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In the final minutes of Cursive Club at Holmes Middle School, students race against a two-minute timer to fill their whiteboards with words formed from the cursive letters they have just learned. The fastest writer earns an extra prize, but participants say the larger reward is a skill they can use in school and beyond.

Sherisse Kenerson, a multilingual teacher, started the club after arriving at Holmes four years ago. A former elementary teacher who enjoys cursive, she wanted to connect with students while reviving a style of handwriting she considers a lost art.

The club meets for hour-long blocks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sessions resemble a class but have no quizzes or tests. Kenerson demonstrates a group of letters, and students practice them on worksheets and whiteboards.

During one recent meeting, the lesson covered the lowercase letters f, b, h, k and r. Kenerson drew an h before using a red marker to illustrate its similarities to a k. Once the students had practiced the new characters, they called out words they could now write, including “kite,” “kid” and “kick.”

Sixth grader Naslee Gray initially thought cursive would be difficult. After trying it, however, she found it faster and easier than expected and began attending every Tuesday and Thursday.

Classmate Jaden Machado encouraged a skeptical friend to give the club a chance. The friend tried it and ended up enjoying the activity.

Students are already applying what they learn. Jaden now signs his name in cursive on school papers. Naslee uses it to take Social Studies notes because connecting letters allows her to write without repeatedly lifting her pencil.

Kenerson also emphasizes that learning to write cursive helps students read it, an important ability when encountering historic literature and documents. She said the practice can also strengthen creative and critical thinking.

Seventh grader Sandi Chandee sees uses outside the classroom, from signing checks to completing job applications with a more professional appearance.

Signatures have become another important part of the lessons. Kenerson said one student pointed out that a distinctive signature could help prevent fraud, comparing it to a fingerprint. A classroom list of cursive’s benefits also highlighted signing one’s name, writing faster, staying focused and communicating in a style not everyone can easily read or write.

Sandi believes every student should learn cursive because it can help them write more neatly and quickly while gaining a practical skill.

More than 24,000 Fairfax County Public Schools middle school students participate in after-school programs funded through a partnership between the school system and Fairfax County. The programs are designed to keep students safe, engaged and learning after the regular school day.