Following the last bell, waves of students flooded out of Milton M. Somers Middle School on a recent Friday — the last of the month — boarded school buses, hopped into the passenger side of their parent’s waiting car or walked to nearby homes.
About 70 students stayed behind to take part in an inaugural afterschool opportunity that the administrators are hoping will gain traction in the coming months.
Principal Gary Lesko, Somers staff and members of the school’s Parent-Teacher-Student Organization (PTSO) hosted an afterschool game day for any student who signed up to attend. The Kona Ice truck was there, pizza and other snacks were available with Uno decks, chess boards, Jenga and other games scattered around the cafeteria.
Lesko said when he saw most students on their phones during a school dance, he knew he had to come up with something that would engage them and away from screens for a while. “I wanted to do something where kids can just be kids,” Lesko said. Middle school students no longer have recess or a dedicated time to connect with friends, Chelsea Williams, a member of the PTSO, said. The Friday event allowed students unstructured time with friends while maybe making new ones. “It’s just a chance to hang out,” Williams said.
Students were asked to pay $5 to help cover the cost of food with the PTSO raffling off a pair of AirPods and other prizes like Chick-fil-a gift cards.
“I wanted to get out of the house,” C.J. Mason, a sixth-grade student, said about why he attended the event. “It sounded cool and I could be away from my siblings for a while.” Aiden Sharpe, a sixth grader, said he stopped by because he wanted to see what was happening.
There were still plenty of phones out with students practicing Tik Tok dances and introducing Shaneha Sotomayor, assistant principal, to funny posts. Staff members dropped by and were dealt into a hand of Uno or held their breath when testing the structural integrity of a Jenga tower.
Somers’ administrators and the PTSO hope to keep the final Friday events going with Lesko batting around names for it like Fun Fridays, Final Friday, Fridays with Friends — he’ll figure it out. Event themes are being discussed like video game tournaments, free throw contests, fashion shows and dances in the mix. There is also talk to inviting parents to join for an afternoon for a kickball or dodgeball parents v. kids battle.
“We want to do what the kids want to do,” Lesko said.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,904 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).