Horseheads Extra-Curricular Activities

 

The purpose of this guide is to inform you of the activities available and to encourage you to participate in any activity that is of interest to you. Certainly, an outstanding feature of our school is the number and wide range of student activities.

 

Horseheads High School Extra-Curricular Clubs

 

Academic Challenge - Advisor: Ms. Doren. We are a competitive quiz team competing in local and national competitions throughout the school year. With Jeopardy style buzzers we compete against each other in practice to prepare for our competitions against area schools. You don't have to be a genius in every subject to join our team, just ready to have fun! Please see Ms. Doren in room 267 if you're interested.

National Honor Society - Advisor: Mrs. Sisti and Mr. Bo. National Honor Society is devoted to students who exhibit excellence in scholarship, service, leadership, and character both in school and outside school. Students are selected after an application is completed and they have maintained a 90 and above average. Please listen and watch the announcements for meeting notices.

Student Council - Advisor: Ms. Doren. Our goal is to promote student spirit by planning and implementing activities throughout the year, including Spirit Week. To foster leadership in our officers...to promote student/community involvement by hosting Blood Drives and Food Drives. Watch and listen to announcements for meeting notices

The Greenroom Players - Advisor: Mr. Hamula, Mr. Schiavone, and Mr. Palmer. This student group presents three major productions each year in the high school auditorium: a play or musical, a Variety Show, and a Broadway-style musical. Opportunities are available for students in grades 9- 12 in acting, singing, dancing, as well as many backstage assignments (lighting, sound, props, makeup, costumes and such). Watch and listen to announcements for information on upcoming auditions and backstage opportunities.

Yearbook Club - Advisors: Ms. Kisloski and Mrs. Brice-Hyde. Wouldn't it be great if you could capture and document all the good times you've had in High School? YOU CAN! It's called Yearbook! Students are responsible for all phases of yearbook publications: planning, design, layout, writing copy, taking pictures, and selling advertisements. There is a job for any student who expresses an interest. Meetings take place every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in Room 166. Please join us for any or all of these days that you're able!

Freshman Class - Advisor: Mrs. Skorusa and Ms. Rennie. Duties of the elected class officers: attend and participate in monthly meetings, volunteer work, participate in and help tally orders for class sale, plan and run the Black Light Dance in the spring (co-planned and co-run with Sophomore Class officers and advisor). Watch announcements for meeting notices.

Sophomore Class - Advisor: Ms. Bratz and Mrs. Giblin. Sophomore class officers plan and execute a yearly fundraiser and make charitable donations to various community organizations. Class officers also act in tandem with and on behalf of their class members in completing community service projects and meaningful volunteer endeavors. Class officers are elected by their peers and are expected to demonstrate leadership and initiative in all of their activities. The sophomore and freshman classes host the annual Black Light Dance in the spring which has become one of the most popular events of the school year for the entire high school population. Sophomore class officers meet at times agreed upon by the members. Meetings will be announced.

Junior Class - Advisors: Mrs. Brice-Hyde and Mr. VanZile. Officers are elected in the Spring of their sophomore year. The major function is the Junior Prom in the spring, for which there is a big fundraising event. Meetings will be announced.

Senior Class - Advisors: Mr. Hamula and Mrs. Lenhardt. The Senior Class takes care of the planning and implementing of various events in a student's final year in high school. These events include: the magazine sale; the victory dance; the senior trip; the senior prom; and senior day. The club consists of elected officers but all students in the class are welcome to participate in the events. See Mr. Hamula in room 158 if you're interested.

Interact - Advisor: Mrs. Sisti. Interact is a community service club sponsored by the Horseheads Rotary Club. Students participate in community and school activities that emphasize the value of volunteerism. Leadership opportunities are available and encouraged through committee chair people and club officer positions. Weekly ½ hour organizational and informational meetings are usually held and it is expected that each member will do a minimum of 5 service hours each semester in order to remain in good standing. Students can join early in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Meetings will be announced.

Horseheads Blue Raider Marching Band - Advisor: Mr. Smith. Marching band membership is open to instrumentalists in grades 9-12 who enroll in Concert Band or Wind Ensemble, or colorguard in grades 7-12. Colorguard is a section of the marching band responsible for spinning flags, dancing, rifle/sabre work, and interacting with field props. Practice begins in July and continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm to 8:30pm throughout September and, with competitions and/or football halftime shows on Saturdays. The marching band plays entertaining music of various themes each year. We perform at several venues throughout New York State each season, culminating with championships in the Syracuse Carrier Dome. The marching band also performs in local parades and at the annual Bandtoberfest show in Corning. Stop by the band room any time for information.

Varsity H - Advisor: Mr. Hillman. Positions available are: PRESIDENT: Writing announcements, Pep Assembly, writing Thank you notes, communication with advisor, help organize club events, meet with officers on a regular basis to address concerns, Sports Banquet. VICE-PRESIDENT: Decorations, DJ for dances, assist President at any meeting and to lead the meeting in the absence of the President, Sports Banquet. TREASURER: Making deposits, paying bills, liaison with Central Treasurer for Athletics, balancing the monthly ledger. SECRETARY: Bulletin boards, newspaper articles, taking minutes at meetings. SEASON REPS (FALL/WINTER/ SPRING): Responsible for getting information to captains and helping out with concession stands. HISTORIAN: Hanging all photos of teams and newspaper clippings on the bulletin boards, keeping all photos UPDATED! ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL AS WELL AS ATHLETIC EVENTS IS A REQUIREMENT. All officers are required to: work concession stands; use lunch/activity to sell tickets, passes, sign-up for sports teams; stop by Athletic Office to see if any help is needed; recruit other athletes to work concession stands, decorate; work tournaments; sell tickets during lunch periods; help out with the Sports Banquet. Applications are submitted in the spring, and members are selected in June. Meetings will be announced.

Debate Club - Advisor: Mrs. Brice-Hyde. Do you know how to argue? Can you persuade people to believe in your point of view? The Horseheads Debate team needs you! We debate school from over 72 countries on various hot topics impacting the world today. This year we are participating in a Model UN as well as a model Parliament. We are planning to meet the Cornell team and possibly visit the United Nations. Join us on Tuesdays in room 266 right after school.

Mock Trial - Advisor: Mrs. Brice-Hyde. If you are a fan of Law & Order, The Practice, and Boston Legal or aspire to a career in the Criminal justice system, Horseheads Mock Trial team is for you! We have a history of excellence as participants in the New York State Bar Associations Annual Mock Trial Competition. We plan and conduct criminal and civil cases. We prep witnesses' testimony and plan for convictions and acquittals. Our team is coached by Mrs. Brice-Hyde. Richard Rich and John Brennen from the Public Advocates office, both Horseheads graduates and practicing attorneys at law in our community advise our team. This year we are participating in international Law week with over 72 other countries conducting an international war crimes trial, a Texas murder and in December the New York State trial. Join us on Thursdays in room 266.

Science Club – Advisor: Mrs. Anastasio. The Science Club focuses on strengthening the scientific community at Horseheads High School. This club is driven by students and their desire to explore and discuss scientific principles. Members of this club encourage each other to identify ways that science affects their lives, their community, and the world. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with each other and the local community in this effort. Activities may include, but are not limited to, projects (school and community based), research, presentations (by fellow students and by local scientists), and field trips. See Mrs. Anastasio in Room 120 and listen and watch announcements for more information.

 

Middle School

National Junior Honor Society

Horseheads Middle School established a chapter of the National Junior Honor Society in March of 2000. The seventh and eighth grade students inducted into this prestigious group demonstrated exemplary citizenship, character, service and leadership, as well as academic excellence. Just being nominated for the Society is an honor. It means that a student has already met very high standards for three semesters of academic achievement, holding a cumulative average in core subjects of at least 90 percent, and that he or she has had no serious or repeated problems in behavior.

They may tutor fellow students at the Middle School, help out at the Intermediate School, act as "guides" for new students, raise funds and collect goods to help out local charities, "adopt" a needy family during the holidays, and perform other service projects to benefit the community.

 

Science Olympiad

All students are eligible to join this group. The purpose is to stimulate curiosity and interest in science and technology. From September to February, students meet between one and three days a week after school. During this time, they form small teams and, working with teachers, create technology and science oriented projects. A regional competition is held in February among several area schools.

 

Enrichment Activities

Quiz Bowl takes place in January each year. It involves both a seventh and an eighth grade team of students. Teams work together to answer 100 questions correctly in one fast-paced hour of fun using the computer.

Scholastic Challenge happens in March and is a timed contest open to eighth graders across the state. In this pencil and paper competition, nominees work individually to answer 100 questions covering a wide range of topics from academic subjects, current events and trivia.

 

Clubs and Sports:

The Middle School has a number of clubs and activities. Opportunities include Student Council, School Store, Yearbook Club, Library, Technology Guild, and more. Our students are also encouraged to participate in a wide variety of interscholastic sports.