Co-Curricular Activities

There are abundant opportunities for Calhoun students to get involved in a rich array of co-curricular activities outside the classroom, to explore their talents, passions, and interests. These activities are an integral part of student life, reflective of the school’s commitment to intellectual growth as well as to the development of each individual’s creative, social, and emotional well-being.

ASSEMBLIES, GUEST ARTISTS and SPEAKERS
In addition to drama productions and music recitals, a variety of educational and cultural enrichment assemblies are held throughout the year. Guest speakers, educators and artists are also invited into the classroom.  Calhoun's Performing Arts Series, held on evenings throughout the school year, provides students and parents the opportunity to attend documentary films, musical concerts and panel discussions at nominal cost. 

CLUBS
Club offerings may change from year to year, depending on the interest of the student body. The value that Calhoun places on co-curricular participation is reflected by the ample time allotted for these activities during the school week. Different clubs meet each day during recess so that students can join a number of clubs while still being involved in after-school sports teams and theatre productions. If there is student interest in founding a new activity, it is easy to do so by securing a faculty advisor.
      Clubs in the last few years have included: Arts & Crafts, Chess, Film Club, Music Club, Homework Club, Book Club, Queer/Straight Alliance (Q/SA), Student Government, Kiva Club, and Yearbook.

CROSS-DIVISIONAL ACTIVITIES
Cross-grade and cross-divisional activities expand the student’s concept of community and contribute to the collaborative atmosphere and respect that is so highly valued at Calhoun.

Harvest Festival – Held on the day before Thanksgiving, Harvest Festival is an annual event that involves the entire school’s student body. Students and faculty from 2nd through 12th grade are divided into cross-divisional “families” to work on an all-school project. Eighth grade students join Lower School children at 74th Street to talk about the project and help decorate bags or cards to accompany donations. Past projects have supported charitable contributions to a local intergenerational shelter as well as to Bosnia, AIDS patients, and the Common Cents program.

Shared Curriculum – When appropriate, Middle School students join with either Lower or Upper School students to “share” information as part of a unit of study. Middle School students have, in the past, joined Upper School students for hands-on classes in Active Physics and Astronomy. As part of the health curriculum, 5th graders have prepared multimedia presentations for 4th graders on topics of nutrition, the dangers of smoking, etc.  The experience is both educational and social.

PARENTS IN THE CLASSROOM
Curriculum is enriched each year by parents who bring their expertise, talents and passions to the classroom. Occasionally, a parent-guided project may be tied to a unit of study; other times, it might simply be an enriching experience for the students. In all cases, teachers work with invited parents to make the activity timely, educational and age appropriate.

TRIPS
Calhoun’s Middle School students are exposed to the wealth of New York City museums, as well as numerous other cultural and educational resources. In addition, students in every Middle School grade participate in one overnight trip each year:

Outdoor Education (5th and 6th grade) - Fifth and sixth graders participate in an outdoor education experience for two days in the spring.  In the past, these trips have included visits to The Clearpool Education Center as well as Mystic Seaport. These two-day outdoor education programs provide an opportunity to explore science and social themes, serve as an opportunity for personal growth and allow students time to participate in concentrated cooperative learning and community-building activities.

Washington DC (7th grade) – Seventh graders take a three-day trip to Washington, visiting sites connected to the world history and literature curriculum and preparing for the following year’s study of American history and government. 

Boston (8th grade) – Eighth grade students take a three-day trip to Boston, culminating their study of early American history.