Encourage your kids to become involved in extracurriculars

Wisconsin Connections Academy Principal Michelle Mueller Offers:
Advice for Academic Achievement

Studies show that students who are involved with extracurricular activities perform better in and out of school, and since every school offers different opportunities, there are plenty of unique options for student involvement and enrichment. No matter if a student learns virtually with Wisconsin Connections Academy, the state’s leading K-12 tuition-free online public school, or in a brick-and-mortar school, clubs are great ways to build friendships, meet new teachers, pursue individual interests and apply coursework to fun activities.

If your students are still unsure of which extracurricular activities they’d like to join, it may be that they’re not sure where they fit best. By looking at your students’ favorite subjects, you can assist them in finding a club that is right for them.

Here are some suggestions based on student’s academic interests and the variety of unique clubs offered to Wisconsin Connections Academy students:

For students who enjoy reading, writing or public speaking:

· Digital Storytelling Club – Student’s use computer programs to incorporate photos and audio to retell original tales for the 21st century.

· Other similar opportunities: book clubs, poetry clubs, debate clubs and student newspapers.

For students who enjoy problem solving, numbers or critical thinking:

· Brainteasers Club – While engaging in a variety of puzzles such as anagrams, crosswords, logic grids, Sudoku puzzles and word searches, students take it to the next level by creating their own brainteasers.

· Other similar opportunities: math clubs and chess clubs.

For students who enjoy nature, experiments or technology:

· Robotics Club – Students focus on the origins, applications, and latest trends in robotics while learning how they’re built and controlled. Completed robots then compete in various tasks.

· Other similar opportunities: environmental clubs, gaming and technology clubs, science clubs and science in the kitchen clubs.

For students who enjoy finding patterns, researching or pop culture:

· Broadcast Club – Students learn about the history and new trends of broadcast media while exploring the growth of print (from newspapers to blogs), audio (from radio shows to podcasts), and video (from television to Internet videos).

· Other similar opportunities: movie clubs, trivia clubs and music clubs.

Whether your students like to read, divide, swim, experiment or travel back in time – he or she has a place in some type of club or extracurricular activity offered by their school. Make sure that you and your student know what is available and how to get involved. The more students can apply what they learn in coursework to real life scenarios, the more successful and passionate they’ll be in the long run.

Check back next month to see what new advice for academic achievement Wisconsin Connections Academy and I have in store!

If you think virtual learning might be a right fit for your student, visit www.connectionsacademy.com/wisconsin.