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Health & Fitness

Southeastern Regional's State of the Arts Media Center Home to Student Book Clubs

Among the high technology resources provided to students at the newly constructed Media Center at Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School, you can still find a group of avid readers opting for the book club arrangement. “We’ve had book clubs here at the school over the years, but never this consistent before. The current ones started about 3 years ago with a single club splitting into two groups this year - a regular Novels group and a Graphic Novels/Manga group. This group of students has really embraced the concept of a book club, so now that it’s established, it’s easier to add members and continue to grow” said Anne Meade, Media Specialist and facilitator of the book clubs at Southeastern.

Over 30 students participate in the book clubs, with the regular Novels Book Club meeting early Friday mornings from 7:30-8:00am, and the Graphic Novels/Manga group early on Wednesdays. “Some kids only like Graphic Novels, some prefer regular novels, and some participate in both groups,” said Mrs. Meade.

Book club members choose a book to read as a group, then discuss it based on questions found online or created by the group, discussing point of view and whether or not they liked it. Students read on their own, using the Sails system to order the books through membership libraries. When they’re not discussing a particular book, they discuss other books or authors they like. “It’s a nice place for the kids to meet their like-minded friends. They’re just a nice group of kids, really.”

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Members of the Novels Book Club enjoy reading and discussing the works of their favorite authors, as well as the recommendations of their fellow students. “Sarah Desson (Author of “Truth about Forever”) is an amazing author who weaves all her books together with characters that come in from her other novels, which is a nice way of writing. I started reading her books in 8th grade. Right now I also like reading novels by John Green,” said book club member Yasmeen Rahman.

Sarah Bucklin joined the Novels Book Club “because in my freshman year I was shy and liked to read. The Book Club offered me a place to read and people with similar interests.”

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Michaela Berry has found the group to be an encouragement to her as well. “The Book Club exposes me to books I wouldn’t have thought of reading on my own. I joined the Novels Book Club during the summer before I came to Southeastern.”

Since the beginning of the school year in September, the Novels Book Club members have enjoyed reading such novels as “Looking for Alaska”, “Struck by Lightning” and “The Future of Us.” They have also completed and discussed “The Truth about Forever” and are currently reading “The Ocean at the End of the Lane”. The students sometimes connect the book with the movie, having watched “The Hobbit” after reading the book, and are planning on doing the same with the movie “Struck by Lightning.”

The Graphic/Manga Book club has read “Attack on Titans” and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure online. They have also read “Maus I” and “The Walking Dead”.  A highlight of the year was a field trip to the Anime Convention in Boston on Saturday, March 22, 2014.

The Book Clubs provide a sense of belonging for all its members. “There are a variety of students that choose to come: some struggling readers, some voracious readers, some shy and reticent, some outgoing, but all want to be in the Book Club. It’s a welcoming group for all students. And it will look good on college applications, too,” added Mrs. Meade.

Book Club members include the following students, by community of residence:

Brockton: Caitlin Allen, Jovohn Andrade, Alex Barthelemy, Janeliz Bonilla, Sarah Bucklin, Mishelle Degros-Hebshie, Angie Diego, Malcom Dixon-Murchison, Mikayla Doyle, Erik Ellis, Mackenzie Ensley, Robert Eskew, Emily Faiella, Samantha Feliciano, Jessica Gogan, Ana Johnson-Escauriza, Natalie MacDonald, Jackline Mbuthia, Tyhana Mejia, Susan Metz, Davon Morgan, Julia Munroe, Nashley Nieves, Stephanie Pereira, Cliff Pierre, Yasmeen Rahman, Carl Raimondi, Alicia Smith, Samantha St. Firmin, Andrew Valdez, Colin Weaver, Laurence Wright and Linda Yanes-Velasquez.

Easton: Jonathan Berry, Michaela Berry

Mansfield: Brendan McCormick

Norton: Kyle Cappellini, Karly Galligan

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School is a public 9-12 vocational high school located in South Easton, Massachusetts, serving approximately 1,277 students from the city of Brockton and the towns of East Bridgewater, Easton, Foxborough, Mansfield, Norton, Sharon, Stoughton, and West Bridgewater. 

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