Student Activities and Clubs

The A Cappella Club, which meets after school, consists of two small groups of girls comprised of both Middle and Upper School students. One group will travel to neighboring organizations to perform for others while the second group will remain on the Maryvale campus to perform throughout the school.

ABC discusses methods for preventing bullying at schools. ABC offers a safe place where students can express their feelings and past experiences. Activities will be planned through this club to raise awareness and take action towards preventing bullying in all forms within schools.

Students in American Heroes will take several trips to BWI after school to greet returning soldiers with a warm welcome home. This service opportunity encourages girls to come together, construct signs and banners and remind U.S. troops how much their efforts are appreciated in the community.

The Asian Culture Club will explore the East Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, etc.) and learn about their cultures. Activities will include eating the countries' native food, listening to the their popular music and learning a little bit of their language.

Middle School Athletics includes teams for cross country, field hockey, basketball, soccer, volleyball and lacrosse. Practices are held Monday through Thursday after school, and teams compete against other Middle Schools in the area.

Upper School Athletics consist of teams for field hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, basketball, indoor soccer, indoor track, swimming, lacrosse, softball and outdoor track. Maryvale follows the rules and regulations of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM). Practices and games are held every day after school and occasionally on weekends.

The Athletic Association, also known as AA, is comprised of four appointed captains (two seniors and two juniors). The group meets every Monday to discuss potential fundraisers, pep rallies, Spirit Week, AA dance, and anything else related to athletics. These students also put together the sports reports for Community Homeroom each week.

Maryvale Middle and Upper school students participate in Book Clubs to promote reading for pleasure and to encourage sharing ideas in a relaxed atmosphere. The Upper School Book Club meets monthly (except for January) during Resource period. For each meeting, participants select a book and lead a discussion. The Middle School Book Club meets every other month during Resource to discuss books they have selected as a group. Middle Schoolers also have the chance to be a part of the Book Nook Club, which meets monthly during Resource to design and display a book theme in the display case by the Butler's Pantry in the Castle.

Members of the Chess Club will meet regularly to enhance their chess-playing skills, socialize with friends and participate in opportunities to compete against other schools.

Color Guard is a performance art that combines of the use of flags, sabres and other equipment, as well as dance and other interpretive movement. Members meet after school to practice. Maryvale’s Color Guard is open to students in grades eight through 12.

Connect4Cancer will serve to educate students about the varying aspects of the cancer community by relating personal experiences to a local and national level. These aspects include awareness, advocacy and research.

Students involved in this club meet regularly to teach each other the skills for various crafts including knitting, crocheting and embroidery, just to name a few.

The Creative Writing Club embraces and promotes students' creative writing. Members will form a supportive environment where they will be able to examine and create their own pieces of writing.

The Dance Troupe is a student-run group that prepares different types of routines for a dance showcase. Students learn modern, tap, lyrical, jazz and ballet dance styles. Dance can also be found in liturgies as some girls perform liturgical dances.

Dead Language Society is a club to learn Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon. The group has fun themed days including but not limited to Oracle day, Thor's Day, Myth Day and much more.

The Debate Club will gather gather to discuss and debate topics regarding morality, justice, and the greater good. This is a great way for students to practice their public speaking and critical thinking skills.

Maryvale's Performing Arts Department produces three main-stage productions each year. Upper and Middle School students are invited to audition for major, supporting or chorus roles. Some students choose to participate as crew members providing lighting, sound, props, costumes and sets. Recent performances include: The Little Mermaid, A Little Princes, Into the Woods, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Sound of Music, Nuncrackers, Seussical and Beauty and the Beast. In addition to the major productions, an Upper School Drama Class performs scenes, one-act plays and murder mystery dinner theaters.

The goal of the Environmental Club is to promote responsible use of our resources on the Maryvale campus. We hope to educate the community about environmentally responsible behavior and create educational activities. The club will work to organize activities throughout the year with a special focus on Earth Day. We hope to join in more community-wide events in the future, and possibly even join competitions with other schools such as the Green Cup Challenge. The Environmental Club also hopes to work alongside existing clubs, like the Fuel Fund, to promote awareness on campus.

The Fashion and Design Club is dedicated to all fashion and design enthusiasts. This club will run under the guidance and direction of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) Fashion Club, which is a national high school program created to inspire and mentor students interested in pursuing careers in the creative industries. Members of this club will discuss and apply the latest trends in architecture, costume design, stage makeup and more.

This club encourages Maryvale student athletes to be Christ-like on and off the field. It also helps girls grow in their faith.

The Fitness Club strives to promote the importance of healthy living through appropriate exercise, proper nutrition, and a supportive and encouraging state of mind. Members of this club will take after-school trips to fitness, nutrition and wellness centers.

Forensic Speech Club is open to any Upper Schooler who is interested in sharpening her speech and debate, public speaking and performance skills. The club will participate in competitions with nearby schools and serve as an outlet for student networking. Events that club members will experience include, but are not limited to, dramatic performance, interpretation of literature (duo or solo) and extemporaneous speaking.

The Grey Towers newspaper is Maryvale’s student e-newspaper. The staff consists of reporters, photographers and editors who produce the Upper School newspaper. The publication covers important events and highlights students whose skills and interests are remarkable. All Upper School students are welcome to join the staff. For more information, please contact Mr. Rance Denton, the faculty advisor, at dentonr@maryvale.com.

The Human Rights Club serves as an organization that promotes the message of equality. Its mission is to inform students about human rights violations and global conflict throughout the world. The club strives to create an environment where all issues and thoughts can be discussed without fear of judgement. Education of international issues brings cross-cultural understanding and removes prejudices giving students a new outlook on the world.

Instrumental Band lessons take place after school for a fee. The class is open to all band and orchestra instruments at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. There also is an instrumental ensemble class during the school day.

Students will learn about different countries around the world and get a feel for their cultures.

The International Thespian Society (ITS) is the Educational Theatre Association’s student honorary organization. ITS recognizes the achievements of high school and middle school theatre students. Since 1929, EdTA has inducted more than 2 million thespians into ITS. That number continues to grow, with more than 36,000 students from around the country being inducted each year.

Students in this club meet two or three times a week to practice and refine their ability to answer academic questions quickly and correctly under pressure. The club competes against other Baltimore-area public and independent schools. At least once a year, It's Academic competitions are broadcast on television. All Upper School students are welcome to join this organization.

The Sailing Club is a fun, student-lead club that sails after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, at Rocky Point Park in the fall (Sept.-Nov.) and/ or spring (March-May). The Baltimore County Sailing Center provides the boats, safety equipment and coaching staff for a fee. The Sailing Club will compete in regattas on select weekends against other high school teams in the Chesapeake Bay region. This club is open to anyone in the Upper School who knows how to sail. The Baltimore County Sailing Center offers summer camps for students who wish to learn to sail so they may join this club.

The Lion's Tale, Maryvale's Middle School newspaper, radiates our Middle School creativity and energy. A popular club, members range from being reporters and "creative journalists," to photographers and graphic designers working with Microsoft Publisher. Each issue features top stories within the Middle School, updates on clubs and sporting events, opinion polls, a "guess who" article, an advice column, "horror scopes," puzzles and a plethora of pictures capturing the smiles of the Middle School girls who bring the pages to life. The club runs efficiently with its managing editor (eighth grader) and assistant editor (seventh grader) leading its editorial staff under the direction of teacher Brian Coyle.

Liturgical Choir is for all students and faculty who want to assist with the music at Mass. We include Gospel, traditional and contemporary. We want musicians who will inject a sense of energy into each Mass. We also want to help everyone pray through beautiful songs. This choir will be involved in picking the music. If you can play an instrument or hold a rhythm on a drum, we want you! If you can sing with others, but do not want to solo, we want you! If you want to solo, we want you!

Much has been written and declared by the Church hierarchy about climate change and the great moral challenge it presents, especially with respect to people living in the most vulnerable areas around the world. And before the end of this year, Pope Francis will be issuing a Papal Encyclical about the environment, climate change, and our moral response.

Given the scientific and faith-oriented implications of climate change, Maryvale has developed a public advocacy group that focuses on the meaning of climate change as well as hope for action that is effective, prudent and just.

This club engages in education about climate change, including inspirational videos. Stimulating discussion about the issues and implications involved with climate change ensue; and research is done in terms of networking and doing effective advocacy—beginning with the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/

The purpose of the club is to increase student interest and awareness about geography, and more specifically, to prepare students for the annual National Geographic Bee competition. Every year, in mid-December, all seventh and eighth graders will take a written geography test in their Social Studies classes (the test does not count towards their grade).

Maryvale's Mixed Choir is the choral ensemble offered to both Middle and Upper School students twice a week during the Resource period. Students participating in this group have the opportunity to perform at the winter and spring concerts.

In a fun yet challenging simulation of the U.S. court system, the team develops a plaintiff's side and a defense side for a specific case in this statewide competition. The girls prepare arguments as lawyers and prep as witnesses in order to face other high school teams for matches at the Towson Court House.

The Model United Nations is a program run by area colleges, which is a direct simulation of the United Nations. Maryvale is assigned a country, and our students become “delegates” from this nation. They collect information about historical and current issues facing their nation, as well as their nation’s international policy and role on the world stage. At the simulation, Maryvale students meet in model United Nations committees with high school students from other area schools and work together to create international legislation. In typical years, students attend two conferences. Past conferences have included those hosted by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia.

Members of the Music/Performance Club will learn and play music together while incorporating some music theory as well. The club will specialize with ukuleles due to their versatility, availability and cost, but other instruments are welcomed, too.

The National Art Honor Society is a national organization founded by the National Art Education Association committed to recognizing high school students who demonstrate outstanding abilities in visual art. Through their effort, attitude and sense of dedication in the field of art these students consistently demonstrate the highest qualities of art scholarship, character and service, completing a minimum of 8 service hours each year.

Membership in the Sr. Shawn Marie Maguire Chapter of the National Honor Society is an honor bestowed on students who demonstrate high standards of scholarship, character, leadership and service. Students must have a total cumulative grade point average of 3.75 and demonstrate integrity, cooperation and sound moral and ethical principles consistently. Students should display leadership, reliability and initiative and pursue a leadership role in school and/or the community at the time of consideration. Students must also demonstrate at least 50 hours of meaningful service to the community at the time of consideration. Our Honor Society conducts a variety of service projects throughout the year.

Both Honor Societies recognize outstanding academic achievement in Spanish and French Language. The standards to be accepted into these societies are national standards, so participants have reached national standards of excellence.

Honor Society students provide tutoring to other Maryvale students and are involved in service projects, such as helping people from Hispanic and Francophone communities. Participants also help organize cultural events to encourage enthusiasm for foreign language learning.

The St. Julie Billiart Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society adheres to many of the same ideals stated above for the National Honor Society. To be considered for membership, students must demonstrate the highest standards of scholarship, character, leadership, citizenship and service. Additionally, students must be seventh or eighth graders, and have completed one year of schooling at Maryvale. Selection and induction take place in the fall of each year.

The National Math Honor Society, or Mu Alpha Theta, is dedicated to inspiring keen interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics in high school and two-year college students. The organization of mathematics clubs serves over 108,000 student members in more than 2,200 schools in the United States and 20 foreign countries.

Physics Club allows students to participate in extra-curricular lab experiments to advance curiosity and knowledge in the area of physics. Members will have the opportunity to experience field trips, guest lectures and competitions throughout the year.

R.O.A.R is an Upper School club where students travel to the Maryland SPCA, a local animal shelter, to volunteer for two to three hours after school. Student's interact with the shelter's dogs by providing companionship, playing with them and taking them on walks.

SADD’s mission is to empower young women to successfully confront the risks and pressures that challenge them throughout their daily lives. This club focuses on peer-to-peer education. SADD fosters a sense of belonging and promotes resiliency, leadership and advocacy skills so that young people make positive life decisions that will carry them throughout life.

Learn more about details and registration instructions for Maryvale's Ski Club here.

The Student Diversity Club is open to all students. We acknowledge the diverse cultures within our community with respect and openness. Our goal is to explore and encourage diversity from all aspects: race, ethnicity, religion, disability and socioeconomic status. Our meetings are held bi-monthly to discuss and organize what we can do to embrace and celebrate diversity at Maryvale Preparatory School. Throughout the year, we sponsor many events such as film festivals, book clubs, charity work and off-campus excursions to bring awareness of our rich cultures at Maryvale and beyond. Members of the SDC gain knowledge of themselves, peers and the community.

Community Service is an essential part of Maryvale's mission. We strive to encourage young women to learn about their unique gifts and talents to serve, lead others in service and succeed in growing their character. SoJuCo exists to provide students with opportunities locally, nationally and internationally to serve the common good.

The Maryvale Student Council offers students the opportunity to develop and demonstrate leadership, communication and organizational skills. Collaborative leadership, inclusivity and service are the hallmarks of Maryvale's Student Council. The Upper and Middle School Student Councils hold regular, monthly meetings that are open to all students. The Upper School Student Council organizes and directs Maryvale’s weekly Community Homeroom. Both councils sponsor fundraisers for various charitable groups. In the Upper School, the positions of president, vice president, secretary and treasurer are elected positions. Middle School students elect a president, vice president and treasurer.

The Vegetation Appreciation Club (VAC) will meet in the morning every day in the Green Room. Each member will pick a plant and take care of it herself. Members can choose whichever plant they would like, within limits. Members are not required to show up every day, but rather, only when their plant needs their attention.

C - Cultural

A - Appreciation

R - Respect

E - Everyone

The We CARE Club strives to promote equity and inclusion among the Maryvale community. Members of this club will help organize special events, serve as thought leaders on varying related topics and facilitate meaningful dialogue among students, faculty and staff.