“To make the best better”, “To learn by doing” —— 9-10 Club Showcase

“To make the best better”, “To learn by doing”, grade 9-10 of SHSID organized a club showcase to stimulate effort, reward achievement, and to encourage students to participate in the full scope of activities organized by their classmates. Each club must send 2 to 3 representatives to participate in an English debriefing. Representatives must dress formally and behave appropriately. The debriefing will be composed of two segments: 1) Club representatives will present their clubs in the form of a PowerPoint in 4 min and 2) Clubs representatives will be asked and expected to answer 1 to 2 questions about their clubs and presentations. Nine different and characteristic clubs selected from more than 40 clubs of both grade 9 and 10 participated in this showcase and presented their work over this semester to a jury formed by Ms. Min Liu, Director of grade 9-10, Ms. Yueyue Zhang and Zhen Yu, head teachers of grade 9 and 10, Mr. Kelvin Alt and Mr. Aaron Ingham, English teachers of grade 9-10, and Manman Xu and Weian Chen, student delegates. The evaluation points were given by judges based on Club activities and specialties, Impacts inside and outside the school, Communication/interaction between the club and its members, Club’s internal management, Club’s development and potential, Quality of PowerPoint and presentation and so on. While the teachers focused on each presentation and gave proper evaluations, they also gave suggestions about the right path and different options to develop one’s club, and teach students leadership skills and encourage community service. According to the scores given by the judges, two 5-star clubs and three 4 -star clubs were chosen.

ABC club

Purpose:To encourages students to create and join activities focused on developing communication and leadership skills, ABC club was established to help migrated children expand their world perspective, meanwhile accumulating experience of communication and interactions for students in SHSID.

Activities:Teach migrated children English with an ample collection of books from members’ favorite childhood short novels and series. Provide migrated children with the opportunity to enter a wider and different perspective of the world while developing their interest in different subjects.

Eligibility:30 members and around 55 children (from Yongmei Primary School)

Crafts club

Purpose:To provide time and an environment where students can channel their creativity and release their stress and take a break from academics.

Activities:Members obtain inspiration from websites like Pinterest and Tumblr and recreate those ideas in their own, unique ways to create CRAFTS. “Crafting can help those who suffer from anxiety, depression or chronic pain, as experts say. It may also ease stress, increase happiness and protect the brain from damage caused by aging.”

Eligibility:9 members with various talents.

Investment Club

Purpose:To help its members understand common investments, learn specific investment methods, expand personal financial knowledge and gain financial literacy.

Activities:A place for discussion and education of financial literacy and online stock simulation “Mini-competition” Practice. Organize a team to participate in the KWHS Investment Competition Global Region hosted by Wharton Upenn for this year.

Eligibility:12 members from grade 9.

Computer Club

Purpose:To educate people how to use advanced software. To teach various different programs, like Visual Basic, Photoshop, Adobe Flash, and Java.

Activities:Make animation to celebrate Shanghai High School’s 150th Anniversary. Write articles about technology and make a promo video.

Eligibility:10 members.

European Culture Club

Purpose:To specialize in Europe-related content. To prepare an interactive presentation, each with a different theme, from language to education. To give the club members the most realistic experience of what they have to share.

Activities:Discuss themes such as stereotypes, education, catholicism, dining etiquette, festivals and so on. Compare and contrast colleges and educational systems in some European countries.

Watch a documentary specifically comparing and contrasting education and lifestyle of high school students between Denmark and China.

Interact Club

Purpose:To make some differences in the community by operating many social and service projects. Aim for recommending having a good school environment. To help the garbage collectors by dividing trash. To share the activities with the other Interact Clubs in Shanghai.

Activities:Annual district Interact clubs meeting, nursing house visits and donation by lucky draw events and auctions.

Eligibility:24 SHSID and Nan Yang Mo Fan Interactors.

Mock Trial Club

Purpose:To offer members a chance to feel and accomplish their dreams of becoming a lawyer. To provide more competitions, opportunities, and practices for their members. To encourage discussion and interaction between members. To improve and develop court skills as well as public speaking and critical logical thinking skills.

Activities:Mock Trial activities.

Eligibility:22 club members from different grades

MTC club

Purpose:To help members understand the two-dimensional element culture further and deeper. To join the “Hands on Shanghai” volunteer organization’s project in Shanghai Children Medical Center and Children Hospital of Fudan University. To help brighten the days of kids who suffer from leukemia and heart disease.

Activities:volunteer project in SCMC; volunteer project in CHFU; Club Fair; Charity Fair; Halloween party; Art Festival; Garden party.

Eligibility:38 club members from Hong Kong Chinese, Canada, America, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, Germany, and Italia.

Mighty Zulu Kingz Jr.

Purpose:To help group members develop their dancing skills. To spread the hip-hop culture.

Activities:Art Festival; Speech Competition Half-time show.

Is the club just a gathering place for people to come to talk? Is the club just a time for people to have fun? Through the stage of Club Showcase, SHSID high school students show that club is much more than just attending meetings. Students take full advantage of the opportunities and their extracurricular time to explore their interests, organize various activities, and develop skills.

(Written by Sophia Yang Photo by Sophia Yang)