This year, the start of a new school year at Quaker Valley High School and Quaker Valley Middle School brought new classes, routines, and opportunities for students to discover something about themselves.
During the first week of the 2026-27 school year, students had the chance to explore ways they can get involved beyond the classroom during activities fairs designed to showcase extracurricular clubs and groups available throughout the school year.
Quaker Valley Middle School Principal, Dr. Anthony Mooney, worked with school counselor, Dr. Danielle Schultz, to bring the activities fair to the middle school for the first time this year. “Last school year we hosted a Self-Care Fair at the end of April where we invited community organizations to help students get connected for the summer. Because that event was so successful and well-received by students, we wanted to try a QVMS Activity Fair to showcase all the ways that students can get involved at the middle school,” Dr. Schultz explained.
While the fairs allowed students to learn more about the available activities, their purpose extended well beyond simply signing up for a new club. They were part of Quaker Valley's broader commitment to creating school communities where every student can make connections, pursue interests, develop new skills, and find their place.
Liam Cudzik, who is in seventh grade at the middle school, attended the fair and expanded his interest in activities beyond the middle school musical, when he learned about yearbook, student council, Best Buddies, and the yearbook. “I learned about a bunch of different stuff that I didn’t really know we had,” he said. “[The fair] gives kids the opportunity to try different things than they normally would.”
Creating Opportunities to Belong
Quaker Valley continues to expand opportunities for students to connect with one another in meaningful ways.
Senior Charlie Pyle serves as the co-president of the high school’s Best Buddies, an international organization that fosters one-to-one friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities: “Best Buddies has given me another community to be in. It introduced me to one of my best friends, Brody, who I am so lucky to know. It has given me a different view on inclusion. It is important to feel included, cared about, and seen.”
Across the middle and high schools, extracurricular offerings represent the varied interests and needs of students and their school communities. Programs such as Best Buddies, Unified activities, eSports, clubs, athletics, and other student-driven opportunities provide different entry points for students to become part of a larger community and contribute to the vitality of their school.
Carolyn Miller, social studies teacher and Student Council sponsor at the high school, worked with high school principal, Dr. Deborah Riccobelli, and the rest of the high school staff to organize this year’s club fair for incoming ninth graders. Mrs. Miller shared, “The Club Fair is a way for the ninth graders to find out where they fit in at QV. Students engage in a scavenger hunt while visiting information tables for each group and making connections with friendly upperclassmen who can show them the ropes.”
There is no single definition of what involvement should look like. What matters is that students have opportunities that meet their interests and help them reach beyond the classroom to find meaningful connections.
More Than an Activity
Extracurricular involvement is another way for students to extend their exploration of interests beyond their classes, apply skills, and learn through experience.
"Some of the most important learning that happens in high school takes place beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Riccobelli. “Clubs and activities give students opportunities to develop the enduring skills we want them to carry with them long after they leave QV.”
Through organizations like QV Creekers, eSports, Key Club, and more, students may discover a new interest. Others may develop the confidence to take on leadership roles, work alongside students they might not otherwise meet, or learn 21st-century skills such as leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Putting the Portrait of a Learner Into Practice
The experiences students gain through extracurricular involvement also reinforce Quaker Valley's Portrait of a Learner: students can communicate with new people, explore interests, engage with their school, persevere through challenges, and empathize with others.
Extracurricular activities provide a natural setting in which to practice the competencies named in the Portrait of a Learner. Students can develop the skills and dispositions that will help them succeed not only academically at Quaker Valley, but also in the world beyond.
Perhaps most importantly, extracurricular activities create opportunities for relationships and connections. These relationships can transform a school building into a community.
“For many middle school students, a sense of belonging is established when they find a team, club, or activity where they can be themselves and connect with others who share similar interests,” Quaker Valley Middle School Principal Dr. Anthony Mooney said. “Extracurriculars give students a chance to engage with their school community in unique ways.”
The activities fairs make those opportunities visible and accessible. Instead of expecting students to already know where they fit, Quaker Valley is inviting them to explore and take a chance on something new.
By bringing available activities directly to students at the beginning of the year, the fairs encourage every student to ask a simple question: What might I try?
Cudzik ultimately gave some advice, “I would say probably stick to your top two or three, because doing a lot can get overwhelming quickly.” He encouraged his fellow students to, “Just try a bunch of stuff, and then if you don’t love it, you don’t have to do it.”
That chance can lead to a new interest. A new skill. A new friendship. It can help a student find the people, experiences, and connections that make school feel a little more like home.