Four student ambassadors will tell you about a couple after school activities and extracurriculars we have here at SSJ. All of these activities are fun ways to get to know other students from other grades. Here at SSJ we encourage students to participate in these activities to improve their learning, social, and physical skills.
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Sports
Here at SSJ we are given the opportunity to play sports starting in fifth grade. This gives students the opportunity to find what sports they are interested in and try out for the school team. In order to remain on the sports team, you have to keep your grades at a C or above. In the fall we have volleyball for the girls and flag football for the boys. In the winter we have softball and basketball. In the spring we have basketball, baseball and soccer for both. I have played volleyball, softball, and basketball since the fifth grade. I have always enjoyed sports ever since I was a little girl. Playing these sports at SSJ has helped me create awesome memories and new relationships with my teammates. You don’t have to have a lot of experience to try out for the sports here at SSJ. At SSJ there are many opportunities for the students to try new things and figure out what interests them and what doesn’t. SSJ has won many championships throughout the years and have beautiful banners hanging in our gymnasium!
ROC
One of our amazing after school activities here at SSJ is ROC. ROC stands for "Reaching Out For Christ," which makes perfect sense because during ROC, students can learn more about God. ROC happens from 6:00-8:00 p.m., normally on Mondays in the life house. ROC brings together any 7th and 8th grade students who want to participate in building their relationship with God. The wonderful Jen Pitera is the woman in charge of ROC, and she does a great job of teaching us how our actions help us to grow closer with God and with each other. Jen provides snacks, food, and dinner for everyone who comes. During ROC, students can get service hours, talk about Jesus and their faith, and share their opinions with each other on different topics that we talk about. Sometimes Jen will bring in guess speakers who will talk about what they do to show actions of Christ. We also do a lot of other fun things during ROC that Jen has planned for us; and that’s the fun of it all, you never know what will happen next ROC session.
Student Ambassadors
You can try out for student ambassadors in 6th, 7th and 8th grade by passing a test that you have a few weeks to study for and getting a recommendation from a teacher. This test helps you learn more about the school, so you can share the information during tours. Plus, it motivates people to know more about the school which is amazing! There are meetings every Wednesday and from there you learn more about each other. Also, you can volunteer whenever you can and sometimes with a partner too. In addition, Mrs. Wahlers is the head of the student ambassador program. She helps us with our public speaking and how to make it better in any way she can. Not to mention, she is kind to everyone and welcomes anyone new to the program with open arms. Overall, I would highly recommend trying out for student ambassadors as an extracurricular activity.
Robotics
Robotics is an activity that you can participate in at our school and there are two levels; one is from 5-8 grade and the other is from K-4 grades. Robotics is from three to four Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Our leaders are Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Chrisman who support us through our robot journey. This is a fun activity where you learn how to code, build, and have fun with friends. We learn about robotics and how to code wonderful robots. We also go to a robotics competition every December with our coding done, presentation boards, and positive attitudes. When we first started robotics the fifth-grade team won a trophy, then in 2021 our seventh grade team won a trophy as well. This program also helps with critical thinking, social skills, and public presentations. In conclusion, this program is great for anyone who is interested in the world of robots and technology.
Overall ROC, robotics, student ambassadors, and sports are great ways of knowing SSJ better. These are only a few of the extracurriculars that we offer. These are great ways of socializing, meeting new people, and having fun right at school. For example ROC is a great way to make friends, robotics is one way to boost critical thinking, student ambassadors help with promoting the school at various events, and sports is a great way of representing your school spirit. Our students are happy to talk about our extracurricular activities and how fun they are.