CLEARWATER MIDDLE SCHOOL
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES PROGRAM

“Clearwater Middle School will promote co-curricular activities as integral to a quality education.  We will provide opportunities for all students that support and extend academic learning.”

The Policy: Clearwater Middle School recognizes that the concept of ‘extra-curricular’ serves no useful purpose. Anything extra occupies a position peripheral to the school’s main mission. We have, therefore, discarded this outmoded term and instead deem our activities “co-curricular,” emphasizing that they are integral to the middle school educational program. The very act of reexamining school activities and designating those that are bona fide as co-curricular implies that such pursuits - whether or not they carry academic credit – have legitimate links to regular courses and to the mission of our school. Effective schools properly provide for social and personal needs, as well as for those that are strictly academic. Given the proven benefits that students can obtain, Clearwater Middle School strongly promotes co-curricular activities for all students and, consequently, we have incorporated our program directly in our instructional schedule.

Every Friday afternoon ALL students and ALL  faculty participate in the organized advisory/activity program.

We support the belief that co-curricular pursuits under gird the goal of teaching students to be responsible and fulfilled human beings, providing them with opportunities that develop character, critical thinking, sociability, and specific skills. Hence, all faculty members are expected to actively contribute to the program.

We recognize that a viable and strong activities program helps to fulfill and complements the mission of our school. Research shows us that participants in co-curricular activities attend school more regularly, achieve at a higher level, and have higher aspirations than non-participants. They are also less likely to be involved in disciplinary problems, use drugs, or drop out of school.  It is, therefore, critical that all teachers participate in and reinforce the importance and significance of a healthy activities program that supports the school’s broader objectives as it applies to each student in the school.

Teachers, school leaders, sponsors, advisers, and coaches must, however, understand the purpose of the activities program and ensure that the activity under their supervision provides a connection to learning. All activities programs should include the appropriate preparation and training in motivation, instruction, and leadership, and demonstrate how the program is connected to the overall mission of the school.

Essentially, all activities carried out under the aegis of Clearwater Middle School should be viewed in terms of their potential contribution to the school’s overall goals for young people. This imperative applies to athletics and clubs as much as it does to student government and publications.

Advisors and teachers should seek to engage as many students as possible in co-curricular activities, following the school’s philosophy that students will miss a valuable part of their education if they do not participate. The co-curricular program, therefore, must offer a sufficient variety to appeal to a wide range of student interests.  Several studies conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations have documented the tremendous value of athletics, speech, debate, drama, band, and other co-curricular activity programs.
It is through co-curricular activity programs that students learn respect for others; specifically teamwork, loyalty, compassion, tolerance, courtesy, fairness, integrity and humility, as well as respect for self through self-esteem, discipline, courage, responsibility, honesty, ethics, poise, and pride.

“You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”  Plato

The contribution of co-curricular activity program to the educational process is the development of citizenship in young people- to teach them as William Penn advised, that “right is right even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.”

Loyalty, faith, love, respect - all part of the Clearwater spirit - all part of what the Clearwater activity program is all about.

The primary goal of our program is the propagation of good people - good citizens who will contribute to the quality of life in Bermuda and around the world.

Through sports and activities, students learn to seek and to find, to strive and to fail or succeed, to never yield and to accept the outcome, and to feel good about themselves. These are core educational lessons that supplement the goals of the Middle Schools philosophy.  Most of the best practices related to learning and achievement have always been and continue to be found in the activities program.