* NOTE: This article appears in the 2019 Private School Handbook.
CLIMBING CLUB
Once a week after school, a handful of students from Whitfield School spend their time suspended 40 feet in the air at Upper Limits in Maryland Heights. The students cheer one another on, encouraging their classmates to climb higher. “The group is so tight-knit; everyone is very invested in helping everyone else out,” says club co-sponsor Jim Daniels. “We’re pushing mental dexterity. We’re trying to get these kids to develop as leaders. We’re trying to get them to gain more confidence, and climbing—it’s hard to think of any other sport that would do that any better.”
READY PLAYER ONE
Video games have come a long way from Pong and Pac-Man. These days, you can find esports in competitions on ESPN, an exhibit at the Saint Louis Science Center, and scholarships at Maryville University. Recently, Notre Dame High School became the second all-girl high school in the nation to start an esports team, which will compete in the national High School Esports League. “We really wanted to find a way to get our girls engaged with STEM,” says David Brosch, STEM coordinator and the esports team’s coach. Video games appeal to a wide range of students and help draw interest to computer science. The team will have its own room, fitted out with gaming systems selected by the team members. “It’s part of building that foundation,” says Brosch. “Then they’ll be comfortable in the STEM fields.”
A HEROIC GESTURE
Last fall, De Smet Jesuit High School student Michael Cutler started the Spartans for Heroes Club. Once each quarter, the group hosts an event to raise money and supplies for veterans, first responders, and their families. The inaugural event, in November, featured Army specialist and Iraq War veteran Tim Taylor, who candidly answered questions about his experiences. “I really wanted to start the club to bring awareness to veterans and first responders,” says Cutler. “They’re risking their lives every day to protect us and make us safe.”
