Extracurricular Activities

Advisor(s): Matt Donigian

Location: Gym

Students will be able to participate in organized games of co-ed basketball and/or handball.

Forms will be in the main office and given out to students in PE classes. The Club meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning on December 2 through December 18.

Signup Date: Second week of November

Participants: 30

Advisor(s): Tara Walsh

Location: Room 242

Students in this club will engage in a social justice book club alongside a partner middle school from a different city/town. Partner school TBA. The book will be selected with input from students, the advisor, and will be age-appropriate.

Students from both schools will meet virtually to discuss the book two to three times over the course of the year. The culminating experience will be where ERMS students host the students from the partner school at ERMS for a day of conversation and friendship, allowing for connections free from social constructs.

Club will meet periodically (five to seven meetings) throughout the year both in school and/or after school. This is definitely a club that you can do in addition to other commitments.

Sign up by emailing Ms. Walsh.

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): Shane Peters

Location: Room 119

The chamber orchestra is an ensemble that combines students across grades six through eight. The Chamber Orchestra is comprised of both ERMS and SRMS students but is made of only string players and is typically a smaller-sized group. Chamber Orchestra performs at the Grade Level Strings concert in December, at the Chamber Orchestra and Symphonic Concert in the spring, and also at our Fantastic Festivals field trip in June. They typically perform three pieces per concert.

Students sign up to audition for this ensemble. They are able to sign up for auditions through the music teacher’s website. Auditions are typically held once per year. This ensemble meets Wednesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. Rehearsals begin the week of September 4.

Signup Date: Auditions take place in June for the following year.

Auditions determine size of group.

Advisor(s): Kimberly Russell

Location: Room 123

Chamber Singers is an auditioned, extracurricular chorus made up of selected students in grades six through eight. Typically, this group performs at the Veterans Day assembly, a winter concert, a spring concert, and a competition festival in June.

Any ERMS student who is enrolled in chorus, band, or orchestra may audition for this group. Students who were in Chamber Singers last year are automatically enrolled and do not need to audition again. Chamber singers will meet on Monday afternoons from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. beginning on September 9.

Signup Date: Please contact Dr. Russell for audition information.

Auditions determine size of group

Advisor(s): Jonathan Ellis

Location: 212

An opportunity for students to explore computer science in order to nurture their problem-solving skills, logic and creativity, and help build the foundation for success in any 21st century career path. The club may also compete in math competitions. The details of the competitions will be discussed during the first meeting.

Club will meet twice a month on Mondays after school from 3:00 until 3:45 p.m. starting on October 21. Meeting dates are:

• October 21, 2024
• November 4, 2024
• November 18, 2024
• December 2, 2024
• December 16, 2024
• January 13, 2025
• January 27, 2025
• February 10, 2025
• February 24, 2025
• March 10, 2025
• March 24, 2025
• April 7, 2025
• April 21, 2025
• May 5, 2025
• May 19, 2025

Sign up by emailing Jonathan Ellis.

Participants: Unlimited

Advisor(s): Jennifer Jasminski/David Bozzuto

Location: Outdoor XC Course on ERMS Campus/ERMS Gym

ERMS Cross Country members will work on improving their running stamina and speed over the course of the season. Practices will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Additionally, meets throughout the season will allow students to gain experience competing with other local school districts.

The XC practice calendar and other important forms are available in this form: Cross Country Intramural Form 2024–2025.

ERMS XC Google Classroom
Joining Code: irixmka

Our season will begin on Monday, September 9 and will continue through Friday, November 1. The state championship is November 2.

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): Marc Perry (SRMS teacher)

Location: SRMS (room 203) or virtually

Do you like to learn about and discuss important ideas? Then this is the club for you! Under the direction of an SRMS faculty member, students will work together as teams to polish skills in public speaking, research, and debate. In addition to weekly meetings, this club will require additional independent time to research, organize, and practice debate techniques.

Debate club is open to sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students. It meets on Mondays from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m. beginning on October 2 at SRMS in room 203. ERMS students can attend in person if they have a ride to SRMS or virtually via Google Meet. Pick-up is at 4:15 in front of SRMS. The club will start on September 23 and run until early April. Students who attend virtually would click on the Google Meet link on the Google Classroom page. The code to join is kc5gqin.

The two or three competitions are on Saturdays from 9:30 to about 4:30.

Google Classroom Code=kc5gqin

Interested students/families can email Marc Perry.

Participants: Unlimited

Advisor(s): Mike Hougasian/Chad Stewart

Location: Room 238

Dungeons & Dragons is a collaborative storytelling game in which players can create their own characters and set out together on a fantastic adventure.

One player takes the role of the Dungeon Master (DM) and guides the story, describing its settings and inventing challenges for the other players’ characters to overcome.

The DM is the narrator. The other players imagine that they are the characters they have created as they explore the game-world and shape the story by making choices along the way. Open-ended, a D&D adventure can continue for hours, days, weeks, or even longer, limited only by the power of the participants’ imaginations.

Club will meet at least twice a month with meeting days determined based on the availability of participants. Generally, it will meet on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Meetings on D&D Google Classroom.

Sign up by emailing Mr. Hougasian or Mr. Stewart.

• Tuesday, October 1, 2024
• Tuesday, October 8, 2024
• Tuesday, October 29, 2024

No experience needed… open to everyone.

Participants: Unlimited

Advisor(s): Jaime O’Karma/Jared Bardugone

Location:

The ERMS Musical takes place each year in the spring. Students participate in many facets, including singing, dancing, acting, and stage crew. Our student-run stage crew manages the lights, scene changes, props, sound system, and microphones.

Students sign up in early November to audition for the cast. Rehearsals are generally after school from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and some Fridays, from mid-December until March. This year, there will be some rehearsals before school for select members of the cast. Rehearsals are every day during Tech Week, the week leading up to the show. This year’s show dates are April 4 and 5.

Students interested in stage crew also sign up and begin their roles in mid-January.

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): Jason Meyers

Location: Gym/Field

Players will learn and practice the skills associated with flag football. Time will be allotted for drills, conditioning, and gameplay.

Forms are located on the ERMS website, in the gym, and in the main office. Practices will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:50 to 4:00 p.m. in September beginning on September 4 and ending on September 30.

Signup Date: first week of school

Participants: Unlimited

Advisor(s): Katie Reed

Location: Room 106

Homework Club is a place for students to work on their homework, reading, and other projects in a casual setting. Students can work collaboratively and quietly discuss their work. They’ll be able to seek support from their peers and the teacher. Students need to be working on homework or school projects to participate.

Homework Club is a club that is open to all East Ridge students. Homework Club meets on Mondays from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. beginning on October 7. Signup Date: No sign-up is necessary.

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): Hilary Brown

Location: Stage

Extracurricular ensemble that performs various styles of jazz and rock music. This group performs a winter concert and a spring concert. Additional performances may include the RHS Funkraiser, pep band for the student/faculty basketball game, and the VPA festival in June.

Any ERMS student may audition for this group. Instrumentation is limited to that of a typical big-band jazz ensemble. Jazz Band will meet on Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., beginning September 4.

Signup Date: Please contact Mrs. Brown for audition information.

Auditions determine size of group

Advisor(s): Sara Dalton/Marjorie Mosia

Location: Room 115

Knitting and Crocheting Club is for students who want to learn these crafts and make beautiful items from yarn. Students will have fun becoming makers, learning new stitches, creating items to keep, sharing with family and friends, and donating to charity. All levels are welcome, especially beginners!

The club will meet on Mondays from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in room 115. Meetings run from September to May. For more information, contact Sara Dalton.

Crochet and Knitting Club Google Classroom
Joining Code: fyktssm

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): Arlene Litt/Erik Carnazza

Location: Room M-2

The Morning Show is the daily newscast that keeps students and staff informed of the “what’s happenings” at ERMS and other newsworthy topics.

Eighth graders can form their own group of three or four. Talk to or email Mrs. Litt for more information. Schedule is determined based on the number of students.

Signup Date: Ongoing

Four grade 8 students only per cycle.

Advisor(s): Maureen Tyra/Mike Hougasian

Location: Room 104

This club goal is to create an inclusive and equitable school climate. It is student driven. Three key points are:

• Building inclusive and safe communities in which respect and equality are the goals and where all students can thrive
• Empowering students, faculty, administration, and family members to take a stand against bias and bullying
• Sending a clear, unified message that all students have a place where they belong and should be treated equitably
• A program created by the ADL (Anti-Defamation League)

All are welcome!

Students may also stop by room 104 or 238 at any time for more information!

For more information, contact Maureen Tyra or Mike Hougasian.

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): Shane Peters

Location: Room 119

Symphonic String Sectionals is a combination of players across grades six through eight. This group targets specific sections of the chamber and symphonic orchestras to work on section specific repertoire.

Students sign up to audition for this ensemble. They are able to sign up for auditions through the music teacher’s website. Auditions are held three times a year. Information is available by contacting Mr. Peters directly as sectionals rotate.

Signup Date: Auditions are June, September, and December

Auditions determine size of group

Advisor(s): Caitlin deMello/Jessica Seewald

Location: Room 114

Outside the Lines is a club for students that are artistically inclined. It will focus on creative writing, drawing, painting, collaging, and amateur photography. Each week, we will focus on a different topic and method of creating. We will work together to produce a cumulative project at the end of the school year. *We do not discriminate against art forms, so songwriting and musical collaboration are also welcome.

The club meets on Mondays, beginning September 23, from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. The club runs from September 23 to April 7.

Sign up: Join the Google Classroom
Code: ionjvuz

25 students, first come, first served (little wiggle room on numbers)

Advisor(s): Jennifer Jasminski/Dave Bozzuto

Location:
ERMS running club members will work on improving their fitness, running stamina, and speed over the course of the season. Practices will be held once a week on Wednesdays, beginning after April break through the end of the school year.

The running calendar and other important forms are available on our XC Google Classroom at the beginning of March.
First Day: Wednesday, April 23, 2025, from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m.

ERMS XC Google Classroom
Joining Code: irixmka

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): David Bozzuto/Kent Voltz

Location: Room 239

STEM club is a student-directed, experiential group of students. Past examples of activities are 3D printing, computer-aided drafting, augmented reality interfaces, STEM-based activities, gardening, simple circuitry design, creation and augmentation of outdoor space, and identification and labeling of local flora.

Sign-up is completed using a google form. The form can be found on every teacher’s website. Here is the form.

The club meets every other Monday starting on September 9 from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. through June.

24 Students – 8th-12 students; 7th-6 students; 6th-6 students

Advisor(s): Daniela Silvestri/Allannah Greco

Location: Room 218

Student Council aims to promote school community through spirit days, fundraisers, special school-wide events, and student and faculty events. Additionally, the student council manages the school store. All are welcome.

Any student may attend when they can. The club meets on select Wednesdays, October 2 to May 28 in room 218. The first meeting is October 2, 2024.

Signup Date: No sign-up necessary

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): Shane Peters

Location: Room 119

The symphonic orchestra is an ensemble that combines students across grades six through eight. The symphonic orchestra combines both wind and string players from both ERMS and SRMS and is made up of approximately 100 musicians.

Students sign up to audition for this ensemble. They are able to sign up for auditions through the music teacher’s website. This ensemble meets on Thursday mornings at 7:00 a.m. Meetings begin the week of September 5.

Signup Date: Auditions are June, September, and December

Auditions determine size of group

Advisor(s): Maureen Tyra/Sarah Fritz

Location: Room 104

This club provides a safe space for students to talk about topics and current events related to lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) individuals and families. The aim is to educate and promote school-wide and community understanding of LGBTQ issues, including discussing and planning strategies for improving school climate regarding name-calling, bullying, and harassment of LGBTQ students, their families, and their allies. This club is currently in place at RHS. It is our hope that GSA will foster friendships for our middle school students.

The club meetings will be determined based upon members availability. In the past we have had morning and afternoon meetings.

Please complete the GSA sign-up form if you are interested in more information. Google Classroom code: 5tto2bi.

Meetings begin in October.

Students may also stop by room 104 at any time for more information! For more information contact Maureen Tyra or Sarah Fritz via email.

Unlimited participants

Advisor(s): Hilary Brown

Location: Stage

Extracurricular ensemble that performs challenging concert band literature. This group performs at the Veterans Day assembly, a winter concert, a spring concert, and a competition festival in June. This is a combined group, with students from both ERMS and SRMS. ERMS rehearsals are held weekly before school, with two ERMS/SRMS evening combined rehearsals per year.

Any ERMS student who is taking band, orchestra, or chorus may audition for this group. Instrumentation is limited to that found in a standard concert band. Wind Ensemble will meet at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesdays starting on September 3.

Signup Date: Please contact Mrs. Brown for audition information.

Auditions determine size of group

Advisor(s): Amy Jonsson/Meghan Mulvehill

Location: Room 215

All ERMS students are welcome to join the Yearbook Club! Students help to plan the yearbook pages, and take and select pictures to include in the yearbook. Be part of a team that likes to be creative, and highlight the fun activities we do at ERMS!

Students may sign up for yearbook by completing this form: Yearbook Sign-Up

The club meets twice a month on select Tuesdays, September 17 to April 8. The first meeting is on September 17 in room 215.

Unlimited participants