CLUBS/ACTIVITIES 2022-2023- CLICK TO VIEW
LIST OF ACTIVITY ADVISORS FOR 2022-2023 - CLICK TO VIEW
DESCRIPTION OF CLUBS:
*CHORUS – (Ms. Danner). The Chorus is a curricular choice that has classes available to all students. Students in c-horus also have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular choirs such as Treble Makers (women’s a cappella
- audition only), Honor Choirs (qualification requirement), Women’s Ensemble, Men In Black (men’s a cappella), and Mendham Voices (audition only). Those not in classes can be added on a need basis. No student in the Choral Classes will be bumped for a non-choral student. They can also qualify for region chorus and all state choirs.
*DRAMA – (Mr. Barthel/Ms. Cadden/Ms. Gillmet). “Mendham Players” presents two shows a year. The first production in the fall is a drama/comedy, and the second in the spring is a musical. Auditions are held in early September and early January. The drama program also offers opportunities to students who prefer to work behind
the scenes rather than on stage. There is an active technical crew and a stage crew that builds sets and run scene changes. In addition, a position is offered for student assistant director.
*ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB – (Mr. Taterka/ Mr. Baig). This club aims to increase awareness of the local and world environmental issues. Activities include: creating and monitoring school recycling program, rainforest and coral reef preservation, student representatives to the Chester Environmental Commissions, competing in the statewide
Envirothon Competition, field trips and more. The club usually meets on Tuesday afternoons or during lunch and is open to all students.
*FILM CLUB - (Mr. Ward) The Film Club makes needed informational and school use films. They are used to film at sporting events used by the coaches for game film. They also participate in a film festival at the end of the
school year.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE SOCIETY – (Ms. Cooley/ Ms. Duddy/ Mr. Cataldi)). This society is a chapter of a national society that recognizes students whose scholarship in French, Chinese and Spanish is of the highest caliber. The French portion of this group is open only to French students who have maintained an A- average in French 3 and the first semester of
French 4, and who have a B average in their other subjects. The Spanish portion of this group is open only to students in Spanish 4 and Spanish 5 IB who have earned an A- average in Spanish for 6 consecutive marking periods and those in Advanced Spanish 4 and 5 who have maintained an A average. Both levels must maintain a B average in all other subjects. The Chinese portion of this group is open only to Chinese students who has studied Chinese for four semesters in high school with an average of A- or higher, and who have a B average in their other subjects. A qualified candidate is someone who is willing to work with the sponsor/advisor as well as with other students as a role model to play a positive role in Chinese studies. An induction ceremony is held in the spring for new members and their parents. *Also part of this Chinese portion is a group who are immersed in the Chinese Language, this portion does not have entrance requirements.
*FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA – (Ms. Fabin). This is a student business organization with chapters at the local, state, national, and international level with over 260,000 members. Some highlights include Business Enterprise Day, bagel breakfasts, business competitions, breakfasts, basketball competitions, trips to Great Adventure, charity activities, and much more. Dues are $15 per year.
*FUTURE EDUCATORS/PEER TUTORING – (Mr. Moccia). With members who aspire to a career in education, this club has guest speakers, teacher shadowing, teacher appreciation activities, and other events. Participation as a peer tutor is encouraged. Future Educators usually meet twice per month.
*GAMING CLUB/ESPORTS - (Mr. Kertesz / Mr. Dowler) This club is a combination of traditional board games such as chess and the new phenomenon of ESports.
*INTERNATIONAL CLUB – (Mr. Cataldi). This club includes meeting with speakers who have had international experiences. Sources include foreign exchange students, American students or teachers who have been in programs abroad or with foreign travel experience, and community members with travel abroad. An International dinner, international weekend, and a trip to New York are also part of the agenda. The club meets every other Tuesday.
*INTRAMURALS – (Mr.Goldsworthy/ Mr. Brown (basketball,badminton,pickleball,futsal)/OPEN (Frisbee)Ms. Castro Alvarez (Boys Volleyball)OPEN(Archery)). Students can participate in individual seasons. In the fall, the students play ultimate Frisbee, in the winter, basketball and spring they play Badminton, Archery and Boys Volleyball. Cost is about $40-45/season. Frisbee meets directly after school, while basketball games are from 7:30pm to 9:30pm, and badminton/volleyball/Archery meet right after school, all are weather permitting. Archery will run throughout the
year.
*LIGHTING AND SOUND – (Mr. Dowler/Ms. Danner (School), Mr. Barthel (Drama Productions)). (School) This club operates the light and sound system for school events like Mr. Mendham, Senior Nightclub, and many others. Members meet weekly to assign events. Most productions are in the evening. (Drama) There is also a special lighting crew for drama productions (see Drama).
*LITERARY MAGAZINE – (Ms. Daniello). This group is open to all MHS students, but only students in creative writing class can hold an editor or staff position. All students can submit writing and artwork to VISIONS, a literary/art magazine, which is published in June. Contests for the various genres are held during the year to encourage student submissions.
*MARCHING BAND – (Mr. Gelakta). This group meets to practice in the summer, fall and plays at football games, which occur on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons. The group runs a camp every summer, and will compete at MetLife Stadium, as well as other competitions. Students who do not play a musical instrument can participate in the Color Guard/Band Front portion of the Marching Band. There are costs for camp and a possible trip to perform over Spring Break..
*MATH LEAGUE – (Mr. Carey). This club is open to all math students. There are 2-3 school competitions, 3 regional competitions, 6 state competitions, and a national competition in which students may participate. Some competitions are open to all and some are by teacher selection. Most competitions are at MHS.
*MOCK TRIAL – (Mr. Heditsch). This club is a competitive academic team designed for students with an interest in trials and/or debating. Students take on the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a complex court case which involves real legal procedures. After mastering the facts of the case, the team competes against other schools in the Morris County Tournament held in January. This involves real courtrooms, judges and juries. Mock Trial is a
great experience for those interested in law, debating, public speaking, and acting.
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY – (Ms. Kober). Membership is open to seniors who have an unweighted GPA of 3.6, or a weighted GPA of 4.3. Students who are academically eligible to apply will be notified by mail during the summer prior to their senior year, and application procedures will begin in September. Application criteria will include involvement in school and community activities/service, and teacher recommendations. Each year the Society sponsors a service project to assist the Market Street mission in Morristown, and all members are
expected to participate.
*NEWSPAPER – (Ms. Daniello). The school newspaper is the PATRIOT. Staff members are students in the journalism class at MHS as well as any other students interested in writing or photography. Meetings are usually on Tuesday. About four issues per year are printed.
P.A.L.S.: - (Ms. Meyh/Ms. Bauberger) Is a team building exercise where older students build camaraderie with Freshman and new students by using the Ropes Course. There is a qualification requirement and is usually reserved for Seniors.
PEER LEADERSHIP– (Ms.Angelastro/ Mr. Lahey). The mission of this club is to help new students to the high school, including freshman and transfer students. Members are chosen via application in the spring of their junior year. This group seeks to resolve disputes between students in a mutually respectful way. Training in the techniques of conflict resolution is required. The group meets twice a month. Students must apply and are selected
by a committee. The group meets on Monday nights in the fall. Major activities include freshman orientation party and group sessions with freshmen in the fall.
*PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB – (Ms. Hayes) This club teaches students to process and print their own photos in the school darkroom. Digital Photography with Adobe Photoshop is also taught. The club meets once a week.
*RELAY FOR LIFE- (Ms. Mileham/ Ms. Dumbrill). This club prepares the school for the large undertaking of raising money and coordinating events for the American Cancer Society’s flagship fundraising, Relay for Life, which is held every year in June at alternating sites between Mendham and West Morris Central. Monies raised during the year go to the fight against cancer by providing research grants, treatment and other necessities to support those battling
cancer. It is a yearlong preparation that culminates in the Relay for Life event, which honors survivors, remembers those we have lost and celebrates our fight back against cancer.
*ROBOTICS-(Ms. Dumbrill) Robotics members are divided into competitive designing, programming, building teams, each working independently on their projects with minimal adult influence. This allows growth of teamwork, independent and critical problem solving skills throughout the design process. The club’s goals are to design and construct a robot to compete in the international Vex Robotics Competition. Students are expected to
fundraise to defray the organization’s operating costs.
SCIENCE LEAGUE-(Ms.Gardner). This club is open to science students who are in or taking physics and chemistry. There are league competitions, regional competitions, state competitions, and a national competition in which students may qualify.
*SCIENCE OLYMPIAD - (Mr. Racz). The Science Olympiad tournaments are rigorous academic competitions that consist of a series of individual and team events that are well balanced between the various science disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, computers and technology. The club meets approximately once per month during lunch to prepare for the Regional Tournament in January, which determines qualification for the State
Tournament in March.
*SELECT CHOIRS – (Ms. Danner). These consist of 1) Women’s Ensemble, which performs treble repertoire (both traditional and popular music) and 2) Mendham Voices, a select ensemble of men and women that performs traditional and popular music. Auditions for Mendham Voices are in September. These groups perform at school
concerts throughout the year, as well as around the Mendham/Chester community.
*SERVICE CLUB – (Ms. J. Brown/ Mr. Dowler). Service Club meets once a month during lunch. Our activities include: sponsoring a school-wide canned food drive to support local food pantries, donating gifts during the holidays to CASA of Morris County and to local Toys for Tots organizations, hosting the Senior Citizens at receptions before the fall play and the spring musical, collecting handmade blankets for Goryeb Children's hospital, running a blood drive in the spring, volunteering at various community events such as the Oktoberfest and Rotary
Antique Show and many more.Membership is open to any student. Dues are $5.
*SKI/SNOWBOARD CLUB – (Ms. S. Brown). CamelBack Mountain is the destination for the club. Besides five ski pass discount packages, Camelback offers season pass discounts for students 18 and under. It also offers rentals for both skis and snowboards. The ski club skis on Thursday evenings directly after school and returns around 10 pm.
*SHOW CHOIR – (Ms. Danner). The Show Choir includes Treble Makers, a female-only a cappella group and Men In Black, a male-only a cappella group. These groups perform contemporary music, often featuring students as soloists. Vocal Percussion is also required for both ensembles. Treble Makers requires an audition in September. Both groups perform throughout the year in the community, as well as at school concerts and events.
*STAGE BAND – (Mr. Gibbons). This group is also known as the Jazz Band. There are currently two different Jazz Bands at Mendham. The Big Band meets on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:00pm, followed by the Jazz Ensemble from 7:10-9:00pm Membership in the top Jazz Band is by audition. Membership in the two bands is based on an audition and when students are available. Activities include the several Jazz Festivals, Cabaret Night, high school concerts, a winter pep rally, and a trip to the local middle schools.
*STUDENT COUNCIL – (Ms Angelastro & Ms Bovee). Membership in the student council is by election through application. The student council is the MHS student government association. It helps influence the administration on policy decisions affecting student life. It is also responsible for conducting class and homecoming officer elections. The student council works to create a positive and enthusiastic school culture through various
activities and fundraisers.
VARSITY CLUB/ATHLETIC COUNCIL – (Ms. Meyh,/Ms. Welles/Mr. Smith). The Varsity club requires a student to have lettered in a varsity sport. This club plans to represent sports and athletes in a positive manner. Student/athletes will conduct community service projects and run special events and fundraisers at sporting events. The Athletic Council is a group of sports team leaders (Captains) who form to learn how to lead the school on sportsmanship and team leadership. They meet once a month to discuss relevant issues in High School Sports
and hear accounts from college and pro athletes from our school.
*YEARBOOK – (Mr. Moccia). This group is responsible for creating the MHS yearbook JOURNEYMAN. Meetings are Tuesdays throughout the year. All are welcome, whether artists, writers, photographers, or organizers.