Activities

Sponsor: Ashley Hoeft

All of Us Club is a school program that promotes friendship and acceptance for students with special needs and their general education peers. This club is all about having fun! At club meetings, you can look forward to playing games, making friends, learning from your friends, and learning the importance of acceptance!

Things to Note:

• You will need to provide transportation for your child. Pick up is 3:40. Sharp.
• We will need a signed activity expectations letter for your child to participate.
• Meetings will be held on Tuesdays. Here are the dates: Sept: 17, 24, Oct: 1, 15, 29, Nov: 12, 19, 26, Dec: 3, 10, 17, Jan: 7, 14, 21, Feb: 4, 11, 25, March: 4, 11, 18, April: 1, 15, 22, 29, May: 6, 13

Sponsor: Chris Purcell

Chess Club is open to students from all grade levels with any level of chess ability/knowledge—from beginners to better players. It is simply a time to get together and play one of the world’s oldest and more challenging games with other Hollenbeck students! It’s social but games should remain focused.

Chess Club runs from September through April and meets in Room 121 with Mr. Purcell from 2:30 to 3:30. Meetings are held on either TH or F (depending on the number of students participating, the club might split into two groups (one meeting TH, one on F). Members will play 2-3 games each session (15 minutes long and scored by a point system). The actual dates will be determined after the initial session and the club is separated.

We haven’t in the past, but we are considering a Chess Club trip to the Chess Center in the Central West End. There might be a cost involved if we take this trip but that will be determined if we take the trip.

If you have any further questions, please reach out to Mr. Purcell.

Sponsor: Andrea Ellis

Collegiate Club is available only to 8^th grade students and by invitation only. Only a select number of 8^th graders are invited based on cumulative GPA (4.0 or higher) and elite citizenship.

We meet once a month (in person and/or zoom), which consists of various topics revolving around opportunities that will fit personal interests and possible future plans at the collegiate level. Ideally, we take two field trips during the school year to have an on campus visit at universities.

Sponsors: Jon Clark and Ryan Darks

The purpose of the middle school cross country program is to introduce the sport to 6^th-8^th graders. No prior running experience is needed and all are welcome. It is a relatively short season with races being held one day a week at Woodlands park during September and October. Students will be running 1½ mile routes across varying terrain. They will compete against other middle schools with the girls running at 4:00 pm and the boys running at 4:20 pm. Students will ride a bus to the meets, but parents WILL need to provide transportation home from Woodlands. There will be 5 meets, and these start in September. The season ends right before Fall Break.

Practices will be on Tuesdays. Students are encouraged to run on their own during weekends and on other days. Practice will be on the track, on Hollenbeck property, and in the gym when there is inclement weather. Students will need to be in workout clothes, running shoes, and have their own water bottle that they can fill at the drinking fountain. Practice ends at 3:45. Please be prompt in picking up your child on the lower level.

*Cross country T-shirts will be available to order. They are required to run in the meets. T-shirt order forms will be available from your PE teachers during the first week of school. *Students will need the attached permission form and Team Contract to be filled out completely before our second practice on Tuesday, September 3. Students can turn them in to their PE Teacher. Please join the GroupMe(form attached) to receive any updates regarding practices or races. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Coach Darks.

*There is a yearly activity fee of $20 that is required for students to participate in all after-school activities. There will also be an additional $25 fee for transportation to our races and race day t-shirts. These must be paid prior to the first meet. Please contact Coach Darks if you have any questions about this.

The Hollenbeck Headliners is our after-school theatre program. The Headliners put on two shows a year—typically a play in the fall semester and a musical in the spring semester. All Hollenbeck students are invited to participate in our after-school program. There are opportunities to perform on stage and/or to be a part of our backstage crew running lights and sound, set building, props, costuming, and more. Auditions for performers and applications for crew positions are available near the beginning of each semester.

Sponsors: Alan Beeson and Andrea Ellis 

Process:

Students in 6^th and 7^th grade that have a cumulative grade point average of 3.65 or higher after first semester will be eligible to become members of NJHS. Students should listen to morning announcements and parents can read the Hollenbeck eNews during February/March for specifics. Eligible students will be on a list outside of Mr. Beeson’s classroom and Coach Ellis’s girl’s locker room. If the student is on this list and wishes to apply, then the student will ask the sponsor for an application and return it by the due date. There will also be 3 teacher recommendations in the packet and those specific teachers will return the recommendations to the sponsors. The sponsors will review the application and total the recommendations score. We will announce and post the new list of accepted students in the same places. The new inductees and current members are to attend the NJHS Induction rehearsal and Ceremony in May.

Information listed below:

NJHS Expectations

Meeting dates and times

Hours sheet (complete/fill out a minimum of 10

independent community service hours)

NJHS Expectations

Before being inducted, students must show that they are already exemplary in scholarship, character, leadership, citizenship, and service. After being inducted, as active members of the Society, members strive to improve further their performance in these areas.

Scholarship: NJHS members do their schoolwork and do it well. To become a member, a student must maintain a GPA of 3.65 or higher. (Members who let their GPA slip below 3.65 will be put on probation and be given one semester to bring it back up.)

Character: NJHS members always strive to do the right thing. NJHS members make the classes and clubs they attend run more smoothly instead of disrupting them. (NJHS members are not seen in detention often. NJHS members do not get suspensions. Any NJHS member who does not demonstrate character will be put on probation and/or be removed from the Society).

Leadership: NJHS members lead by example and volunteer for positions of leadership. NJHS members seek leadership positions to help others rather than for personal gratification.

Citizenship: NJHS members are good citizens. They care about their school, city, state and national communities and keep themselves informed and involved. (NJHS members may only miss two meetings without first contacting a sponsor. NJHS members may only miss three meetings total, including committee meetings.)

Service: NJHS members work for the good of others expecting nothing in return other than satisfaction. (NJHS members will perform at least ten service hours on their own. Each member in the Society will also serve on at least one Hollenbeck committee.)

Sponsors: Ryan Darks, Blake Degner and Jon Clark

We’re so happy you’ve decided to join intramurals this year! We look forward to playing many various sports and games. Some examples include soccer, softball/wiffle ball, basketball, hockey, capture the flag, and many more fun games. Please return this completed form to your PE Teacher! Thank you.

When: 6th Grade - Tuesdays from 2:50-3:50 PM  |  7th/8th Grade - Thursdays from 2:50-3:50 PM

Where: Large Gym

Who can attend: Any student not on the ZAP List and without an unserved detention.

Who are the sponsors:  Coach Clark, Coach Darks, Coach Degner

How do I sign up: Turn in a permission form to your PE teacher.

Sponsor: Jenn Daugherty

This is an auditioned ensemble that is open to 7^th and 8^th graders. Players must be currently in band unless their instrument is not an option in band class. Audition music is handed out in late September, with auditions taking place through Canvas in late October. Rehearsals take place in the band room beginning in December and running through May on Tuesdays from 2:45 - 3:45. This ensemble provides an opportunity for advanced students to challenge themselves and grow their musical abilities in the jazz style.

Sponsor: Chris Purcell

Who? 4 students per grade level will be selected to help with Hollenbeck Awards throughout the year—assisting teachers, setting up, posting information, etc. Students will learn organizational and leadership skills as they work with Mr. Purcell and Mrs. Williams to coordinate BLITZ DAY activities and AWARDS NIGHT at the end of the year (just to name a few of the events/projects coordinated with the help of Renaissance members).

The club will meet as needed and there are no costs involved.

Sponsor: Chris Silze

Interested in Robotics? Come join our budding Hollenbeck Robotics club! We'll be meeting in Room 305 every Tuesday from 2:50 to 3:50 and building and controlling some amazing Lego robots. The club is open to all interested and eager students; however, we can only take on 12 students due to a limited number of actual robots. This will also mean that regular attendance will be mandatory. Please let Mr. Silzle know if you're interested as soon as possible. Admission will be first come, first served.

Sponsor: Buffy McLaughlin

Yearbook Club is an opportunity for upper classroom to design, develop, and distribute our yearly book that captures the memories of our current year. This club is reserved primarily for 7^th and 8^th grade students. The 6th-grade students are added towards the end of the year to learn the process and help distribute yearbooks on the last day of school. The 7th-grade students are expected to develop yearbook pages for clubs, special events, etc. at the direction of the yearbook sponsor. The 8th-grade students are the primary photographers, designers, developers, and editors of the book. Yearbook is responsible for capturing the good times.