STUDENT LIFE
Otsego Public Schools strives to create well-rounded individuals as well as successful students. To help kids expand their horizons or further concentrate on their passions or look within themselves, there are clubs, activities and organizations at every grade level to enhance their educational experience.
Elementary Middle School High School
Elementary:
Battle of the Books - For students in grades 3-5 who love to read and challenge themselves. With a coach, they form teams of five members. Each team must read a pre-determined selection of six books. They form these teams in the fall and go head to head in the Battle of the Books in the spring. At the battle, teams are tested on their knowledge of the books. They compete against teams from Otsego and Plainwell for the coveted trophy.
Otsego Stars Singers - For those who love to sing, move to music and act, this is their time to shine - in Otsego Stars! This choir is an after-school group consisting of 4th and 5th grade boys and girls. They practice each Wednesday from 4:00pm-5:00pm and hold two performances each year, one in December and one in March. There are no auditions; they simply take the first 80 kids who sign up, which doesn't take long - it's a very popular group! There is a $30 fee which provides students with a t-shirt and the music.
DestiNation Imagination - Problem solving is the name of the game for these young thinkers. This is a national program that provides educational platforms for students to use their creativity, teamwork and problem solving skills. This is an after-school activity where students take on set challenges and come up with solutions, then present them at area tournaments. The Alamo Elementary team made history in 2011 becoming the first Otsego DI team to make it to the Global Finals!
Girls on the Run - Exercise and life lessons all rolled into one. This national program is in each of our elementary schools. Along with training for a 5K run, the after-school meetings focus on the trials of adolescence. It teaches girls, grades 3-5, to develop self-respect, higher self-esteem and healthy lifestyles through lessons and guest speakers on different issues dealing with their physical, emotional and social well-being.
Boyz on the Move - Started in 2011, this program for boys is modeled after Girls on the Run. This six-week program focuses on a different character trait each week to help these 4th and 5th grade boys make healthier choices as they grow up and gain self-esteem through the tough times of adolescence. The boys hear from guest speakers, engage in team-building activities and train for a 5K triathlon.
P.A.W.S. – Physical Activity With Spirit, P.A.W.S., is a program open to all students in grades 2-5 that helps develop healthy fitness skills and focuses on teaching kids the benefits of an active lifestyle. Students utilize the Jump Zone (which features several stations such as Wii and Xbox Kinect sports games, treadmills, trampolines, exercise balls and other fitness equipment) and other fitness activities such as the climbing wall and fitness trails that are set up throughout hallways in each elementary school. P.A.W.S. meets twice a week after school for one hour. The $12 cost provides students with a t-shirt and a snack.
Middle School:
STAND – STAND, Students Taking A New Direction, is an alcohol and drug abuse prevention program committed to the idea that empowerment of youth is a key element in the creation of drug free communities. STAND is a program of Student Leadership Services, Inc. A STAND chapter is an identifiable group of middle school students assuming responsibility for their own leadership and facilitated by an advisor/teacher and sometimes a parent volunteer. Our chapter meets once a week during STRIVE on Wednesday. The program addresses leadership skills, communication skills, resistance skills, and drug information. Community service and safety awareness are other components addressed throughout the year.
Young Men Keeping it REAL – REAL is an acronym for Respect, Empowerment, Attitude and Leadership. This group meets two days a week before school from 6:50-7:30am and works through different books that help our young men deal with the struggles that guys go through, such as the pressures and temptations that come in middle and high school. As the group leaders help them learn about these issues and how to get through them, they also want to give them the tools they need to be men of "Integrity" and make good decisions - that is "doing the right thing even when nobody's watching." The group also works through John Wooden's Pyramid of Success.
True Beauty – A group based off of Young Men Keeping it REAL, this group formed in January 2011 as a way to reach out to girls and help them deal with the pressures that come as they grow up and work on their inner beauty and self esteem versus focusing on outer beauty. The group meets each Wednesday before school from 6:45-7:30am. Using a book called “Mirror Mirror, Am I Beautiful? written by Shelley Hitz, the girls work through short lessons and activities to tackle the different stresses of becoming a woman and find the beauty within themselves and Christ.
Art Club – When an art class during the day just isn’t enough, students can join the art club. An after-school program from October to March, it’s designed to allow students to explore the many different forms of art. The club meets once a week for 45-minutes and is simply an outlet for students to get back in the art room and experiment with their ideas and creativity without the constraints of specific learning objectives.
High School:
Woods and Water Club – Students meet to participate in fishing tournaments, canoe and kayak excursions, hunting contests or camping adventures. The purpose of the club is to unite students who have a common appreciation for the outdoors in the school setting. In just its second year, there are about 20-30 students who participate in various events.
Equestrian Team - They wake up before the sun, dress in muck boots and drive to a dusty arena, and it’s all worth it for the Equestrian Team. The team trains all summer with their horses and enters competitions where each horse and rider score points based on their place in the classes.
Writing Club – This student-inspired club serves as a space for the student to "vet" ideas and get supportive, constructive feedback from fellow writers on non-academic writing. The club is open to all students; they try their hand at different genres and are encouraged to get their writing published or to enter it in local writing contests. Toward the end of the year, student collaborate to create the annual Student Writing Club Collection which requires them to contribute edited writing pieces, artwork and input into the collection's theme, title and publication format. The complete work is published through an online company so it can be purchased.
Book Club – What’s better than enjoying a good book? Enjoying a good book with new friends. Every couple weeks, students in the book club get together to talk about their latest read. And if there’s a movie to go along with it, they might cap off their discussion in the theater!
SADD – Otsego has a Students Against Destructive Decisions club. Students work throughout the year on various fundraisers; they are in charge of the Red Ribbon Week in October and one year held a Bowl-a-thon for cystic fibrosis. Every month, SADD decorates the bulletin board in the upstairs hallway with facts and statistics to try and keep OHS students aware of certain dangers and encourages students to make safe decisions.
Yearbook – This group of students is on top of what is happening all the time. The yearbook staff is capturing every moment of the high school, from academic and athletic events to different club meetings. They work on their writing, layout and photography skills and have to meet strict deadlines.
Quizbowl – Which students know the most random things? The answer is likely the quizbowl team. This group of students gets together to brush up on their trivia and takes their talents into competitions. The team qualified for the state competition in 2010.
