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3 Oaks students, teachers showcase after-school clubs at Cary CCSD 26 meeting
Summary
Students and staff from 3 Oaks Elementary presented the school—s before- and after-school clubs to the Cary CCSD 26 Board of Education on Oct. 27, describing activities in Mail Club, Yarnies (crochet), Girls Empowerment, Animal Lovers and Gardening Club and urging community enrollment to sustain the programs.
At the Oct. 27, 2025 Cary CCSD 26 Board of Education meeting, staff and students from 3 Oaks Elementary described a range of before- and after-school clubs that the school says foster belonging, social skills and literacy.
"One thing I love about running clubs is the connections I get to make across the school and with being able to see all different kinds of kids throughout the day," said Caitlin Jasick, a second-grade teacher at 3 Oaks who leads the Mail Club. Jasick told the board the club—s mission includes collecting and sending letters and "greatly promote[s] self esteem, vocabulary building, and writing skills throughout a school wide mail system." Students who attend the club described meeting new friends through letter exchanges.
Jen Korolek, a social ed resource teacher who runs Yarnies, said the crochet club teaches perseverance and gives students an opportunity to try a new hobby: "It—s been so great for our kids because they learn to really persevere because it is a very ... thing and they tried something new, and we met new people, and we had a great time." Brooke Matthews, an instructional coach who led the Girl Empowerment Club, said members created compliment cards, self-portraits and "I am" statements to build confidence and leadership skills.
Danny Krug, a third-grade teacher, summarized the Animal Lovers club: students choose animals to study weekly and participate in games and informational activities. "We were very active during our animal learning, and learned lots of interesting facts about our animals," Krug said. Maestro Cardenas, who leads the Gardening Club, highlighted hands-on projects such as microgreens, a watering system meant to sustain the garden during vacations or winter, and small pantry donations from produced harvests.
Presenters repeatedly thanked families and urged enrollment to keep clubs running. "If you don't enroll, then we don't have clubs," one presenter said as the group closed its presentation.
Board members applauded the students and staff. Several trustees said the clubs provide a valuable, in-school option for enrichment and praised the district for offering diverse activities that reach many students.
The presentation included live student remarks and photos of club activities; board members encouraged families to sign up for future rounds of clubs.
