Junior High Hispanic Club Builds Awareness & Engagement

An exciting new opportunity for students to learn and engage outside of the classroom kicked off this semester-the first ever Hispanic Club for Junior High. Twenty 7^th and 8^th graders chose to become members of the club, which was started by Spanish teacher Kristin Jayroe.

When asked how the new club came to be, she shared: “SAA-SDS needed a Hispanic club in the Junior High. A club is a great way to use your skills, work with peers who share a common interest, and gain extra knowledge. So, I applied for the Ann C. Whitman Teacher Excellence Award last semester requesting to create a Hispanic Club, and I won!”

The club is off to a great start. Members currently meet during Junior High break time to discuss important events, vote on activities, and collaborate with each other. For their January activity, club members voted to have a Hispanic Potluck for lunch. They enjoyed a variety of foods including tamales verdes, arroz con pollo, fajitas, salsa and queso, churros, and more.

As the semester progresses, they plan on meeting after school hours to participate in bigger events including a movie night, a game night, and dining at a Spanish-speaking restaurant. St. Dominic seventh grader Brig Turner shared, “As a group we are choosing the activities we want to do. We have many good things planned that will help us learn more about the culture and spend time with our friends.”

Club members will soon get a chance to start communicating with Puerto Rican pen pals who attend Colegio Católico Notre Dame. The pen pal arrangement was facilitated by Junior High Spanish teacher Alek Marchand, who has a personal connection with the school. Our students will be writing every two weeks to their pen pal and receiving letters in the mail.

Eighth grade SAA student Emily MacDermant is excited about the upcoming activities: “The Spanish Club is something very different and fun to do with my friends. I am really looking forward to having our Puerto Rican pen pals and to the movie night we have planned for February. I also plan to continue taking Spanish in the Upper School.”

“I am proud of our club members. Everyone is working very well together,” said Mrs. Jayroe. “They have collaborated to establish a GroupMe to send reminders, ask questions, and discuss potential activities, and are working on a club t-shirt design. As we strive to maximize students' exposure to other languages and cultures, this club achieves two goals: cultural awareness and engagement,” she said.