Enrichment Opportunities at RMS
Academic Support and/or Lunch...or at home with support!
School Buzz-- Academic Support AND Lunch
This is our uplifting school video series. We aim to issue an episode every week or two.
The Playlist of all our past videos is available here.
Improv/ Young Playwrights/ Masquers
In the autumn, we play improvisational theater games. Then we begin to create our own scenes and skits. Eventually, there is a theatrical performance in May.
Good Deed Club
We plan and carry out service activities to improve lives of people in and out of the community. This was a student initiated club which is now in its second year.
Humans of RMS
Explore the wisdom of our community with interviews, photography and the development of an inspirational Instagram account. This is modeled after Humans of New York.
Game Design
What makes a game fun? What makes you want to keep on playing? Work with teammates to develop and market a game. This can be a board game or a videogame. Students will have access to GameStarMechanic to learn videogame design, if they wish.
We meet about twice a month at Academic Support.
Creative Problem Solving
Work with a small team to solve engineering and logistical problems in a short time span. These are similar to Destination Imagination Instant Challenges.
We meet about twice a month at Academic Support.
Debate
Learn techniques of debating and prepare for afternoon debates. We have three official debates over the course of the year: one is just for RMS students and the other is with students from JP Case and East Amwell.
We meet about twice a month at Lunch and Academic Support. Students can also come and research here any time.
Model UN/ Youth and Government--7th and 8th grade only--Academic Support AND Lunch
Explore a country and its diplomatic stances and then simulate a UN convention...or find a way to improve the state and create a bill to propose at legislature. Both of these activities are in conjunction with the YMCA and involve a trip (with some expenses). Model UN takes place in PA over Martin Luther King Jr Day weekend, and Youth & Government takes place in the spring in Trenton.
Chemistry Bowl--8th grade only
Practice your chemistry skills and then take place in a live time competition this winter. Winners advance to state rounds.
This is a competition, but I provide preparation materials...
For Word Lovers
Radiant Wonder: The RMS Literary Magazine
Enter your favorite short stories, poems and artwork to the school's Literary Magazine. Or, if you want a more intense challenge, become one of the editors of this magazine which is now going into its seventh year.
Linguistics Olympiad
Solve logical linguistics problems in order to prepare for the NACLO Linguistics Olympiad in January. This is not for the faint of heart...
Word Histories and Mysteries
Learn why English words are spelled the way they are, challenge yourself to learn lots of roots and prefixes, prepare for the annual Spelling Bee (in January) and take part in the National Classical Etymology Exam online.
Mostly On Your Own Time...with support as needed
Artists' Corner
Share your song-writing, film-making, poetry-writing, art-creating talent on an annual theme. This year's theme is "Remember". Creations are due in the beginning of February and participants are honored at a Board of Education meeting in the Spring.
Fantasy Geopolitics
Draft a team of countries or states based on which ones you think will show up most often in the news in the upcoming month. Trade countries as desired. Keep up with current events!
Future Cities Engineering
Imagine what a city's Public Spaces will be like in 100 years; how will city planners solve future problems? Work with a team to write an essay, design a Sim City model, create a 3D model (at home), and prepare a 5 minute presentation for an event Martin Luther King Jr Day weekend at Rutgers.
Talent Show
We hold two talent shows annually. One is right before Winter Break and one is at the very end of the school year. This is not a competition but a friendly sharing of interests and skills.
Chess
Come play Chess on Fridays, beginning in October. There will also be a few after-school tournaments. Develop your skills with membership in a chesskid.com community. This, too, was a student initiated enrichment opportunity.