Something for Everyone in Finley Club Program
A student’s experience at J. Taylor Finley Middle School involves a lot more than just classroom lectures, discussions, projects, tests and homework. It also includes extracurricular activities such as the vaunted Falcon sports program and an extensive array of clubs.
Last week club advisors held a series of interest meetings for seventh and eighth graders at the school. The sessions helped clarify the mission of each club and laid out some of the activities planned for the groups.
“Extracurricular activities, such as sports and clubs, are an essential part of a successful middle school,” Finley Principal John Amato said. Late buses are available at the school on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 3:45 p.m. So students can stay after school for club meetings and activities or for extra help and take the bus home.
Finley’s club program has been wildly popular ever since the school opened in 1965. “Students get to participate in a variety of interesting and challenging activities,” Mr. Amato said. “For young adolescents, these activities can lead to interests that will extend into their adult lives and perhaps even careers. For example, our stage crew is vital part of our drama production. If students develop a real interest in set and stage design, they can certainly move into a career right in Manhattan as a stage and set designer. The same is true for our music ensembles, drama students, newspaper writers, etc.”
The club line-up includes:
Art Teacher - Teacher Mark Belton serves as advisor. Students who enjoy visual arts will especially enjoy this club.
Audio Visual – Teacher Dee Weinstock serves as advisor. Students who want to assist in setting up audio-visual equipment for instructional use find this club interesting.
Community Club – Guidance counselor Cathy Cain is the advisor. Students interested in helping people locally and in the larger community flock to this club.
Drama Club - Teacher Susan Hahn serves as the advisor. Students who are interested in performing on stage and those who want to work behind the scenes will love this club, which begins activities in late November and culminates in early spring with a multi-day production.
Honor Society - Teacher Matthew Perlongo is the advisor. Students must be inducted into this club. It is for eighth graders only. Seventh graders who earn GPA’s of 95 or higher for three periods during seventh grade will be invited to the induction in May 2010. The group will meet to discuss service projects for the year. The first one will be a campaign to raise money for the American Heart Association by holding an exciting “Hoops for Heart” night at Finley.
Mathletes – Teacher Melanie DeMarco serves as the advisor. This club is open to all students who like math and want to try some fun, enriching topics and problems.
Math Counts - Teachers Denise Grodzicki and Betsy Grobe are the advisors. The club is a county and statewide competitive math group. Students are selected based upon the invitation of their math teachers. Students travel to other schools for competitions. Last year Finley’s team went to the state tournament at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Newspaper – Teacher Kim Schiller is the advisor. Students who like to write and use technology can add a wonderful dimension to the school community by penning articles.
School Store - Teacher Erica Murphy is the advisor. The school store is located in the “Blue Zone” in the main lobby. It is open each morning and sells various school supplies and healthy snacks. Students interested in participating can help with sales and inventory.
Tri-M Music Honor Society – Teacher Deborah Kim serves as the advisor. Students are selected by their music teachers for the society based on proficiency, effort and love of music.
Student Council - Teachers Kimberly Finneran and Frank Battista are the advisors. The student council is comprised of students who want to be involved in everything from the magazine and gift student council fundraisers to setting up for school dances and such fun events as the pep rally.
Stage Crew – Teachers Christopher Scarnato and Aliyah Jeddah are the advisors. Students build, paint and set-up props and sets for the Finley drama club production in March. The production cannot go on without these students.
“I really enjoy seeing the students enjoy the clubs,” Mr. Amato said.
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