The Club Drought: Changes to the Extracurricular Scene at QHSS

A study done on elementary students proved that students were much more focused when given several 10-minute lessons instead of fewer 30-minute breaks. What happened between those lessons were short, frequent brain breaks. Coming to QHSS, the Friday Clubs were my brain breaks. Although the clubs weren’t necessarily breaks, for example operating The Cardinal Chronicles during my sophomore year, it was a relaxing disruption from the constant demands of academia.

For many students Friday Club became an integral part of their QHSS experience. Since November of 2022, QHSS has integrated a special schedule on Fridays, where classes are shortened by 10 minutes to create a new period dedicated to clubs. Students had the opportunity to take a break from their academic classes to pursue their interests and hobbies, whether that’s playing sports, preparing for events, or engaging in fun activities.

However, the Friday Clubs were abruptly disbanded in February of 2025, and the Friday schedule was replaced with its original bell schedule. All Friday Clubs then transitioned into scheduling after school or online meetings. Due to limited advisors and classrooms, clubs with a small member count, including the CCC (Chinese Culture Club), AAA (Asian American Association), and Craft Club, had to share the same meeting space during the tenth period.

Upon the sudden news, most board members were concerned about attendance and overall participation. Due to Friday clubs taking place during the school day, students were mandated to participate in their chosen club to get their attendance, similar to any other class period. However, such Friday clubs have turned from a necessity to a leisure activity, causing numerous clubs to decrease in their member attendance over the past few weeks.

Since the decrease in participation, some clubs have faced challenges in maintaining their operations. Vice President Najia Sultana of QHSS ACT! has expressed her concern for rehearsal space and club participation for their annual showcase at the talent show. Due to the limited working teachers after school, QHSS ACT! has to share a room with another club, limiting their rehearsal space. Coupled with their biweekly schedule, they’re left with two times a month for practice, resulting in consideration of renting a studio afterschool.

“In-person meetings are the prime time to meet everyone… we need the members to meet as drama club as we need to practice our script…watch them act [and] direct.” Vice President Najia Sultana of QHSS ACT!.

Najia already noticed a drop in attendance during QHSS ACT!’s first meeting, being their Karaoke fundraiser, since the dismantling of Friday Clubs.

Upon interviewing Principal De Jesus on the breakdown of the change, De Jesus shares that the sudden transition was due to a misunderstanding in the SBO contract. An SBO, otherwise known as “school-based option,” is a one-year modification of the DOE contract, allowing a school to modify parts of the standard teacher contract. Proposals include adjusting instructional time and implementing specialized curricula depending on the school’s local needs.

In the event of Friday clubs, the SBO contract was repealed due to a violation of the teacher’s workday, as the inclusion of Friday clubs alongside their regular teaching schedule ended up overworking the teachers. A teacher’s standard workday is 6 hours and 20 minutes, with an extended 150 minutes per week dedicating additional professional activities. Since Friday clubs were integrated during the school day, teachers acting as club advisors ultimately increased their workday,

Now that the Friday schedule has been removed, teachers must fulfill their teaching hours as advisors for the after school clubs or watch over lunch periods. When requests for SBO begin in the next school year, students are slowly adjusting to the new club format.