The motion picture movie Field of Dreams made the phrase “if you build it, they will come” popular amongst mainstream American audiences. In the movie, the reference was to building a baseball field and having a player come to play. Over time this popular phrase has been adapted by the business world to mean that any new business one starts will succeed. While the business world is aimed at marketing and selling products, the Valley Central Middle School is working to develop the minds and hearts of pre-teens and teens by building the best well-rounded programs that include something for everyone.

Extracurricular activities and student engagement go hand and hand. These activities offer opportunities for students to learn important values of teamwork, individual and group responsibility, communication skills, healthy competition, diversity and so much more. In order to make this happen, Valley Central Middle School has spent the last several years building and developing lasting and impactful activities that allow the opportunity for all students to participate in a positive area of influence.

Schools, just like children, are complex. Thus, developing solid after-school programs and extracurricular activities requires multiple stakeholders to develop and support the cause. First, it all starts with the vision. In 2017, VCMS developed a five-year strategic plan which very pointedly included increasing the number of high-interest clubs or activities for students to participate in, the ultimate goal being to get more students involved, either before school or after school, to provide greater connections with staff and other students to effectively increase student success. Activities and clubs are often developed directly from students and their current interests and/or current topics and trends. For instance, our club called Tinker Thinkers was designed based upon the increased interest in robotics and coding. Other times, they are created out of a school-wide need to support students outside of the classroom such as the After-School Program (ASP). ASP is intended to support students who struggle academically by providing after-school academic and social-emotional supports. No matter the inception, the faculty and staff, the Board of Education, Administration and even parents in some cases pull together to make things happen successfully.

With the fortunate resource of having early morning busing every day and after school busing on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays, middle school students can take advantage of the current opportunities. As a result, VCMS has over 50% of its student population actively participating in these activities. The current landscape offers a great deal in the area of the arts including the Art Club, Photography Club, Drama Club, Jazz Band, Select Chorus, Musical Production, A Cappella Club and Chamber Music. Kinesthetic activities include Intramural Sports, Mindfulness & Yoga, Chess Club, Esports, Culinary and Sewing Clubs. Community and advocacy minded groups include the Student Government Association, Beautification Development Team, GLSEN/Unity Club, VC Spirit, and SADD. The more academically focused groups include the National Junior Honor Society, Yearbook, Tinker Thinkers and the Math Team. If one looks hard enough, there is something for everyone and if not, it has the potential to be created or to try something new. Getting involved and being a part of something greater than ourselves is an amazing human quality that we are proud to provide to all the students here at Valley Central Middle School.