This winter term, Groton is introducing a wide variety of after-school activities. Students got to choose one activity or sport for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and another for Tuesday and Thursday. Varsity sports will also be meeting on Saturdays. The large assortment of activities included:

Fives —  Mr.Anderson

Mr. Anderson is reviving Fives, an old Groton sport. “It is a handball game played using both hands which are padded with thick gloves. Like squash, it is good exercise and fun,” explains Mr. Anderson.

Mural Painting — Ms. Ho

For a more artistic activity, Ms. Ho is introducing Mural Painting.

“Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, it seemed urgent that we find ways at Groton to uplift the voices of our students in a loud, bold manner. Noted for their large scale, murals are created for the community because of their public prominence. I want to give our students autonomy over self expression and allow a space for reflection, legacy, and empowerment through public art,” wrote Ms. Ho.  

In addition to their importance in giving students an artistic voice, murals are also “created to beautify communities through various styles, movements, and expressions,” says Ms. Ho.

She assures students that no prior artistic experience is required and everyone is encouraged to join the activity and contribute to the mural.

Rocket Club — Dr.Kelly

For students interested in physics, the Rocket Club with Dr. Kelly might be most attractive: “The rocket club, in collaboration with the rocket team, will be designing and building rockets of differing sizes with the overall goal of building a rocket to use to compete in the TARC rocket competition. We learn about safety protocols and then we will be testing our rockets on campus. Stay tuned for launch dates later in the term,” wrote Dr. Kelly. Students in the Rocket Club do not have to be a part of the competition team. 

Emergency Training — Ms. Lincoln

After a student asked Ms. Lincoln to teach a course on preparing for various emergencies, she decided to lead an activity on the subject. “The direction we take will depend, in part, on the interest of the group but might contain CPR, first aid, basic suppression and prevention of fires, and critical thinking when faced with an emergency,” says Ms. Lincoln.

Digital Photography — Mr. Creamer

In Mr. Creamer’s Digital Photography activity, students will research a wide variety of photographers and discuss the role of photography today. They will also “take photographs with a particular project in mind, culminating with the production of a small artist’s book incorporating photographs and text” explains Mr. Creamer.

According to Ms. Harlan, the most popular activity this term was Strength and Conditioning. Second place goes to Winter Running, while Theatre, Tennis, Badminton, and Yoga were also among the most popular. Other sports including Varsity Boys and Girls Hockey and JV Boys and Girls Basketball reached maximum capacity.