Extracurricular Activities

We encourage our students to notice the talents and interests that God has given them and to invest in them as good stewards of the Father's gifts! Below is a sample of the ways in which students can grow their before, during or after-school interests.

STUDENT COUNCIL (Grades 6-8)
The St. Joseph School Student Council is comprised of students that are elected from their class to take on leadership roles in the school. The Student Council meets every other week to plan service activities, coordinate fund-raising efforts for service projects, plan student social events, and promote school community building.

SAFETY PATROL (Grades 5-8)
The St. Joseph School Safety Patrol assists with morning drop-off and after school dismissal of students. Students are responsible for implementing safety procedures and assisting young students. The Safety Patrol also participates in social activities such as Tigers Day in Detroit and a Pistons outing.

BOYS SCOUTS/CUB SCOUTS (Grades K-8)
St. Joseph School students participate in the St. Joseph ParishBoy Scouts Pack. Tigers, Wolves, Bears, and Webelos meet as individual groups and gather for a monthly Pack Meeting at the school. Older Boy Scouts meet weekly at the school to plan activities and events. 

GIRL SCOUTS/DAISIES (Grades K-8)
Girls have the opportunity to join one of many Girl Scouts Troops that meet at St. Joseph School. Troops are formed based on the age of the girls and individual meetings are held at the school and off campus.

FIRST GRADE/EIGHTH GRADE BUDDIES (Grades 1 and 8)
First-graders and eighth-graders are paired up for a year of mentoring and bonding. The buddies meet on a weekly basis for tutoring and activities. Older students exhibit leadership skills as they teach and model Christian values with the younger set in the school. Preschoolers are also paired up with a middle school buddy for Mass.

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY (Grades 7-8)
Students may apply and are accepted to be members of the Junior National Honor Society based on academics and leadership. The Junior National Honor Society meets several times a year and participates in service projects at our school and in the community.

FIFTH GRADE/KINDERGARTEN BUDDIES (Grades K and 5)
Fifth graders work closely with the kindergarten class to provide extra help and assistance with academics and social interaction. Buddies spend time together each week reading, writing, working on computer skills, and sharing social time together.

BEGINNER/ADVANCED BAND (Grades 4-8)
Band is held before school twice a week. Students are offered the opportunity to explore many instruments including brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings and others. Students have two major performances each year and also play for special occasions.

STAR SINGERS/MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOIR
(Grades 4/5 and 6-8) Both choirs meet once a week to share their gifts and talents in song. The choirs have two major performances each year, but also perform for special events. The choirs have also performed for the local nursing home and retirement center.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL (Grades 4-8)
Each spring our school puts on a musical with the help of our music teacher, parents, students and staff. Musicals we've done in the past include "Annie," "Mary Poppins," "The Wizard of Oz," and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."

DESTINATION IMAGINATION
(Grades K-8) Every grade level has the opportunity to form a Destination ImagiNation team. Teams of five to seven members work together to apply creativity, critical thinking and their particular talents to solve a Team Challenge. The Destination ImagiNation Team Challenge is a challenge that is solved over a period of eight weeks or more. There are five competitive Team Challenges from which teams may choose, each with its own educational focus. Each Team Challenge is designed to be open-ended and solvable in many ways and on many levels. St. Joseph School has gone on to the World Competition for the past two years!

ROBOTICS TEAM (Grades 6-8)
Our FIRST Tech Challenge team- Mecha Mavs team 15486 includes students in grades 6-8.  FIRST tech challenge teams are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format. Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles, while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and working as a team. The robot kit is reusable from year to year and can be coded using a variety of levels of Java-based programming. Teams design and build robots, raise funds, design and market their team brand, and do community outreach to earn specific awards. Each season concludes with regional championship events and an exciting FIRST Championship.

SKI CLUB (All grades)
This club is a great opportunity to learn to ski and snowboard at a discounted rate at Pine Knob. A club card includes 2 ski lessons or 1 snowboarding lesson for a one-time fee of $20. A club card for the adults does not include lessons but can also be purchased for $20. The club card can be presented by students Monday-Friday after 3:00 for a discounted lift ticket, and adults also get a discounted lift ticket on our weekly club night.

AMERICA AND ME ESSAY CONTEST (Grade 8)
Sponsored through Farm Bureau Insurance, the annual America & Me Essay Contest encourages Michigan eighth grade students to explore their roles in America's future. Hundreds of thousands of Michigan students have participated in the contest since its inception in 1968. St. Joseph typically has several students who have their work selected to be published in the yearly anthology.

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS (Grades 4-8)
A reading incentive program for students in grades 4th-8th. Students read books and come together to demonstrate their abilities and test their knowledge of the books they have read. Competitions are similar in style to the TV series Family Feud, but the structure and format of the competitions may vary depending on the needs, resources and personal preferences at the regional/state competition levels.

SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE (Grades 5-8)
In January of each year our school hosts a school-wide Spelling Bee. Our purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. The winner of the school bee participates in the Oakland Press Bee before moving on to the national bee.

GEOGRAPHY BEE (Grades 5-8)
Sponsored through National Geographic, the contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography. The Bee which is usually held in January is an entertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge.

EIGHTH GRADE RETREAT 
The culminating year at St. Joseph School is always a memorable experience as the 8th grade class assumes the leadership roles and responsibilities at our school. The 8th graders begin the year with a Fall retreat to establish faith-filled leadership goals and foster friendships for a year of growth as maturing young adults. The 8th Grade retreat takes place at Lions Bear Lake Camp in Lapeer.

WASHINGTON DC TRIP 
(Grade 8) In the Spring of each year, the 8th grade class has traditionally taken a week long trip to Washington DC. While in Washington DC, the St. Joseph students have the opportunity to visit The US Capital, the Smithsonian Institute, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, many memorials, and Gettysburg. A highlight is laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Washington DC trip occurs at the conclusion of the 8th grade year followed by awards and graduation.

SIXTH GRADE CAMP (Grade 6)
The sixth graders take part in 2 day-long experiences of outdoor education at Camp Howell Nature Center where they participate in team-building, environmental, and outdoor studies.

SKI TRIP (Grades 4-5)
For P.E. class, students take a field trip to Pine Knob to learn to enjoy this fun and healthy activity, whether they are beginners or advanced. We also have an afterschool ski club for all grades.

HENRY FORD MUSEUM (Grade 5)
Students get to sit in the seat where Rosa Parks changed history, learn about women’s struggles for the right to vote, and take a tour through a home of the future at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.

LANSING TRIP (Grade 4)
Fourth graders, who have learned about Michigan History, spend the day in Lansing visiting the State Capitol, the Michigan Historical Museum, and the Hall of Justice.

GREENFIELD VILLAGE TRIP (Grade 3)
History comes alive in the actual places where great American dreams were born, such as Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Laboratory, the Wright Brothers' home and workshop, Noah Webster's home and more. The celebration of the American experience is enhanced and enriched with memorable events and encounters, historic re-enactments and live demonstrations of American ingenuity. The third graders take this trip in the Spring of each year.

ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE
(Grade 3) Third graders have the opportunity to relive history in an 1877 one room schoolhouse. Students experience how one teacher taught all ages reading, writing, arithmetic, spelling, penmanship, history and geography. Boys sit on one side of the school, and girls sit on the other side. The students use the McGuffey's Reader, bake bread, make lemonade, and play authentic yard games.

CRANBROOK INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE (Grade 2)
In the Spring of each year, the second graders get to “be a dinosaur” as they journey through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. The winding passageways of this dinosaur-themed maze set the stage for a hands-on, body-in educational experience.

TRIP TO UPLAND HILLS FARM (Grade K)
Kindergartners visit the farm to learn about the animals. The farmers conduct fun and educational demonstrations including milking a cow, making butter, sheep sheering, spinning wool and a question and answer period at the end. Since the trip takes place in October, the students have a chance to visit the pumpkin patch and have a snack of cider and donuts.