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Huron Middle School showcases clubs, science fair, art show and farm-to-school plans
Summary
Students and staff reported a wide range of middle-school extracurriculars and pilot programs — including clubs, a student newspaper, a science fair and an expanded farm-to-school hydroponic plan — at the Huron School District 02-2 board meeting.
Middle-school students and staff reported a range of extracurricular and enrichment programs at the Huron School District 02-2 board meeting, including student-run clubs, community-facing events and an expansion of farm-to-school activities.
Students described a monthly newspaper club that published activities, sports coverage and staff interviews and invited student contributions. A life-skills club covered laundry, budgeting, hygiene and writing checks; members requested future sessions on car maintenance such as changing a tire. A sign-language club taught basic signing and encouraged appropriate use in class. The school also held a Tiger Talk event attended by about 175 people that encouraged students to bring one adult to spend quality time together.
Three seventh- and eighth-grade students who attended the Women in Science Conference in Aberdeen described sessions with STEM professionals and a keynote marine mammal biologist who spoke about career paths and advocating for oneself in research settings. Students said the conference helped them explore future study and career choices.
The middle school will host a science fair next Wednesday with approximately 40 projects across sixth through eighth grade. Local businesses — Dairy Queen, Godfather's, McDonald's and Taco John's — donated door-prize items, and PTO funds will provide cash awards, including medals for first, second and third place and a grand champion across grades.
The school is also staging an art show and a concurrent cultural fair during the science fair. Organizers said more than 25 original student artworks (drawings, paintings, pottery and sculptures) will be displayed and about 18 student groups will present country-specific cultural exhibits.
School nutrition staff described "Try It Tuesdays," a monthly tasting program for selected exploratory students to sample potential new menu items and local products. "New this year at the middle school was a monthly try it day," said Carla Savel, school nutrition staff. The program included samples of locally supplied microgreens provided by Kyle Cohen of Iroquois (kale, radish and turnip microgreens) and used simple tally sheets to collect student feedback. Savel said the district plans to use a hydroponic grow system at the middle school this summer to raise 24–36 lettuce plants for inclusion in summer grab-and-go bags and future salad bars; a full growth cycle takes about 25–30 days, allowing potentially two production rounds over the summer.
Board members commended the students for their presentations. Administration said the activities provided multiple engagement points for families and supported expanded experiential learning.
