Get Involved!

Extra curricular activities at Veterans Memorial Middle School are extremely  important to our students. While academics are the first consideration, to be well rounded, it is recommended that students become involved outside the classroom. There are many clubs, and activities, and sports that students can choose to pursue while they are here. To get involved you must take the first step. See the group’s adviser or coach personally and ask questions. Listen to the news on VTV every morning to find out the latest information on try-outs, registration, or auditions. You may also ask your teachers for information during advisory period, or ask to visit Student Services for assistance in joining a club or sport. Sign up – attend – be active – stay involved – make your years at VMMS memories you will fondly recall. Below is a list of clubs and activities that are available. Another way to find out about all of your clubs is to join our VMMS Student Activities and Events Google Classroom! Join with the classroom code: 5s7q3mt  

 

Intramural Bowling League

Advisor: Jacki Mullarkey

The VMMS Intramural Bowling Team is a relaxed program where students can enjoy bowling with their friends and having a good time while learning the fundamentals of the game itself.   Students participate in the 10 week program at Ocean Lanes,  bowling 3 games each day against the other VMMS teams.   We get a bus from VMMS to Ocean Lanes every Thursday after school,  usually beginning around Valentine’s Day. There is no bus home so students do need to be picked up when they finish, around 4:30-5 pm.  There is a fee for this program. Paperwork will be available sometime in January.

Drama Club

Advisor: TBD

Students interested in the performing arts are welcome to join this club to learn about and engage in theatrical activities. There’s more to Drama Club than acting! Even if the “stage” isn’t for you, there are plenty of ways to explore and enjoy all the world of the theater! We discuss creating scripts, play improv games, what it takes to be a director, improve acting skills, learn stage terminology and overall have fun! 

Rotary Interact Club

Advisor: Sharon Bauer

This is a community service based organization that meets once a month after school. We help collect put together food baskets and gifts for needy families during the holidays. We send cards to a local nursing homes. This organization works very closely with the National Junior Honor Society.

Music Program

Advisor: Hayley Ashe

Music is a wonderful way for students to develop character and a sense of work ethic. Veterans Memorial Middle School offers a number of music classes for our students. Being a member of chorus or strings class allows students to gain experience as vocalists or instrumentalists and an appreciation for many forms and styles of music. Students learn musicianship, instrumentation, composition, solo and ensemble singing and playing. Students have and opportunity to showcase their talent in the winter or spring concerts as well as other scheduled public performances. Being part of the chorus or strings program will be an invaluable experience for participating students. Any student wishing to sign up for chorus or string ensemble should visit the guidance office.

National Junior Honor Society

Advisor: Sarah Dunne

This organization is chartered by the State of New Jersey.  The qualifications are very stringent and students must meet multiple requirements to be considered for acceptance into this organization.  A faculty council selects students using the following criteria: high standards of scholarship, service, leadership and character. All students who meet the academic requirements are encouraged to apply. Your application is scored on a rubric and will be reviewed by a committee. This will determine your acceptance status.
Please note that the application process is a lengthy one and highly competitive. However, please still try and apply even if you are currently in process of meeting some of the NJHS standards.  For example, let’s say you only have 17 hours of community service you would still earn some points under the service section of the application, and if the other areas of your application are strong you may still be admitted to NJHS. It is always good to try and if you aren’t selected this year you will have gained valuable experience by going through the application process. Again, it should be noted that the application process is a lengthy one and highly competitive. There are limited membership positions available. Consequently, an independent Faculty Council will closely evaluate all applications. This is a blind evaluation during which the students’ applications are assigned a tracking number and the faculty involved does not know the identity of the students.

Eligibility requirements for membership consideration are as follows:

  1. Students must have made the honor roll at least two out of the last four marking periods. For 6th grade applicants you must have made honor both first and second quarter this year at VMMS in order to apply.
  2. Potential members must meet high standards of leadership, service, citizenship, and character. This means that students must have a clean record of conduct and behavior with regard to school and community rules, guidelines, and policies. Students may not have had any bus suspensions, GASP or out-of-school suspension or 2 or more central detentions in the previous four marking periods.
  3. You will have to have completed at least 25 hours of documented, verifiable community service. You will need to submit a letter of recommendation from a community service organization. It can NOT be a letter from a parent, relative, or neighbor. Also, please keep in mind that you may apply with less than 25 hours of community service as your application is scored on a rubric.
  4. You will need to submit three letters of recommendation from VMMS faculty that have had you in class.  Two of the three letters must be from an academic teacher. You will be provided recommendation forms with your application for the teachers to fill out.
  5. Once you have completed this portion of the application you will be invited to participate in the last step — the essay portion. Applicants will attend a writing session held during the school day in the VMMS multipurpose room, during which they will complete a standard five-paragraph essay. Only essays completed during this time will be accepted. Essays completed outside of the scheduled essay period will not be accepted.

Student Newspaper

Advisor: Matt Lafferty

This student newspaper is produced and distributed quarterly.  Students may choose to participate by writing articles, taking photographs or typing and editing stories for production and delivery.  Students earn activity points for their participation and are awarded honors at the Club banquet in June.  Meetings are usually held once per quarter with the entire staff while smaller meetings with grade level editors occur more frequently.  Students are required to participate in one fundraiser which is held in the early fall.  Information on joining this activity will be posted on VMTV early in the school year.

Math Team

Advisor: Amy Sammarco

6th, 7th, and 8th grade students who enjoy math are welcome to sign up for the Math Team.  We compete in 3 contests.
1- Math Olympiad
2- SIGMA competition – This is a national competition.
3- Ocean County Math League – Once a year.  Students across the country compete.

Contests are held after school.

Student Council

Advisor: Amanda Wagner & Marianne Ploskonka

The VMMS Student Council is compromised of an eighth grade Executive Board and grade level Homeroom Representatives. The Executive Board Officers are elected by the student body and the Cabinet Members are selected by a council of teachers at the end of the 7th grade school year.

The Executive Board works diligently throughout the school year to provide a positive and spirited environment for the VMMS community. Meetings are held weekly to plan the year’s activities. The activities include pep rallies, spirit weeks, dances, a variety of  tournaments and competitions, and many others, all allowing the students an opportunity to participate and be an active member of the VMMS community.

Homeroom Representatives play a key role in the production of these events and activities. Each Homeroom Representative is responsible for relaying important information to his/her class and from his/her class back to the Executive Board.  This allows all students to have a voice in what goes on here at VMMS.
 
The Student Council also demonstrates their strong sense of character and community by fundraising and donating to various causes. In the past, the Student Council has raised money for Relay for Life, U.S. Veterans, the VMMS Giving Tree, the Intergenerational Club and much more.   In 2018, we raised enough money to purchase our new VMMS Mustang Mascot uniform!  We are looking for another fun-filled, exciting year!

Yearbook Club

Advisors: Christine DiNicola and Stacey Elmendorf

The VMMS yearbook staff is comprised of student editors, photographers, and layout designers.  Working together, these students help capture the best memories of the school year.  Being a part of the VMMS Yearbook Club provides students with the opportunity to use their skills to create an exciting book used to visually express the relationships, activities, and achievements of the VMMS student body.  The Yearbook Club is an enjoyable and interactive club where students can be involved in all aspects of academic and character education at Veterans Memorial Middle School.

The Yearbook Club meets at least two times a month to develop layout, pick photos that will be used in the book, and discuss creative ways to make the book better.  During our end-of-the-year party, members get an exclusive preview of the completed yearbook.

In September, any student may sign up to become a member of the VMMS Yearbook Club.  Students must then attend at least one meeting a month and maintain at least a C average in order to continue being a part of the club.

Band

Advisor: Chris Seidelmann

The VMMS Band is set up as a concert band in which student musicians perform instruments ranging from brass to woodwind to percussion at an end-of-year showcase. The music is learned over the course of the school year when a child elects to take band as an encore.

Advisor: Kevin Harris

Advisors: TBD

Advisor: MaryColleen Foley

Artists will have the opportunity to work creatively and engage with others who enjoy the arts! All students are welcome to join and will sign up in advance through Google Classroom. Projects and activities will range from independent ideas to group creations and everything in between! Let’s unleash your inner artist together!

Advisor: Jon Palombi

Want to be a farmer?  This is the club for you.  If you are ready to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, this is the club for you.  We will be working on an aquaponics system, where we have fish that help grow plants in a water environment.  We will also be working on a hydroponics system where we grow plants in a water environment.  If you are interested in sustainability and learning how to produce food in ways that are efficient and ecologically safe, come join this club.  In addition, we will be working on a traditional garden in our courtyard.  Ultimately, we want to take the food that we grow and donate to local food pantries.  Once again, if you want to get your hands dirty and put in some energy to grow plants and vegetables, come join our club.

Advisor: Rebeccah McGettigan

Project Scientist – In Project Scientist, a STEM Club, students are able to experience the magic of science, technology, engineering, and math through exciting, hands-on experiments. Students challenge each other to think critically and outside-the-box to create innovative solutions to real-world problems. Last year, we competed virtually in the Bergen County SciChallenge Fair. We look forward to competing in more competitions and sharing our love of STEM!

Advisor: Stephanie Fallon

Girls Who Code Clubs are meant for girls to join our sisterhood of supportive peers and role models, and use Computer Science to

change the world. When you join a Club, you will be able to learn from fun and simple online coding tutorials, build community through interactive activities, and learn
about inspiring role models. You then work in teams to design and build a Girls Who Code Project that solves real world problems you care about through code!

Advisor: Terry Stephenson

I hope that I have not caused a delay in sending this information to technology. Here is a short description for the Sustainable Energy Club. 
The Sustainable Energy Club aims to inspire and educate our students, staff, and families about how to protect the natural world and become more socially responsible about our actions so that we may meet our own needs and the needs of future generations. Our activities include the TREX recycling challenge, presentations to students and staff, fundraising to purchase refilling stations for our school, the rain barrel competition, and guest speakers.

Advisor: Renata Cavanaugh

The Stang Squad Virtual Club will focus on helping you develop healthy relationships – starting with  the relationship you have with yourself, since “a relationship with yourself is the only constant relationship you  will ever have in your life AND everything is a reflection of the relationship you have with yourself.” We will then move on to healthy relationships with others, especially friendships – how to make and cultivate them. During our meetings you will also learn, through fun and structured activities, about self and social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. I can’t wait to see you there!!! Spread the word! 

Advisor: Tara Carlisle

Esports is a nonprofit gaming community founded by teachers for students. The Garden State Esports mission is to create high-quality, student-centered experiences through scholastic esports by providing the learning, competition, and the community needed for ALL students to use esports as a platform to grow. The vision is to ensure that ALL students possess the knowledge and skills needed to be society’s game changers: educated, productive, and empathetic individuals. Esports values learning, community, career opportunities, and diversity through gaming.