The 2023-2024 clubs are starting up again! This includes Drama Club run by Mrs. Laura Miller and Ms. Amanda Hryckowian, Dungeons & Dragons run by Mr. Justin Derickson, Pep Club run by Ms. Sara Heiman, Student Government run by Mr. Jimmy Culler, Science Club run by Ms. Jeanine Ging, NJHS run by Mrs.Heidi Orrico, and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) run by Mrs. Gretchen Meyers and Mrs. Laura Miller. Let’s take a look at our 2023-2024 clubs!
Drama club- Mrs. Miller took over seven years ago as the assistant director, then two years after took over as the director. She has tried to have our school plays that everyone will enjoy bringing some humor to the school. The eighth graders will be able to help in the choosing of the play this year. Mrs. Miller teaches seventh grade learning support.Ms. Hryckowian became the assistant director in the spring of 2022, and teaches as an ELA Intervention Specialist. Drama Club usually meets in the auditorium, or the conference room. They are planning to make it a year round class that meets twice a week in Mrs. Miller’s classroom.
Dungeons & Dragons- Mr. Derickson started D&D because he only recently started playing four years ago before he moved to Pittsburgh. He saw a group of students who only fit into a few cliques or groups and wanted to give them a place to be themselves. He started his first year at Freedom in May 2022. He only allowed eighth grade because so many people wanted to join the club. Derickson says that he would be able to have more students join if he had more teachers or parents to help run the club. They meet in Mr. Derickson’s room after school.
For the Dungeons & Dragons game, the players form an adventuring party that explore fantasy worlds together as they embark on epic quests and level up in experience. The Dungeon Master (the DM) is the game’s referee and storyteller. There’s no winning or losing in D&D—at least, not in the conventional way.
At its heart, D&D is a game that focuses on storytelling. The dice help you along. Everything is your decision, from what you look like, to how you act, to what happens next. Much like life, every action you take has a consequence that affects your collective story moving forward.
Science Club- This started in May 2022 during the covid 19 pandemic. This Club usually meets in the courtyard by Ms. Ging’s room or her classroom. Ms. Ging teaches sixth grade science, and math. The Science Club plants different kinds of things like: milkweed, pumpkins, and sunflowers. They also make birdhouses and keychains to fundraise for their club.
GSA- This year our school has decided to allow a Gay-Straight Alliance Club. It will be run by Mrs. Meyer and Mrs. Miller. They hope that students will be able to find other people that are just like them. The goal of the GSA is to bring students together and ensure that the LGBTQAI+ community is supported and accepted in our middle school community. Mrs.Meyer has been teaching for 10 years. This is her eighth year teaching for freedom as a learning support teacher who teaches Math and ELA for special needs students.
Pep Club- The Pep Club meets every month in the middle school library. The Pep Club does activities throughout the year for students, such as spirit weeks, trivia questions, and holiday activities. They try to do fun activities that bring school spirit and a sense of excitement to the middle school. Pep Club also sponsors the paper recycling program at the middle school. Ms. Heiman has been teaching for 18 years and is the school librarian for the middle school.
Student Government- Student Government meets in Mr. Culler’s Room F106 on the third Wednesday of the month. The Student Government is a student-based civic organization designed to help promote school spirit and leadership among students. They run the penny drive, the MS girls basketball concession stand, the MS boys basketball concession stand, and the MS girls volleyball concession stand. Mr. Culler has been teaching for 25 years and all at Freedom. He has taught 7th-grade World Geography for all 25 years.
NJHS- This is the second full school year they have been running after restarting in spring 2022. National Junior Honor Society is an academic club that you need to have the scholarship requirement and show leadership plus community involvement. Right now they are fundraising by selling paw prints during football season. They are in the process of planning a fall service activity. Mrs. Orrico has been teaching for 23 years and teaches ELA and social studies for sixth grade.
