EAST AURORA MIDDLE SCHOOL

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 24-25

Arts and Crafts Club – Mrs. Marean, Advisor – Grades 5-8 The Arts and Crafts club is open to any fifth to eighth grade student. The purpose of the club is to create projects that allow students to express their creativity and share their talents. In addition, this club will aid various community organizations. 

Book Club-Mrs. Porzio, Advisor-Grades 5-8 Book Club meets about once a month and offers students in 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade the opportunity to explore books across a variety of genres. We read anywhere between six to eight books in a school year! Through engaging discussions over snacks, students strengthen their reading skills, build vocabulary, and develop a lifelong love of reading. The club also fosters social and emotional growth, encourages new friendships, and exposes students to diverse perspectives—all while making reading an enjoyable and enriching experience.

Builders Club – Mr. Weatherbee, Mrs. Weiner, Mrs. Rabey, Co-Advisors– Grade 7 & 8 The Builders Club is a middle school club sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club. This is a service organization designed to contribute to our school community, East Aurora community, Buffalo community and to reach out to the needs of the world.

DECA – Mr. Frankowski & Ms. Parker, Co-Advisors- Grades 5-8 NYS DECA offers an opportunity for students to participate in a co-curricular student organization at the middle school level. The students will be exposed to activities that promote leadership development, civic consciousness, social intelligence and a vocational understanding of business and marketing.DECA is a great organization that allows students to make new friends, travel, learn more about themselves and to help them choose a career path. Club meetings are typically on Tuesdays and other days are scheduled as necessary for club events.The EAHS also has a DECA chapter that members can become involved in this year and in future years. Consider making a commitment to DECA.

Drama Club – Mr. Blackwell, Advisor - Grade 5-8 The Middle School Drama Club offers acting and set opportunities for students in grades 5-8. The goal of the drama club is to have fun while learning about stage directions, drama terms, voice projection and character development. Through rehearsals students will build confidence in their performance and learn to work together with a closely-knit cast. If acting is not your thing, consider helping out with lights, sound, costumes, props, or the set. These are important jobs that help manage and produce the play. No prior experience on stage is necessary.The 5th and 6th grade drama club will be enjoying club time and preparing to perform a variety of short skits. Students in grades 5 & 6 will be allowed to use scripts, if necessary. Rehearsals will take place each week on Tuesdays during the months of October, November and through mid-December. It is our hope to perform for parents and all the 5th grade classes sometime in December or early January. The 7th and 8th grade drama club will perform a short one or two act play. The process begins with informal auditions and continues with rehearsals. Along the way, the set will take shape and costumes will be selected. Participants are expected to memorize their lines, which involves practice at home. Rehearsals will take place on Thursdays during the months of October, November and December. The final event for this group is an evening performance open to the public in December or early January in the Middle School multi-purpose room. The drama club is also responsible for the Talent Show which will be held on Wednesday March 22nd at 7pm at the High School. Auditions will take place January 18th – January 20th from 2:30 – 3:15 in the Middle School multipurpose room. The Host/Emcee auditions will take place the following week. Students selected to perform in the Talent Show will rehearse on either Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Dungeons & Dragons Club- Mrs. Collins, Advisor- Grades 5-8 Dungeons & Dragons is a cooperative storytelling game that encourages problem solving, teamwork and creative thinking. Students will join together with a group and battle monsters, navigate challenges and puzzles and work together to save the world!

Explorers Club – Mrs. Zakroczemski & Mrs. Spalti, Co-Advisors – Grades 5-8 This club offers students creative and unique experiences based on interests and ideas that students suggest for greater exploration. Students will share and build upon their talents and interests outside of school. Students will participate and explore community service and group activities.

GSA Club-Mrs. Gibbons, Advisor Grades 5- GSA (Genders and Sexualities Alliance, formerly known as Gay-Straight Alliance) is a student-led club that aims to create a safe, welcoming, and accepting school environment for all youth, regardless of orientation or gender identity.

International Club – Mrs. Rizzo, Advisor – Grade 7 & 8 International Club gives students the opportunity to explore Spanish and French culture through cooking, crafts, and language games. This is an enrichment activity directly linked to the NYS Standards 1 and 2: Language and Culture. International Club is best suited to language students in grades 7 & 8. Students meet either Tuesday or Thursday (student choice upon sign up) weekly, September – December. Club members are involved in sampling international food, as well as making arts and crafts from other cultures. Popular activities include: Ojos de Dios, French crepes, “Molas”, and a faux Picasso piece. Scavenger hunts and international bingo help students expand their language skills and take yet another step toward communication and cross cultural understanding. We celebrate a Fiesta in December to cap off our semester of club participation.

Intramural Sports – Mr. McLaughlin, Mrs. McTigue & Mrs. Rabey, Co-Advisors – Grades 5-8 The Middle School intramural program reinforces skills taught in physical education class. All students have the opportunity to participate in team and individual sports. The emphasis of this program is enjoyable participation in physical activity for all students. Approximately 250 students participated in intramural sports last year. Activities may be subject to change due to weather/facilities usage. Intramurals are scheduled from September until June and occur for each grade level on their scheduled physical education day . Activities may be subject to change due to weather and facilities.

Jazz Band- Mr. Wilmore, Advisor Jazz band is an extracurricular ensemble that meets once a week and performs at school concerts. This is a select group of students based on an audition. Students are expected to practice their music and attend rehearsals. Students prepare music that is age appropriate, fun, and challenging. The ensemble music includes various jazz styles and instrumentation, as well as active participation.

Latin Club – Mrs. Hannon, Advisor – Grades 7-8 The EAMS Latin Club began with two overarching goals in mind: to enrich the experience of those students who are studying Latin, and to promote the study of Latin and the Classics to the school-wide community. Over the years the EAMS Latin Club has been involved in a number of different endeavors, and has grown significantly. Here, students are given the opportunity to have fun with Latin, experience the language in a thriving energetic practical atmosphere, and meet and interact with other Latin students whose skill levels vary. Students are also given the opportunity to participate with the wider world, whether it is a local cultural event or organization or nationwide recognition. All of these opportunities help promote a deeper understanding of Latin as a language and a discipline; it helps develop individual student skills, it deepens students’ relationships with learning, the school, and each other, and it broadens students’ horizons. The current EAMS Latin Club has been officially chartered by the American Classical League as an active chapter of the National Junior Classical League.

Math Club – Mrs. Head, Advisor Math Club at EAMS is open to any middle school student who wants to discover the recreational side of mathematics. Some of our activities include learning math “magic” tricks, creating modular origami polyhedrons, curve stitching line designs, constructing tessellations, and solving the Rubik’s Cube. We also celebrate Pi Day and organize a Chess tournament in the spring. We will meet several times per month throughout the school year, starting in late October. Meetings will be announced several days in advance over the PA system, and also will be posted outside of Mrs. Head’s classroom, 326.

Science Club – Mr. Padmanabha, Advisor – Grades 7-8 Science club will meet twice a month. The focus of the club will be to explore various fun activities that would not normally be done in the classroom. We will also work to make EAMS more environmentally friendly by heading up the recycling program and other activities. 

Spirit Club – Ms. Vitello, Advisor Any student who is truly proud to be an East Aurora Blue Devil is encouraged to join Spirit Club. This club runs a number of school-related Spirit activities throughout the year including fundraisers, dress-up days, spirit days, and classroom display decorating contests. Students who join are encouraged to find new and creative ways to make EAMS a more spirited atmosphere. We provide the opportunity to make friends while making our school a more positive environment. Meetings will be held several times throughout the year, late September through May, and will be announced several days in advance over the PA system. Upcoming meeting dates will also be posted outside of Miss Vitello (305) and Ms. Semo's (308) classrooms. Students can also check (if they have gone to a previous meeting) our Spirit Club Google Classroom.

Student Council – Mr. Dayton & Mrs. Koch, Jackie Rabey Co-Advisors – Grades 5-8 The Student Council helps develop leadership skills among students. It serves the community and school. The council provides opportunities for students to be involved in the life of the school, and establishes communication channels for students to have input in school decisions.The Student Council meets monthly to discuss issues pertaining to the school and to schedule after school events.

Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) - Mrs.Kruse, Advisor – Grades 5-8 The goal of SADD is to send a powerful message… a vast majority of middle school students do not use drugs/illegal substances, alcohol or tobacco. The members of SADD communicate this message to the entire student body through various signs and activities such as Red Ribbon Week, school-wide assemblies, and SADD sponsored events. Members of SADD also serve as role models for their peers.

Unified Club- Mrs. Marean, Mrs. Theobald, Mrs. Weiner Co-Advisors-Grades 5-8 The purpose of Unified Club is to ensure a safe meeting place for students of all ability levels, including those with exceptionalities, to generate and share their ideas for creating an inclusive school environment. The goal of this club is to promote an attitude of inclusion through planned activities and events that will raise awareness for the importance of inclusion.

Yearbook Club – Ms. Wilkie, Advisor –Grades 5-8

Do you like to take photos? Join the Yearbook Club for another fun year! Get together with the yearbook crew and their quest to capture great photos and to create yet another exciting yearbook filled with all the fun times here at EAMS!

Late Bus

There is a late bus that departs from the Middle School at 3:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students staying for clubs, intramurals, Extended Learning Time, or detention may ride this bus.

Since there is only one bus, students may be dropped off at a location up to ½ mile from their home. Also, it is possible that your child could be on this bus for up to one hour.