Activities and Clubs

PURPOSE: The Student Council is established: to promote the general welfare of the student body, to promote communication between faculty and student body, to serve as the official agency for the expression of student opinion in the formation of school policy, to develop leadership abilities among the students, to instill Christian values, to be of service to others in the school and community, to generate school spirit, and to raise funds to be used at the Student Council’s discretion.

OFFICERS: Officer roles are assigned each year based on elections and the needs of the council. Officers accept their assigned position in June and serve through June of the following school year, provided they meet the expectations outlined below.

To remain in good standing, officers must:

• Be present, on time, and prepared for all meetings
  (Missing more than one meeting per trimester without cause may result in dismissal.)

• Maintain strong academic performance (As and Bs) throughout the school year
  (Regularly missing or late assignments may result in dismissal.)

• Serve the SPC community as positive role models by following school rules and showing respect to all members of the school community
  (Disciplinary offenses will be reviewed and may result in dismissal.)

Elections & Eligibility

• Annual officer elections are held in May for the following school year.

• President and Vice President positions are open to incoming 8th graders.

• All other officer roles are open to incoming 7th and 8th graders.

Time Commitment

• Officers meet twice per week.

• Officers may occasionally arrive early or stay late to assist with larger events.

Homeroom Representatives

• Homeroom Representative elections take place in September.

• Representatives attend monthly meetings to brainstorm event ideas, provide feedback on activities, and share information with their homerooms about upcoming events.

The National Junior Honor Society is the leader among educational organizations and societies that promotes recognition for middle school students who reflect outstanding accomplishments in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character.  Membership in the NJHS is a privilege. The Honor Society member exhibits excellence in academics and leadership, displays honorable and admirable character, and demonstrates a commitment to service and good citizenship- all of which indicate that the member is willing to use personal talents and skills for the improvement of both self and society.

The NJHS handbook is the official guide for all NJHS advisers. It explains national policy and procedure guidelines regarding selection of members, induction ceremonies, activities and disciplinary actions. The NJHS Faculty/ Advisory Council of SPC has established local school chapter guidelines for selection of students as members here at our school.

Selection of Members:

1. The standard for scholarship shall be a cumulative average of at least a 93% for both the first trimester and second trimester of the student’s 7th grade year.

2. Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, character and citizenship. Students will be required to submit a short resume and paragraph explaining why they wish to be considered for membership. This will be required with the submission deadline to be determined and communicated to 7th graders during the third trimester.

3. The selection of each member shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty/Advisory Council. Previous disciplinary incidents will also be considered at this time, if applicable.

Criteria:

Leadership

• Demonstrated initiative in promoting school activities

• Exercises positive influence on peers in upholding school ideals and spirit

• Contributes ideas that improve the life of the school

• Inspires positive behavior in others

• Demonstrates reliability and dependability

Service

• Volunteers and provides dependable and well-organized assistance

• Willing to make sacrifices to offer assistance

• Enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school

• Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students

Citizenship

• Has a high regard for freedom and justice; respects the US form of government and respects the law for citizens at the local, state and federal levels

• Demonstrates mature participation and responsibility through involvement with such activities as scouting, community organizations or school clubs and sports

Character

• Consistently exemplifies positive and desirable qualities of behavior

• Cooperates by complying with school policies and regulations and codes of student conduct

• Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously

• Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty, academic integrity and reliability

• Regularly exhibits courtesy, concern and respect for others

• Complies with instructions and rules, and displays personal responsibility

This is the criteria that is used to determine membership in the NJHS. Hopefully this will give you an idea of the detailed selection process that is used to determine candidates.

Our SPC School and Parish invite students in 7th and 8th Grade to participate in the SPC Life Team!

The mission of Life Team is to live the Gospel of Life and serve the most vulnerable: the unborn, those with special needs, the poor, and the elderly through completing service projects together. Some of the service projects will be the following:

• Baby Bottles for The Women’s Center

• Food & Clothing Drives

• Greeting Cards for local Nursing Homes

• Christmas Stocking & Easter Baskets for Aid for Women

The SPC Life Team will meet monthly on Wednesdays during the lunch/recess period. (We will tentatively meet the 2nd Wednesday of each month). Life Team students (in 8th Grade) will earn service hours for each service project. Life Team students (in 7th Grade) will earn service hours beginning 3rd Trimester.

Teacher Sponsors: 
Ms. Ciupinski & Dr. Ochsner 
*Please contact Ms. Ciupinski ([email protected]) for any questions or concerns.

Tuesdays, 2:00-3:00
Chess is fun for all ages and exercises the brain. Chess also teaches life skills; problem solving, decision-making, coping, patience, concentration, discipline in thinking and behavior. Chess provides an intellectual foundation that will serve the students well in all they pursue. This is a professional chess program presented by Chess-Ed, staffed by United States Chess Federation certified instructors, for both beginning and continuing students. 

Pre-Ballet for PS/PK: Tuesdays, 2:00-3:00

Primary Ballet for K-2nd: Tuesdays 3:00-4:00

Spanish Club for Grades PS-2
K-2nd Tuesdays 2:00-2:45
PS Tuesdays 3:00-3:45

Academic Team is a team of 8th grade students who compete against other junior high Chicagoland schools in academic competition. Students are chosen from the 8th grade after taking a test, which is a match from a former competition. The top ten achieving students on this test are invited to the team.

The students practice twice a week throughout the year and are invited to various competitions at Chicagoland high schools. They also compete in online competitions throughout the Midwest.

The format of the meets are based on toss-up and bonus questions from the curriculum areas of history, literature, science, sports, and pop culture. Participants benefit from exposure to a broad range of school and cultural subjects, memorization and study skills, and an improved ability to cooperate and work in teams.

Cub Scouts (Boys, Grades 1-5)

Boy Scouts (Boys, Grades 6-8)

Daisy Girl Scouts  (Girls, Grades K-1)

Brownie Girl Scouts (Girls, Grades 2-3)

Junior Girl Scouts (Girls, Grades 4-5)

St. Paul of the Cross School is proud to be a part of Park Ridge Public Library’s Battle of the Books. 

Our SPC Battle of the Books Team practices once per week during lunch in the Library throughout the fall and winter months. The meets are held on Mondays and Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 pm, in January and go through late February. 

Our creative staff creates unique and fun-filled after-school clubs for all ages each fall, winter, and spring. Before the sessions, we email the club descriptions and registration links to our families and include all of the information in the Thursday mailings.