Mission Statement: To encourage children to explore interests and develop talents through participation in the district’s extra-curricular offerings so to gain a sense of belonging and connection to school and community.

We believe that:

• A wide range of extra-curricular offerings should be made available to all students, spanning athletics, academics, community service, cultural enrichment, and personal development.
• Extra-curricular offerings should be present in both schools–and they should match the interests and developmental needs of students.
• Staff, parents and community members should be encouraged to play a role in broadening resources and in delivering extra-curricular offerings for students.
• Existing offerings should be frequently reviewed and new offerings encouraged as the needs and interests of the students change.

By law…

The district’s extra-curricular offerings are accessible to all students without regard to race, color, national origin, handicap, sex or age.

Here are the current extra-curricular offerings at Marie Murphy School:

Debate Club - Faster, better, smarter, thinker–DEBATER!  Debate Club is open to a limited number of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in research, analysis, argumentation and public speaking.  Students will learn the skills necessary for parliamentary debate and policy (”cross-examination”) debate. The Club meets from 3:30 to 5:30 pm once a week for lively discussion, skill-building, research and practice debates.  Members will have the opportunity to work with New Trier High School debate team members and coaches to refine their skills.  The season will wrap up in mid-May with a debate tournament against teams from area middle schools.  Advisor: Mr. Katz

Get Techy!–This exciting club celebrates all things related to technology.    We will do some gaming, computer programming, movie making, and much more!   This year we hope to create new banners for the district website.   Get Techy is open to all students of any tech background.  We meet 2-3 times a month.   Advisors: Ms. Soriano and Mr. Hoffheimer

Girls Club - Girls’ Club is open to all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls at Marie Murphy.Girls’ Club participants take part in the EveryBody Matters program for 10 weeks, as well as the following types of leadership opportunities: organizing school events (such as Mix-It-Up Lunch) and being ambassadors for community events (such as the Erika’s Lighthouse Walk-a-thon). Starting in January, Girls’ Club will meet every other Tuesday, from 3:30-4:30 at Marie Murphy.

For more information about Girls’ Club contact Ms. Kubit at kubitl@avoca37.org.

Interscholastic Boys Basketball - Access the Marie Murphy Interscholastic boys basketball page to learn more about the program and this year’s team.  Included are the schedules for the JV and Varsity teams.

Interscholastic Co-Ed Soccer – Access the Marie Murphy Interscholastic co-ed soccer page to learn more about the program and this year’s team.  Included are the schedules for the JV and Varsity teams. Advisor:  Mr. Henley.

Interscholastic Girls’ Basketball - Access the Marie Murphy Interscholastic Girls basketball page to learn more about the program and this year’s team.  Included are the schedules for the JV and Varsity teams. Advisors:  Mrs. Dion & Mr. Lanners

Interscholastic Girls’ and Boys’ Volleyball – This is a means for boys and girls with exceptional ability to use and further develop their skills in a competitive setting against other schools. Tryouts are held to determine squads. Any child interested in participating must have an athletic permit and an insurance card on file in the nurse’s office before he/she can participate in a match. Check out the websites for Interscholastic Volleyball – Girls and Interscholastic Volleyball – Boys for tryout dates, game and practice schedules, directions to away matches and a list of team members. Advisors: Mrs. Allen, Mr. Brennan, Mrs. Mazur,  & Ms. Snyder

Intramurals – Access the Marie Murphy Intramural page to learn more about the program.  Included are the activities that run throughout the year.  Advisor: Mr. Henley.

Marie Murphy Student Council- We have 4 8th grade officers and 4 8th grade cabinet members along with a total of 24 representatives from 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Our main goal is to foster leadership qualities in our students and to provide an arena for students to help shape our school environment. We sponsor all school activities including spirit weeks and dances.  Advisor: Mr. Schnurlein

Media Arts - A new club at Marie Murphy combining the Creative Writing and Newspaper Clubs showcasing a variety of writing through media, digital arts, and the printed word. Click on the link to check us out! Advisors: Mrs. Bialk, Mrs. Stotz, & Ms. Wright.

Roots and Shoots - An environmental and socially conscious organization of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders working to make their school and their planet a better place for all. For more information, click on the Roots and Shoots link above. Advisors: Ms. Stewart & Mr. Thurston.

Science Olympiad - Access the Marie Murphy Science Olympiad page to learn more about the program and this year’s team. Also updated regularly with important dates and information on resources for student events. Advisors: Mr. Gravagna, Mr. Ogden, Mr. Persino, & Ms. Wright.

Snowflake - The Snowflake Council is made up of eighth-graders interested in helping seventh-graders have an enjoyable experience as they learn about substance abuse and making good decisions.  On Snowflake Day, all the seventh-graders take a field trip where they participate in activities to help make new friends and connect with old ones, while engaging with inspirational speakers who share their own experiences with substance abuse, bullying, and overcoming adversity.  In addition, the Snowflake Council plans and implements an annual spring service project. Advisors: Mrs. Hoffmeister & Mrs. Piechowiak

Spring Play – Here you will find information about this year’s Spring Play, audition dates and times, cast lists, rehearsal calendar, and performance information, as well as media and discussion of the rehearsal and performance process. Check it out! Advisor: Mrs. Roche.

Table Tennis Club – Through spirited competition that will include practice, match, and tournament formats, the purpose of the Table Tennis Club is to provide students with an extracurricular activity that promotes physical and mental fitness.  Table Tennis Club meets on Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30, and is open to all students who are academically eligible. Advisor: Mr. Thurston