There are dozens of clubs, groups, and organizations in and around Watertown High — including some new ones this year! — and they are all looking for students to join them!

To help WHS students learn more about the extra-curriculars, here below is information sent in by some of the club advisors and organizers. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the clubs’ advisors.

Hopefully, many students will be able to find activities that are right for them!

SAHELI

What we do: Saheli’s mission is to empower South Asian women and families to lead safe and healthy lives. On campus at WHS, Saheli provides support and friendship for South Asian students. Saheli hosts a yearlong College Readiness Program. It involves seminars on being a successful student in high school, planning for life after high school, exploring college and career options, and visiting local colleges. Plus, there are plenty of fun activities for building leaderships skills, inspiring teamwork, growing friendships, and participating in social activities off-campus.

When: We meet once a month from 2:30-4 p.m. in the Alumni Room. A schedule of meeting dates is created at the first meeting.

Contact: Ms. Boudreau in Room 222, [email protected], or at 617.926.7760 x36552.

BADMINTON CLUB

What we do: The club is a drop-in club open to everyone at WHS.

Please wear sneakers and comfortable clothing.

When: Badminton Club begins Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 2:35 p.m. in Room 171.

We meet on Tuesdays from 2:30-4 p.m. with the fall meetings scheduled for Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 17, Oct. 24, and Oct. 31.

Contact: Ms. Calleja is the advisor ([email protected]).

GAME CLUB

What we do: Play (device-free) games!

When: Thursdays, 2:40-3:40 p.m.

Where: Room 321.

Meetings: We have a calendar of events including throwback games, card tournaments, Magic the Gathering, bring your favorite game, etc.

Advisors: Ms. Pearlman ([email protected]) and Mr. Shrey ([email protected]).

INTERNATIONAL CLUB

What we do: Students (ESL and non-ESL) meet to discuss international events, traditions, and cultures. We share food, stories, and languages. We celebrate diversity and all are welcome!

When: First meeting — Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 a.m. in Guidance. We will discuss future meeting times based on what works for the group.

Highlights: Meet new people … Try new foods … Learn about different cultures.

Contact: Lindsy Orpen ([email protected]).

INTERACT CLUB

What we do: Community Service, such as monthly food drives, as well as assist the Rotary Club with events.

When: Varies depending on events.

Meetings: We meet 1-2 times a month, usually in the morning.

Highlights: Last year, we collaborated with the Lowell After School Program and had the younger students assist with packing the food to deliver to food pantries.

Contact: Advisor Mrs. Tracy in Guidance ([email protected]).

THE WATERTONES (A CAPPELLA CLUB)

What we do: Sing. A lot.  

When:  Tuesday nights, 7-9 p.m., every Tuesday from now until the beginning of June (with a few exceptions, and never during the weeklong vacations).

Highlights: Sing in anywhere from 4-7-part music, spanning 400+ years of music, generally a cappella.  We perform periodically, and there are Oreos to be consumed at the end of every rehearsal.

Contact: We meet in the Chorus Room (Room 237) at WHS. Email Mr. Wulf ([email protected]) if interested. It is an auditioned group, but don’t let that stop you from exploring the possibilities of becoming one of The Watertones.

MODEL UN

What we do: Members attend conferences on the regional and national level where current world affairs are discussed in a format based on that of the United Nations.

Meetings: In school — times will be determined based on student availability. Preparation for conferences also must be done independently

Highlights/goals: To increase skills in public speaking, to learn more about the world, and to work with others in a cooperative manner

Contact: Email Mr. Buck ([email protected]) or Mr. Mastro ([email protected]), or visit Room 254 to be added to mailing list concerning meetings and events.

RAIDERS STUDY CLUB

What we do: Students can have a space after school to either work on homework assignments and get extra help from teachers, or get community service hours by helping and tutoring other students.

When: The Raiders Study Club meets on Mondays and Thursdays from 2:30-4 p.m. in Room 326.

Highlights: Free snacks and water provided! Excellent opportunity to fulfill community service requirement. Access to textbooks and other school supplies. At least one teacher available for one-to-one support.

Contact: Mr. O’Neill ([email protected]).

BOOK CLUB

What we do: Do you love to read? Do you want to chat about books with other people who also love to read? Join the Book Club!

When: We meet once every month in the library to pick a book to read as a group. Thanks to a grant from the Watertown Community Foundation, you get to keep all the books we read!

Contact: See Ms. Piazza in the library for more information or to sign up.

ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB

What we do and meetings: During our meetings, we discuss ways to make our school more green and environmentally friendly. We also raise money for our club in order to fund the things we want to buy for our school.

When: Rotating between Tuesday mornings (7:30 a.m.) and afternoons (2:30 p.m.)

Highlights: In previous years we have fund-raised through bake sales and selling Watertown water bottles to buy water-filling stations/fountains for our school. We have also worked alongside with the AP Environmental classes to construct a greenhouse in our courtyard.

Contact: Jennifer MacDonald is our club advisor! Contact her at [email protected] about any questions or concerns!

HOPE SQUAD

What we do:  A mental health peer leadership club aimed at promoting awareness of mental health and prevention of suicide.

When: Mondays after school in Room 312.

Meetings: We will have our first meeting Sept. 25 and we will discuss group norms, roles, and events

Highlights: This is a new club so the members really get to make it their own. We are hoping to sponsor a few events that promote positive education and mental health awareness.  

Contact: Teresa Malone ([email protected]) or Beckett Rhodes ([email protected]), or visit Room 312.

ARMENIAN CLUB

Meetings: At our meetings, we discuss how we can help our community and how we can reach our goals. We also discuss how to raise money to fund our projects.

When: Usually Thursday mornings at 7:30 a.m. in Room 335.

Highlights and what we do: In previous years, we have raised money to cover medical expenses and hire doctors for the people living in villages in Armenia. We do this through bake sales, hosting parties, and participating in events around the community, such as festivals held at churches. We also partner with Armenian Clubs from other towns and universities.

Contact: For any questions, you may contact Ms. Tamakian ([email protected]) or Ms. Seta Bakamjian Sullivan ([email protected]).

YEARBOOK CLUB

What we do: A group of students get together and design the yearbook using photography, social media, and graphic design.

When: We have specific deadlines to meet and tend to meet heavily around those times.

Highlights: Just look at the yearbook! The more involved each member is, the better product you have — the yearbook won’t design itself!

Contact: Ms. Mundy via email ([email protected]) or visit Room 112.

GIRLS WHO CODE

When: Starting Oct. 2, Mondays, 2:40–4:40 p.m.

Where: Room 161.

What we do: Do you have an interest in computers or coding? Girls Who Code aims to expose young women to the fundamentals of computer science in a fun and engaging way. Participants will learn the Python programming language and work on a creative project with the goal of benefiting the community. All are welcome regardless of how you identify. Appropriate for both high school and middle school students.

Contact: Bryan Campbell at [email protected].

THE WORD PAINTER

What we do: The Word Painter is the student literary magazine at Watertown High.

When: We usually publish the magazine in the spring.

Meetings: As the publication approaches, we will have meetings after school, probably on Thursdays. Students are encouraged to submit work at any time.

Highlights: The Word Painter includes short stories, poetry, drawings, photographs, paintings, and graphic arts. It’s a great place for student artists and writers to display their work.

Contact: See Mr. Cooke in Room 351 if you’re interested or email ([email protected]).

CHESS CLUB and CHECKERS CLUB

“The game of chess/checkers might not help you build your biceps or tone your abs, but your lifelong mental health can certainly benefit from it. And a sexy and beautiful mind is one of the best assets you can show off!” — Samir Becic (trainer, health specialist)

What we do: Club members will view videos, and read articles/books on chess/checkers in these two new clubs. Topics to be covered will be rules of the games, piece movements, and introductory strategies for the beginning, middle, and end game. Members will also play and learn from each other’s chess/checker prowess. If possible, guest speakers, field trips, and  schoolwide tournaments will be arranged … The Chess Club will also work with the Checker Club to teach the other clubs members. This presents a great opportunity for all club members to mentor and learn from each other, while fostering better group skills and friendships … We also foster cognitive skills, social skills, and life lessons.

When: Last Wednesday of the month.  Other meetings days will be added throughout the school year, based on guest speakers and member choices.

Contacts:  For Chess — Mr. Norm in Room 256 ([email protected]); for Checkers — Mr. Foye in Room 253 ([email protected]).

GENDER SEXUALITY ALLIANCE

What we do: The Gender Sexuality Alliance is a student organization where students can meet and socialize. We are dedicated to creating a welcoming school community for students identifying as LGBTQAI.

When: The group meets Wednesday mornings at 7:20 a.m. in Room 325.

Contact: For more information about the GSA, contact Ms. Ferraro ([email protected]) or Mr. Hughes ([email protected]).

WHS FIRST ROBOTICS

What we do: The FIRST Robotics competition is an international high school robotics competition that gives students real-world engineering experience.

When: Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m., but more often during the six-week build in the Jan.-Feb. time frame.

Where: Robotics Lab, first floor of WHS.

Highlights: Being a member of a FIRST team for at least one year qualifies a student for scholarship opportunities and is also valuable experience for college applications and job resumes.

Contact: Jim Salvas ([email protected]) or Mary-Benham Nygren ([email protected]).

COMIC, GRAPHIC NOVEL, and ANIMATION CLUB

What we do: The Comic, Graphic Novel and Animation Club meets bi-weekly/monthly (depends) on Friday afternoons through the academic year. Our discussion/film viewings revolve around the appreciation of the richness of comic art from America, Japan, and other cultures, as well as an appreciation for culturally significant “pop culture” artifacts that have paved the way for the medium of big-budget comic films that we enjoy today. Critiquing and connecting what we look at are a big part of the club, just as the social interaction between individuals with a variety of interests in this medium is.

When: Bi-weekly, starting Sept. 22, at 2:35 p.m. (Length of meetings depends on what we are doing. Typically, meetings end by 3:45, but can run later.)

Meetings: Students gather to discuss new and noteworthy items in the medium with the class advisor, typically watch and discuss anime or comic-related film media, or quietly read/peruse comics or important graphic novels, and occasionally get pizza and soft drinks while students are enjoying the meeting. Students are encouraged to connect with the Raider Times newspaper if they wish to write a review of something they enjoy.

Highlights: It is encouraged that students open themselves up to the realms of art and literature as one while looking through the realms of comics, animation, and films based on the medium as something that is not only for children, but not mostly for children. If they read or see something that they enjoy, they are encouraged to write about for the school paper of their own volition. Another central point that is stressed is that even though you grow through academia, you can learn and appreciate how some of the best written comic art mirrors our reality with social commentary and subtext. Most importantly, however, the club stresses that even as you are growing, you should never lose sight of the things you enjoyed as a child growing up.

Contact: Mike Boyd ([email protected]).

WCA-TV

What we do: Looking for students interested in covering WHS events (athletics, dramas, meetings, etc.) Students need not be currently enrolled in WHS Radio & Television classes.

When: Games, activities, and events are happening year round and we would like students to broadcast them from their perspective.

Meetings: Students work independently; occasionally meeting with advisor and staff for training, content development, and planning.

Highlights: You can be “The Voice” of WHS, by broadcasting the biggest sporting events, dramas, performances for the entire community to watch both on WCA-TV and worldwide on the Internet. Both on-air announcers and off-air technical positions are available immediately.

Contact: Mr. Robbins serves as Digital Media & Communications teacher/advisor ([email protected]). For more information, visit his website http://www.mrrobbinsdmc.com

RAIDER TIMES NEWSPAPER

What we do: Students produce stories for the Raider Times website (https://raidertimes.com/) and print editions.

When: Website is always up so stories can be published any time. Printed paper is published a few times a school year.

Meetings: Students work independently; occasional in-school staff meetings.

Highlights: Working on the newspaper affords students opportunities to have their voices be heard by readers all over the world, all while meeting interesting people doing interesting things. … Open to all students … No experience necessary … No costs or fees.

Contact: The newspaper room is 345A. Email advisor John Vitti at [email protected].

–Sept. 24, 2017–