Franklin Middle School
Clubs
2017-2018
1
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
American Sign Language Club ...... 3
Art Enrichment Club ...... 3
Competition Choir Club ...... 3
Connections ...... 4
Dance Troupe ...... 4
Diversity Club ...... 4
Drama Club ...... 5
Eight Grade Events Board ...... 5
Environmental Club/The Green Team ...... 5
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)/School Store ...... 6
Jazz Band ...... 6
Literary and Art Magazine...... 6 - 7
Model United Nations ...... 7
National Junior Honors Society ...... 7
Newspaper Club/The Knightly News...... 8
Orchestra ...... 8
Positive Behavior Supports in Schools (PBSIS Jr.) ...... 8
Robotics Club ...... 8
Seventh Grade Activities ...... 9
Student Council ...... 9
Wind Ensemble ...... 9
Yearbook Club...... 10
Yoga Club ...... 10
American Sign Language Club
Advisor:Ms. Arevalo
The AmericanSign Language Club at Franklin Middle School is open to students of both 7thand 8thgrade. During their time in the club, students will learn about the Deaf culture, community, history, and American Sign Language (ASL). The club will also help raise awareness of the Deaf community and its members. It may also spill into the awareness and tolerance of other disabilities in world.There are many educational benefits to learning sign language. It enriches and enhances cognitive processes. Learning the language results in higher abstract and creative thinking, better problem-solving, greater cognitive flexibility, better listening skills, and greater academic achievement. The language itself is considered a beautiful one because of its imagery and expression. Users of sign language communicate by creating an image rather than signing word-for-word. Additionally, a major goal the adviser has for this year is to have the ASL Club participate in student assemblies and shows.Although, the club is geared toward student participation, staff members are welcome to sit in for observation.
Meeting Day(s)/Location: Thursdays/Room 438
Art Enrichment Club
Advisor:Ms. Soden
The Franklin Middle School Art Club is open to all students who love art! Admission to the Art Club is based on a simple application process. Art Club gives students the opportunity to work with a variety of different Art media. It is a safe and relaxed environment where exploration of individual ideas and creativity is encouraged. Students will be able to work independently, as well as work on large scale group projects like murals and sculptures. In May of each year students in Art Club attend the Teen Arts Festival that is held at Raritan Valley Community College. If a students artwork is chosen for display in this event there is an opportunity for the students work to be selected for display in the county, state, and touring state Teen Arts exhibitions.
Meeting Day/Location:Wednesdays/Room 519
Choir (Competition Choir)
Advisor: Ms.Radvanski
Competition Choir meetsevery Tuesday after school and is open to both 7th and 8th grade students. This is a competitive group with students whom have intense passion for their voice, strong rhythmical, theoretical foundation, and performance abilities. Criteria for the ensemble includesbeing enrolled in 7th or 8th grade choir or any instrumental music course. In addition, there are audition requirement and grade point average requirements in choir or instrumental music course that need to be met for enrollment into the ensemble.
Meeting Date/Location:Tuesdays/534
Connections
Advisor: Ms. Northey
Connections is a peer mentor/leadership program that brings middle and high school students together under the direction of faculty advisors. Middle school students meet with their advisors weekly and are involved in activities to provide support, help with and achieve goals and assist in enhancing leadership skills. The middle school mentees meet in a group setting with their high school mentors monthly to further develop confidence and skills to be successful personally and academically.
Some of the activities Connections students are involved in include: participating in Community Service projects throughout the school year, fund raising activities and assist new students at FMS through the FMS meet and Greet Program.
Students must apply and be accepted in order to participate in Connections. Applications, interviews, and acceptances occur each spring.
Meeting Date/Location:During the school day every Wednesday, combined meeting with FHS students on the last Wednesday of every month/505
Dance Troupe
Advisor:Mr. Ramos
FMS After School Dance Troupe will be by auditions only. The Dance Troupe will be performing at school assemblies as well FMS Winter and Spring Dance Showcases. Dance Members of the troupe will learn new dance technique, enhance existing physical attributes and dance skills sets, and participate in dance numbers that help to foster a more sophisticated understanding of choreography. Troupe members are expected to demonstrate good work ethic and must be passing all of their classes in order to perform.
Meeting Day/Location: Wednesdays/FMS Auditorium.
Diversity Club
Advisor: Ms. Moustafa and Ms. Smith
What is the why of Diversity Club?The Diversity Club’s Why is to build awareness and an appreciation for diversity and to establish lifelong leadership skills for students to celebrate their identities. Franklin Middle School's Diversity Club is comprised of members that represent the entire school body. They gather weekly to explore diversity, multiculturalism, and equity. Together with faculty leaders, students discuss inclusion topics, peer issues, current events, diverse cultures and traditions as well as unique people and their viewpoints.
The Diversity Club hosts a variety of events throughout the year such as the Hispanic Heritage Celebration, the Black History Month Program, the Women’s History Month Program, and a Multicultural Dinner Night. The Diversity Club will also invite Rutgers speakers from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion as well as community members to speak during after school meetings.
Meeting day/Location:Wednesdays/Room400
Drama Club
Advisor:Mr. Bodnar
The Drama Club is dedicated to bringing live theatrical performances to Franklin Middle School and the Franklin community. Members of the Drama Club will rehearse and present a fall play and spring musical each year. The cast is admitted by their auditions. Yet, the Drama Club also welcomes other members who are will to serve in a variety of roles backstage! Students who possess strong work ethic and a love of theater are highly encouraged to become a part of Drama Club.
Meeting Day/Location: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the play and musical seasons (fall and spring respectively)/Room 536
Eighth Grade Events Board
Advisor: Ms. Bandeira
The Eighth/8th Grade Events Board contributes ideas and plans events for the 8th grade students throughout the year. Some events include dances, the Formal, and the 8th grade class trip. There are a variety of capacities in which 8th graders may serve from leadership in the executive board (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary) to serving as a member-at-large to participating in various fundraising activities.
Meeting Day/Location:First and third Wednesdays/Room 207
Environmental Club/The Green Team
Advisor: Ms. Kretzer
The Environmental Club a.k.aThe Green Team is for any student interested in the environment and making a difference. Students will have opportunities to serve their school, educate their peers, and help to implement sustainable actions that can make a difference to their planet.
Membership to The Green Team is open to all students. Students who attend will interact with peers, faculty, and administrationto coordinate sustainable initiatives at FMS and beyond.
Some of the activities of The Green Team include:
•Brainstorm ideas about how to reduce the school’s environmental footprint.
•Spread awareness to fellow students and staff on how to be “green”.
•Develop a plan to promote proper waste disposal at FMS.
•Collaborate with other clubs to make FMS a sustainable green machine!
Meeting Day/Location:First and third Thursdays/Room 222
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)/
FMS School Store
Advisor: Ms. Osman and Ms. Harris-Vadell
For all the fans of ABC’s Shark Tank, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is the club for them! FBLA is an organization for students who have the entrepreneurship spirit. Members develop leadership skills, meet and work with business leaders, and participate in FBLA activities. Fundraising, community service, sponsoring school events, attending competitions and running the schoolstudent store are just some of FBLA's activities.Members are able to build a portfolio of documented accomplishments as a complement their academic experiences. Students who participate in FBLA demonstrate how they served in leadership positions, received awards, or participated in projects. FBLA works functions as the largest business-based student organization in the world through the Business Achievement Awards (BAA), a self-directed results based business and leadership program designed to compliment academics while accelerating a student's leadership skills.
Members of FBLA also gain real-world experiences by operating the FMS School Store and attending conferences and competing at FBLA clubs from other schools. These activities provide taste of what people in business experience with running companies and the professional development and competition they experience. The blend of competition and camaraderie leaves FBLA members feeling inspired to follow their personal business aspirations and make a difference.
Meeting day/Locations:First and Third Thursdays/Room 218
Jazz Band
Advisor: Ms. Rishi
Jazz Band meets after school every Thursday and is open to both 7th and 8th grade students from band, orchestra, or choir. This is a competitive group with students whom have intense passion for their instrument/ voice, strong rhythmical, technical, theoretical foundation, and performance abilities. In order to join and maintain enrollment in Jazz Band, students must be enrolled in 7th or 8th grade band, orchestra, or choir. There are audition and grade point average requirements in the enrolled music classes as well.
Meeting Day/Location:Thursdays/Room 524
Literary and Art Magazine
Advisor: Mrs. Hanson
Early in the school year, members of Literary and Art Magazine club will brainstorm ideas to promote the magazine and solicit submissions from their peers. They will draft announcements and create bulletin boards and posters to be placed around the school. After submissions have been received, student members will edit, compile, and create the magazine layout using the tools available through Picaboo Yearbooks, which offers design tools and online publishing for literary magazines and yearbooks for free, in addition to affordable print publications for schools.
Student members will engage in reading and editing peer writing, as well as collaborating with peer writers to polish their writing submissions. Members will also work as a team to create page layouts to showcase a combination of student writing and artwork. Students will also learn the basics of desktop publishing and design using the design tools provided on the Picaboo Yearbooks website. The magazine will showcase student talent in writing and art in a forum outside of the classroom. The magazine will also make student work accessible to the community and allow students to share their achievements and talent with peers, teachers, and family members. Students will have a sense of pride in seeing their work published. Participation in the club will also give students an opportunity to experience the basics of design and publishing in a format different from the one used by the school newspaper.
Meeting Day/Location: Wednesdays/Room 414
Model United Nations (Model UN)
Advisors: Ms. Mandell and Mr. Chemris
Students, who participate in Model UN, step into the shoes of ambassadors of UN member states to debate current day issues.While role-playing as “ambassadors”, student "delegates" make speeches, prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, resolve conflicts, and navigate the Model UN conference rules of procedure. Students learn more about working in the interest of the global good through international cooperation, resolving problems that affect countries all over the world.
Franklin Middle School Model UN allows students to gain practice for Model UN at Franklin High School, a club program that is ranked among the top 25 Model UN high school programs in the nation.
Meeting Day/Location: First and third Thursdays/125
National Junior Honors Society (NJHS)
Advisor: Ms. Cooke
National Junior Honors Society (NJHS) is made up of 8th graders who are inducted after demonstrating high standards of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Citizenship & Character (The Five Pillars of NJHS) during their 7th grade year. During the year, members of the NJHS are required to complete 10 hours of individual service as well as participate in group service projects and fundraisers for local nonprofits. Last year we raised $150 for the Franklin Township Food Bank! Members NJHS also supports school events such as Back to School Night by serving as guides and resources to parents navigating the school. We will be meeting twice a month on Tuesdays, though sometimes we need to meet more often if we are in the middle of a project.
All students in 7th and 8th grade with a 92 percent cumulative average through Marking period 3 will receive a letter and Student Activity Form. For students to be considered they must complete the Activity Form as well as get a letter of reference from a recent teacher. A faculty council then reviews the forms and letters to determine which students will be chosen based on the ideals/pillars of the NJHS
Meeting Day/Location: Second and Fourth Wednesdays/Room 401
Newspaper Club/The FMS Knightly News
The FMS Knightly Newshas been expanding and improving each year. The newspaper showcases the activities and ideas that are taking place at FMS while also offering the student "staff" members a great chance to collaborate on important published work. The student staff discuss topics and decide who will do the writing, research, photography, illustrations, etc. The Newspaper Club produces three to four issues of The Knightly News per school year. The story ideas come from the students based on school events/activities, seasons, or relative human-interest topics.
Meeting Day/Location: Thursdays/Room 120
Orchestra (Advanced Orchestra)
Advisor: Ms. Rishi
Advanced Orchestra rehearses weekly and isopen to both 7th and 8th grade students. Advanced Orchestra is a competitive group with students whom have intense passion for their instrument, strong rhythmical, technical, theoretical foundation, and performance abilities. In order for students to be members, they must be currently enrolled in either 7th or 8th grade Orchestra. There is an audition requirement and members are required to maintain a high grade point average in performing arts to maintain their enrollment status.
Meeting Day/Location:Wednesdays/Room 524
PBSIS Jr.
Advisor: Ms. Alaigh
An extension of the school-based program, Positive Behavior Supports in Schools (PBSIS), members of PBSIS Jr. will bring a student perspective to the planning and implementation of PBSIS activities at FMS. The PBSIS Universal Intervention Team, which is comprised of staff members, will promote the members of PBSIS Jr. as leaders during PBSIS recalibration assemblies as well as other PBSIS activities. Members of the club will meet together twice a month to collaborate with each other as well as members of the UI Team. As these students will serve as the student ambassadors of PBSIS at FMS, these members must be faithful in attending meetings and must embody the school’s core school values of school pride, respect and responsibility, and the safety of the FMS learning environment.
Meeting Day/Location: Third Thursday of the month/Room 301
Robotics Club
Advisors:Mr. Jorgensen and Mr. Springsteen
Robotics Club is advised by STEM teachers, Mr. Springsteen and Mr. Jorgensen.Their goals for members of Robotics Club are to help students to think critically and logically and work collaboratively to complete design challenges using both hardware (LEGOS) and software (programming the robots). In Robotics Club, students will work on solving problems by creating and adapting robots to suit different situations.
Meeting day/location: First and thirdThursdays/Room 504
Seventh Grade Activities
Advisor: Ms. Gadek
Seventh-grade students who help with the planning of and participate in Seventh Grade Activities will have a chance to lead and guide their class through the school year. This includes planning fundraisers, dances, and trips. Serving in Seventh Grade Activities provides great leadership, service opportunities that will contribute to the college and career readiness of seventh grade students.
Meeting Day/Location: Second Wednesday of every month/Room 322
Student Council