You walk into S203, welcomed by the positive atmosphere and the kind faces of the board, ready to start the year spreading positivity and kindness. On Thursday, September 11, the positive school culture club had its first meeting, welcoming new and returning students alike. Club members were introduced to the activities that the Positive Culture Club focuses on to spread positivity around campus before playing an icebreaker game to encourage bonding and communication.
To start off this first meeting, the club officers explained the meaning behind the club and what activities are done to help promote a positive school atmosphere. Positive School Culture Club is well known for being a part of the K9 news every Monday for the Bulldog Bucks raffle segment. The club does many more events that are geared toward the school, pushing students to be more kind on campus, which was shown to members, allowing them to get service hours if they participate in the videos and events.
“As a club, we strive to spread positivity and promote school-wide expectations across campus. That said, these goals couldn’t be accomplished without our members,” Secretary Gaby Ladrido (12) said. “During meetings, we often get work done on our various paw-sitive projects. Through this, we’re able to leave a lasting, positive impact on Ayala and our community.”
After explaining the club, the officers led the club members to play Scrabble. Scrabble is a game where players are given about 15 different categories, and they are supposed to name something in that specific category that starts with the letter that they are given for the round. At the end of the round, you get points if you have an original answer for a category, but if you have the same answer as another group you get no points. Members of the club formed groups of four to assist and communicate with each other, making it a beneficial and fun icebreaker.
“I think it’s been such a great tradition to allow the members to engage and be comfortable with each other through the theme of incentive,” President Trudy Chang (12) said. “Also, it’s a really important step and really into building a community on the very first day, and being able to develop a creative and competitive space. Allowing members to find common ground was a really great way to start.”
The club officers also wanted as many people as they could to come to their first meeting, so along with posting on social media and advertising the first meeting, they also provided snacks for students who went to the meeting. This gave students more of a reason to go to the meeting with friends to spend their lunch break.
“Most of our incentives were food which helped a lot, and I do feel that it was successful because people showed up and seemed to enjoy themselves,” Secretary Kieza Martinez (11) said.
As the school year goes on, it’s important to remember to always be kind and spread positivity no matter what. With positive school culture club, there is always a way to guarantee that everyone feels supported and like they belong through the different activities that are offered.
“[The board is] so excited to have new activities, especially planned for the senior graduating class,” Chang said. “We’ve come so far from being such a small club that really nobody knows about to be one, that school depends on for its structure, for behavior, for incentives related to PBIS [Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports], and really the admin depends on the student body so much in order to establish the student faculty relationship.”
