Club Updates 2020

Best Buddies: This club is sponsored by Tia Stiles, Cory Goldsmith, Amanda Christenson, and Kaeli Humphrey. Best Buddies is a club where they promote inclusion and meet the first Monday and Tuesday of every month in the library at 7:15 a.m. The club has changed its usual routine with the pandemic with how they meet and some of their activities, but the club still finds a way to keep in contact with one another. This club is always looking for new members because the members impact the school every single day.

Debate: This club is sponsored by Adam Krell. Debate Club is where students research, write, and share their findings. They focus primarily on writing and researching so they may compete around the Des Moines area. The club meets on Tuesdays from 3:30-5 p.m. in Mr. Grevings’ room. This year delayed most of the beginning meetings and resulted in the tournaments happening virtually. The club encourages students to join because as. Krell said, “If you have seen any of the political debates this year, we will show you how it’s supposed to be done.”

DECA: This club is sponsored by Carol Von Tersch. DECA is a business student organization where students compete against other chapters at a district, state, and national level while participating in conferences and service activities. The club is built on the four principles of leadership, service, business competitions, and social understanding. The club meets every Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. in the Multipurpose Room. Due to the virus, most of the club’s competitions/events are held virtually, but they still compete. Students should consider joining because they’ll get to meet lots of people, have fun, and be prepared for the professional world.

Environmental Club: This club is sponsored by Jed Dettmering. The Environmental Club has a goal to provide awareness of the positive or negative impact students can have on the environment. The club wants students to know that their choices have consequences, and they hope to educate on how to make choices that will yield positive results for the environment. They meet currently on the first two Wednesdays of the month at 9:10 a.m. in room 325 to accommodate the A/B day system. 

DISC Golf/FROLF: This club is sponsored by Dustin Cassler and Jake Nelson. DISC golf is an activity that occurs outside and they play disc golf while doing cleanups at the local parks in the area. They don’t have any meetings set up, but any students interested in joining should contact one of the sponsors. Since the club is outdoors, it allows social-distancing to be easier since they’re spread out. Of course, when they’re closer together, they wear masks. Students are encouraged to join because it’s a club where you can have lots of fun and you’ll stay active since you’ll be outdoors.

FCA: This club is sponsored by Natalie Carroll and Anne Wetzel. FCA is an organization that allows students to practice their faith and participate in a few volunteer events all while discussing the importance of God’s word by praying, singing, and discussing. The club meets every other Monday from 7-8:15 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona. The club is using the guidelines for the safety of students and sponsors and isn’t serving snacks this year as they have before. The leadership team has focused on spreading hope through these bizarre times. Students should consider joining for making new friends, challenge to find/grow in their faith, and have fun.

FCCLA: This club is sponsored by Aimee Marasco. FCCLA focuses on FCS content and career and community leadership opportunities. The club has optional competitions, community service hours, and fun social activities, allowing students to become leaders at the local, state, or national level, and participate in areas related to nutrition, child development, fashion, interior design, hospitality, human services, and finance. The club meets in N168 before school and have so far met on Wednesday mornings, but plan on changing to accommodate/balance club meetings to Tuesdays/Thursdays. Unlike previous years where students have to pay to join, the charter allows students to join for free. Students should join this year because colleges know what FCCLA is and they have charters in all fifty states, including Puerto Rico. They have a virtual conference for leadership being held for no travel expense, but it’s a way to meet new people and develop skills, all while earning silver cord hours and remain safe. 

FFA: This club is sponsored by Levi Collins. FFA is a club where students participate in events/workshops to prepare members to focus on leadership, personal growth, and a successful career in agriculture. The club started meeting Monday evenings, but normally they’d meet the third or last Monday of every month in the Ag room. A big part of the club is contests. Students interested in enrolling should sign up for agriculture classes to better understand the industry and show that anyone can join.

French Club: The club is sponsored by Michele Raasch and Christine Drabek. Currently, the club is planning for its first event and settling on a date. Email Michele Raasch with any further questions.

Dungeons and Dragons: This club is sponsored by Shelly Stille. The club focuses on the turned-based RPG game Dungeons and Dragons in which students create their own character and the Dungeon Master creates the world in where the players explore and interact in. The club meets every Thursday after school in room N225. This year, the club is more spread out and the students are now stuck to their chairs instead of surrounding a player with an important role, but the energy still lives on. Students should join because D&D is a game that develops team and individual cooperation.

GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance): This club is sponsored by Shelby Palm. GSA is a club where students discuss what LGBTQ is and what members face in the school environment and the real world. They make plans on how to combat/change how these students are represented. The club meets every Wednesday from 3:10-4 p.m. in N327. The club this year uses Zoom to connect members. Students should consider joining because it allows students to see how the youth of LGBTQ are affected and the club is a safe environment for all to be in. Any students with questions or want to know more should consider joining.

Got Bounce?: This club is sponsored by Amy Daughtery, Barron Geiger, and Amy Vermeer. Got Bounce is a club that helps promote resilience in the community through service. The club’s meetings are split in two: one meeting Tuesday over lunch and a second on Wednesday before school on a late start day. For this year, the two groups meet remotely on Wednesday mornings. Students should join because, with this year’s uncertainties, resilience is highly needed in the community.

Interact Club: This club is sponsored by Shawn Cross and Sierra Renaud. Interact Club is a volunteer club where students can earn Silver Cord hours through service in the DSM and Altoona area either solo or as a group. The club meets twice a month to go over the volunteer events like Jolly Holiday Lights, SEP concessions, making blankets for homeless shelters in Des Moines, and more. COVID-19 has prevented most events from happening but students are still helping out with volunteering all while staying safe and following guidelines. Students are encouraged to join not only for silver cord hours but having fun helping the community.

Key Club: This club is sponsored by Elizabeth Fielder. Key Club is the high school version of the junior high’s Builders’ Club where the club focuses on volunteering and community service to promote leadership and enjoyment. This year, the club is holding their meetings on Zoom for those unable to attend in-person. Most of the bigger events are canceled so the club focuses on new projects. This club is a good way to give back to the community while having fun with friends and earning silver cord hours.

Robotics Club: This club is sponsored by Baily Abbott. Robotics Club is a group that builds and programs a robot to battle with challenge sets that change every year. They meet at the middle school in room 467 on Tuesday at 3:15-5:30 p.m. The club this year is working on staying socially-distanced, but still work together all while wearing masks and limiting shared tools. Students should join because the club will allow them to think creatively on how to complete the challenges from the Vex robot set and there are more ways to participate like documentation, coding, and building.

Science Club: This club is sponsored by Karen Hobbs and Allison McPherren. Science Club is where students participate in experiments and activities like nature scavenger hunts and researching/experimenting on the fluffiness/outcome of cookies. The club normally meets after school in Ms. Hobb’s room on the first Thursday of each month. However, they aren’t meeting currently. Students are encouraged to join if they are interested in doing unusual experiments.

Sign Language Club: This club is sponsored by Katherine Humphrey andNatalie Sells. Sign Language Club is a club where students can learn the basics of American Sign Language. Usually, the club meets every Wednesday from 3:10-4 p.m. in room N131. For this year, students can find different posts around the school with special vocabulary and sentences every week. Students are encouraged to join as a fun way to learn sign language.

Skills USA: This club is sponsored by Brett Rickabaugh and Ryan Andersen. Skills USA is a club for students to gain leadership, communication, and technical skills for after high school by doing projects like Toys for Tots and compete in technical competitions at state and national levels. They meet on late start Wednesdays at 9:20 a.m. in room N191. This year, the club will make changes with the service projects and competition prep. Students are encouraged to join if they’re looking forward to building leadership skills for a fun but challenging year.

Snowboarding Club: This club is sponsored by Garrett Hall. Ski and Snowboard Club are for students who enjoy the outdoors and for students to learn skiing and snowboarding all while traveling to resorts to test their skills. Students who know how to ski and snowboard are welcomed too. The club does clothing sales as fundraising for trips, movie nights, and take trips to resorts in the Midwest. The club meets in room 323 every late start Wednesday at 9 a.m. This year, meetings are changed with not every student in the building and trips are being modified with the resorts planned still opened, but following safety protocols. Students are encouraged to join to learn skiing and snowboarding, excited to travel to resorts, or already know how to ski/snowboard.

Speech: This club is sponsored by Julene Pappan. Speech Club focuses on singing, acting, directing, improv, and much more. The club competes as large groups and individually. The club meets after school in room 245. This year, the IHSSA is still determining if competitions will be in-person or virtual and which large groups will be competing and the numbers of participants. The club encourages students to join since you don’t need to be a star to sing, write, direct, improv, etc.

Stock and Real Estate Club: This club is sponsored by Rebecca Hammar. Stock and Real Estate Club focuses on stocks to invest/not invest into. They watch ads and determine when to buy/sell and they have guest speakers and meet with the Warren Buffett Stockholders meeting in May. The club meets in room 322 after school, meeting twice a month on Thursdays. The club hasn’t been able to meet so far this year but they plan to meet in January. This club is for students interested in buying stocks or interested in learning about the housing market.

Ultimate Frisbee Club: This club is sponsored by Amy Wilterdink. Ultimate frisbee club is where students play for fun in the fall to develop skills and compete against other schools in the spring where a team will be formed. During the fall, the club meets behind the high school baseball fields on Tuesday nights from 4:30-6. In the spring, they have practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the same time as in the fall. The club this year had a late start into the season, but students are supplied with sanitations to clean the equipment. Students should consider joining for a fun challenge where you can grow as a player and don’t have to stress with sideline parents. It’s also a good way to be active. See Mrs. Wilterdink in room 244 for questions.