Fall festival is a pumpkin-smashing hit
CLAP YOUR HANDS: Clapping their hands with the growing crowd in the pit, seniors Lisa Wilkerson and Kendall Oh lead the dance to the Cupid Shuffle. The people in the pit were excited to hear the classic song and dance together. “I really like dancing, and I think that when people see me dancing it gives them the confidence to join in too, so I have to make it big,” Wilkerson said.
Students unwind after a hard day of PSAT testing with games and treats
Loud music, games, tickets and prizes awaited students after a long day of PSAT testing earlier this month. The Student Leadership class organized the Fall Fest in order to provide students with a way to unwind after the stressful testing day.
Students work very hard for the PSAT, especially the students apart of the PSAT Team who are working towards National Merit Scholar recognition. Junior Matthew Wash was apart of the PSAT Team, and enjoyed the opportunity that the Fall Fest gave him.
“I liked the Fall Fest because it gave me a way to unwind after the PSAT and relax with my friends,” Wash said.
As well as a way to decompress after the PSAT, the Fall Fest was also used as a way to build up Bowie’s sense of school spirit.
“The Fall Fest I think is a really good way to foster school community,” member of student leadership, senior Kendall Oh said. “It brings everybody together and we’re just playing games and having fun. You also get to see students that you haven’t seen before and I think that’s a really good way to build relationships at the beginning of the year.”
One of the major core values of Student Leadership are building and improving the school community at Bowie.
“I really value that everybody feels welcome at school and has a community of people around them that will support them,” Oh said. “Having a good school community makes everybody feel welcome at school and makes school a place where students like to go.”
Student Leadership is also important for the people that are in it. Senior Lisa Wilkerson sees the class and it’s activities as an opportunity to let her skills shine.
“Student Leadership helps me build my leadership skills because I am a leader when it comes to being a senior on campus and someone that people look up to,” Wilkerson said. “People tend to look up to me and student leadership gives me an opportunity to be a leader for my student body.”
Student Leadership is very important to the students that are in it because it allows them to be an active part of their learning environment.
“I think that it is important because it gives me an opportunity to be apart of my school community and connect with students here,” Oh said. “Student leadership gives me the opportunity to make a positive impact on the place where I come to learn everyday.”
In the leadership class, students work hard to organize events for the student body that brings students together.
“There really isn’t a typical day in class,” Student Leadership teacher Vickie Benson said. “We vary what we do depending on the objectives for the day. One day we could be working on a deadline for our project and the next may be a lesson on leadership or SEL. We also may be taking a brain break from all of the planning. One class a month we go to Kocurek Elementary to mentor 4th graders and teach them about leadership skills. And that cycle just repeats itself throughout the year.”
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