AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE CLUB - Ms. Sherry
The goal of the club is to further our knowledge of a different language and make it so that kids who couldn’t take the class can still learn. We play games, get homework done, and learn some new words through activities. The American Sign Language Club is inclusive for all students, not just ones who already take ASL.

APPS FOR THE COMMUNITY CLUB - Ms. Fearrington
The goal of this club is to help non-profits by creating apps to aid in their efforts. Students will work on reaching out to local non-profits that may need our help, meet to discuss what type of apps could help them and then work together to create them.

ASPIRING MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS CLUB (AMPC) - Ms. Pirek
Our goal is to motivate and educate students who are interested in pursuing careers in the medical field. AMPC will bring in guest speakers from a large variety of medical fields. Members can make recommendations of potential guest speakers, and they can invite and interview speakers. Members can also ask guest speakers questions to gain knowledge of a potential career path. There can also be a potential for a fundraising aspect, where funds can be donated to a selected medical research organization.

ASTRONOMY CLUB – Mr. McCain
If you want to learn more about the night sky, join our group! We will be learning to recognize constellations, learn about night sky objects and astronomy tools, and have fun getting together to view night sky objects through telescopes (or if it’s cloudy we can watch space movies). If you have a telescope to bring to viewing parties - great! If not, you can look through ours! Everyone is welcome!

CHESS CLUB – Mr. Fleet
This club involves both casual games with friends and competitors with professional instruction to help in the development of every member’s chess skills. The club, while providing a wide variety of new opponents, is a great way to make new friends and have a good time. Come check us out some time; we accept players of all skill levels.

CHINESE CLUB – Ms. Watts
The Chinese Club is organized to allow students to spend time with other students who have an interest in the Chinese language and culture. Activities include attending Chinese films, going shopping in a Chinese supermarket, playing Chinese board games, celebrating Chinese festivals, and after school cooking fun.

CODING CLUB - Ms. Fearrington
In Coding Club, we explore online coding activities from making games to building websites! We work with online coding platforms and coding languages that will require students to use their problem solving and creative skills. You don't need any coding experience at all, and you will gain knowledge on coding as we do fun projects individually and in groups! With not too much of a time commitment (meets are only twice a month), you can do this club along with sports or other activities!

CONNECT 4 CANCER – Ms. Bombard
Connect 4 Cancer club will work with a pediatric oncology office and help support children that are being treated for cancer. The club will plan donation drives and create other opportunities to support the children and their families.

CYBER SECURITY CLUB - Ms. Fearrington
The purpose of the Cyber Security Club is to learn how to identify and remediate cyber security vulnerabilities. Club members will learn the methods of combating cyber security vulnerabilities and will prepare for and compete in online competitions in May.

DEBATE TEAM – Mr. Murphy
The Simsbury High School Debate Team provides students with opportunities to demonstrate, practice, and improve their speaking skills through extemporaneous debate. During weekly practice, students learn the elements of debate and engage in practice debates with other Simsbury students. During the fall and winter months, students also have the opportunity to compete at Connecticut Debate Association tournaments throughout the state. All debate topics arise from current domestic and international controversies.

DECA (formerly FBLA) – Ms. Manning
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.  Goals include developing character; creating interest/understanding in business; and encouraging efficient money management. Participation in this extra-curricular activity includes two meetings a month (before school and evenings) as well as involvement in civic, community, and fund-raising events. The members of DECA operate the School Store.

EARTH'S ADVOCATES – Ms. Barker
Earth’s Advocates is an environmental club dedicated to helping the earth. The club does various activities such as fundraising for environmental causes and volunteering at coastal and local cleanups. Everyone is welcome and together they work to make a difference.

FIRST ROBOTICS – Mr. Manchester and Mr. Palinkas
FIRST Robotics Competition, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, (FRC), is an exciting multinational competition to promote student interest in the dynamic and creative area of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Student teams are mentored by practicing engineers, business people, teachers and other established FIRST teams. In FRC, students take on various roles in the design and building of a robot, as well as fundraising, marketing, and community outreach. One of the community outreach opportunities is serving as a mentor for the FIRST Lego teams starting up in the elementary schools, incorporating teamwork, leadership, and professionalism.

FRENCH CLUB– Ms. Christolini
French Club allows students to spend time with other students who have an interest in the French language and culture. Students get together to learn and experience French music, film, food and activities!

GAP YEAR CLUB– Ms. Cormier
Anyone planning to take a Gap Year or even just learn about/share plans for the summer are invited join the Gap Year Club. The club is for students to be able to support each other, share ideas and plans, possibly travel together, explore opportunities together, brainstorm, and apply to colleges for those of us who decided it was best to take a year for various reasons.  Having friends and connecting with those planning and pursuing a similar experience and perhaps linking up can be a great support system as our usual friend groups depart for their first year of college.  The USA Gap Year Fair that School Counseling recommended suggested that the gap year could be organized into four quarters, or not.  

GSA (GENDER-SEXUALITY ALLIANCE) – Dr. Younse and Ms. Saltzman
The Gender-Sexuality Alliance is a club that discusses current events around the world where LGBT equality has materialized in culture and politics. GSA also provides a safe, non-judgmental space for all who join. This club is for anyone who supports and would take pride in promoting the GSA club and LGBT equality.

HARTS FOR MUSIC - Ms. Saltzman
The goal of Harts for Music is to provide funding and materials to a school in Hartford with an underfunded music department. Students will plan fundraisers, participate in the fundraisers and collect donations. This club is a great way to get more involved in the music department and give back to the community!

HOPE FOR THE HOMELESS - Mr. Nielson
This is a club dedicated to helping the homeless with basic needs. They organize collections for items like clothing and bath supplies. The club also plans volunteer trips to local soup kitchens to prepare and serve meals.

HORTICULTURE CLUB – Mr. Bopp
The Horticulture Club works on beautifying our school and the courtyard area in addition to learning about plants and landscaping design. We'll be working on plans for the school's landscaping.

KEY CLUB of SIMSBURY HIGH SCHOOL – Ms. Kozieradzki
 The Key Club is an international organization that is dedicated to helping others and serving the community. As the largest high school service club in the world, the Key Club gives students a variety of opportunities to build character, develop leadership skills, and provide service. At SHS, we hope to establish a presence at the school where we can make a difference in the classroom as well as outside the classroom. In the local community, we hope to connect with other service organizations to volunteer together.

LISTENERS & LYRICS CLUB – Mr. Turgeon 
Our goal is for students with a love for music and lyrics to have a chance to go deeper into their favorite lyrics and artists with their peers. Our members will be choosing songs to discuss with each other while having fun watching music videos, playing games, and discovering new music. Anyone and all musical tastes are welcome!

MATH LEAGUE – Ms. Meyer and Ms. Long
This club is composed of a group of students who enjoy doing mathematical problems for fun – and open to all students. Simsbury's Math League competes in the Capital Area Math League, which is composed of twenty-four area schools. The group competes six times a year ending the season with a banquet in May.

MODEL UN – Mr. Faithfull
The Simsbury High School Model United Nations provides students with the opportunity to review and interpret modern global issues from international perspectives. Weekly meetings throughout the fall session allow students to discover and evaluate current events across a range of topics and viewpoints. This includes a trip to New York City to visit the UN and speak with mission delegates of selected countries. Students then write resolutions, assuming the perspectives of those counties. In the winter, resolutions are represented and debated in a two-day mock United Nations session among hundreds of other Model UN participants from across Connecticut.

MURAL CLUB – Ms. Ciciotte
Mural Club is dedicated to filling SHS will color and beauty. The group will design and create murals in various locations throughout the school.

PINNACLE YEARBOOK CLUB – Ms. Averill and Ms. Ascazubi,
All students are invited to participate in the design and development of the Pinnacle yearbook. Though upperclassmen are usually assigned to leadership roles and editorial positions, this is a wonderful opportunity for others to learn about all aspects of the production and publishing of the yearbook. Students who have an interest in writing, editing, advertising, marketing, graphic design, and photography are encouraged to become a part of the yearbook team!

POLICE CADETS – Mr. Weinbach and Officer Brittell
Project Paw is a club dedicated to raising money to support local animal shelters and rescue organizations. Members will have the opportunity to vote on an organization to support every semester, and be involved in the process of planning and carrying out a fundraiser for the chosen organization.

PROJECT PAW CLUB – Mrs. Barker
Project Paw is a club dedicated to raising money to support local animal shelters and rescue organizations. Members will have the opportunity to vote on an organization to support every semester, and be involved in the process of planning and carrying out a fundraiser for the chosen organization. The goal of this club is to give back to the various organizations in our community that have saved the lives of so many animals.

SPANISH CLUB – Ms. Kozieradzki
The Spanish Club is for students of all grades who wish to further explore the cultures related to Spanish-speaking countries. We meet approximately once a month to practice our Spanish, make crafts, prepare and eat foods, listen to music, sing, watch movies, or organize service projects - all related to Spanish speakers around the world and at home.

STOCK MARKET CLUB – Mr. Avery
In the Stock Market Club, students engage in an inter-school competition where they need to manage a virtual portfolio. During the year, the group meets to discuss trading strategies that help them during this process. The markets are fickle, challenging, but lucrative. There is no substitute for experience.

STUDENT COUNCIL – Ms. Averill 
Student Council is a group of student leaders that acts as a resource for the student body and the administration for any student concerns and ideas. This organization will give students experiences practicing leadership skills, planning events, and working with school and community members to make Simsbury High School the best it can be for students. In addition to the executive officers of the Council, Student Council is composed of the executive officers of all four classes (grades 9 - 12) as well as six elected representatives from each class. All of these positions are elected by the student body. This group is responsible for special events, service projects, school climate surveys, school spirit activities, and any other activities of interest to the student body.

STUDENTS OF COLOR ALLIANCE - Ms. Hogan
The goal of this club is to give students of color at SHS a space to talk about their experiences and make connections. We will discuss current events, school-specific issues, watch movies/ documentaries about race, sponsor speakers, as well as host fundraisers for nonprofits fighting racism. We hope these discussions serve as a way to engage members of the SHS community, as well as lead to a more nuanced understanding of today’s issues.

STUDENTS OF FAITH – Ms. Henry and Ms. Ecker
Students meet weekly to encourage one another in faith and gain a better understanding of what it means to be a follower of God.

TROJAN TIMES NEWSPAPER – Mr. Mudano and Mrs. Hogan
The Trojan Times is the school’s newspaper. It is written, published, and produced by a student staff which welcomes any and all students with an interest in any area of journalism, photography, or graphic arts.

TROJAN WALL – Ms. Garabaldi and Ms. Golden
This group is a student "spirit group," established to generate positive spirit and support for teams and activities within the SHS school community. All students are welcome to join and become active participants in SHS student life!

WISH CLUB – Ms. Donnell
The  primary focus of the Wish Club is to do fundraising and volunteering mainly for Make-A-Wish Connecticut. We help with fundraisers, and participate in holiday activities. Some examples of our activities are writing holiday cards for Christmas and helping with Macy's donations to Make-A-Wish letters for Santa. There's also a winter wonderland volunteering opportunity and a walk in May for our club members. This is a great opportunity to help kids in need, and give back to our Connecticut community.

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT CLUB – Ms. Weiser
The Women’s Empowerment Club (formerly SAGE) strives to improve the school climate, raise awareness of women’s social and political issues, and promote activism.

YOUNG REPUBLICANS CLUB – Mr. Nielson
The primary mission of the Young Republicans is to share, promote and spread the message of the Republican Party. The club meets weekly and holds discussions and meetings about various political topics.

E-SPORTS – Mr. Nielson
Simsbury's E-Sports team is a competitive CIAC/NFHS sanctioned interscholastic team sport that plays League of Legends.  The team has been very successful playing League of Legends since it started three years ago. They play two seasons each year,  the late fall and another in early spring. The team meets two or three times a week during the season for practices and competitions in the SHS Library Media Center Lab 1. 

FENCING – Ms. Saunders and Mr. Palmer
Fencing is a unique sport based on the traditional European rules of dueling in which two competitors face off on a fencing strip. Using the foil both offensively and defensively, the fencer tries to score points on their opponent while protecting their target areas. Fencing is a co-ed, winter club sport. Practices prepare fencers by developing the art and skills of fencing. The team participates in several competitions throughout the season.  April Magazine — En Garde: Simsbury High Has Only Fencing Team in Valley

UNIFIED SPORTS® – Ms. Bulmer and Mr. Spector
Unified Sports® is a registered program of Special Olympics that combines approximately equal numbers of athletes with and without intellectual disability on sports teams for training and competition. All Unified Sports® players, both athletes and special partners, are of similar age and matched sport skill ability. Unified Sports® teams are placed in competitive divisions based on their skill abilities, and range from training divisions (with a skill-learning focus) to high level competition. The Simsbury High School unified sports program is a co-ed team that participates in three sports during the course of the year . . . soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and volleyball in the spring. The team practices one day per week and competes at various tournaments throughout the school year. Check out the SHS Unified Sports website for more information!

 

We do not have any dance clubs at this time.

Students are invited to join these honor associations based upon attainment of specific criteria related to each organization.

CHINESE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY – Ms. Watts
The Chinese Club is affiliated with the Chinese Language Association of Secondary Schools (CLASS) and promotes and recognizes students who demonstrate citizenship, leadership, and community service. 

COMPUTER SCIENCE HONOR SOCIETY - Ms. Fearington
National organization - The purpose of the CSHS is to cultivate thriving environments for success in computer science in the school community by encouraging students’ enthusiasm, honoring academic excellence, and promoting service. CSHS members provide meaningful service to the local community and demonstrate commitment to improving equity in computer science.

FRENCH NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY – Ms. Christolini
The French National Honor Society is affiliated with the American Association of Teachers of French and is dedicated to the promotion of the French language and culture through music, film, food and activities. Club members offer tutoring in French for other students at SHS.

INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN SOCIETY – Dr. Younse
The International Thespian Society is an international honor society, founded in 1928, to recognize excellence in high school theatre. Students must earn points through participation in the theatre department in order to be inducted into the society. The group sponsors workshops, social events, and service events for the Simsbury High School theatre community. For more specific information, please contact Dr. Younse.

MU ALPHA THETA (MATHEMATICS HONOR SOCIETY) - Ms. Zackeo
The Simsbury High School Chapter of Mu Alpha Theta is part of the National High School & Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society. The purpose of this organization is to promote scholarship in and enjoyment and understanding of mathematics among high school students. At regular meetings, the program shall consist of a mathematical presentation (e.g., talk, film, etc.), mathematical enrichment and recreational topics, as well as conducting any necessary chapter business. Members are high school students in grades 9 through 12 who have completed the equivalent of two years of college preparatory mathematics, including an Algebra 2 course, and in addition have completed or are enrolled in a third college preparatory mathematics course, providing their mathematical work was done with distinction. Meetings are open to all interested persons, not just members of Mu Alpha Theta. A member must complete 20 hours of service approved by the faculty advisor. This may include tutoring in the Math Lab or holding approved study sessions for midterms and finals.

NATIONAL ART HONOR SOCIETY – Ms. Gagne and Ms. Arbesman
This society is for sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have and maintain an 85 or above average in their art classes. Student responsibilities include: posters, assisting teachers in art related areas, set up and take down of the Art Show. There are several fund raising events to benefit a National Art Honor Society senior who is pursuing a career in art. Students will attend weekly/biweekly meetings directly after school.

NATIONAL BUSINESS HONOR SOCIETY – Ms. Manning
The National Business Honor Society recognizes outstanding junior and senior students who have completed or are enrolled in their third business course and have a 3.0 GPA overall, and a 3.5 GPA in completed business courses. Students accepted for membership are honored at an induction ceremony in the fall and complete a service learning project during the school year.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY– Ms. Williams and Mr. Diana
If a junior has a G.P.A. of 3.7 and the members of the faculty deem his/her qualities of character, leadership, and service to be outstanding, then that student is invited to become a member. National Honor Society is primarily a service organization. Members tutor students with academic difficulties, organize a blood drive for the Red Cross, and provide service to the SHS community as requested. Members raise money for local scholarships and for a variety of charitable causes including cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, and local food banks.

LATIN NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY - Ms. Riel
The National Junior Classical League Latin Honor Society will be open yearly to juniors and seniors in Latin 3, 4 and 5 who meet the following requirements: 1) an 89.5% average or better in current Latin course, 2) are members in good standing of the school's chapter of the NJCL, and 3) exemplify good citizenship. Members will participate in activities such as tutoring Latin students and assisting with the Connecticut State Latin Day. Students must continue to meet all the requirements every year and be re-elected every year in order for their membership to remain current and in order to receive cords their senior year.

NATIONAL TECHNICAL HONOR SOCIETY – Mr. Compton
The National Technical Honor Society helps schools recognize students for their achievement in career and technical education CTE). To be considered for membership, students  must have 1.5 CTE credits and concurrent enrollment another CTE course, a 3.5 CTE GPA, complete 10 service hours per year,  attend at least one meeting per marking period, and have a career interest in CTE. 

SCIENCE HONOR SOCIETY – Mr. Berthiaume
Simsbury High School's Science Honor Society  offers students the opportunity to learn about new concepts in science. Members can volunteer for tutoring science classes such as physics and chemistry. They also plan fundraisers for technology and science facilities at SHS. 

SPANISH NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY - Ms. Scheer and Ms. Kozieradzki
The Spanish National Honor Society recognizes high achievement in Spanish by the students of Simsbury High School and supports continuity of interest in Hispanic studies.

TRI - M MUSIC HONOR SOCIETY – Ms. Abel and Ms. Saltzman
Tri-M is an international Music Honor Society. It is comprised of students from 10th, 11th, and 12th grades who are actively involved in choir, orchestra, band or jazz ensemble. Students are nominated based on criteria set by the school's local charter and the international Tri-M board of MENC. The group is active in community as well as music services and is a forum of unification of the entire high school music program.

GOSPEL CHOIR – Ms. Saltzman
Gospel Choir is an extracurricular singing group available to all SHS students and faculty members. The group will rehearse after school in the choir room on Thursdays from 2:30-3:30. This is a great opportunity for new and experienced singers to perform in African-American Gospel style. While most Gospel music is religious, this is not a religious club. People of all backgrounds are invited! There are refreshments available at every rehearsal!

S.T.U.M.P.A. (Serving to Unite Musical Performing Arts) - Ms. Lush Fausel
The goal of S.T.U.M.P.A. is to go out into the community and perform music for everyone to enjoy. There will be performance venues at various retirement homes around Simsbury and some restaurants as well. Members meet together in a performance-like setting after school, where students will perform in front of their peers and receive critical feedback. This is especially helpful for recital or audition pieces. All students that are taking or have taken band, orchestra or chorus are welcome to join. As an added bonus, refreshments will be provided!

For information about other extracurricular music offerings at SHS, please check out Music & Performing Arts!

Angela Griffin, Director
Marie DeKemper, Department Secretary

For information about theater programs at SHS, please check out Music & Performing Arts!

FALL ONE ACTS – Dr. Younse
The Fall One Act Festival, held every school year in late October, is a professionally judged competition of one act plays. Several plays are directed by seniors, each with a cast that contains a particular grade level (9 – 12). This creates an excellent opportunity for 9th grade students to get involved and be on stage in major roles just a few months into their time at the high school. All plays perform on the same day and professionals from the theater works adjudicate and provide feedback and awards to the students. Auditions usually happen the second week of school. This is a great way to get to know the theater program at SHS.

WINTER MUSICAL – Dr. Younse
The Winter Musical is a major stage show that begins rehearsals in November and performs in February. The show is an elaborate, intense experience, which usually includes a cast of at least 50 actors, a sizeable number of musicians in the orchestra, and several students working behind the scenes to create an incredible and memorable show. Past shows include Les Miserables, Annie, and West Side Story. This year’s show will be announced during the fall. It is a great way to gain experience and practice with acting, singing, and dancing.

SPRING PLAY – Dr. Younse
The Spring Play is the final production of the Theater Program each year. It begins rehearsals in March and performs during the month of May. Over time, the shows will expose students to a wide variety of styles and let them experience many different kinds of theater. Students can gain practical acting experience and be a part of a fun and intense production. Shows in previous years included The Laramie Project, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and The Crucible. This year’s show will be announced during the winter months. Casts always include students from every grade level.

UNIFIED THEATER – Ms. Flowers and Ms. Lattore
Unified Theater is a student-led program that brings students together to write, rehearse and perform an original theater piece. The goal is for the students to facilitate inclusion through the arts and to give all students the opportunity to learn from one another. The group includes students of all abilities, interests, and backgrounds and is flexible to different students’ needs. All students are welcome to participate as actors, singers, dancers, writers, directors, technicians and artists.