Clubs

Art Club
The Art Club is an after school program dedicated to the creative abilities of all students within the Shawsheen Valley Technical High School student body.  Students work on a variety of creative projects using both traditional and digital technology.  Students are free to explore their creative side within this program.  Art club meets on Thursdays after school from 2:15 to 3:15 (weather permitting).  All interested students should contact Mr. Azevedo.

Book Club
The “Reading Rams” Book Club provides students who have a passion for reading a dynamic and interactive forum to discuss books.  The club meets monthly for literary discussion, both of books independently read by members and of a featured book, which is assigned and provided by club moderators.  Members are also invited to participate in special events such as service activities and biannual after school field trips to local destinations of literary interest.  Transportation to and from outside locales is provided by the school.  Interested students are welcome to join by contacting Ms. Healey (Library) or Ms. McKee (room 110), or by attending any meeting.

Chess Club
The Chess Club at Shawsheen Tech is an after school activity that meets once a week from September through January on Thursdays from 2:04 until 3:00 PM.  Meetings will be held on Wednesdays from January through June at the same time.  Those interested should report to Mr. Perriello in the bakeshop.  The Chess Club is open to students with all levels of experience in the game including those who are interested in learning but have not yet played.  Our purpose is to play, discuss the game, and to explore the three stages of chess:  the opening, middle and end game.  Joining a chess club offers players the opportunity to improve their game by competing with others at a variety of skill levels.  Our club offers frequent practice in a friendly but competitive atmosphere with having fun and improving your game as the ultimate goal.  For those students who are interested but not ready to make a commitment, checkers are available.

Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)
The group meets twice a month in room 504 with Mrs. Tobin.  The group actively decides on the agenda for their bi-monthly meetings.  The meetings consistently allow students to discuss any challenges they are facing in the school and community.  Students in the group provide empathy and support for one another.  Agenda items included individuality, healthy relationships, cliques, discrimination, support systems and how to handle homophobic remarks.  The group will be joining the Teen Dating Awareness Group at the PAVE summit in Boston on October 23rd.  Interested students should seek out Mrs. Tobin in the Dean’s Office.

Mathematics Club
The Mathematics Club provides Shawsheen students the opportunity to practice and improve their mathematics skills by working together as part of a team.  The club provides the students an opportunity to compete in the Massachusetts Math League against other local high schools.  The competitions are held once a month from October through March.  The team will practice a minimum of once a month after school, and the students can practice more if desired.  All practice materials will be provided.  Upperclassman will also be provided the opportunity to compete against 85 other high schools at a meet held at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA.  At the WPI meet, students may earn college scholarship money.  Transportation to and from the competitions are provided by the school.  All interested students are invited and encouraged to contact the club ad visor, Mrs. Dew, in room 314.

National Vocational Technical Honor Society/National Honor Society
Students in the top ten percent of the Junior and Senior classes comprise membership in NHS and NVTHS.  The purpose of the organization is to reward scholastic achievement in occupational, vocational, and /or technical education as well as to promote the ideals of honesty, service, leadership, and skill development among America’s future workforce.  NHS encourages the practice of high standards of personal and professional conduct and assists in initiating and maintaining strong working partnerships with local institutions of business.  Students who are recommended in their junior year are subject to an interview process by a faculty team. Once selected, members must participate in community service activities, must maintain an 85% or above average in all classes, and must exhibit appropriate character, leadership and citizenship qualities.

Oratory Club
The Oratory Club provides Shawsheen students the opportunity to practice and improve their speech writing and performance skills.  The club also provides students the opportunity to compete in such contests as The Voice of Democracy, The Lions’ Youth Speech Contest, and SkillsUSA Leadership Contest.  During the school year, one on one coaching sessions will be available to all members by appointment both before and after school.  Students will also meet as a group before each competition. 

Outdoor Club
The Shawsheen Outdoor Club provides students with the opportunity to have meaningful experiences in the outdoors, away from televisions, video games and the Internet.  Students will work together as a group as they encounter both challenges and accomplishments on their outdoor adventures.  Students will be exposed to a variety of healthy activities including hiking, camping, backpacking, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing.  Students will also learn and practice vital outdoor safety skills so that they can step up as leaders on the trips.  The Outdoor Club will provide multiple trips throughout the school year.  Unfortunately, the number of students who may participate in each trip is limited.  Therefore, the number of trips in which any student may participate during a year will depend on the number of interested students.  Each trip will be preceded by weekly meetings beginning approximately a month before the trip.  Interested students should contact Ms. Cook in room 506.

Parents’ Advisory Council
The Shawsheen Valley Technical High School Parents’ Advisory Council is a group of parent volunteers who are dedicated to the mission of our school.  All activities sponsored by the Parent Advisory Council are designed to help develop a strong community of families who are actively seeking ways of helping our students.  We work closely with teachers and administrators in an effort to enhance the educational experience of all members of the Shawsheen Tech community.

Ram Page
The Ram Page, Shawsheen’s student newspaper, provides students the opportunity to practice and improve their reporting, writing, and photography skills.  The Ram Page is published quarterly and students are encouraged to see the faculty advisor Mr. Azevedo in the Commercial Art Shop, each week for newspaper assignments.

Ramblings
Ramblings, Shawsheen’s student literary magazine, provide students the opportunity to submit their poems, personal essays, short stories, and art work for publication.  This magazine is published annually in the spring and is the recipient of awards from both the Scholastic Press Forum and the New England Scholastic Press Association.  The Ram Page is published quarterly and students are encouraged to see the faculty advisor Mr. Michaud in the Commercial Art Shop, each week for newspaper assignments.

Robotics Club
The Robotics Club is an exciting way for Shawsheen students to gain exposure to science and technology.  The students will work as a member of a team to design, build and program robots that will compete against robots from other schools.  Students will apply the skills that they have learned in their individual shops to create the final product.  The team will be required to maintain an engineering notebook that will document every phase of the design and build process.  Club members will meet once a week from October until the beginning of February.  At this time, additional meetings may be needed to complete their robot before the competitions begin.  Students may, with the permission of their instructor, do some of the work in their respective shops during their shop weeks.  All interested students are encouraged to contact Mr. Blanchette in the Electronics Department for any additional information.

Science Club
The purpose of this club is to provide an additional forum for topics not covered in the core curriculum, but whose value have been clearly reflected in newly created jobs whether they are in the green or bio-tech industries.  Many Shawsheen students have expressed an interest in delving further into more advanced theories of science.  The club experiences could translate into an awareness of current research, and or allow students to develop projects.  These projects could include environmental “going green”, aerospace, forensic investigations and or biotechnology.  The schedule would include speakers on important scientific subjects and careers.  Club members will be taking a trip to the Boston Museum of Science to further explore scientific theories and recent scientific advances.  Meeting dates will be tentatively scheduled once a month during homeroom and a second meeting each month after school.  

Student Council
The Student Council provides all students with the opportunity to become more involved in school, community and global issues.  The Student Council’s goal is to promote a greater sense of awareness through active participation in a variety of activities that promote citizenship, benevolence and leadership.  The Student Council runs Shawsheen’s recycling program on a daily basis, which includes:  the collection of paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, printer cartridges and cell phones.  Furthermore, the group sponsors a Thanksgiving food drive and sells daffodils in support of the American Cancer Society.  Meetings are conducted during homeroom as needed and all interested students are encouraged and welcome to join.  Please see Ms. Mountain in Room 511B if you have any questions.

Teen Dating Awareness Group (TDVA)
The group meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings during homeroom in room 316 with Mrs. Tobin and Mrs. Gerace.  All students are welcome to attend.  The focus of the group is to increase awareness of healthy and unhealthy relationships.  Students learn what the signs of an abusive relationship are and how to support a friend who is in an unhealthy relationship.  The TDVA group recently submitted two winning entries in the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office Poster Project. The winners were chosen from approximately 100 entries. The two winning posters will be reproduced and distributed to all middle and high schools in Middlesex County. The TDVA group will be hosting their 10^th Annual Ice Cream Social on May 16^th in the school cafeteria. 

Traveling Rams
The Traveling Rams is a club that seeks to broaden Shawsheen students’ experiences and expose them to the global community to which we increasingly belong.  We offer the opportunity to travel to a culturally significant international destination at least once each year.  In order to prepare for this trip, the club meets at least once each month to learn about the culture we will be visiting.  In addition, we may take local field trips designed to increase cultural awareness.  These young travelers will carry the lessons they learn during this enrichment opportunity far beyond the walls of our institution.  Travel provides Shawsheen with the opportunity to create true life-long learners.  All interested students should see Ms. Sciacca in room 502.

Yearbook
The Yearbook Club meets on a weekly basis during the winter months.  The group selects a theme for the yearbook, discusses conceptual and design possibilities, then executes a book design based on the theme.  This club provides opportunities for student growth in the areas of design, photography, page layout, proofreading, task management, teamwork, conflict resolution, and leadership.  All students are welcome to join the club, which is promoted via the morning announcements, with an organizational meeting typically held in late November.  Students are encouraged to see the faculty advisor Mr. Azevedo in the Commercial Art Shop to find out more information. 
 
In compliance with An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Hazing, each member of a student organization is required to read a copy of the M.G.L. Chapter 269 Sections 17-19.  Pursuant to compliance, each adviser is required to demonstrate that each organization member has received a copy of these sections and that each member agrees to comply with the provisions by completing the attached Annual Statement of Acknowledgment.