Activities for all at high school

From left are seniors Mark Van Buskirk, Matt DeFinis, and Sydney Jensen, and Principal Gary Kaul in the television studio. Photo by Jessica Steeley
From left are seniors Mark Van Buskirk, Matt DeFinis, and Sydney Jensen, and Principal Gary Kaul in the television studio. Photo by Jessica Steeley

BY JESSICA STEELEY
Clarkston News Staff Writer
A source of pride for Clarkston High School is the ability to provide something for everyone, according to Principal Gary Kaul.
“We’ve got myriad programs we run and offer at the high school,” Kaul said. “With the different academic programs we have here, clubs, activities, sports, if you don’t have something you’re involved in at the high school, it’s probably because you just are not looking for anything to be involved in. There really is something for everybody.”
The school has extra amenities such as a television studio students can use and take classes in and a preschool which allows students to work with kids, he said.
Kaul also describes how the school has several academic and artistic programs for students to participate in, from Advanced Placement (AP) classes and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program to athletics and performing arts opportunities.
“We offer a variety of different programs which really meet the needs of all different types of students,” said Vicki Potter, French teacher and IB coordinator.
The IB program is a two-year international program students can take in 11th and 12th grade to earn an IB diploma along with their high school diploma, Potter said.
There are also different STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs offered, she said.
There’s Clarkston’s Science, Mathematics and Technology Academy, which is a technical pathway students can take, and Project Lead The Way, an engineering pathway.
“A lot of different pathways students can take, those are what I would say would be our more advanced type of pathways for students,” Potter said. “But in addition to those types of things, students also have the possibility to attend the technical campus and take classes there.”
Outside of the curriculum, Clarkston High School has 33 clubs, a number which is constantly growing, Potter said, adding students often come up with ideas for new clubs.
“There’s different clubs, there’s sports teams, there’s things in the school, such as like Leadership or yearbook, you can participate if you don’t want to do after school things. There’s pretty much enough for everyone,” senior Jenna Sommerville said.
As a student who participates in different programs throughout the school, from leadership to lacrosse, Sommerville thinks every student can find something they’re interested in, just as long as they’re willing to get involved.
Sommerville has also challenged herself academically by taking three years of Spanish and six AP courses.
“I definitely think there’s a lot of different programs offered for people to challenge themselves and to branch out,” she said. “I know people who take Japanese and stuff like that, things normally you wouldn’t think of taking, but you just decide to give them a try.”

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