Norwood High School's Friendship Club is an exceedingly popular club composed of over 80 students. The purpose of the club is to unite students in Norwood High and overall make our school a better place.
Despite this, what many students don’t know is that the club, put together by Ms. Michelle Kelley was inspired by a Norwood gym teacher's daughter born with a disability.
“So, Kathy Shacoy, a Norwood gym teacher, along with a student's mother started the club around 40 years ago because Kathy had a daughter with a disability. She was not able to live with her because her needs were so severe. But just imagine you had a child who was never invited to a birthday party their whole life. Just imagine how beneficial having a social hour every so often can be,” said Kelley.
Kelley continues to share her enthusiasm for the club by describing some of the activities that are held in aid of students with disabilities.
“We have things from the Fall Olympics, a pumpkin fundraiser, a Halloween party, a karaoke Christmas party, and a snowball which is like a special needs prom,” said Kelley.
These events promise a delightful time for everyone. The Friendship Club was put together with special needs students in mind, but everyone is welcome to join. The inclusivity and dedication put forth for these events assure moments of unforgettable memories for all members.
Kelley continued to share her passion for the club, stating,
“So the goal of the Friendship Club is to unify students with general education with students that either have cognitive or social disabilities to build relationships. For me that was the big thing," she said.
Having all students in mind, Kelley, along with additional student officers put together these events in hopes of bringing everyone closer together as a community. The success of the club is not only reflected in the students' opinions, but also the number of members, which has been determined to be 86 this year.
“Students have a really good time. They build bridges, and that’s what life is all about. Building bridges and connections and making sure that you spread some positivity and light,” said Kelley.
Kelley’s desire to spread light among students was her driving force for starting the club. Her good intentions along with her hard work allowed her to create one of Norwood High’s most successful clubs. Not only this, but the friendship club gives back to the local community regularly.
“We also have in-service Saturdays where we actually give back to the community, we do some help for the homeless and try to make good efforts in almost all areas of life,” said Kelley.
Kelley shared that not only are students in the Friendship Club helping to unify the school, but they are also giving back to the Norwood community via community service. This demonstrates that not only do friendship club members care for the well-being of students, but they also show compassion towards the local community and give back in as many ways as they can.
“If somebody is dedicated to something that touches their heart, or is someone who wants to do good for everybody and just wants to play a better positive role in people's lives, we would really love for them to get involved," said Kelley.