High School Clubs

Advisors: Shane Davis and Jon York
Room/Contact: A202

Academic Decathlon is a nine member team that studies and competes at the state and national level covering a specific annual curriculum. Team members represent students of differing GPA levels- you DO NOT need at the top of your class to participate. You simply need to display curiosity and a willingness to read. The group begins to meet in September and often continues until the end of April or early May as they have won the state competition almost every year! SHSAD typically meets weekly with supplemental practices that can be done online. Competition members are determined by placement rounds in October and November (again, this is done online). The final state round is in late February or early March. If the team qualifies, it advances to a National Competition. These competitions have been held all over the US (Minneapolis, Anaheim, Honolulu).

Advisors: Erin Landry-Fowler
Room/Contact: E106

The SHS Art Club meets weekly to engage in a variety of art projects including community service and school beautification projects (murals, etc.). The SHS Art Club provides an opportunity for students to be involved with the art program at SHS beyond the school day, to be actively involved in their school and community, and to be socially connected with their peers. During Art Club meetings we engage in many different art activities. We usually alternate between planned group projects and open studio time. Last year, we designed buttons, tried our hands at embroidery, marbelized paper, carved stamps, and tie-dyed T-shirts, among other things. Art Club activities are open to everyone, but students are also welcome to come and work independently as well.

Advisors: Michelle Lajoie

Room/Contact: C100

The Buddy System strives to enhance understanding and acceptance of individuals with physical, neurological and intellectual differences. Buddy System members meet 1x monthly after school for fun, social and team building opportunities. In addition to monthly meetings Buddies organize and implement community wide activities that enhance acceptance and friendship. These activities include UNIFIED SPORT participation, Partnering with Special Olympics Maine and leading National/State wide UNIFIED school awareness activities.

Advisor: Michelle Shupp
Room/Contact: All Purpose Room (G122) – Thursdays

The Civil Rights Club aims to ensure a safe learning community for all students, in particular, those historically excluded by systemic bias in education. Through our mission, being youth-led, and being active in other organizations in Maine, the Civil Rights Club hopes to break down the exclusionary systems of privilege through educational programs, visiting accredited mentors, and civil rights activism. Examples of annual activities are voter registration drives, poetry groups, book clubs, schoolwide educational opportunities regarding underrepresented communities, etc. Recently, the SHS CRC has been recognized by the Maine Humanities Council as a Readers’ Retreat location and collaborative partner in this event. CRC meets weekly on Thursdays after school.

Advisor:  Chris Hayward
Room/Contact: Study Center E102 (Mondays)

Chess is a fun game that requires open-mindedness, willingness to take risks, balance, communication, an ability to reflect, and patience.  If you want to come learn the game or even polish your skills, our club is perfect for you.  We are always looking for more members!

Advisor: Christy Zavasnik
Room/Contact: SHS Cafeteria

ECOS stands for the Environmental Club of Scarborough. We help create awareness about how to be more mindful about our consumption and minimize our impact on the environment. Our members recycle the bottles, cans, and paper generated through our school and we also work to make our school and community a more sustainable place. We support composting and reducing plastic. We’ve organized efforts to bring back composting in the cafeteria and reuse trash can liners in classrooms as well as using reusable water bottles. Beyond composting & recycling, ECOS activities include maintaining the courtyard garden, planting vegetables and fruit trees and donating the harvests. If you are interested projects that encourage a lighter footprint on our environment and practicing more sustainable living, we encourage you to join and bring your ideas and energy. ECOS funds (from our recycling) have helped to replace paper towel dispensers in the lobby bathrooms with hand dryers, purchased water refill stations to reduce plastic bottle waste and subsidized compostable/reusable Keurig coffee pods and composting stations. Join us and make a difference for the present and future of our community and the planet!

Advisor: Elise Lehotsky and Aaron Keller
Room/Contact: A105

GSA is a group of students who provide a safe place for students to meet, support each other, and talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Recently, the group has discussed representation in literature and the arts, participated in Portland Pride, and helped to make school facilities more inclusive to all students.

Advisor: Deborah Pease
Room/Contact: Cafe

Interact is a Rotary sponsored student lead service club. The club gives students an opportunity to participate in service projects while developing leadership skills and meeting new friends. The club meets in the cafeteria after school on Thursday’s.

Advisor: Tim Ebersold
Room/Contact: F109 – Band Room

Jazz Band is an instrumental ensemble that will meet weekly after school. Students who play trumpet, trombone, saxophone, bass, guitar, piano, and drum set are encouraged to join. Reading musical notation is required.

We will play traditional big band charts as well as work on improvisation. There will be performance opportunities throughout the year including our annual “Jazz Night.”

Weekly rehearsals will be set to a time that works best for most members.

Advisor: Chris Eldridge and Ivette Barone
Room/Contact: Cafe

The Key Club, a Kiwanis International student-led service organization, has over 100 student members at SHS. Its mission is to teach leadership through serving those in need. Members volunteer to contribute time and energy toward efforts that build the community – both locally and globally. Membership requirements are as follows:
Complete 50 hours of community service throughout the year
Attend at least 50% of Key Club meetings on Tuesdays at 2:40pm
Membership Dues: $15.00

Last year, the Key Club did 70 separate service activities throughout the school year! Some of them include: raking leaves for senior citizens in the fall, the Polar Dip fundraiser, Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program, supporting Project Grace, Strive Dance Marathon, MS Swim Team Volunteering, Scarborough Marsh and Beach Clean up, and creating gardens in the HS courtyard!

Advisor: Chris Hayward
Room/Contact: Study Center (E102)

The Math Team is looking for students that have solid math skills, but above all must like solving problems, riddles, and puzzles. The Math Team competes in 5 regular season meets from October through March and also in the state meet held in mid-April. The team meets for practice sessions prior to every meet.  New members are always welcome!  Optional practices are held on Tuesdays in the Study Center.

Advisor: Nicole Schmid
Room/Contact: D116

Model UN is an academic club that provides students with the opportunity to engage in conference simulations involving international concerns.

Advisors: Amy LaBelle
Room/Contact: TBD

The National Honor Society (NHS) is an organization that recognizes high school students who excel in scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The NHS was founded in 1921 and has chapters in schools around the world.

All juniors and seniors who have been enrolled for a minimum of four academic quarters at Scarborough High school and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 92% unweighted (91.99 does not round up) or 96% weighted are eligible for selection. Students will receive notification of their eligibility in the first quarter of their junior or senior year. Eligible students may then complete the NHS application. Their eligibility shall then be considered on their leadership, character, and service and the final selection of members will be determined by vote of the faculty council. Students inducted into the NHS must maintain an average of no less than 92% unweighted, 96% weighed, in their academic courses.

Advisors: Jonathan Miele
Email: ohpdirector@scarboroughschools.org

ohpproducer@scarboroughschools.org

Room: Auditorium

Meetings: Various

Oak Hill Players is a large, exciting and inclusive group that puts on a major “Broadway Style” musical show each November. On stage our students sing, dance and act while backstage our students support production of the show by making sure the sets, props, costumes, and more go smoothly. We invite anyone to audition or sign up to join us, regardless of experience! We start rehearsing the first week of school and put on a big show in November. Come join the fun!

Advisor: Jessica Dumais and Kerri Becker
Room/Contact: Auditorium

The One Act play is a competitive opportunity for thespians with the acting bug! This group auditions in December and competes regionally in March with the hope of advancing to the state competition. The 40 minute play has a relatively small cast, but like the musical, has opportunities for students to help with the technical side of the production with sets, lights, props, costumes and technical crews needed for the performance. Rehearsals run from January through March with the schedule set when the actors have been selected.

Advisor: Michelle Shupp
Room/Contact: Rear Auditorium

The Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP) has existed at SHS as a club since 2017. As the youth programming arm of Maine Boys to Men, it aims “to help youth to reshape the way they think about masculinity, and engage them in ending all forms of dating violence and self-harm. It’s youth-informed curricula was developed in partnership with the US Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women. RSVP has a two-day leadership training led by Maine Boys to Men staff, as well as weekly meetings led by the SHS RSVP officers. RSVP provides students with specific strategies for nonviolent conflict de-escalation that can apply to any situation, beyond and including relationships.

Advisor: Mary Record, Elise Lehotsky, and Jaclyn D’Annibale
Room/Contact: G205

Sources of Strength’s mission is to provide the highest quality evidence-based prevention for suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse by training, supporting, and empowering both peer leaders and caring adults to impact their world through the power of connection, hope, help, and strength. Students meet to improve their skills, share skills with their peers, and to create school-wide activities to support building strength in community.

Advisor: Jon York
Room/Contact: B102

The Speech and Debate Team is always looking for students that like to discuss and argue their point of view! This group meets from September through February on Tuesdays after school, but individuals can meet with the advisor as needed. The goal of the team is to improve and build student oratory skills. This year the team placed 1st in 9 tournaments and earned the title of State Student Congress Champions. Students that qualify may go on to the National CFL or NFL Tournaments in June. The team has focused on Student Congress. In this competition students assume the role of either senators or representatives, write legislation, and speak in favor of or against proposed bills. Other debate events students can compete in include Public Forum, Lincoln Douglass, and Policy. Students can also compete in a variety of dramatic speech events such as Original Works, Poetry, Prose, Humorous, Dramatic, and Extemporaneous.

There are between 10 and 15 opportunities to compete during the season. Students should compete in as many tournaments as they can. There is no minimum or maximum required. Students participating in at least three tournaments will earn membership in the National Forensic League. By achieving this honor, not only will students build their speaking skills but they will also build their high school resume. In the past, debaters have also done swimming, track, and the musical. Speech has a long season so students can flex to meet their needs! Give Speech and Debate a try!

Advisor: Sarah Belton and Breanna Krupski
Room/Contact: B201/B205

The Student Council is a group of students elected by their peers to help meet the needs and desires of the SHS student body. Generally, Student Council officers meet on Tuesdays and the full council meets on Wednesdays. All meetings are held immediately after school at the end of the day. All students are encouraged to become part of this organization by running for ’Student Council Representative’ or ‘Vice President’ of their class. Representatives are required to attend after school meetings at least twice a month, meet with classmates to discuss ideas and concerns, work at local service project events and serve as a positive role model for other students. Members are also expected to help plan and participate in a variety of fund-raisers and events organized by Student Council. Last year’s activities included: Spirit Week, and 80’s Theme Dance, Elections for Class Officer and Youth Delegates to the School Board, Parent-Teacher Conference Dinners, Teacher Appreciation Days, Bike-A-Thon for AIDS, a Fashion Show, the Annual Student Council Conference and many more. Elections for Student Council officers are held each May.

Advisor: Alison Avery
Room/Contact: E026

Meetings: Thursday & Fridays 2:40-4:00PM

The VEX Robots & Competition provides students with exciting, open-ended robotics challenges that enhance their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills through hands-on, student-centered learning.

The VEX Competition fosters student development of the teamwork, critical thinking, project management, and communication skills required to prepare them to become the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.

Past Championship:

2023 (344Z & 344R)

Other Awards:

2023 Excellence Award (344Z)