With the start of the school year, new and returning extracurricular activities are already working to change and improve Schreiber.

This year, a new club is available to students: the Disability Awareness Club.  The club was founded by seniors Abigail Kapoor and Ashley Cohen in order to make Schreiber a hub for disability education and a safe space for the disabled community.

About 61 million American adults currently live with a disability, yet destructive stigmas still exist.  These stigmas are largely caused by misinformation and underrepresentation surrounding disabilities in the global community.  The Disability Awareness Club was started with the goal of rectifying some of these harmful knowledge gaps.

“We hope to establish a narrative within our school that will allow people who maybe have less experience with disabilities and people with disabilities to learn, grow, and communicate about this topic together,” said senior Jackie Atchley. 

The club will be advised by Ms. Sandra Jozefowski, a Schreiber gym teacher and coach.  It was chartered at the end of last year, when many Schreiber students signed it into existence with a petition.  The Disability Awareness Club had their first meeting on Friday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 a.m. in the gym.

Another club, Full SupPORT, is working to destigmatize mental health in Schreiber.  Full SupPORT is run by junior Lucas Milgrim and senior Amber Kakkar.  The club is working to ensure that everyone accepts the fact that mental health is real, and that it is something everyone has to deal with. 

“In many places mental health is completely disregarded and not seen as important as our physical health.  That’s why I think advocating for mental health and helping destigmatize the topic of mental health is important,” said senior Jolie Baltic. 

Full SupPORT wants everyone to understand that over 20% of adults in the United States suffer from some form of mental illness, and over 33% of high schoolers suffer from depression or another form of mental illness.  The club’s goal is to be able to have real conversations about issues that people face on a daily basis — no matter how major or minor — without fear of embarrassment or judgement.

“Many students struggle with their mental health with intense work loads, sports and activities and it is important to be able to release and manage your stress.  Full SupPORT is an open place where you’re able to talk openly and discuss potential solutions as well as raise awareness for mental health,” said junior Jack McNaughton.

Full SupPORT is planning on running activities during Unity Day this year.  Participating in Mental Health Week last year was just the tip of the iceberg, as they hope to continue with similar projects in years to come.

The Women’s Empowerment Club is yet another club working to make Schreiber a better place.  Women’s Empowerment is led by seniors Leah Schacter and Chloe Carvajal.  They are currently working on changing Schreiber’s dress code policy, specifically in gym class. 

“Girls should be allowed to wear tank tops in gym class, as girls are allowed to wear tank top uniforms for their sports teams. Women are becoming more and more prevalent today, and the club is the perfect place for a safe space within Schreiber to discuss these issues and promote positivity among women, as we should lift one another up instead of beating each other down,” said senior Leah Schacter.  

The Women’s Empowerment Club is also focused on discussing important issues facing women around the world, and spreading positive messages throughout the school by putting posts on lockers, mirrors, and other frequently seen places around campus. 

The Women’s Empowerment Club will be meeting next on Oct. 6, and plans on meeting on the first and last Wednesday of each month.  They are currently meeting in room 127, and have information on their Google Classroom (with code ev34z2z).

These three clubs, among others, will continue to work to make Schreiber a more thoughtful and inclusive place for all students.