Student Council
The student council is a leadership organization of representatives that serve as the voice of the entire student body. Officers are elected from the middle school while 4th – 8th grade have homeroom representatives. The purpose of the student council is to provide service projects and community outreach programs for the entire student body and to encourage school spirit.
All eligible students are encouraged to apply!
It’s Academic
It’s Academic is a good place for curious minds to shine while enhancing knowledge in many different subjects. Students practice weekly with a Coach answering questions on topics that range over the entire spectrum of the middle school curriculum (literature, science, religion, geography, and math) plus current events, sports and pop culture. The team practices using a tournament format. The goal is to get the team comfortable with the tournament flow and rules, so that when they do compete in a tournament they can focus on the questions. There are typically 1 or 2 tournaments in early spring hosted by a local archdiocese school. All interested 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students are invited to join. Please note, unlike the high school version, middle school It’s Academic is not televised.
National Junior Honors Society
OLPH has received a charter to host its own National Junior Honor Society. Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in five areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship, and character. Standards for selection are established by the national office of NJHS and have been revised to meet our local chapter needs. Students are selected to be members by a faculty member, appointed by the principal, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each spring.
Once inducted, new members are required to maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all five criteria that led to their selection. This obligation includes regular attendance at chapter meetings held during the school year, and participation in the chapter service projects(s). Students or parents who have questions regarding the selection process or membership obligations can contact the chapter adviser, Mrs. Ehrman.
Battle of the Books
Battle of the Books gets 5th grade students excited about reading. A lively academic competition, Battle of the Books improves reading comprehension, builds vocabulary, and teaches teamwork and good sportsmanship. Teams of five students and one adult coach each read the same 16 pre-determined books. In addition to reading the books, teams choose a team name and dress accordingly. During the “battle” (a 50-question exam), a moderator asks questions that relate to one of the following: a direct quote from one of the book characters; a statement about something that happens in the book; a passage taken directly from the book; details about an illustration or picture. Prizes are also awarded at the competition in April.
Spelling Bee
OLPH participates in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Scripps National Spelling Bee each year. Students begin with a classroom with the top two students moving onto a schoolwide spelling bee. From there, OLPH sends winners onto regional and state competitions.
Geography Bee
The National Geographic GeoBee is an annual geography contest sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The bee is open to students in the sixth through eighth grades at OLPH School. Students work as a team to prepare for the competition in the school and can advance to further regional and state contests.
Scouts
We are a “scout run” troop employing the qualities and ideals found in the BSA program to build character, foster citizenship, develop leadership & commitment to community, and an appreciation for the outdoors.
We offer a full range of scouting activities from weekly troop meetings to monthly overnight outings, plus a full week of Summer Camp. Outdoor activities embrace the complete scouting experience, rich in adventure and learning: pioneering, canoeing, white water rafting, skiing, backpacking, base camping, and biking just to name a few. We are Troop 794!
Chess Club
Students in Grades K-8 have the opportunity to learn and sharpen their skills as they participate in weekly chess competitions.
Lego® Club
Students are encouraged to sharpen their engineering skills and creative minds to build Lego® structures and vehicles for a variety of fun challenges. This club meets for several sessions over the course of the year.
Robotics Team
Students work in cooperative teams to build and program robots to perform simple tasks and engage in fun and exciting challenges.
Yearbook Club
Yearbook Club is a group that gives students experience in print media publishing. Being in the Yearbook Club allows students experience in photography, computer design and writing creatively that combine to create a yearbook that captures the memories of our school year.
Cooking Club
Children will learn through various levels of inquiry based learning as they create edible arts and crafts, interactive cake designs, and use what they learn to whip up their own recipes! For more information check out I’m the Chef Too @ www.ImTheChefToo.com
READ
Reading Educating Assessing Developing, LLC offers an after schooling READing club for grades 2-8 each spring at OLPH School. READ also offers a summer reading and writing camp for grades K-8 each year. READ led by Annette McMahon at readforever@hotmail.com.
Drama Tech Team
These are the creatives and workers behind the scenes of our annual productions. Students learn to build sets, run sound and lighting, and many other tasks needed to make a show happen. There is no experience required; just a willing and open mind.
Writing Club
Students in Grades 6-8 meet weekly to develop their skills as story writers. he primary goal of Writing Club is to help the children expand their writing abilities and method skills through creative discussion and opportunity for generating written and graphic material.
