Organizations - La Plata High School

Band and Orchestra

The La Plata High School Bands and Orchestras are student-musician-centered programs that look for potential in all, regardless of experience or background. If you possess desire, talent, and a strong work ethic, you belong in our programs!

The Concert Ensemble portion of our instrumental music program is diverse and eclectic. From the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra along with a variety of smaller ensembles, we offer the best of large and small ensemble music worlds. The diversity of the students participating in our groups makes for a truly unique experience for all our ensembles and the students themselves.

The Warrior Marching Band supports the spirit of the Warrior Nation. We are truly fortunate to have students from not only band and orchestra classes, but also students who do not take a formal instrumental music class.

We are very proud of the La Plata High School Instrumental Music program. No matter what your interests are, we have an ensemble for you to continue making music and making friends!

Contact Ms. Sellers at ksellers@ccboe.com for more information.

Best Buddies

Educators Rising

Are you interested in being a teacher? Do you enjoy working with kids or helping others learn? Do you want to make a career out of any of these interests? If so, then you should join Educators Rising!

Educators Rising is an organization where young students learn what it takes to be a teacher. Some of the activities we take part in are the Polar Bear Plunge, Panera Nights, Texas Roadhouse nights, volunteering to help teachers, attend local and national conferences, and even participate in Read Across Charles County and read to young children in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. You see it all in this club! Making connections, getting to know other students who are also interested in educational careers, creating memories, and making friends.

See Ms. Starcher for meeting dates and times.
Email: sstarcher@ccboe.com

We Hope to See You There!

Educators Rising Website

TAM Program Website

Envirothon

Sponsor: TBA

WHAT IS ENVIROTHON?
Envirothon is a team competition, in which students test their knowledge of environmental topics including soils, forestry, wildlife, and aquatics. Members will take part in four field trips to learn about and compete in these topics.

WHO CAN JOIN?
All grades are welcome to join! Many members graduated last year, so new faces are greatly needed! Special awards are given to students who participate all four years. Even if you don't know a thing about the topics yet, if you're interested in the environment, we want you!

Links

Daily Science News Environmental Science

Maryland Envirothon

National Envirothon Website

Gay Straight Alliance

It's Academic

CALLING ALL GENIUSES!

Do you like competition? Do you like to flex your mental muscle? Do you amaze your friends with the vast amount of trivia you know? Do you watch a lot of Jeopardy!? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then La Plata’s It’s Academic team is perfect for you!

The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized It's Academic as the longest-running television quiz show in the world! You, too, can be a part of this rich history.
The LPHS It’s Academic team meets once a week (for about an hour) after school.
The team competes annually at the Charles County It’s Academic competition, held in December at CSM.

The top two teams from this competition are then given the opportunity to compete on a regional level at NBC4 studios in Washington, D.C.
It’s Academic is open to ANY current LPHS student.

Contact Mrs. Schoenbauer at mschoenbauer@ccboe.com for more information about It's Academic.

Visit the official It's Academic website: http://www.itsacademicquizshow.com/

Key Club

MESA

Maryland MESA is a structured, K-12, precollege program designed to prepare students for academic and professional careers in mathematics, engineering, science, and technology. The program's goals are to:

increase the number of engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and related professionals at technical and management levels, and
serve as a driving force in encouraging and assisting minorities and females in achieving success in these fields.

Sponsor: TBA

Math Team

Mock Trial

Model UN

NJROTC

Instructors: Captain Yates & Gunnery Sergeant Bailey

The NJROTC program was established by Public Law in 1964 which may be found in Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 102. The program is conducted at accredited secondary schools throughout the nation, and taught by instructors who are retired Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel. The NJROTC accredited curriculum emphasizes citizenship and leadership development, as well as our maritime heritage, the significance of sea power, and naval topics such as the fundamentals of naval operations, seamanship, navigation and meteorology. Classroom instruction is augmented throughout the year by extra-curricular activities of community service, academic, athletic, drill and orienteering competitions, field meets, flights, visits to naval or other activities, marksmanship sports training, and physical fitness training. Electronic classroom equipment, textbooks, uniforms, educational training aids, travel allowance, and a cost-share of instructors' salaries are provided by the Navy.

Contact Capt. Yates or Gny. Sgt. Bailey at bsyates@ccboe.com or cbailey@ccboe.com for more information.

Student Government Association (SGA)

SGA Advisors: Mrs. Andrews & Ms. Shnipes, jandrews@ccboe.com bshnipes@ccboe.com

Grade Level Sponsors: Teachers who specifically assist each grade.

9th - TBA
10th - Ms. Cook
11th - Ms. Partridge
12th - Ms. Clark & Ms. Deavers

Grade level meetings will be held at the sponsor’s and officer’s discretion, possibly once a month or more. You are required to attend.

SGA Communication: Find out about SGA events by:

Showing up to meeting, listening to morning announcements, talking to class officers/sponsors to ALL student body and class meetings
FACEBOOK – Join our group, “La Plata High School SGA”, TWITTER – follow @LPHS_SGA, EMAIL - write your email on the sign in sheet, SHOWCASES – Flyers are in the showcases by the SGA office/Commons Areas

SGA Representative Information - Please read all information

SGA is open to any student who is interested in joining who is eligible to participate in Charles County extra-curricular activities. (See the Handbook for more information regarding eligibility.) Interested students must complete a membership form to become a Student Government Association Representative. Once a student becomes a representative, he or she must participate in the required number of events to maintain their membership.

SGA Representatives will be required to earn a set number of participation points for each quarter. Points are awarded based on the amount of time a student works on an event or donates to a certain cause. Students will earn 1 point per half hour or volunteered time. Students will earn 2 points per donated item. For example, if a student works for two hours they will earn 4 points (1 point for each half hour). Students must sign in and out at each event to be awarded the points for their work. Students are required to sign-in and sign-out at all events they volunteer at. Students will lose 2 points if they do not sign out. A student will also lose two points if they sign up to volunteer at an event but do not show up.

The quota for points by quarter is as follows:

1st Quarter 20 points
2nd Quarter 30 points (cumulative from the beginning of the year)
3rd Quarter 40 points (cumulative from the beginning of the year)
**To be eligible to run for an officer position, you must have 45 points by May 1.

It is each representative’s RESPONSIBILITY to attend all meetings, check Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the SGA board and/or emails for updates, check the SGA window ledge and SGA showcase on a weekly basis and obtain all of the points needed to remain a member of SGA. If a member fails to be an active member and obtain the points needed each quarter, they will receive a letter dismissing them from SGA.

* Points may be taken away or not awarded if student is reminded to get to work by ANY adult sponsor more than once. Points may be taken away or not awarded to student if they fail to follow any of the school rules, including: Language, Dress Code, Public Displays of Affection, Cell Phone, Rude/Disrespectful behavior, In unauthorized area during an event, unauthorized use of SGA office, etc.

The Student Government Association serves a variety of purposes including:

Organizing activities for the student body such as the Homecoming Dance
Promoting school spirit
Providing service to the school and community
Providing input to the school administration regarding school policies

SGA General Assembly: The SGA General Assembly consists of the SGA Officers, the SGA Representatives from each grade and the Class Officers from each grade. Most SGA meetings will be held the first and third Friday of the month in the auditorium during PRIDE Time - A. SGA meetings held after school will be on the first Wednesday of the month in the auditorium. Meeting dates will be posted at the SGA window/showcase at the beginning of the year.

Class Meetings: SGA Representatives are also expected to attend class meetings to discuss and plan class events. The dates and times for these meetings will be announced by the Class Sponsors.

Teacher's Academy of Maryland (TAM)

The Gauntlet, student newsletter

Thespian Society

Unplugged, co-ed acapella group

Interested in joining La Plata High's award winning co-ed acapella group? Contact Mr. Childers at jchilders@ccboe.com or Mrs. Childers at dchilders@ccboe.com today!

Co-founder of the University of Maryland Treblemakers A Cappella group, Stethem Center Virtual Academy teacher Denise Childers formed Unplugged, a co-ed a cappella group, in 2010. Mrs. Childers wanted to share her talents and passion so she gathered a group of students, and Unplugged was born. With the release of Pitch Perfect in 2012, a cappella music found new fame, and this unique musical genre quickly became a favorite of staff and students.

In addition to an annual Coffee House event, the group performs at various events through the school year and competes yearly in the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) competition. In 2014, Unplugged won 1st place in the ICHSA Northeast Semifinal in Plymouth, MA and earned a spot in the Finals held in New York City. Since then, they have hosted and competed in the ICHSA Mid-Atlantic regional competition. The group was also selected for inclusion on the Best of High School A Cappella album in 2016.

VEX Robotics Competition Team

We represent the LPHS VEX Robotics team. As a team, we design and build robots using parts manufactured by Innovation First International in order to compete in regional Vex competitions. We program these robots using Easy C or RobotC programming.

The purpose of LPHS VEX Robotics is to not only participate in competitive events but also establish a foundation of engineering from design to finished product. The skills gained range from being an outside-the-box thinker, to physics to geometry, to being a goal-oriented team worker. It is our belief that VEX is THE most complex and beneficial organization in this school. Teamwork, speaking skills, and a higher level thought are all benefits that can be gained out of VEX Robotics.