Clubs & Organizations
The Joyce Kilmer Visual Arts Department offers 2 six-week sections
of Art Club that meet from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm one day a
week. These courses are age specific, one section is typically for
4th and 5th grade students and the
other section is for 6th, 7th, and
8thgrade students.
This program is designed for students with a particular interest in
art, projects include sculpture and painting. In order to
participate, students should complete and submit an application
during enrollment time.
For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated
under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to
succeed and thrive in life. As the nation's largest donor and
volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters at
Joyce Kilmer School makes meaningful, monitored matches between
Spotswood High School students ("Bigs") and Joyce Kilmer School
students ("littles"). We develop positive relationships that have a
direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.
Chess Club provides the opportunity to learn to concentrate and
think logically while having fun with their peers. Students work
hard to overcome obstacles, spot patterns and categorize
information. Every Wednesday from 3 to 4, students are competing to
defeat their worthy opponents; it's the ultimate battle of wits.
Students along with the players are on the edge until the
end.
The Green
Team is an organization of students who share the passion and
motivation to conserve and improve our environment. Our activities
and fund raisers are primarily focused on making our Earth a better
place. We like to think that every day is Earth Day, and want to
help others think the same way.
Activities
Include:
1.)
Teaching the students and the Community
about sustainability and green goals
2.)
Maintaining the JK Courtyard
3.)
Going Green in the classrooms and
cafeteria
4.)
Scanning the schoolyard for litter
(Spring)
5.)
Planting the garden
Maker's Space is for students who love to tinker, create,
re-create, design, engineer, problem-solve and collaborate! The
sessions are filled with a variety of projects including origami,
building marble runs, using Makey Makey circuitry, yarn-bombing and
using the 3D printer. This club has a limited number of
participants per session.
The National Junior Honor Society is open to 8th graders by
invitation only. Students must earn membership based on
academic and leadership criteria. Once accepted, students are
honored at an induction ceremony. Throughout the year,
members work on fundraising, as well as service projects within the
school and community.
The best way to learn is by teaching! The Peer Tutoring Club
assigns 7th and 8th grade tutors to younger
students who need support in mathematics, writing, study skills,
science and social studies. It is open to all students!
The Joyce Kilmer Student Council gives the student body a voice by
sharing students' ideas, interests and concerns with teachers and
administration. The Fundraising/School Spirit Committee comes up
with ideas to raise money for school-wide activities and projects.
The Charity Drive Committee finds ways to give back to the
community by organizing collections to help those in
need.
Student Leadership Corp is a group of 8th grade students
who are the leaders of their Middle School Advisor class. The
Milltown Alliance sponsors these students to learn about and teach
other students about the dangers of underage drinking.
Student to Student is an academic program offered to grade 8
students at Joyce Kilmer and grade 3 students at Parkview. It is
designed to develop leadership skills and independence while
promoting academic support to our primary grade
students.
Homework club provides an opportunity for students to work on their
homework in a quiet and supervised environment in a classroom after
school for one hour. All students are dismissed from
Homework Club at 4:00 p.m. If a student needs to leave
earlier than 4:00, a parent / guardian must sign the student out at
the Joyce Kilmer Main Entrance. Homework club is open to all
JK students and does not require everyday attendance. Reminder
announcements as to homework club's location are made daily in our
morning announcements.
Youth in Government is a program that is an extension of our 8th
grade Civics class. While students are not required to participate,
they are expected to attend at least 2 programs a year. Through
this program the 8th graders are able to observe as well as take on
the roles of Board of education members, school administrators,
judges, lawyers, town council members as well as police officers
and fire chiefs. Students campaign for the various positions and
Elections are held on or near Election Day. Students are trained
by, interview, and shadow these community leaders. Afterwards,
students run a Board of Election meeting, participate in a Mock
trial (with a court case that they help develop), and run a Town
Council meeting. The students take a very active role in their
education and see these community leaders in a much more
enlightened way.
