At Keene Central School, students have an opportunity to participate in a number of school sponsored clubs depending on their individual interests. Involvement in school clubs offers students additional opportunities beyond the classroom and supports personal growth and development.

Events and activities range from fundraising and/or community service activities to opportunities for learning, skill building, character development and socializing.

Forensics Team

The KCS Forensics Team is comprised of students in the Forensics class (usually freshmen and sophomores) and juniors and seniors who have previously taken the course. Any high school student can prepare for and attend Forensics tournaments.

Practice takes place in class and before and after school. Tournaments are held on Saturdays at high schools in the Albany district and at SUNY Potsdam. The KSC Forensics team is a member of the NYS Forensic League which allows students to compete and qualify for the NYS Forensic Championship Finals. If the students win two half bids (place twice) at tournaments, they are selected to attend the NYS Forensic Championship Finals in Albany.

Students prepare for the following public speaking and dramatic categories: Dramatic/Humorous Interpretation, Oral Interpretation, Duo Dramatics, Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu, Original Oratory and Public Forum Debate.

Every year the Forensics Team performs a dessert theatre to raise funds for tournament registrations and associated costs. The play usually focuses on the skills the team members work on throughout the tournament season. Past performances include:

• Greater Tuna
• Greater Tuna Christmas
• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
• An Evening with Christopher Durang
• The Complete History of America (abridged)

Key Club

Key Club promotes community service, leadership development and fellowship. It is the oldest and largest high school student-led service organization in the world and is part of the Kiwanis International family. The motto of Key Club is "Caring—Our Way of Life.”

At Keene Central School, the Key Club holds fundraisers for local and national charities, volunteers at local organizations and participates in activities for local causes.

Examples of Key Club events and activities:

• Fund-raising dinner at KCS on the first night of the school play or musical
• Participate in local walk-a-thons
• Adopt a child at Christmas
• Volunteer time at a local senior group
• Annual KCS staff appreciation event
• Collect money for UNICEF
• Sell shamrocks for Muscular Dystrophy
• Hat Day fundraiser for cancer

National Honor Society

Established in 1921, the National Honor Society (NHS) is a recognition program for high school students who show achievement in scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

Keene Central School has a chapter of the National Honor Society and adheres to the guidelines of the parent organization and its charteJanuary 9, 2008mplary scholarship among the student body, specifically Grades 10-12.

Candidates for NHS are screened and selected. In addition to scholarship, characteristics that are considered include leadership, service to school and community and the demonstration of good character. The minimum qualifying GPA is 85.

The KCS chapter of NHS conducts an annual induction ceremony for new members each May. At this event, a community member (adult) who has demonstrated the same characteristics in his/her life is recognized.

NHS members participate in many activities including:

• Bell ringing during the holiday season in support of the Salvation Army
• In-school tutoring and mentoring
• Sponsoring a student recognition program that fosters and promotes character education
• Supporting/promoting the Ausable Forks Rotary walk-a-thon to raise money for the Ronald Gordon Scholarship Program
• Offering a local NHS scholarship to a graduating KCS senior
• Participating in the “Fun On Wheels” bike rodeo in Elizabethtown to promote bicycle safety

Student Council

The purpose of the Student Council is to aid and promote good citizenship, closer relations among the students and between students and the administration, and to encourage school spirit. The Council exists to voice the opinion of the student. Suggestions for school improvement are brought to the attention of the Student Council.

Middle School Student Council

Middle School Student Council consists of two members elected from each class (Grades 6-8), plus the officers. An 8 th grade student is President and any student in Grades 6-8 may fill the positions of Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

The Council participates in social activities appropriate for middle school students including: Halloween Party, Movie Nights, Christmas Party, snow tubing at Mt. Pisgah and a trip to Great Escape. The Student Council also performs community service activities such as “Sight Night” – an event where students gather used eye glasses for distribution in developing countries.

Students also make social visits to older adults living at Keene Valley Neighborhood House.

High School Student Council

High School Student Council is a student run organization led by four elected officers: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Council consists of two members selected from each class (Grades 9-12) plus the officers. A junior or senior is President and any student in Grades 10-12 may fill the other offices.

The High School Student Council hosts events including the annual KCS Thanksgiving Dinner, Secret Santa Holiday Party, Oxfam International fundraising dinner, Red Cross Blood Drive and student dances

Quiz Bowl

Quiz Bowl is a club for students Grades 10-12. The 6-8 members of the KCS Quiz Bowl Club compete at an annual tournament at Saranac Lake where they face off against other high school teams. At the Quiz Bowl tournament, teams of four compete to answer questions from all academic fields in 20 minute rounds.

Varsity Club

Varsity Club is open to any student who has received a varsity letter in Athletics. The Club fosters team spirit by hosting and participating in a variety of events and activities including sponsoring the annual alumni basketball tournament. Membership is the Varsity Club provides student athletes an opportunity to travel outside the Mountain Valley Athletic Conference for participation in athletic events.

Writing Conferences, Retreats and Contests

Young Writers Conference

St. Lawrence University

Juniors and seniors attend this three-day conference at Camp Canaras on Upper Saranac Lake.

Every year, about seven students from Keene Central School attend workshops with poets, novelists, nature writers, journalists and nonfiction writers. Students apply in the spring and attend in September. Students are selected from Northern New York high schools.

New England Young Writers’ Conference

Middlebury College

Only two juniors may apply to this four-day conference at the Bread Loaf Conference Center in Ripton, Vermont. About 800 students apply from New England high schools, but only 200 are selected. Students apply in November and they attend in May. Keene Central School usually has one or both student(s) selected every year. Students attend workshops with poets, playwrights, novelists, nature writers, journalists, and nonfiction writers.

High School Writing Retreat at the Adirondack Center for Writing
Paul Smith’s College

This is a one day workshop at Paul Smith’s College with published authors who are known for winning national poetry slams. The workshops focus on hip hop, memoir, and Def poetry. Workshops are held with individual poets and readings are shared with the group. About seven students from Keene Central School attend annually.

Great Adirondack Young People’s Poetry Contest
Lake Placid Institute

Students in all grade levels can submit poetry to this local contest. Students who are chosen attend a ceremony at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts and have their poem published in a booklet. A high school student may win a scholarship (only 5 chosen) with the teacher to attend the Young Vermont Writer’s Conference at Champlain College. Every year Keene Central School always has students selected for the anthology and in 2007 a student was chosen as a scholarship recipient.

Young Vermont Writer’s Conference

Students are chosen to attend this conference at Champlain College by a poet from the Great Adirondack Young People’s Poetry Contest (YVWC). During the conference students have the opportunity to:

• Attend workshops in fiction, poetry, song writing, or creative nonfiction
• Exchange and critique manuscripts
• Hear readings from faculty members
• Share work with the YVWC community
• Receive the YVWC anthology of student writing (Hardscrabble)

 

Last Modified November 6, 2007