Every year, students of our school create new and innovative clubs. This year, our peers are finding a unique and rewarding way to express their creativity while fostering a sense of community and support through the Brookfield East Crochet Club. Crocheting is the art of creating clothing, toys, etc, with yarn and a hook. The Brookfield East Crochet Club aims to teach this art form to students of all experience levels and create a community of crocheters within our school.
This club is spearheaded by its founders and co-presidents, Sara Majewski (11) and Siri Jonnada (11), as well as teacher-advisors Mrs. Heyer, one of our school’s librarians, and Mrs. Paprocki, one of our school’s Spanish teachers.
Originally, the two founders of the club came up with the idea for this club separately and only found out about the other’s endeavor after both students had their clubs approved. According to Siri, “We were surprised to see that another student was advocating for the same idea, but excited that we had someone else to work with who had a similar passion for crocheting.”
The main goal of the Brookfield East Crochet Club is to foster a community of creative individuals with a passion for the arts and using their creativity to make a difference. The long-term goal is to have all students part of the crochet club, participate in community projects, and donate crocheted items to local women’s shelters and hospitals. Right now, the club is in its “teaching phase,” where members come together once a month to practice, learn, or continue personal projects. Siri explains that, “[their] next project is to create a blanket out of granny squares as a club, with each member contributing a few squares to the project.”
Many members of the club feel a strong sense of community within the crochet club and express that they have been making steady progress. One member, Alex Orejuela (11), shares, “I joined a little late and have only attended two meetings so far, but I’ve already managed to crochet some rows, and I’m almost ready to start a granny square!” Another member, Damond Rodgers (11), states, “I always wanted to try crocheting but didn’t have the opportunity. Now it’s one of my favorite hobbies!” Finally, Aditi Moorching describes their experience in the crochet club as “extremely fun” and notes that the club is “very welcoming!”
As the Crochet Club continues to grow in popularity, it is clear that its impact extends far beyond just teaching students how to crochet. It’s a place where they can feel supported in their passion for the arts and become part of a community full of like-minded and creative individuals. The crochet club meets once a month, or every Wednesday during excellence. If you’re interested in joining the crochet community, please contact Siri Jonnada or Sara Majewski at 26jonnas@elmbrookstudents.org or 26majews@elmbrookstudents.org.
