Organizations
- Band and Orchestra
- Best Buddies
- Educators Rising
- Envirothon
- Gay Straight Alliance
- It's Academic
- Key Club
- Math Team
- MESA
- Minority Student Union
- Mock Trial
- Model UN
- NJROTC
- Student Government Association (SGA)
- Teacher's Academy of Maryland (TAM)
- Thespian Society
- Unplugged, co-ed acapella group
- VEX Robotics Competition Team
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 Mr. Harler at wharler@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!
Envirothon
Sponsor: Mr. Terlecki
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
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 Mr. Panzerella for more information about It's Academic.
Visit the official It's Academic website: http://www.itsacademicquizshow.com/
Key Club
Welcome to Key Club!
The Key Club is a student led organization that focuses on community service. Contact Ms. Nicholl at knicholl@ccboe.com for more information.
Math Team
The Math Team helps students to practice math skills in a fun and competitive setting.
Contact Mr. Andrews at nandrews@ccboe.com for more information.
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: Ms. Clark and Ms. Capalbo
Minority Student Union
MSU is a student-created and led organization with the purpose of empowering students and increasing the understanding of diverse cultures and populations by providing discussions, programs, and services that are relevant to community and global issues. MSU aims to enrich student life at LPHS: culturally, intellectually, and socially. Come join and be an agent of change.
Please contact Ms. Gladden (cgladden@ccboe.com), Mr. Finneran (wfinneran@ccboe.com), or Dr. Golden-Harper (tgoldenharper@ccboe.com) for further information!
Mock Trial
Model UN
Model UN introduces high school students to concepts such as international diplomacy and international relations through simulation.
Contact Mrs. Lovejoy at clovejoy@ccboe.com for more information.
NJROTC
Instructors: Gunnery Sergeant Bailey & Comm. Sisk
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 Gny. Sgt. Bailey at 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 - Ms. Whidby and Mr. Jaffe
- 10th - Mr. Pazarella
- 11th - Ms. Kozicki-Miller and Ms. M. Smith
- 12th - Ms. Campbell and Ms. Pickens
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 meetings, listening to morning announcements, talking to class officers/sponsors to ALL student body and class meetings.
- Please check the SGA Instagram @lphs.sga or go to the SGA Website
Class Meetings: SGA Representatives are expected to attend class meetings and full body meetings, held during activity period. The dates and times for these meetings will be announced by the Class Sponsors.
Teacher's Academy of Maryland (TAM)
Interested in becoming a teacher? Contact Ms. Starcher in E113 for more information about Teacher's Academy of Maryland classes!
sstarcher@ccboe.com
Thespian Society
The Thespian Society recognizes student achievement in the content area of theater.
Contact Ms. Joyner at jjoyner@ccboe.com for more information.
Unplugged, co-ed acapella group
Interested in joining La Plata High's award winning co-ed acapella group? Contact Mrs. Gioia at sgioia@ccboe.com today!
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.
Contact Mr. Boehm for more information!