“I chose this job because I think that after school activities are an absolutely pivotal thing for students. I think that they provide so much more than just an outlet to after school,” explained Mr. Barrows, Longfellow’s After School Specialist. 

Mr. Barrows oversees a quantity of 24 clubs at Longfellow, and he truly believes they make a difference.

“We see increased homework completion rates, increased school attendance, better grades, better social skills—after school activities just provide so much for kids, especially middle school level.” 

The job keeps him very busy managing tournaments, registrations, and field trips for after school clubs/activities at LMS. The most challenging part of his occupation is the logistics.  

“Making sure everybody and every club knows when to meet/where to meet, what classrooms are available,” said Barrows. “Setting up the logistics and communicating with students is a challenge this year.” 

Despite that success, Barrows would like to encourage more students to stay after. 

“There is something on this schedule that I guarantee will interest you, and if there’s not, start your own club,” he encouraged. “I will go through the process of getting it approved for you because whatever is in your best interest when it comes to after school activities, I will certainly try and figure it out for you.” 

Mr. Barrows doesn’t want all the credit for the program’s success, however. He says he couldn’t do it without all of the teachers willing to sponsor clubs. 

“We have an amazing team of dedicated and committed teachers who go above and beyond for students every day after school. Without our after school staff, we would not have such a great program,” he said.

Though he has worked with various other schools, Barrows claims that Longfellow is the best school that he has worked for. 

“I love my job,” he said emphatically. “I interact with kids on a daily basis, and we get to participate in fun activities.”