Extracurricular Activities & Clubs

Below is a sampling of clubs and activities and they may change from time to time. Please always confirm details before participation.

Elementary Extracurricular Activities & Clubs:

Art History Club - Open to 4th and 5th graders, students can learn about art's influence on history starting with cave paintings and ending with modern art, all while creating their own masterpiece. This club meets on Wednesdays from 3:40 to 4:40 PM in Ms. Hefner's classroom (Room 166). For questions, please contact Ms. Hefner at [email protected].

Athletics - NYOS provides an athletics program for our upper Elementary students, which allows 4th and 5th graders to participate in basketball, cheer, flag football, soccer, and volleyball. You can read more about these opportunities on the athletics section of our website found here.

Chess Club -Taught by local chess expert Gary Gaiffe and associates, instruction includes basic to advanced skills, tournament play, notation and chess variations to K-12 students at all abilities! Chess Club takes place is Mr. Huff’s classroom in Lamar Building A every Friday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. Chess Club fees are $5 per class, and is due at the beginning of each quarter. Make checks out to Gary Gaiffe or Rocks and Rooks. There are also moderate fees if you wish to participate in tournaments, including a membership to the United States Chess Federation (USCF.) To learn how to signup, please contact Gary Gaiffe at [email protected]

Danzversity- Danzversity is an after-school dance program with a purpose to help children create, build confidence, learn how to communicate and listen, and more! Participating K-5th graders will take part in dance games, discussions, and learn diversity of movement and music to instill a sense of confidence and inclusivity while exploring Hip Hop, Latin, Caribbean styles, and more. Spring 2022 classes will take place on select Fridays from 1:00 to 2:00 PM during the months of March and April. Registration ends on March 1st, 2022.

Karate - Provided by Austin Okinawan Karate, NYOS 1st-6th graders invited to participate in Karate on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM in the High School Building A Cafeteria. To learn more about the art of karate through physical, mental, and emotional athleticism and to sign-up, please contact Shinan Yocham at 512-751-7950 or email [email protected].

Mad Science of Austin - Offered to K-5th graders, Mad Science is a leading science enrichment provider that delivers unique hands-on science experiences while sparking imaginative learning. The Mad Science team provides after-school programming on Thursdays from 3:35 to 4:35 PM.

Running Club - Open to K-5th graders, this club is hosted by Austin Youth Fitness and focuses "on improving running endurance and overall fitness, developing "functional" strength, flexibility, and improving core strength and body alignment." Participants will participate in drills, practice form, run in relays, and the group always ends with a fun filled game! AYF athletes will likely see improvements in self-image, confidence, attitude, social-interpersonal-relationship skills, as well as an increased ability to focus on tasks and schoolwork. The NYOS Running Club meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:45 PM.

UT SEEK - UT SEEK is a mentoring program in which UT students lead engineering-related projects with students at Title 1 Elementary and Middle Schools in the Austin area. UT SEEK "strives to provide lower-income elementary students the opportunity to explore the idea of higher education and a career path in the STEM."

Yoga Club - Hosted by Austin Youth Fitness, Yoga Club is offered to K-5th graders. Participating students will learn proper stretching technique, and gain flexibility and muscular balance . Their goal is to “make fitness fun” and help kids build "holistic health” - healthy bodies, minds, and spirits! Yoga Club takes place on Fridays from 12:45 to 1:45 PM in our school gym.

Middle School Extracurricular Activities & Clubs:

Anime Club - Anime Club is a space for students to watch and discuss anime, participate in anime-related activities, and learn about Japanese culture. The club is open to 6th-8th graders and will meet every Tuesday beginning after fall break from 4:15 to 5:30 PM in Ms. Yee's room (Middle School Building, Room 423). For more info, please email Ms. Yee at [email protected].

Art Club - Are you interested in participating in free draw, crafts, cosplay, art-related field trips and more? 8th-12th graders are invited to Art Club on Mondays from 4:15 to 5:30pm in Ms. Harkins' classroom. Club cost is $7 per student.

Drama Club - Students meet to take part in drama-related activities, including putting on a secondary drama production once a semester. The fall play is offered to 8th through 12th graders and the spring musical is offered to 6th through 12th graders. Drama Club is also involved with our annual Black History Month event and is open to all students, particularly in 4th through 12th grade. Students interested in being a part of Drama Club can audition for each event during specified audition dates and times.

Dungeons & Dragons Club - Are you interested in playing Dungeons & Dragons or other role-playing games? Then bring your imagination to this club! Meetings are in Mr. Fones' classroom on Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:30 PM.

Equity Committee - The Equity Committee seeks to bring visibility and solutions to needs regarding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at NYOS. This extracurricular is available for 8th-12th graders and currently meets virtually (students are also welcome to meet in Ms. Mayoral's classroom in Middle School Building, Room 417) two Mondays a month from 4:15 to 5:00 PM. The committee is seeking highly motivated students who are not already overburdened with other extracurriculars or work and they are currently looking for nominations for students to be grade level representatives. For those interested in joining, please email [email protected].

Latinx Student Union - 6th-12th graders are invited to join Latinx Student Union. The purpose of LSU is to celebrate the art, culture, food, history, leaders and music of Latinx peoples, as well as to find solutions to needs that may arise for our LSU community and school community at-large. LSU meets every other Tuesday during high school lunch outside room 417 in the flex space of the Middle School Building. To join, please contact Ms. Mayoral at [email protected].

Magic the Gathering Club – Students gather together to learn gaming techniques and to play Magic the Gathering. Students meet every Wednesday during Middle School Lunch, from 10:50 to 11:30 AM in Mr. Fones' classroom. Both beginners and experts are welcome!

Podcast Club - Students in 6-8th grade can record, edit, and share their own podcasts with the world. Meeting take place on Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM. Please see Ms. Holton for more information. Spaces available.

Science Olympiad - Do you love science, daydream about building things, or have thoughts of pursuing a career in a STEM field? Our Division B Science Olympiad team for 6th-9th graders annually competes against other teams in science-related topics. Meetings are on Tuesdays from 4:05 to 5:05 PM (Open Lab) and also on Thursdays (Club Meeting). Mr. Omelchuck and Ms. Holton lead this extracurricular. For questions, please email [email protected]. To donate to Middle School Science Olympiad, please see this wishlist: https://a.co/iecmtyh

Software Developers Club - 8th through 12th graders are invited to join Software Developers Club (SDC) on Mondays from 11:55am to 12:25pm during High School Lunch in Mr. Erickson's room (D107). Computer Science teacher and club sponsor Mr. Erickson presents software development topics to explore and provides guidance for participating student's software development ideas. SDC also creates collaborative groups to work on projects whenever possible to grow a community of creative and supportive developers! There is no membership fee to join. Please email Mr. Erickson at [email protected] for more info.

Student Support Club - Offered to 6th-8th graders, This club is focused on creating fun ways to celebrate cultural diversity, increase equity, and create a sense of social justice within and beyond our middle school grades. This club seeks to establish leadership on anti-bias opportunities for the larger student body by creating increased quality of school and community climate. This club meets on Wednesdays during lunch. An art subcommittee of the club also meets on Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM. This club meets in Ms. Mayoral's classroom (Middle School Building, Room 417). For questions, please email [email protected].

UT SEEK - Offered to 6th-8th graders, UT SEEK (Student Engineers Educating Kids) is a program where UT college students conduct engineering projects and workshops with a cohort of NYOS students. For questions, please email Tammy Garcia at [email protected]

High School Extracurricular Activities & Clubs:

AAPI Student Union - 9th-12th graders are invited to join our school's AAPI Student Union. The student union will provide an opportunity for our high school students to recognize, celebrate and come together in support our Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders community. AAPI Student Union takes place on Wednesdays during high school lunch in Room C112. For questions, please contact Mr. Nguyen at [email protected].

ASL Club - Provides opportunities for students to learn ASL, while becoming a part of the deaf community through a variety of activities and socials. This club meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays. To signup, please email Ms. McCameron at [email protected].

Black Student Union - Black Student Union provides 9th-12th grade students with an opportunity to engage in activities and discussions designed to help foster a better understanding of experiences and issues that impact African-American students. This club is open to all students regardless of racial and/or cultural differences. This club welcomes diversity as it provides a table for rich discussion, understanding, and acceptance. The club will be student-governed with faculty supervision and sponsorship. For more information, please contact Mrs. Pierce [email protected] or Ms. Smith [email protected].

Ecology-Biology Club - Open to 9th-12th graders, this is a club that supports others and invites students to learn about biology through hands-on activities like setting up a large fish tank. The club is free for students to join and meets every Wednesday in Mr. Huff's classroom (HS Bldg A, Room 100) at 12:15pm (during high school lunch). Any students are invited to stop by on a Wednesday and the club will be happy to include you!

Game Theory Club - Students learn about game theory and strategy through practical applications that can be used when playing various card games and board games.

Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) - The Gender & Sexuality Alliance provides a safe friendly place for students to meet, support each other, and talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The club's focus is on community, diversity, and equality, and all students are welcome! The High School GSA meets every Wednesday during lunch in Ms. Dobson's classroom.

International Thespian Society (ITS) - The International Thespian Society is an honor society for high school students in grades 9-12 and is a division of the Educational Theatre Association. ITS recognizes, rewards, and encourages student achievement in the performing arts and offers student opportunities to excel at the local, state, and international level. ITS also offers graduation honor cords to students who graduate ITS members in good standing. ITS has several student officer positions and offers students the opportunity to serve as elected officials representing our troupe. For more info, please reach out ITS troupe director Dory Zeitler at [email protected].

National Honor Society (NHS) - National Honor Society is overseen by Mr. Huff and is offered to returning 11th and 12th grade students in good academic standing. The pillars of NHS are scholarship, character, leadership, and service. 10th graders that meet the GPA threshold (4.0 on a 5.0 scale) are offered the opportunity to generate a packet for consideration to be selected for induction into NHS during the fall semester. The selection process involves a whole-staff survey as well as a committee of select faculty, who meet and use a standard rubric to evaluate candidate packets. Selected candidates are inducted in a ceremony during the 2nd quarter of the school year.

From there, individual NHS members are expected to maintain high standards of scholarship and character, as well as to complete a documented number of hours of community service, in order to maintain good standing with the organization. The NYOS NHS also conducts whole-group service projects, holds social gatherings, and meets twice a month to discuss and make plans for these events. National Honor Society donations and annual dues can be made or paid here.

Peer Assistance and Leadership (PALs) - The NYOS PAL program is committed to providing students with trained peer helpers. The members of the PAL program promote healthy decision making and strive to be positive role models in the community. PALs are committed to being a positive influence in their interactions with others. PALs represent the NYOS community by demonstrating respect, honesty, and integrity to all.

The PAL program began with the belief that students can make a difference in the lives of others. The primary role of the PAL is not that of an on-campus advice-giver, but of a person who encourages other students to make more informed, responsible, and constructive decisions. Most importantly, PALS are role models and friends. It is extremely important to note that the role the PAL serves on his/her own campus is equally as important as the role he/she serves on his/her elementary campus. To learn more about how to become involved with PALs, please contact Ms. Reyes at [email protected]. PALs donations and annual dues can be made or paid here.

Philosophy Club - Students explore topics related to the human condition through philosophical discussion, readings, and comparisons between philosophy and current events. This club is open to all students in 9th-12th grade and meetings take place in Mr. Aguilar’s classroom in Lamar Building D on Wednesdays during lunch. There is no cost to join Philosophy Club and students can join just by attending any meetings throughout the school year.

RISE - RISE is an extracurricular organized in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. UT students serve as mentors to 9th-12th graders, providing them with an opportunity to learn more about business and entrepreneurship. RISE meets on Tuesdays from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in downstairs flex space of the Middle School Building.

Science Olympiad - The mission of Science Olympiad is to foster an increased interest in science through both hands-on building activities and exam style assessments at tournaments. Some events are solo, while many others involve a partner. Students build rapport, learn new subjects, and expand their personal capabilities with these endeavors. It is a lot of fun!

Science Olympiad general meetings for 9th-12th graders take place during lunch every Tuesday in Mr. Nieto's room (C108). The coaches for the team are Mr. Nieto and Ms. Rodriguez. The admission fee is $20 to join (to help pay for competition costs). If interested, please email Mr. Nieto at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) - TAFE is the first National qualifying co-curricular student organization at NYOS Charter School. The Texas Association of Future Educators or TAFE (pronounced "taffy") is a co-curricular organization that encourages students to learn about careers in education and assists them in exploring the teaching profession while promoting character, service, and leadership skills necessary for becoming effective educators.

TAFE proudly supports the work of the Educators Rising Organization (formally Future Educators Association) and each year a delegation of TAFE's top student leaders attend the National Conference to represent the lone star state. TAFE meets on Tuesdays from 4:15 to 5:30 PM in Ms. Pierce's classroom (Building B) and annual dues are $25. To learn more about TAFE go here or contact Ms. Pierce at [email protected]. Go here to donate to TAFE.