Although the final bell rings at 2:45, that doesn’t mark the end of the school day for many MHS students.  In fact, students and teachers usually spend another three hours plus hours on or near campus participating in extracurricular activities.

Lola Carta (’26) is a member of the varsity soccer team. During soccer season, her after school activities look different than most, with the competitive sport consuming most of her time: “School ends at 2:45 and soccer already starts at 3:00. We are definitely in a time crunch.” Immediately after that final bell, the team sprints to change across from the Athletic Office; where they scramble to get ready in time to grab a pre-practice meal. “We usually head to one of the local places like Chopt or Village to grab a snack full of protein. My go to is the Kale caesar salad from Chopt or a grilled chicken caesar wrap from Village,” says Carta.

On a typical day, Carta has practice until 5:00. After practice, she drives her younger teammates homes.

The drive home is one of Carta’s “favorite parts of the day [as] it gives [her] the opportunity to bond with my teammates outside practice” and the competitive environment associated with team sports.

In the car, the girls are able to relax and listen to music they all love. Songs including “You’re Gonna Go Far” by Noah Kahn and “Buckle Up” by Philly Goats and PGS Spence are frequently heard in Carta’s car.

Most nights, Carta gets dinner with the team. If they don’t have an organized “team dinner,” their favorite spot is the Chipotle down the road from MHS.

“When [Carta finally] gets home it’s already so late. [So she]does [her] homework that’s due the next day, watches One Tree Hill and calls it a night.

Ronald Nobels is a beloved architecture teacher and comedian, cracking jokes every chance he gets. Afterschool, Nobels grabs a pack of beef jerky before heading to coach modified cross country at Harbor Island Park, one of his favorite activities as Nobels notes that “coaching is the highlight of [his] after school time.” Coaching cross country is especially rewarding due to the “perfect weather [which is] such a perfect way to soak in the outdoors.”

When he is not coaching after school, Nobles plays on a beach volleyball team at Harbor Island.

After spending some time outdoors, Nobles listens to 90s alternative rock as well as audio books. “Because I have a longer ride home, I love listening to music or a book in the car. I use the time to decompress and relax,” he says.

When he finally gets home, Nobles takes sometime to decompress before beginning to grade: “I like to leave my assignments till later in the evening and try to limit myself to only grading for two hours when I’m home. My afternoons are definitely busy but I like it that way.”

Principal Lina Carolini-Cannavo’s work persists long after the final bell rings. Serving as the principal of MHS is no easy feat. Cannavo cites that she rarely has time to leave the building to grab a snack and therefore often brings a granola or protein bar to school as she finishes meeting with students, parents, teachers and other administrators. After checking her inbox  for the final time, it’s finally time to leave.    

Cannavo heads straight to the grocery store to pick up groceries to cook dinner for her family.

In the car, she listens to the Italian Radio Station through Apple Music radio.

Cannavo then goes to pick up her kids from both after school activities and after school care before making sure her children complete their homework and driving them to friends houses and activities.

Cannavo’s favorite part about her after school time is getting to come home to see her children and family.

“Most people don’t know that I have young children, so most of my free time revolves around them. Time afterschool to myself usually consists of a short walk, so I can have a moment to breathe before sitting down and responding to more emails and calls,” she notes.

The halls of MHS are consumed with a wide variety of diverse students and staff each with their own interests and responsibilities.

As Cannavo notes, “everyone’s after school looks different, and that’s what makes our community so diverse and special.”