Choosing Which Club- A Difficult Decision for Middle Schoolers

With nearly two dozen choices, it's no easy task for Overlake Middle Schoolers to decide how to spend their club time. 

Each quarter middle school students in grades 6-8 have many club options. Some are perennial favorites like, Basketball Club and Impact Club. There are also some interesting new options, like the School of Rock and Dissection Club. 

Middle school clubs meet on B and F days, and there are new offerings (and new signups) every quarter.

Below is a look at the offerings our students had to choose from. They begin their first club time on September 6th. 

6th Grade Debate Club – Ms. Blackburn: Do you like to argue? Are you good at research, problem solving and teamwork? If this sounds like you, become a part of Overlake's middle school debate team by joining this exclusively 6th grade club. You will have the opportunity to compete in the debate tournaments held throughout the first semester if you join this club.

Basketball Club – Mr. Wiley: MS Basketball Club = Tons of playin’ ball!

Dissection Club – Ms. Pan: Are you interested in seeing how things work? As a group, we will be dissecting all sorts of things from old technology to plants to some animal organs! Be wary of our club times as they are all before lunch, so if you get queasy, easily, think twice before signing up.

Fantasy Football – Mr. Hufstader: Is your homework getting in the way of your fantasy football research? If the answer is yes, then this club is for you. You will have time to do research and talk all the fantasy football you want, that way you will have plenty of time to do homework when you get home! Everyone in the club will draft and manage their team throughout the NFL season. Think you have what it takes to be the Middle School fantasy football champ? Come and join.

Art on Overlake Walls – C. Jaap: In this club, MS students will create and apply a design to an interior wall within the Overlake campus. This could be an office or a classroom, and is limited by the "Occupancy Factor" - this means, is the wall in a place empty of people during the club time? This factor is very important. I will ask ALL our teachers and staff to find out who has a wall AND our club time free for us to work. Then, we will work with that person to find out what sort of design they might want on their wall. We will NOT be doing "photo-like" realistic murals - instead, design concepts - colors, patterns, etc. This will be about one wall for the entire club - not one wall per club member. As the project progresses, we will choose certain weekends to come in to the school to work. These weekends are not required, but painting parties are FAR more productive that the usual 45 minutes we get per week for a club activity. Want to paint on a wall? Then join this club!

Halloween Costume Club – Ms. Baquero Garcia: Have you ever wanted to make your own Halloween Costume? Do you feel like you have some sewing or handicrafts skills? If the answer to these are a "yes" then come make your own Halloween Costume. You can create something out of cardboard, or make something out of fabric or other materials. Bring your creativity and willingness to do the work that it will take to make an awesome costume for our celebration, or for your own neighborhood walk. The first day we will work on your ideas, the second we will go on a shopping trip to Ben Franklin's for any on your last-minute needs (though you are encouraged to go shopping with your folks the weekend before, and even better, you are encouraged to recycle materials as much as you can), and then we will have five (5) club times to work on your creations during club time. It is likely that you will have to work on your creations at home too depending on your plans, but taking this club will give you the time and drive to complete your great creations!

Harry Potter Puzzle Club – Krummy: Do you love all things Harry Potter? Do you need to de-stress during the day? Do you need to “slow down” and be more patient? Do you want to improve your spatial recognition skills? Do you need to “un-plug” and get away from screens and all things digital? Do you get a kick out of solving puzzles? Do you want to listen to Harry Potter audio books? If you answered “YES” to any of these questions then the HARRY POTTER PUZZLE CLUB is for you! Each club day we’ll slow down, relax, de-stress and assemble jig-saw puzzles of various Harry Potter related scenes and book covers. While we assemble puzzles we’ll have the books read to us by Jim Dale, who does unique voices for all the characters in the books and reads the books VERBATIM!! 

Impact Club – Ms. Mahmoodzadeh & Ms. Xu: North Dakota Pipeline, Black Lives Matter, Syria refugee crisis, gender wage gap, Islamophobia, - are these issues you wish to understand more? Do you want to be a leader of change in your Overlake community? This is a club that addresses diversity, social justice, equality and human rights. Students will also have an opportunity to contribute to the MLK assembly.

Intermediate Strings – Mr. Lotz: This club is actually a class. Please speak with Mr. Lotz if you are not already signed up.

Ping Pong Club – Mr. Jackson: Tired of the same old lack-luster middle school clubs? Bored with GOLA and UFO? Looking for a positive, intense, competitive experience. Want to make new life-long friends? Want to learn how to make a wicked topspin return? Then Ping Pong Club is for you! Join us for some friendly competition, and test your skills against Mr. Jackson.

Racquetsports – Mr. Iezzi: Students will play the games of tennis, badminton, and pickleball. This club is for all levels from beginner to experienced. We will learn rules and strategies and play games for fun!

Random Club – Ms. Thomas: Have you ever had one of those days where it would be awesome to have someone help you find your smile? Have you ever thought how fun it would be to help create a welcoming and FUN atmosphere for others? WELL, the RANDOM CLUB is just what you need in your life! This club will gather to brainstorm wacky, fun and thoughtful ways to help make Overlake Middle School an amazing place to come every day! We will focus on semi-simple acts of kindness. You will NOT want to miss this fun opportunity! Join Mrs. Thomas in RANDOM acts of kindness shenanigans! 

School of Rock – Mr. Simonet: In this club, we will learn how to play music together; explore different styles of popular music like blues, rock, country, punk and their variations; become familiar with the usual gear (amps, effects, mixers) and learn how to use them. We will learn how to put together a set of songs for a potential show; acquire different skills related to stage presence and live performance. If everything goes well, we might even record a couple of songs and a videoclip!  Above all we will foster the idea of a band as a tight community where members learn from each other, support each other, and grow together as individuals.

Ultimate Frisbee Only (UFO) - Mr. Bradbury: - Needing an ultimate moment for a disc break?  How about giving Ultimate Frisbee Only Club a spin?  Run around attempting only the most spectacular diving catches and trick throws or jogging passively down the sideline as a decoy then bolt for a long shot to the end zone. Either way, you’re part of the game. Come play! This club meets outside in rain or shine!

Workout Club – Mr. Bennett: Come to the fantastic Overlake exercise room during club time, work out on the machines and other gear, hang out with your friends, listen to some great music, and be healthy! This club is about exercise, relaxation and fun. You will learn how to use the different machines and gear in the room safely and effectively to get the most out of your workout.  You’ll work out at your own pace, keeping active for all of club time, and returning to your regular classes energized and refreshed! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to tone up your abs, work on your pecs, strengthen your lats, buff up those quads and get those biceps bulging. Join the fun!

Yearbook Club – Mr. Llanos & Ms. Jasper: Time to represent Middle School in what's traditionally been an Upper School production. Try your hand at designing pages, taking/editing photos and writing short pieces for Yearbook. Editor-in-Chief Devika Chipalkatti and Advisers Miguel Llanos and Heather Jasper will work with MS students to incorporate their ideas and work into the 2017-18 yearbook.

Study Hall – Ms. Mansour & Ms. Mihata:  Students who choose not to take part in clubs will be placed in study hall which meets in Ms. Mansour’s Room (sometimes the Campus Center when notified). 7th and 8th graders only, same expectations as normal study hall.

Clubs not offered during club blocks:

Robotics – Mr. Cowan: Meets after school on Monday and Wednesday from 3:15-4:30pm, starting September 6. We’ll begin creating and solving our own challenges utilizing both the Lego EV3 brick (Mindstorms) system, and whatever other materials the club deems necessary. The goal is to stretch our robotic muscles while having a good time, and to expand our general knowledge of what robotics is, how it can be used, and in what ways it has been used. Bring your ideas, wishes, and examples (making sure to carefully identify them) to share, and to use as a basis for brainstorming with our Mindstorming. Students do not need to commit to both days.

Math Club – Ms. Flora and Ms. Noble: Meets Wednesday mornings at 7:20 starting September 20.  More information and signups after retreats.