West Milford High School - Clubs and Activities

Clubs and Activities

West Milford High School offers a variety of afterschool clubs and activities for its students. These clubs are run by the student members under the supervision of WMHS staff members, thus allowing these clubs to truly by student-run. These include clubs, student-government programs, peer leadership programs, honorary societies, and scholastic competition organizations:

Above the Influence Club, Accreditation for Growth (AFG), Art Club, Biology League, Chemistry League, Class Officers, Consumer Bowl, DECA, Environmental Club, ERASE Club, French National Honor Society, Gay-Straight Alliance, German Honor Society, Green Team, Highlander Marching Band and Color Guard, History Club, Interact Club, Literary Arts Club, Model Congress, Model United Nations, Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honorary Society, National Honor Society, Peers As Leaders (PALs), Peers Pledge for Peace, Peer Tutoring, Photography Club, Physics League, Spanish National Honor Society, Student Council, Varsity Club, World Language Club, and Yearbook Club.

Above the Influence Club was formed by a group of students who wanted to profess their desire to remain free of drugs and alcohol. This club provides a supportive peer group for other students who do not abuse controlled substances and is advised by an English teacher.

Accreditation for Growth (AFG) is composed of WMHS administrators, department supervisors, teachers, and two student liaisons who work towards improving the school. Their goal is to maintain the school's accreditation by the Middle States Commission. They contribute to Peace Week and other schoolwide events.

Art Club provides art students and students who are unable to take Art class during the school day to do art while having many resources and supplies available to them. This club is advised by a school art teacher.

Biology League is a competitive scholastic team that competes against other high schools in New Jersey in the subject area of Biology. Membership on this team is open to any student that is enrolled in a Biology course. This team is administered through the Science Department and is advised by a WMHS Biology teacher.

Chemistry League is a competitive scholastic team that competes against other high schools in New Jersey in the subject area of Chemistry. Membership on this team is open to any student that is enrolled in a Chemistry course. This team is administered through the Science Department and is advised by a WMHS Chemistry teacher.

West Milford High School has class offices at each grade level, with elected students representing their classmates in planning fundraisers, proms, and other class functions. Each graduating class has its own advisor (a WMHS staff member) and re-elects its officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary) every school year.

The West Milford High School Consumer Bowl team is made up of some business education students enrolled in the International Business/Business Law course and is advised by that course's teacher. This competition deals with knowledge of consumer laws and is geared at educating its competitors on scams and frauds that consumers can become victims of. The team has dominated Passaic County, winning five consecutive county championships, from the 2004–05 to the 2008–09 school years. In the 2006–07 school year, the team won the Northern New Jersey Regional title and advanced to the State Championships, placing third in the state. The 2007–08 team won the county championship after beating Passaic County Technical Institute and International High School of Paterson. The 2008–09 team won the county championship again by defeating those same two teams.

DECA is a comprehensive business program that improves the students' understanding of marketing and advertising, while building leadership and administrative skills, through business-related tasks and projects. West Milford's award-winning DECA team sponsors school events, works with charities, and competes on a state and regional level. In 2008, students went to Giants Stadium to learn about sports marketing. This club is advised by the DECA teacher.

ERASE Club deals with issues in the world that affect groups of people, including racism, religious intolerance, sexism, and other issues that impact society. The club is actively involved with showing movies to students afterschool and is advised by a History teacher and a Guidance Counselor.

French Honor Society is made up of inducted members who have shown proficiency and outstanding knowledge in French. The members are from the French IV Honors and AP French V Honors courses, and must have met numerous criteria in order to be considered for nomination and induction. This group has an elected executive board made up of members who serve as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. It is advised by a French teacher.

German Honor Society is made up of inducted members who have shown proficiency and outstanding knowledge in German. The members are from the German IV Honors and AP German V Honors courses, and must have met numerous criteria in order to be considered for nomination and induction. This group has an elected executive board made up of members who serve as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. It is advised by a German teacher.

Green Team (formerly known as the Environmental Club) is made up of students who deal with pressing environmental issues and who monitor and continually enhance the school's recycling program. The group has initiated a school-wide recycling program that has included putting separate recycling receptacles for cans/bottles and paper in every classroom. It is advised by a Science teacher.

History Club is open to any students who have a passion for the subject of History. Students from all History courses are able to join. The club watches movies on historical figures and plays interactive games to enhance their knowledge on certain time periods. The club is advised by a History teacher.

Interact Club participants perform volunteer work in the schools and in the community. They often work at various school-sponsored events, including dances and activity nights. They are advised by a History teacher and a town councilwoman.

Literary Arts Club is made up of students who possess an interest in writing and literature. This club works to improve each students skills in creative writing and literary analysis. The group hosts events where its members can read poetry and other pieces that they have written. It is advised by some school English teachers.

West Milford High School participates in the Model Congress program. Selected AP Government and Politics students meet with other schools' delegations and carry out the functions of a congress, writing and passing bills on various topics and issues. West Milford High School's Model Congress team won the Passaic County championship during the 2007–08 school year. This team is advised by WMHS's AP Government and Politics teacher.

Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society is made up of inducted members who have shown proficiency and outstanding knowledge in Mathematics. The members are from a wide range of Mathematics courses, and must have met numerous criteria in order to be considered for nomination and induction. Mu Alpha Theta hosts multiple mathematics competitions for students from Macopin Middle School during the year. This group has an elected executive board made up of members who serve as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. It is advised by a Mathematics teacher.

National Honor Society is made up of inducted members who have shown outstanding scholarship during their time at West Milford High School. The members must have met and exceeded numerous criteria, and are required to perform many hours of school and community service, including free peer tutoring. Membership in this society of scholars is a great distinction and honor, and is highly respected by post-secondary institutions of higher learning (colleges, universities, graduate schools, technical/vocational schools, and trade schools). The group is advised by an English teacher and has an elected executive board made up of student members who serve as President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Historian.

Peers As Leaders (PALs) is a group of hand-selected student in the junior and senior classes serves as peer leaders and role models for the other students of WMHS. This group plays an integral role in organizing and running the Freshmen Orientation, peer mediation, conflict resolution, and assisting new students with becoming acclimated to the school. The group has an Executive Board composed of a President, Vice President, and Secretary, and is run by two Guidance Counselors and a Science teacher.

Peers Pledge for Peace is open to a member of any club, honor society, student council, class officer, Peers as Leaders, or any sports team. The group is responsible for organizing and administering Peace Week at WMHS. During Peace Week, WMHS holds a food drive to help local food pantries. Students also are encouraged to wear white on certain days to promote peace and receive stickers that endorse peace. White carnations are also sold and can be delivered to another student with a message attached from the purchaser. The club is run by its co-Presidents who are the two Accreditation for Growth student liaisons and is advised by the school principal.

Peer Tutoring offers afterschool sessions are administered and operated by candidates and members of the National Honor Society. These open tutoring groups are cost-free to students and allow students to be educated by their peers who are proficient in certain subjects.

Photography Club allows students with an interest in photography to increase their knowledge and gain experience about the subject. The club is advised by the school's Photography teacher.

Physics League is a competitive scholastic team that competes against other high schools in New Jersey in the subject area of Physics. Membership on these teams is open to any student that is enrolled in a Physics course. Any students in a Physics course compete on the level of Physics I, while AP Physics students compete on the Physics II level. These teams are split in order to focus more on the subject matter taught in those different courses. These teams are administered through the Science Department and are advised by a WMHS Physics teacher.

Spanish Honor Society is made up of inducted members who have shown proficiency and outstanding knowledge in Spanish. The members are from the Spanish IV Honors and AP Spanish V Honors courses, and must have met numerous criteria in order to be considered for nomination and induction. This group has an elected executive board made up of members who serve as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. It is advised by a Spanish teacher.

Student Council is made up of five elected students that represent the other students of WMHS on an Executive Council. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to run for the offices of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Communications Director. This organization is a separate entity from class offices, but does work with the individual class offices on certain projects to benefit the school. Students running for a Student Council office must deliver a speech, which is recorded on a video and viewed during English classes. Students are able to vote during that class period in their individual English class to ensure that every student has the opportunity to view the speeches and cast their vote. The Student Council is the only schoolwide student government organization and its officers are often considered the School President, School Vice President, School Treasurer, School Secretary, and School Communications Director. The group organizes and sponsors numerous school events and works with the school and districtwide administrators to enhance the school environment. The WMHS student representative at the West Milford Board of Education meetings is a member of the Student Council Executive Council. The group also extends to homeroom representatives, who attend meetings and relay important information back to their homerooms. The Student Council runs the Homecoming Dance and other events throughout the year, including a volleyball tournament. The group is advised by an English teacher.

Varsity Club is open exclusively to sophomores, juniors, and seniors who possess a Varsity letter in a sport. The Varsity Club organizes and runs the school Pep Rallies and raises funds to help the Athletic Department. It also organizes fundraisers to aid current and former WMHS students who have serious illnesses. The club is responsible for updating the outdoor schedule board, which is located outside the business wing of the school, where all of the athletic teams' scheduled games for the week are posted. The club has an Executive Board composed of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, and is advised by a Special Education teacher.

World Language Club provides students interested in languages and cultures from around the world to learn more about those languages and cultures. The club organizes multicultural events and hosts a World Cuisine Night at which students prepare and serve foods from many nations and cultures to the guests. This club is advised by an Italian teacher.

Yearbook Club is responsible for producing the annual school yearbook. Members of this club work together to gather information on sports teams and clubs, prepare picture profiles for graduating seniors, and lay out all pictures and text for the final production of the yearbook. They are responsible for creating the treasured keepsake by which many people remember their high school years. This club is advised by a Computers teacher and a Special Education teacher.