Clubs & Activities

2021-2022 GHHMS AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS

Art Club Mrs. Sarno (ksarno@sau10.org) and Miss Holland (mholland@sau10.org)

The purpose of the Art Club is to give all students at GHHMS a chance to make and enjoy art and interact with other students who share similar interests while participating in a studio art experience. Past projects have included working with clay, paper mache, oil pastel still life drawings, watercolor paintings, tie-dye, paper making, and paper marbling. The schedule will be determined at the beginning of each school year. Dates of each club meeting and the scheduled project will be provided to the students. There is no charge, but parent/guardian permission is required. Space is limited to 20 students.

A/V Club Mr. Minkle (dminkle@sau10.org)

The AV Club is an after-school program that teaches the students how to use video cameras and digital still cameras to communicate. The club has a formal meeting once a week and students who demonstrate their proficiency are allowed to use the equipment during their free period, lunch, or after school. The club works on news segments that portray what is happening at GHHMS to the public via cable6. The club also teaches the students how to take an idea and transform it to the TV screen. The students have the opportunity to edit what they shoot and get a portfolio of their work at the end of the year.

Boys Respect

This is a great group for boys to have a chance to really be themselves, foster new friendships, participate in fun activities, and realize just how much they have to offer. We meet one or two times per month. We often have activities planned or field trips off school grounds. This club meets for the entire school year.

Chef Club - Ms. Barrett (ebarrett@sau10.org)

Chef Club is an opportunity to introduce students to some fun recipes and cooking techniques. Students will prepare a variety of recipes and are welcome to share their own recipes with the group.

Diversity Club - Ms. DiGirolomo (tdigirolomo@sau10.org)

This is a student driven club that supports the belief that every student deserves a safe, supportive and inclusive school environment. LGBTQ+ students, their friends and their allies join together in a safe environment to support each other, work to end bullying and harassment, and explore opportunities to raise awareness by educating others.

Drama Club/Spring Musical - Ms. Parsons (kparsons@sau10.org)

Every year, almost 100 students become involved in the production of the Spring Musical. From acting and stage crew to soundboard and spotlight, there is something for almost every interest, and everyone is welcome. Audition workshops will be held in late October/early November with auditions themselves being in late November. We will rehearse a few times in December and then 3 days a week starting in January until our production in late March. Rehearsals run from 2:00 to 4:00 but are extended to 5:00 as we get closer to the production. Two performances for Derry’s 5th-grade students and three performances for parents and the community take place.

Explorer’s Club - Mr. Kearns (jkearns@sau10.org)

Explorers’ Club takes place during the Fall. We hope to get outside and walk, hike, and learn an appreciation of nature as they experience a series of activities. Activities may include: preparations for walking/hiking, bird identification, animal track identification, making ranger bracelets, picture sharing, writing haiku poems, and learning to use a compass.

Gaming/Computer Club

The club meets mostly on Thursdays 1:50 to 3:15 p.m. from January to April. Need something to do during the cold winter months? Come spend some time with friends playing games on the computer. Students of all skill levels are encouraged to join. This is a great group that has a lot of fun taking an active role in Computers.

Girls Respect

This is a great group for girls to have a chance to really be themselves, foster new friendships, participate in fun activities, and realize just how much they have to offer. We meet one or two times per month. We often have activities planned or field trips off school grounds. This club meets throughout the entire school year.

History/Travel Club - Mrs. Murphy (amurphy@sau10.org)

Travel Club is an opportunity for 7th and 8th-grade students to go on a trip over April vacation with their classmates! You get to experience history, and have some fun! Meetings are held several times a year for planning.

Homework Club

Homework Club is held most Mondays through Thursdays from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the library. Anyone who wants a quiet place to get their homework done or needs some extra help with their homework is welcome to come to the Homework Club. You do not need to sign up for the club, just attend whenever you would like to. Once at Homework Club, students will need to remain there until 3:00 p.m. unless they have a parent note giving them permission to leave once their homework is completed.

Husky Habitat/Garden Club - Ms. Paradis (dparadis@sau10.org) and Mrs. Gustavsen (sgustavsen@sau10.org)

Do you like to be outside and get your hands dirty? Our Husky Habitat needs some TLC and we are looking for some hard working Huskies to help us beautify our outdoor classroom area. In this club you will be helping to clean up the garden area, plant some new plants and flowers, spread new mulch in the garden, freshen up the fence with some new paint, and fix up the classroom area. We will be working hard to get our Husky Habitat in tip top shape for all students and staff to enjoy throughout the school year!

Intramurals

Intramural activities are open to all students throughout the school year. Students must have a completed consent/indemnity form on file. Activities are organized and supervised by GHHMS teachers and include games such as wiffle ball, flag football, floor hockey, kickball, etc. Students can attend intramurals according to their own schedule and do not need to make a full-year commitment.

Jazz Band - Mrs. Johnson (ejohnson@sau10.org)

Jazz Band is intended for our more advanced musicians to explore different aspects of music. Students must audition and should be taking private lessons. We meet two days a week after school until 3:15 starting the third week in September, and ending after the spring concert in May. *If you are involved in sports, here is how you should handle the schedule: 1. If there is an away game, go to the game and miss Jazz Band. 2. If there is a home game, come to the first half of Jazz Band. 3. If you miss Jazz Band on Tuesday for a game, come to the entire rehearsal on Thursday, and vice versa. 4. For weeks that there is no conflict with a game, come to the first half of Jazz Band.

Lego Club - Mrs. Strike (cstrike@sau10.org)

The Lego Club is a group of students that enjoy building with Legos. No experience is necessary, just a thrill for Legos. The group can build with Legos or learn the robotics type that the competitive team uses but in a relaxed situation. It is NOT competitive and meets in the spring (March to May). There is a sign up, and the club is limited to 20 students.

Lego Team: Mrs. Strike (cstrike@sau10.org)

The Lego Team is a competitive team that has 3 months to design and program a Lego robot. Each year’s challenge has several different missions that must be solved in less than 3 minutes. Each year the team receives a new theme as a research topic usually dealing with local and global impacts such as alternative energy sources, food safety, etc. The team participates in regional competitions with the hope of advancing to the state level and possibly the world level. The team meets Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:00 to 4:30. Space is limited to 14 students and team selection is based on an application, essay and tryouts results. “Sports for the Mind,” teamwork and inspiration in science and technology are themes that represent the Lego Team.

National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) - Mr. Manchester (rmanchester@sau10.org)

The GHHMS Chapter of NJHS is a student organization for seventh and eighth graders that is open to exemplary students. Eligible students are provided with an application during late winter, with an induction ceremony held in the early spring. The five qualities each member of NJHS at GHHMS exhibits are: Scholarship, Knowledge, Character, Leadership, and Service. As a result, eligible members are expected to maintain high academic performance as well as participate in various activities both within and outside the GHHMS community. Meetings are held every few weeks and are devoted to planning and completing service-related activities. Members of NJHS are typically involved with the following activities: helping with Open House (both fall and spring), food drives, school dances, Staff Appreciation activities, and an annual spring dance held at GHHMS for area senior citizens.

Select Chorus - Mrs. Boisvert (kboisvert@sau10.org)

Select Chorus meets every Wednesday and some Mondays (as needed) all year long. This auditioned after-school activity is targeted at those students interested in furthering their musical education and ability. We work on music that is different and more difficult than in chorus class. Select Chorus performs at both the winter and spring concerts as well as other performances around the community throughout the year.

Ski Club - Mrs. Knowlton (eknowlton@sau10.org) and Mrs. Ange (aange@sau10.org)

Every January, GHHMS students head to Pat’s Peak in Henniker, NH for Ski Club. Open to skiers/snowboarders of all skill levels, Ski Club offers students a chance to take lessons, socialize with peers and have fun on the slopes. The group goes to the mountain for five sessions. Additional fees apply. Rentals and discounted passes are offered to all participating students.

Stage Crew- Ms. Parsons (kparsons@sau10.org)

The stage crew works closely with the directors of the annual musical. Students are involved in the design, construction, and painting of sets. During performances, members are backstage changing sets, managing props, and doing special effects. Meets January through performance in March.

Strategic Games Club

This club meets Tuesday and Thursday from October to February. Come in and test your skill in the most famous of military games - chess. We also have continuous games of Risk (the battle game for global domination) and Stratego (find the flag). Students play others in their skill level and “guest” participants show up to take on the club regulars from time to time. Come and join the action!

Student Council - Ms. Owens (lowens@sau10.org) and Ms. Craig (jcraig@sau10.org)

Student Council delegates and officers work together to develop leadership skills, serve as the voice of the student body, and foster a sense of community. The Student Council sponsors dances, Valentine’s Day lollipop sales, Spirit Week, and the GHHMS Color Run. Officers participate in an important Leadership Day, held at Pinkerton Academy. All members must be strongly committed and available for meetings held 1-2 times per month, from 2:00 -3:00 p.m.

Weird New England Club - Mrs. Frost (sfrost@sau10.org)

There’s just something spooky about good old New England. As one of the oldest regions in the United States, New England has a slew of spooky tales and weird lore hidden in its history--from the witch trails to the first alien abduction to every haunted house and site that litter this group of little states tucked into the corner of our country. It is home to horror writers--such as Edgar Allen Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, and Stephen King--and the setting of many scary movies. Interested in learning more about these six spooky states? Join this club to explore the lore of New England! We will look at books, websites, podcasts, videos, and more as we dive into the weird history of our region.

Yearbook Ms. Paradis (dparadis@sau10.org)

The Yearbook Club is an opportunity for GHHMS students to preserve memories. The students work together to design the cover of the yearbook and to organize the yearbook’s layout. This club meets weekly and requires a strong commitment to teamwork. The students are responsible for taking photos, attending events and committing to planned meetings for production purposes. As deadlines approach, the students need to be flexible in meeting days as well as time commitments.