!