|  | Our Program Clubs & Activities | Middle School Clubs Middle School clubs meet once a week. Each club is sponsored by one or two faculty members, and students choose their club. Clubs provide a great opportunity for faculty to share an interest or passion with students in an informal setting.
Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.)
Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.) is a national organization committed to helping teens make positive choices about drugs and alcohol. The S.A.D.D. club will focus on organizing events designed to raise awareness among the student body about drug and alcohol abuse, as well as any other issues considered to be relevant by club members. In addition to organizing events, the S.A.D.D. club also provides a forum for discussing questions or concerns that students may have about helping a friend in need, what to do in case of a crisis or simply having the courage to make good choices.
Film Critic
What is one of your favorite scenes from a movie? Why? Feel like you lost two hours of your life at the theatre and want to eloquently explain why you were robbed? Learn how to analyze film and explain to others why they should or should not see a flick.
Environmental Club
This club will examine environmental issues affecting our planet. Members will be involved in activities which create awareness of global, regional and local environmental concerns, and will actively work to solve these problems. Specific topics of study for which we will attempt to provide solutions include global warming, recycling, energy conservation, pollution, and extinction of species.
Different Voices – SUDA, Jr.
This group is dedicated to celebrating the diversity that exists in the Kent Denver middle school. We will work to create and promote assemblies that share the cultural diversity within our community.
Knit Wits
Come learn to knit or hone your knitting skills. We will spend club time knitting specific projects that we may choose to keep or donate to Children’s Hospital for the children who are receiving chemotherapy.
Newspaper Club
The Newspaper Club puts together a monthly middle school newspaper, called The Middle Way. The newspaper contains middle school news, national and world news, editorials, reviews, fictional stories, and other stuff. Students who are interested in writing articles, taking pictures, editing articles, and working on newspaper layout on computers are encouraged to join the club. (You may still write articles for the newspaper, though, even if you are not in the club.)
Cribbage Club
Open to all students who have either played cribbage before or would like to learn. Cribbage is a card game that utilizes a racetrack-like board to keep score. It is a fun game that also can improve your math skills!
Math Counts!
Does your heart skip a beat when you hear a challenging math problem? Do you look forward to doing your math homework immediately when you get home? Are you super excited when you have 100 math problems to do for homework and you think the teacher should have assigned you more? Well, this is the club for you! Math Counts is where we will build an appreciation for mathematical inquiry, enhance your math skills and have lots of fun solving entertaining, tough problems. There is a competition for interested students in February that we will attend.
Comics Club
Are the margins of your notebooks filled with drawings? Are you the type of person who just skips to the pictures when reading a book? Does the name “Hobbes” make you think of a tiger instead of a philosopher? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should definitely check out the comic book club! Not only will we read a wide range of comics, from classic super-hero series, to newspaper comic strips, to Japanese manga, but we will also experiment with making our own comics and putting together our own comic books. If you like to draw, love to write stories, or simply enjoy comics, this could be the club for you!
Harry Potter Club
If you love all things Harry Potter, this is the club for you! We will delve into characters, dialogues, spells, potions and more. Harry Potter trivia and movie reviews may also play a role. It doesn’t matter how many of the books you have read, but be warned: we will explore many aspects of the books, and the ending will not remain a secret in this club.
Middle School Choir
Are you that person that is always caught singing out loud with your iPod so that everyone around you knows exactly what you’re listening to? Do you think it would be easier to solve the problems of the world if we all just sang about them? If so, choir may be your game. Middle School Choir meets Mondays, during club time, Tuesday mornings at 7:00 and Wednesday afternoons from 3:45-4:45. As a member of the ensemble you are required to attend at least two rehearsals each week. The group will be performing at least three times this year.
Middle School Lit Mag
Do any of you read poetry, write stories, or draw pictures for fun? Would you be interested in publishing your work for the entire Kent Denver Middle School to appreciate? Submit them to this club and your work could be chosen for publication!
Tech Club
This year, Tech Club will be joining a national organization called TSA (Technology Student Association). Students will participate in various projects ranging from digital arts to design and build challenges. Students will have the opportunity to compete in a statewide competition.
Cryptography Club
Cryptography is the science of making codes, ciphers, and tricks to conceal meaning. Cryptanalysis is the process of making and breaking codes. We will be making and breaking codes in this club.
Ping Pong Club
The ping pong club will meet during club time in the field house. Members will play regular matches within the club as well as sponsor a tournament against middle school faculty and staff, and possibly members of the upper school ping pong club, in the spring. Experience playing ping pong in encouraged for those wishing to join this club.
Student Council
Only those students who have already been elected can attend the Student Council meetings
Dance Club
This club will explore a variety of dance. The direction of the dance will be determined by the members of the club.
Study Hall
Study Hall will be an option during clubs. This will be an opportunity to work silently. Faculty members will not be available to help with material, as they will be running clubs.
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| Upper School Clubs In the Upper School, we strongly encourage students to find a club or activity that interests them and to get involved. Clubs meet at least once each week.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CLUB
Members of this club investigate, discuss, and act on human rights issues both globally and in our own community. We participate in the Amnesty International Urgent Action letter writing campaign in support of persons unjustly imprisoned and persecuted by governments, and we undertake fund-raising activities to support various human rights causes from Burmese refugees in Thailand to the Gathering Place refuge for women in Denver. Most of all, we try to raise both our own awareness of human rights abuses and the awareness of the Kent Denver community at large.
ANIMAL RIGHTS CLUB
The Animal Rights Club focuses on exposure and education regarding industries and social norms that exploit sentient animals for the purposes of human pleasure and convenience. We discuss the ethical, environmental, and personal health concerns that arise from infringing upon the interests of non-human animals for food, clothing, and entertainment. We develop safe and healthy lifestyle models of conscious and conscientious choices. We explore culinary alternatives through bake sales and recipe exchanges. We engage members of the community in conversations and hold public viewings of films and other media with the goal of affecting positive change. Finally, we create unique and informative material, such as t-shirts, posters, buttons, fliers, and brochures in order to promote our message that all sentient beings are members of our moral community and deserve protection of their basic interests.
ASTRONOMY CLUB
The Astronomy Club usually meets to conduct three or four "star parties" for the Kent Denver School community on the upper fields. We learn how to operate our 11-inch telescope, and keep aware of astronomical events that might be worth seeing or talking about at assemblies.
AU SOLEIL (FRENCH CLUB)
The French club focuses on providing students with the opportunity to speak French (though not a requirement of club attendance) and experience Francophone culture outside of the classroom context. We will celebrate coffee, chocolate éclairs and berets while we educate the wider community about National French Week, Mardi Gras, Le Tour de France, Bastille Day and more.
BLUE KEY SOCIETY
The Blue Key Club plays a vital role in assisting the Admission Office's efforts to attract and enroll an outstanding student body. Students may conduct tours, host prospective student visits, represent Kent Denver at several school fairs, and help with various on-campus events. Students in Blue Key serve as ambassadors to Kent Denver School.
BREAKTHROUGH KENT DENVER
The Breakthrough Kent Denver Club is a group of committed students who volunteer time during the school day to support the year-round work of Breakthrough Kent Denver, a non-profit program of Kent Denver that serves 100 middle school students from Denver Public Schools. The Breakthrough Kent Denver Club is designed for students with a desire to support the program, but cannot mentor regularly at the After-School Program. Activities include event planning and office support.
CHESS CLUB
Members at all levels of play will meet to discuss and learn strategies while increasing their skill through playing games of chess.
CLASSICAL MUSIC RECITALS
Many Kent Denver students study music privately but seldom have the opportunity to perform at school, so twice a year these students are brought together in a joint recital for faculty, students, friends, and family. This year’s recitals are scheduled for the evenings of November 8 and April 17.
COLORADO HISTORY
Many Colorado residents believe the state is too young to have any “real” history, yet we are surrounded by a rich historic and prehistoric legacy. The Colorado History Club meets approximately one Saturday or Sunday per month to visit museums, gold mines, Native American sites, and other places of interest. Among the activities in which we participate are walking tours of Denver’s historic districts and graveyards. We discuss wider topics such as the impact of European settlement, environmental destruction, and the consequences of urban sprawl.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Every student must have completed 60 hours of community service between the summer after his/her sophomore year and graduation. The community service program at Kent Denver acts as a liaison with some of the local organizations to help connect students with meaningful opportunities about which they might not otherwise know.
CREDIT UNION
Kent Denver Credit Union is a branch of Westerra Credit Union and provides students with banking experience. Being a teller is a paid position. Sign up is in January for the hiring of approximately 20 students chosen from those currently in grades 9-11. Each student is interviewed in March with voting and decisions made in April. They will participate in the credit union the following year.
CULINARY CLUB
The Kent Denver Culinary Club seeks to teach the appreciation of food and all of the delights that come with food and its consumption. Students will learn not only how to prepare foods (and the many different techniques necessary for good food preparation), but will also visit restaurants, participate in workshops with local chefs, and go on a once per year overnight cooking trip in the mountains (space limited). Kent Denver faculty also volunteer their time to teach students their culinary skills. Cooking traditions will be shared at the holidays. Building community through food is our ultimate goal.
DIVERSITY
Student Union for Diversity Awareness (SUDA), a club open to all members of upper school, celebrates differences. During our meetings, we plan activities that expand the cultural understanding of Kent Denver community members and we discuss topics such as stereotypes, anti-Semitism, and images of minorities in the media.
ENGINEERING
Students in the Engineering Club work in groups of eight to build radio-controlled devices such as airplanes, helicopters, motorboats, and sailboats.
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAM
This student-led organization coordinates the on-campus recycling programs and creates new initiatives to improve the campus environment. Current projects include the on-campus tree nursery.
FINE ARTS MAGAZINE
Each year, the staff of the fine arts magazine publishes a selective collection of student writing and visual artwork. They also sponsor art shows and readings of student work throughout the year.
FISHING CLUB
Fly and lure fishing in the Kent Denver lakes. All fish caught are properly released back into the lakes.
GANK
The goal of the Gamers’ Association for the Nerds of Kent (GANK) is to provide a welcoming milieu in which the gaming enthusiasts of Kent Denver’s community can convene and organize social events involving gaming. In conjunction with this, GANK will organize numerous videogame tournaments and encourage in its members a healthy approach to gaming outside of school.
GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE
The Gay-Straight Alliance seeks to increase awareness about sexual orientation, to raise funds and awareness for organizations that support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender teens, and to maintain a safe school environment for all. It is open to all members of the upper school.
KENT DENVER PLAYERS
THE KENT DENVER PLAYERS 2008-2009 SEASON
Fall Play: The Coast of Utopia: Voyage October 30-31, November 1 Director: Peter Ellis
Musical: Fiddler on the Roof January 29-31 Director: Peter Ellis
One-Act Play Festival: May 1
A wide range of new and experimental plays offering myriad opportunities for actors and student directors.
KDS COMMUNITY OUTREACH
El Pomar Youth in Community Service is a leadership experience that empowers participating juniors and seniors to impact their community directly through involvement in community building, philanthropy, and the non-profit sector. The El Pomar Foundation challenges students from 128 high schools across the state to raise $500. The foundation later will "match" this with a $7,500 grant. Students and their advisor are to use this money to make grants in the non-profit sector. Our agenda involves drafting a mission statement, notifying institutions of available monies, fund-raising, visiting non-profit organizations, interview and leadership training workshops, collaborating with students from other local high schools, and, finally, making and denying grants in early spring.
LETTER CLUB
This is an athletic service club. A student must have earned a varsity letter in any sport at Kent Denver School.
MARINE BIOLOGY CLUB
The Marine Biology Club aims to promote the preservation of marine and other aquatic life on both local and international levels, and to increase the level of awareness of issues related to marine life and ecosystem conservation. To achieve this, its members will work, both on campus and off, to educate and understand the dangers that face all types of aquatic life. On campus we will maintain ecologically friendly artificial environments fit for the study of fish and marine and freshwater invertebrates. To this end, we will not support the harvesting of fish or invertebrates that leads to the destruction or disruption of ecosystems or habitats.
MATH TEAM
The Math Team is the competitive component of the Math Department.
MOCK TRIAL
This group of students creates both the defense and the prosecution of a trial and competes against other schools. Students meet twice a week from November to March (and Sunday evenings). Every year a different case is performed. Lawyers come to school to help prepare.
NEWSPAPER
The newspaper activity offers students a chance to learn about the print and photography side of journalism. Students write articles and take pictures for a monthly newspaper that focuses on Kent Denver activities and news as well as local, state, and national news.
PEER TUTORING
The Peer Tutoring Program affords students an opportunity to receive help from a peer (grades 10-12) in all academic disciplines. In addition, students can find support for writing skills, organizational skills, and study skills. Our dynamic peer tutors are selected based on an application and an endorsement/reference from a teacher. Students with an interested in helping others and a passion for any and all disciplines will find this program rewarding!
PING PONG
The Ping Pong club promotes good sportsmanship and camaraderie by meeting once a week in the Upper School gym to play. We also raise money for worthy causes as determined by the members of the club, and we organize a Ping Pong extravaganza assembly to showcase club members' talents. Finally, we hope to compete against local high schools this year.
RWS (Real Women Society)
Still not quite right? The truth is, most of us do not fit into one, neat little category whether it is goddess or nerddess. Women today are incredibly diverse and depending on our class, race, sexual orientation, and religion, we can all have very different experiences as women.
S.A.D.D.
Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.) is a national organization committed to helping teens make positive choices, particularly in terms of drugs and alcohol. The S.A.D.D. club meets weekly to discuss a variety of topics. Topics this year have included: sharing what it is that motivates us to stay away from destructive choices, how to handle peer pressure, how to get help for a friend who is making destructive choices, etc. The group also plans social events for club members, providing them with fun weekend activities with a peer group that is committed to abstaining from drugs and alcohol. Events this year have included a haunted house, bowling and Jump Street. Finally, the S.A.D.D. club works on planning presentations and events aimed at raising awareness among the student body about the potentially negative consequences of teenage drug and alcohol use.
SELF DEFENSE CLUB
In the Self Defense Club, students will be meeting regularly to learn and practice safe, effective methods of self defense derived from martial arts such as Tae Kwon Do, and Budo Taijutsu. Among the material covered will be various maneuvers to escape from an aggressor and fall in a safe and controlled manner. The club may also study grappling and weapons defense.
SPEECH & DEBATE
Designed to improve students’ confidence, organization, poise, and public speaking skills, the Kent Denver Speech and Debate Club fosters these skills through participation in the following events: Cross-Examination Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Extemporaneous (current events) Speaking, Original Oratory (speech writing and delivery), Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, DUO Interpretation, and Poetry Interpretation. The club actively participates in competitive tournaments both locally and nationally. Practices are individually arranged with participating students to accommodate various sports and activities schedules. All Upper School students are welcome to participate in this award-winning club.
STAND: Students Taking Action Now: Darfur
STAND is a student-led program whose initial cocern was raising awareness and advocacy for the Prevention of the Darfur Genocide. STAND has evolved into an active worldwide student initiative with the mission to form a permanent student coalition against genocide wherever it occurs. STAND has monthly activities. The club anticipates meeting at 5:30pm after sports.
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Students who are holding an office in any of the four grade levels attend monthly meetings, hold fund-raisers, and plan school activities.
SUN DEVILS AWARE
Sun Devils Aware is a club on the Kent Denver campus aimed at raising awareness about the current epidemic of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), which can lead to Acquired Immuno-deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).. Sun Devils Aware sponsors several activities throughout the year including: a speaker at assembly, a fund raising activity, and the Kent Denver Blood Drive.
SUNMUN/MODEL U.N.
Kent Denver Sundevils’ MODEL UN club will meet regularly on Thursdays to prepare and compete in metropolitan and national /international Model UN debates. SUNMUN is open to all students who want to learn more about global issues from global perspectives through debate and activism. The Models take place once a month on Saturdays (October through March) and require “delegates” to read independently on current issues. MUN delegates may compete in as many MUNS as they so choose and will debate different issues from the perspective of their assigned country. MODEL UN is an internationally recognized debate program at the secondary and collegiate level.
TAKE ONE (FILM)
This club meets often on weekends to watch and discuss films, as well as produce our own. Students interested film appreciation or any aspect of film making including acting, directing, editing, screenwriting or producing should definitely come to the Digital Art Lab during Thursday Club Time and get on board with Take One.
TECH TEAM
The Tech Team is a club for motivated youth looking to enhance their knowledge of computers, printers, and networks. Students will use a sophisticated work order system to assist the faculty and staff of Kent Denver School with their computer troubles while always looking for ways to improve the current infrastructure.
YEARBOOK ACTIVITIES
Each year in the spring students may apply to the yearbook staff. A staff member will interview applicants and results will be made known in April. Students on the yearbook staff are scheduled to meet one period every day in the yearbook room. One-quarter credit is given.
YOUNG DEMOCRATS
The Young Democrats Club was founded with the intention of helping students become more involved in their communities through volunteer work with presidential, senatorial, and congressional campaigns, but also serves as a forum for discussion about liberal politics. The Young Democrats Club's biggest project last year was a massive Voter Registration Drive that was conducted during Spring Fling. We registered over 65 students to vote in both the upcoming general election and the primaries.
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