ACTIVITIES

ACADEMIC JUNIOR HIGH DECATHLON

Middle school students have the opportunity to represent their school in the Academic Junior High Decathlon , a statewide academic competition held once a year. Students spend months training in the team Super Quiz subjects such as logic, math, religion and literature. They also specialize in a topic for individual tests. This competition allows the students to excel in a non-athletic arena, improve knowledge and study skills, and work as a team.

AFTER-SCHOOL ATHLETICS

St. Lawrence is a member of the Central Division of the Catholic School Athletic League of the Diocese of San Jose. Students in grades 5-8 are invited to participate on an athletic team each season. Boys' sports include fall flag football, winter basketball, spring volleyball; girls' include fall volleyball, winter basketball, and spring softball. A coed track and field team is formed in the late spring.

All interested students are encouraged to participate and the teams have a no- cut policy. The Catholic School Athletic League is a recreational league dedicated to the purpose of building skills and life-long fitness.

BOOK CLUBS

The Librarian sponsors book clubs for 4 th and 5 th grade students and for Middle School students. Students meet with the Librarian at lunchtime once a week to discuss the books they are reading. Membership is open to interested students.

CHESS CLUB

The Chess Club is open to Middle School students and meets once a week after school in the Science Laboratory. The club provides an opportunity for interested students to increase their skills and participate in school tournaments.

CHOIR

The student choir performs at weekly Masses, Christmas and Spring concerts, and at the annual Diocesan Choral Festival. All interested students in grades 3-8 are invited to join the choir, which practices on Tuesday mornings before school.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Interested students work with the Student Council and the elementary science teacher to prepare the recycling of cans and plastic for redemption. Additionally, each classroom and the offices have containers for recyling paper, which are picked up weekly.

GARDEN CLUB

St. Lawrence 3rd graders, under the guidance of their teacher and parent volunteers, are learning about planting, tending, and harvesting vegetables. To support the California Life Sciences outcomes, the students have a Garden Club. They take the garden they begin in the spring of 2 nd grade from seed to harvest. All year, enjoying the fruits of their labor, they eat their very own broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, green onions, radishes and other tasty treats. The following spring beautiful flowers bloom. These students are on their way to becoming gardeners extraordinaire.

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE

First Lego League involves students ages 9 ? 14 in building robots from kits for an annual competition. Interested students are invited to participate.

PIANO LESSONS

Private piano lessons are available after school. This is a parent-pay program and information is available in the school office.

SAFETY PATROL

Fifth grade students are trained by the Santa Clara Police Department as traffic guards on the school yard to assist with traffic safety before and after school. The fifth grade teacher is the supervisor for Safety Patrol.

SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

Interested students in grades 5-8, under the direction of the Librarian, create a school newspaper to report news and accomplishments of the student body as a whole as well as individuals.

SOCIAL OUTREACH AND SERVICE PROJECTS

Each class sponsors a service project for a month during the school year. Through these projects, students are actively involved in learning about world crises and what help they can provide. The projects range from school supplies for students in Mexico , to winter coats and blankets and toiletries for the homeless, and Lenten Rice Bowls. Each classroom designs their plan to encourage participation of the rest of the school and oversees the collection, sorting, and distribution of the items.

STUDENT COUNCIL

The Student Council is composed of nine elected positions and representatives from grades 3 – 8. They plan and execute school wide events such as Spirit Week and Catholic Schools Week activities. They conduct the morning opening prayer services and the monthly assemblies, as well as planning one 7th and 8th grade dance each year. They run the annual February Val-0-gram sale and host one school wide educational event each year, such as Author Day.

SWIM TEAM

Membership on the St. Lawrence Swim Team is open to all students who meet the minimum requirements of being age 5 and able to swim the length of the pool. The team practices after school and participates in local swim meets.

YEARBOOK

The Yearbook Club, under the direction of a faculty member, designs and prepares the yearbook for publication each year. Interested students in grades 5-8 may sign up to work on the yearbook.

 

St. Lawrence Elementary and Middle Schools do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and/or ethnic origin, sex or disability in administration of educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.