Activities & Clubs
SHMS students may select from a wide variety of athletics and co-curricular activities. Students in a performing arts class will have one concert per quarter. Additionally, the choir instructor will direct a play/musical and talent show each year (auditions required.) Students who share a niche interest or hobby may have success in recruiting teachers to sponsor an after-school club.
SHMS sports, activities, and club fans, please submit pictures to yearbookshms@gmail.com for consideration in the 23-24 yearbook!
We would all love to see those pictures in the yearbook! - Mrs. Robinett
CLUBS
Battle of the Books
Description: Students participate in the Battle of the Books in teams of 3-5 students. You can sign up individually or as a team. Battles will take place in November/December.
Meetings: Advisor
Sponsor: Mrs. Rottinghaus
Chess Club
Description: Chess Club is a fun active club with both beginner and master chess players. All are welcome to attend. Come join our club to "exercise your mind", a fun way to practice concentration, patience, logic, and mental calculations.
Meetings: Mondays during advisor in Seek Room
Sponsor: TBD
Dungeons & Dragons Club (D&D)
Description: The Dungeons and Dragons Club encourages students to coordinate and play D&D as a team. Dungeons and Dragons is a story both created and told by many different people at the same time. These stories consist of plots where players must guide their characters through a multitude of different quests for treasure, obliterating their foes, and helping those who need helping (and some who do not).
Meetings: TBD
Sponsor: Shaye Herman
Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA)
Description: The Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) at Shawnee Heights Middle School brings together students who are supportive of LGBTQIA+ individuals regardless of race, sexuality, age, or gender to provide students a safe space to learn about themselves and others, make positive changes in our school climate and to push for increased education for our school community. We are an accepting group whose goal is to spread a message of equality while embracing each other’s differences.
Meetings: 2nd & 4th Mondays during Advisor in A-11
Sponsor: Mrs. Esquibel and Ms. Hay
Geography Bee
Description: Each year 7th and 8th-grade students have the opportunity to compete in the National Geographic school bee. This competition is held at schools all over the country any student who chooses may take the qualifying test. The top 30 student scores on the qualifying test will be selected to compete in the school Geography Bee. This is similar to a spelling bee but instead of spelling, you will be asked Geography questions.
Meetings: Qualifying test held during advisor- Date TBD. Qualifiers participate in the Geography Bee- Date and time TBD
Sponsor: TBD
Girls Who Code
Description: The middle school has partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBSKS) to begin a Girls Who Code (GWC) Club. The mission of GWC is to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. Facilitators from the BCBSKS information technology department will come to the middle school, run the program and instruct the girls. Coders will learn the concepts of loops, variables, conditionals, and functions that form the basis for all programming languages.
Meetings: Tuesdays after school 3:00-4:45 in A-11
Sponsor: Mr. Urich
Honeybee Hikers
Description: Honeybee Hikers is an 8th-grade hiking club. All meetings will be briefly held by the advisor. The meeting will reveal where we are hiking and permission slips will be passed out to the students. All hikes will be on Fridays, we will leave the school at 3:30 p.m. or possibly earlier depending on the bus schedule. Hiking will always be completed by 5:30 p.m. Please wear comfortable shoes, bring a snack if needed, and water. Parents/guardians provide transportation.
Meetings: Advisor as announced
Sponsor: Mrs. Stockwell-Withers
Harvesters
Description: Each team has a scheduled Harvesters volunteering date during the school year. Students go to Harvesters after school (3:00-5:00 p.m.) and make snacks for students in need. This is a great way to volunteer your time and help the Topeka community!
Meetings: 6 Times a year, each team goes to Harvesters at least once
Sponsor: Mrs. Mott (7th) and Mrs. Stockwell (8th)
Jazz Band
Description: Students can audition for the Jazz Band each year in September. Jazz Band recruits students who can play guitar, bass guitar, and piano. The Jazz Band performs in additional concerts and programs including visits to the elementary schools. Auditions are held during advisor and rehearsals are held before school. About 20-25 students make up the Jazz Band each year.
Meetings: Rehearsal and performance schedules will be communicated to all members
Sponsor: Mr. Jones
Reading and Writing Club
Description: Bring a friend, bring a snack, bring a book you love or writing that you are currently working on. Come join the fun! If you enjoy reading and writing, this club is for you!
Meetings: Wednesday after school in the library from 3:00 to 4:00.
Sponsor: TBD
Robotics Club
Description: Open to any student, no prior experience or class required. The Robotics Club expands on the building and programming of a robot to compete in a challenge created by VEX Robotics. Student-Centered teams will be created to compete against each other and other schools. The current game is released in April and concludes the following April with the World Championship.
Meetings: Wednesdays after school 3-5 in D-43, additional days and time as requested
Sponsor: Mr. Mace
Spelling Bee
Description: The 7th and 8th-grade teams host preliminary rounds of the SHMS spelling bee each fall. Four finalists from each team will compete at the final round of the school bee held in the commons during advisor. Parents may attend the school bee to support their children.
Meetings: as scheduled by teams, school bee in December
Sponsor: TBD
STUCO
Description: The student council (STUCO) works together in order to improve our school climate and help build relationships with our surrounding community. Interested students must bring back a parent permission slip in September, have five teachers sign off for a recommendation, and give a brief speech to their team explaining why you would be a good STUCO representative for your team (each grade level team will vote – up to 3 members per team)
Meetings: STUCO meetings occur before school (7:15 AM) on Wednesdays, twice a month.
Sponsor: Mrs. Korbe
Play
Description: This group is comprised of members selected through an audition process to perform in a play or musical. Auditions will be held in the fall of each year. Dates will be released over morning announcements. Students will need to collect parent information letters, parent permission forms, and audition calendars before auditioning. Parts will be assigned in December, rehearsals begin in January, and the play will be held in February.
Meetings: Follows Audition Calendar and Rehearsal Schedule
Sponsor: Mrs. Godinez
Yearbook
Description: The club plans and designs the yearbook. Students take pictures, choose layouts, organize receipts, and collaborate to choose the best design of the book. Advisors guide students through the decision process. Students must apply and elected to the yearbook committee by completing a sample yearbook page. Students can be photographers or designers.
Meetings: During 8th hour, meetings are announced in advance
Sponsor: Mrs. Robinett
STARTING A CLUB
Starting a club is a great way for middle school students to meet new people and forge friendships over common interests. Clubs sanctioned by SHMS may advertise, recruit members, hold meetings, and advocate for the interests of their members.
Getting Started
Find Like-Minded Individuals – Since a party of one isn’t that fun, recruit 3 to 5 other students who would like to form a group with you. Choose one person to speak with the principal. The principal can provide permission for you to conduct several planning sessions with other students. During these planning sessions you will:
Determine what your group will be about.
Choose a name for your group
Determine any mutual goals or commitments shared by your group members.
Decide who will sponsor your group and supervise your activities.
Discuss a regular meeting time and location.
Make a Proposal – Make an appointment to meet with the principal to propose your group. During this meeting, you will provide your group’s name, purpose, goals, sponsor, and proposed meeting time and location in a typed document.
You may request an appointment via email or come to the front office and speak with the secretary.
Keep in Mind – Most middle school students rely on bus transportation. The available meeting times are before school, after school, during Advisor, or in the evenings. If your club will meet after school, then let members know that a parent-pickup or carpooling will be required. If your club will meet during advisor, your sponsor cannot be a core teacher.
Meeting Frequency – Weekly, every other week, or monthly.
Membership – Your club must be open to all who wish to join.
Eligibility – For clubs that meet during advisor, members must not have Ds or Fs and be in good standing with their teams and school administration.
Club Privileges
Participate in any Club Day activities sponsored by the middle school.
Make announcements about your club in the morning announcements.
Use butcher paper and colored paper for club activities.
Posting advertisements with permission.
Access to the building for meeting space.
Submitting a club photo to the yearbook.
Clubs inconsistent with the SHMS Belief Statements, Mission Statement, Middle School Philosophy (see SHMS handbook p. 1), or USD 450 School Board Policy cannot be allowed.