Middle School Extracurricular Activities

Academic Bowls
Selected students participate in three academic bowls a year.  The academic bowls challenge participants’ knowledge across all curricular areas.

Altar Servers
Students in fifth through eighth grade are invited to participate in this important ministry.  Through this important ministry, the servers will have the opportunity to help make liturgies more beautiful and spiritually uplifting. 

Athletics
St. Mark offers a wide range of sports for Preschool through 8^th grade.  Soccer, Softball, Baseball, Basketball, Volleyball, Golf and Track are all options for the young athlete.  

Bellarmine Speech
Students in the Fifth through Eighth grade are able to participate in the Bellarmine Speech League.  By participating, students have an opportunity to improve their public speaking skills by memorizing and performing in Humorous, Serious and Duet categories.  Students compete in three meets (November, February and March) with teams from other schools during the year.  Ribbons are awarded to participants based on scores received by the meet judges.
A Final Meet is held in April with presentations from all schools participating in the league.  In addition to ribbons, trophies are awarded.  Information for joining the team is in the August Welcome Packet.

Boy Scouts
Cub Scouting is a family-oriented program designed for boys in 1st through 5th grade. The purpose of the program is to have fun while developing character, their association with the community and their spiritual awareness.
There are specific Catholic religious emblem award programs presented in the program through the Catholic Committee on Scouting: Parvuli Dei, Light of Christ, Don Boscoe. 

Children’s Choir
Students in grades three through eighth who love to sing can participate in the Children’s Choir.  This group meets every Tuesday after school to prepare for mass on the second Sunday of each month.

Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts prepare girls for a lifetime of leadership.  The all-female environment of a Girl Scout Troop creates a safe space where girls can try new things, develop a range of skills, take on leadership roles and just be themselves. 

Read, Right, Run
Read, Right, Run is a program where students prepare to participate in the Go! St. Louis Marathon.  Participating students meet every Wednesday after school to read a book, Right our community by visiting Sherbrooke Nursing Home and Run approximately one mile total (to and from Sherbrooke).  The students finish their season by running a final mile in the Go! St. Louis Marathon in Forest Park.

Prayer Families
Once a month, students gather in mixed grade-level groups led by 8th-grade leaders and a teacher.  In prayer families, students work as a team to learn lessons about our faith and complete service activities. 

Robotics
Students in grades five through eight meet in the STREAM Lab weekly to complete robotics challenges.  The participants attend the Robotics Jamboree in January at St. Louis University High School.

Safety Patrol (8^th Grade Only)
Eighth-grade students proudly act as school safety patrol members.  Some of their duties include helping at morning drop off and afternoon dismissal and walk students safely cross the street after school. 

School Buddy Program
Primary classes pair up with middle school students as buddy classes.  The program allows primary students to interact with middle schoolers without fearing “the big kids”.  It also allows middle school students opportunities to interact with younger students.  The program bridges the gap between the two levels and builds a strong sense of community.
 
Student Council Committee
St. Mark’s Student Council is comprised of students in grades three through eighth.  This group plans service activities and activities just for fun throughout the year.

Spring Musical
Students in sixth through eighth grades are able to participate in the St. Mark Spring Musical.  The students are able to expand their comfort zones and have some fun showcasing their talents. Each year a different musical is presented.