Outside of the Classroom
Members of our English faculty generously give their time and talents to offer engaging opportunities outside of the classroom.
Book Club
Members of the Book Club read two fascinating books connected by a common theme or genre in one year. Students meet after school every two weeks to discuss the reading, share ideas, and make connections to the outside world. This club strengthens reading comprehension and communication skills while encouraging a love of the written word.
Brother Paul Writing Contest
Each spring, St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute holds the Brother Paul Writing Contest. Named after a Christian Brother who championed the importance of creative writing, the contest allows students to submit original written work in several genres. Winners are presented with certificates of achievement.
Film Club
Members of the Film Club watch ten films throughout the year followed by discussions around filmmaking including directing, cinematography, editing, acting, script structure, and character development. The films cover the broad spectrum of genres (comedies, dramas, horror, sci-fi, westerns) and time periods (from the silent era to the Marvel era). Students enjoy a great viewing experience in our lecture hall with a large projection screen and surround sound.
Student Prints School Newspaper
Students interested in journalism serve as writers for our Student Prints quarterly online magazine. Students learn how to collect information, conduct interviews, organize ideas, and compose strong articles while becoming active and informed members of the community.
Long Book Club
Members of this group read very long books coupled with monthly meetings to discuss insights, raise questions, share ideas, and have a spot of tea. The club begins in October and finishes in May. At the end of each year, students will nominate three books at least 500 pages in length we should consider reading the following year. Previous works read include Plato’s Republic, From Fire to Freud by Stephen Watson, Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, and Don DeLillio’s Underworld.
Meme Club
The Sheldon Cooper Lounge in room 214 is the haunt of the vaunted Meme Club. Members of this club explore the comical pictures known as memes. The meetings are a mix of planned presentations and very spirited discussions on: the mysteries of the “meme economy”; why some memes flourish while others fail; political memes; history of memes, current themes and motifs; the best platforms for finding new memes. Students sometimes brings memes to share and also vote on the much coveted “meme of the week."
The 9 ¾ Society
J.K. Rowling wrote,“Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.” In this spirit, SJCI’s Harry Potter club, the 9 ¾ Society, welcomes all students who are interested in the dynamic wizarding world. After the initial house sorting, students meet regularly to play board games and trivia, participate in planned discussions, create Hogwarts-related art projects, indulge in Hogsmead-inspired food, and spend time with fellow classmates who share a similar interest in all things Harry Potter. Open to all grade levels.