Baking Club
Our new Baking Club is open to 8th graders only. This Club meets on Mondays and Tuesdays once a month in the Foods Room from 2:50-4:30pm.
Advisor: Kristina Allen: [email protected]
Builders Club
Builders Club is a Kiwanis-supported service club for all grades that seeks to improve our school and community through service projects. Students build leadership skills, compassion, character, and friendship as they work together on projects. The club meets every other Wednesday beginning in September in the Foods Room until 4 PM.
Advisor: Kristina Allen: [email protected]
Cheerleading (sideline)
This club is during the Fall during football season and is open to 6th, 7th, & 8th graders. Practices are at Upton 5:30-7 on Mon. and Wed. As a club member you will learn sideline cheers, use poms and learn basic stunt skills.
Advisor: Elizabeth Reimers: [email protected]
Chess Club
Chess Club is open to any interested 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. All talent levels are encouraged, from beginners to experts. It will be held every other Thursday, starting October 5th, in Room 219. Chess Club will run from 2:50 - 4:50PM, with dates through May. A double-elimination bracket is formed from those present at every session. Other than signing in at the beginning of each meeting, there is no sign-up or official "membership." Students may attend as many or as few dates as they'd like.
2023-24 dates: Oct 5 & 19, Nov 16 & 30, Dec 14, Jan 11 & 25, Feb 8 & 22, March 7 & 21, Apr 18, May 2 & 16.
Advisor: Dana Walsworth: [email protected]
Creative Writing Club
This club is open to all students interested in writing poetry, prose, plays, song lyrics, graphic novels and other genres. You will have a positive atmosphere for developing your writing! We will meet every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. Please meet in Mrs. Deis' room, room 221, from 2:50-3:45PM.
2023-24 dates: October 5 and 19, November 16, December 7 and 21, February 1 and 15, March 7 and 21, April 18, May 2 and 16.
Advisor: Mrs. Deis: [email protected]
E-Sports Club
E-Sports Club is a space for students to engage with each other while playing games! Students meet each week and will play a variety of video games including Smash Brothers, Mario Kart, and Mario Party. During the club students are given a space to engage with others that may not be part of other clubs or have like minded interests while working on their social skills. 6th and 7th graders will be meeting on alternating Fridays, beginning with 7th graders on Friday, 9/15. 8th graders will meet every Wednesday beginning 9/13. The Club meets from 2:45pm - 4:00pm in Room 223.
Advisor: Mr. Zahrn: [email protected]
Interact Club
This is a service club sponsored by the Rotary Club of St. Joe/Benton Harbor available to all 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students. They meet bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7:15 AM in the media center, beginning September 26, 2023. This service group brings young people together to develop leadership skills, while discovering the power of service beyond self. We focus on servicing the community and having fun! Some of our annual activities include fundraising, promoting literacy by reading at underprivileged schools and spending time after school with senior citizens playing games.
Advisor: Cindy Igoe: [email protected]
The Joe Bots
Upton's FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) competitive robotics team is designed to foster middle schoolers' interest and passion in STEM careers through designing, building, programming and operating robots that compete in head-to-head challenges in an alliance format. This program progresses from skills learned in FLL LEGO league, although no prior experience on an FLL LEGO team is required. The FTC season runs from September to December. Meeting schedules change from year to year, but are generally held one evening and one Saturday per week, with more frequent meetings as we approach competition dates. Registration is held at Upton Start-Up days and via email notifications. For more information about FIRST, you can visit the FIRST website (http://www.firstinspires.org). For more information about Upton's Job Bots, please email us at [email protected] and look for us at Upton Start-Up Days! Visit the SJPS Robotics Web Site.
Advisor: Morgan Brunsting: [email protected]
Math COUNTS
Math Counts is a national mathematics competition for middle school students, with regional and state levels of advancement. Individual and team competitions include the topics of statistics, probability, number theory, geometry, combinatorics, and logic. The Blossomland Chapter of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers sponsors Math Counts locally. Each year we begin practicing for Math Counts after Thanksgiving, all students are encouraged to try-out for the team.
Advisor: Ben Holleman: [email protected]
Running Club
The club provides an opportunity for students to run with classmates after school. The club generally meets once a week for an hour after school to run. Running increases muscle and heart strength, increases fitness, improves memory and mood, and raises self esteem. Dates of the club will be determined by the club advisor.
School Musical
This is a club open to anyone who enjoys music and performance. Practices vary and the performance is in the Spring.
Director: Beth Gray-Roll: [email protected]
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division (Division B is middle school; Division C is high school). Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation. Through the Science Olympiad, students, teachers, parents, principals, and business leaders bond together and work toward a shared goal. (Soinc.org)
Here at Upton, Science Olympiad meets from November through April (providing that we earn the right to compete at the State Competition). The team consists of 15 competitive members and 4-8 alternates. They are assigned 3-4 events to prepare for the competition. The Regional Competition is in early March and the State competition is in late April/Early May. Students apply for the competitive team usually in October and the team is picked in November. Students start to meet with mentors (either teachers or members from our community) who help them prepare for the events. They meet from 2-4 days a week, 1-2 hours a day depending on the event. They are expected to put in an additional 10-15 hours of studying a week on their own.
We have a lot of fun and love the chance to learn about many different types of science because we all know Science Rules!
Advisor: Kelly Kietzerow: [email protected]
Ski/Snowboard Club
Upton has a ski club for grades 6th, 7th & 8th. All students may join. Skiing takes place at Timber Ridge in Gobles, Michigan, which is 55 miles from St. Joseph. There is a fee for participants. Lessons and transportation are included. Trips are offered one time per week, after school. Buses leave Upton at 3pm and return at 9pm. Information comes out in October with sign-ups following in November. Skiing is from December through February/March.
2023-24 Season dates - 1/8, 1/15 (No Club due to MLK Holiday, but student passes will work if you decide to go), 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19. Make-up Date #1 (2/26), Make-up Date #2 (3/4).
Advisor: Ian Brown: [email protected]
Soccer
This is a Fall activity for boys in 6th, 7th, & 8th grade and a Spring activity for girls in 6th, 7th, & 8th grades. All students may join. Games take place during the week at our field here at Upton and in surrounding communities. There is a fee for uniforms.
Advisor: Sara Dawalt: [email protected]
Spanish Club
Introductory and Intermediate Classes! Both meet in Rm 226. Come to the Spanish Club to improve your speaking and understanding of the Spanish language. You will learn the alphabet, numbers, weather terms, grammar rules and play listening games. This class will run Sept through Nov and will meet in Rm 406.
Advisor: Cynthia Ellspermann: [email protected]
Spelling Team
This is a fall activity. However, we practice nearly year-round to prepare for the Cloverleaf Competition held this year on February 22, 2024. It is not necessary to be a fine speller, but students must work hard to memorize words and meanings. We send our best three spellers to the competition. We will be meeting on Tuesdays in Rm 312, beginning Tuesday, October 3rd.
Advisor: Cathy Gressley: [email protected]
Strength and Conditioning Training
This Club is open to all 6th, 7th and 8th graders. It begins after the SJHS Varsity Football season and runs through the end of the school year. Students meet in room 407 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:50-4:00pm, beginning November 9, 2023. We will focus on strength training, conditioning, speed and agility, and fun cardio games. No sign-up necessary.
Advisors: Ian Brown: [email protected] and Randy Miller: [email protected]
Student Council
A student-run government consisting of an executive board of 8th graders: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and publicist. These students are elected by the student body and are expected to fulfill specific job requirements. Each homeroom elects two representatives that also make up Upton's Student Council.
Advisor: Jenna Francis: [email protected]
Tennis
This is a Spring activity for anyone interested in learning the basics of playing tennis. Practices will be held after school on our own tennis courts. There are A and B teams that may compete in matches with other schools.
Advisor: Al Green: [email protected]
Upstream
This group is open to 6th, 7th, & 8th graders interested in nature and science. Students look for invasive species around the middle school and clean up our outside school environment.
Advisor: Mrs. Kietzerow: [email protected]
Variety Show
Our annual talent show for all students interested in showing us what they have! Tryouts are necessary.
Advisor: Will Flaherty: [email protected]
Video News Team
The Upton Experience news team is a student-run news program that airs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Together they report all the happenings in and around the school, district and community. The commitment for the news team is to be on time to school and to be in the newsroom by 7:30 AM. The Upton Experience anchors are also expected to represent good character, citizenship and academic responsibility. Interested 7th and 8th graders may submit an application, which includes a recording of their news delivery style, and receive a satisfactory teacher review. If your student is interested, they should watch for application periods on their grade level Google classroom or see Mrs. Burnette. There is no cost to be a part of the Upton news team.
Advisor: Kristin Burnette: [email protected]
Yearbook
This is an Elective Course offered during the school day, to 8th grade students. It will focus on print and mass media and the publication of the Upton Middle School yearbook. Projects such as writing for the yearbook, and developing promotional campaigns will be assigned. Students will also learn and apply computer skills and explore the role of digital cameras, manipulations of digital imagery in communication. This course is designed for students who are self-disciplined and who enjoy writing, speaking and sharing ideas with classmates.
Advisor: Mary Byerle: [email protected]
Other Community Clubs