The buzz around Lipsey Friday was excitement and maybe a little bit of nervousness as students began their first club day.

For 40 minutes on club days, each fifth- and sixth-grade student will be able to learn about a skill, subject or hobby that faculty and community volunteers are passionate about.

Ranging from chess and floral design to physical activity and tennis, the club day covered a variety of interests. Lipsey counselor Deborah Bowman, who spearheaded the project, said the most popular clubs were art, outdoor survival, animal care and small engine repair.

“I’ve been a counselor for a long time,” she said. “We’ve wanted to do clubs for a long time.”

Last year, she said they came across research that showed that students involved in co-curricular activities did better in school, both academically and behaviorally. To make it successful, she aimed to keep groups between 12 and 14 people. Although some of the more popular clubs were larger, she broke them into different sections.

“Research just shows that relationships with an adult doing something they enjoy has a great impact on them,” she said.

The first step they took was to survey all the staff to see what they did when they weren’t at school. That’s where they came up with most of the club ideas. However, one club, small engine repair was Bowman’s own idea.

“With a lot of students at this age they love hands-on things,” she said.

Though no staff members had that as an expertise, Bowman called Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s technology center.

“They really jumped on board and expanded it to all types of engines,” she said. “Today they did diesel engines. Next week they’ll do automobile engines. Then they’ll do small engines.”

Bowman said the credit for a successful program goes to the faculty and community volunteers for stepping in.

“Everybody we thought of and asked, they said yes,” she said. “We have a great community.”

With the exception of one secretary who had to stay at the front office to answer the phones, every single adult on campus was involved in some way.

“We believe it takes all of us here to help our children and to inspire our children to succeed,” Bowman said. “We’re a really good team, and this was a team effort.”

She said they have four more club meetings planned before Christmas. Next semester, they plan to pick it back up, but students will be in new groups.

“It will get them exposed to more positive adults,” she said. “We hope that’ll motivate them to come to school and do well.”