Clubs
Clubs and Activities
Academic Challenge Bowl (Ms. Bonadonna) Academic Challenge Bowl is designed for students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. It is an academic competition with a quiz-bowl format designed to encourage and promote academic excellence of Middle School students (grades 6, 7,8). It is a quiz-based competition that tests players on a wide variety of academic subjects. It is like Jeopardy! except questions are read by a moderator, and students answer the questions. Some questions are answered individually while some can be answered with your team's help. We participate in at least 4 meets against other area schools.
American Sign Language (ASL) Club (Ms. Ostar) Dive into the fascinating world of sign language! Our club provides a unique and inclusive platform for students to learn and practice American Sign Language (ASL) while fostering understanding and appreciation for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. ASL Club is open to students of all skill levels, whether you are new to sign language or already have some experience.
Best Buddies (Ms. Clarke & Ms. Burgio) Best Buddies® is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Best Buddies Middle Schools provides friendship and leadership opportunities for over 200 middle schools worldwide. With the support of school faculty and Best Buddies staff, students with and without IDD come together and forge relationships. This club is open to students of all grade levels.
Black Student Union (Ms. Kerr & Ms. Times) Our mission is to foster student growth and development through diversity, community service, and outreach. We strive to provide an opportunity for students of all backgrounds to celebrate Black culture and history. All of our activities and meeting dates may be found in Schoology under Groups.
TCMS Brighton on Board (Ms. Liu) Calling all (old-school) gamers! If you like to play board games, card games, use Rubix cubes or any other hands-on game, come and join the fun! We have an awesome new supply of the latest games, as well as many traditional ones, for you to explore. All are welcome!
Chess Team (Mr. Bonadonna) Playing Chess has proven to help students enhance their creativity, improve their power of concentration, develop, and expand critical thinking skills, boost memory and retention, and achieve superior academic performance. And aside from all those great benefits...it is so much FUN! Chess players from all levels are welcome...from beginners to advanced! We participate in at least 4 meets against other area schools.
Coding Club (Ms. Harp) Start your morning with a little computational thinking! Join us for Coding Club to explore the exciting world of computer programming through fun, hands-on projects! Whether you’re designing your own game, building a website, or solving creative challenges with friends, you’ll learn to think like a coder and bring your ideas to life! Coding Club meets before school on scheduled dates and is limited to a certain number of students though we have created a rotating system to allow for and encourage as many students as possible to get involved.
Crafty Club (Ms. Roland) Crafty Club explores various artistic mediums to create incredible projects with friends who share your enthusiasm. Express yourself, learn new skills, and discover the joy of bringing ideas to life. Our Crafty Club offers a welcoming and inclusive environment where students of all skill levels can come together to learn, experiment, and have a blast while crafting.
Culinary/Cooking Club (Mr. Kanabroski) Culinary Club is a fun and interactive club where we explore cooking, baking and all that goes into making memories. Members will learn basic kitchen skills, food safety, and simple recipes. We will learn about nutrition and the importance of healthy eating. Whether you are a beginner or a chef de cuisine, the Culinary Club offers something for everyone. Come share your passion with friends and create something new. Bon appétit!
Doodle & Draw Club (Ms. Liu) Do you like to draw? Do you find yourself doodling on your papers in class? Then come to Doodle and Draw Club, where you can scribble to your heart's content. Bring a notebook and any drawing supplies you would like to use. We will have tutorials available, or you can do your own thing. All are welcome!
Drama Club (Mr. McCarty) Drama Club at TCMS is a casual place for students to build their skills and confidence in acting through games, exercises, voice and body work, and skits. It is open to all students in grades 6, 7, and 8, and starts after the musical is over.
Gender and Sexuality Alliance (Ms. Palmer) The Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Club is open to all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who want to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and help create a safe, welcoming environment for everyone. All students are welcome—whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or as an ally. The club’s goals are to build a sense of community, provide a safe space for students to connect and support one another, and promote respect and understanding for all identities. Members also help educate our school community about LGBTQ+ topics and celebrate the diversity that makes our school stronger.
Green Thumb Club (Mr. Elkins) If you would like to learn about, experiment with or grow plants, the Green Thumb Club starts in early March each year. The Green Thumb club uses the hydroponics greenhouse to test and grow annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetables. If you are not afraid to get your hands dirty or like to watch things grow, join the fast-growing world of high-tech plant propagation. For more details about the Green Thumb Club, stop by Room 204 to visit the greenhouse, garden, and Mr. Elkins. Students are asked to attend at least one of the four meetings per week.
Intramurals (Mr. Kanabroski) Intramurals are open to all middle school students who enjoy sports and games but prefer a more casual experience than joining a competitive team. Activities are supervised by the physical education teachers and take place before the school day begins. Sixth graders participate on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, while seventh and eighth graders participate on Thursday and Friday mornings.
Invention/E3 Club (Ms. Elkins) The purpose of E3 Club is to increase exposure of engineering and technology related fields (those known as STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to middle school students (grades 6 – 8). Students learn the importance of team and process concepts while they are preparing engineering and technology projects which include communicating and planning for success. It also allows for creativity and independent thinking. Students work individually or as a team to create a science fair project, a simple Lego machine vehicle or a robot in which they must program to navigate an obstacle course. Each year, students in the club compete at a local E3 Fair at RIT, and in addition, students learn about careers in engineering from professional engineers at the Fair.
Jewish Student Union (Ms. Zwas & Ms. Rigney) The purpose of the Jewish Student Union is for students to have a safe space where they can come together to speak about issues that Jewish students are facing in our local community, country, and around the globe. With the help from our valued ShinShinim, Jewish students, and their allies, can learn about all aspects of Judaism, especially the deeply rooted traditions around the Jewish holidays. We will be meeting every second Thursday of every month. All are welcome to attend any and all meetings!
Library Club (Ms. Lambert) The Library Club is open to students who enjoy reading, doing library-related crafts, creating library displays, or volunteering in the library/community. The Library Club is open to students who love books, creativity, and helping others. Members can dive into reading, create fun library displays, take part in book-related crafts and activities, and volunteer to support library and community events. It’s a great place to share your love of stories, discover new favorites, and help make our library an even more welcoming space for everyone.
Mindfulness Matters ( Ms. Burgio) Are you looking for stress-relieving strategies that will bring your life a greater balance? Do you want to learn how to 'get it together' when you feel like it is all coming apart? Then Mindfulness Matters is a club for you! We will present and practice Mindfulness, the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us. Mindfulness has been proven to help relieve anxiety and depression and help with focus and attention. If you want to know what mindfulness is, it is best to give it a try! Oh yes, and there might be some Yoga too! Please join us at a Mindfulness Matters meeting.
Morning Show (Mr. Elkins & Mr. Tellex) Our Studio Club produces and airs the "Good Morning Twelve Corners" television show every morning with the pledge to the flag, morning announcements and other special presentations. The club is open to 7th and 8th grade students through an application process done in early June. Students are encouraged to apply!
Mosaic Club (Ms. Kantz & Ms. Hallagan) The world is a mosaic of people from diverse cultures. Join us to learn more about cultures and traditions from around the world. Come and share your culture with the club members. Help us show the beautiful mosaic of students that come to TCMS.
Muslim Student Union (Ms. Hallagan & Ms. Anam) The purpose of the Muslim Student Association is for students to have a space where they can come together and speak about issues Muslims are facing in our community. Muslim students and their allies come together to celebrate the diversity we have at TCMS. This club was new in 2022 and supported World Hijab Day and events around Ramadan and Eid!
Newspaper Club (Ms. Parks) The TCMS Times is our school digital newspaper. Membership is open to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders interested in all aspects of journalism. During club time students work on things like interviewing, research-based or opinion writing, creative writing, photography, artwork, and comics. The options are endless for what students can create for publishing. The Times meets weekly, and students need to be willing to meet deadlines for their pieces for the paper to publish on time.
School Yearbook (Ms. Dugan) Yearbook club provides middle school students with the opportunity to assist in yearbook sales, photography, and design. Students help to promote yearbook sales by making posters and distributing yearbook information, creating incentives for students and families to purchase, and conducting student/teacher interviews and contests. Students design the pages of the yearbook, make decisions on front and back covers, and attend school events to take photos to include.
Science Olympiad (Ms. Elkins) Science Olympiad is a competition centered around STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). A team of 15 students from grades 6-8 will compete in 23 events. The events focus on topics from a wide array of scientific disciplines such as Life, Personal and Social Science, Earth & Space Science, Physical Science & Chemistry, Technology and Engineering, and Inquiry & Nature of Science. Events can be separated into three categories: Study, Build, and Lab. A “Study Event” is one where you will take a written test on a specific topic. A “Build Event” will require the team to build something to accomplish a specific task. A “Lab Event” will require the team to perform some sort of experiment. Regardless of the type of event, students will need to put in time to prepare for whatever challenges are presented.
Service Club (Ms. Falter) Throughout the year, Service Club does community service projects and activities that spread kindness and gratitude to those at TCMS, the Brighton community and the city of Rochester. The bimonthly meetings will all take place at TCMS. When able, we also try to provide onsite support for service work at various locations in Rochester for TCMS students and families.
Show Choir “The BrighTones” The TCMS Show Choir is open to students in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Auditions will be held during September. Students will learn how to sing and dance to songs of Pop and Broadway selections. Students will meet after school once a week to prepare for local performances and TCMS choral concerts throughout the year.
Ski and Snowboard Club (Mr. Falter) The Brighton Ski/Snowboard Club will once again be offering TCMS students a chance to travel to Bristol Mountain, a ski area located about thirty (30) miles south of Rochester. The club takes place on Saturdays starting in January and runs through mid-February. This year’s program includes 6(six) trips and students of all abilities can participate, including those who have never skied or snowboarded before. While this club is not free, it does offer a cost-effective way of getting on the slopes. **Please see the BCSD website for more detailed information about this year’s club regarding dates and cost.
Student Council (Ms. Hallagan & Ms. Burtner) Join us to discuss service projects, school-wide events, and ways to make TCMS a better place to be! We welcome any 6th, 7th, or 8th graders to our weekly meetings. We also sell popcorn at all grade level activity nights and sponsor activities during the school year to promote school spirit!
TCMStrong (Ms. Kantz & Ms. Lambert) TCMStrong is comprised of select seventh and eighth-grade students who have agreed to be positive role models at TCMS and uphold the Brighton Believes values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Self-Control, and Kindness. TCMStrong leaders are trained to work with the incoming 6th graders and other students new to TCMS to make the transition easier by assisting them with ways and opportunities to connect with others. This club is open to 7th graders in the spring of their 7th grade year. Those who are interested in being part of TCMStrong must fill out an application and, if selected, go through training. The TCMStrong leaders then help run the sixth-grade orientation in August. Additionally, throughout the school year, TCMStrong leaders will meet with their student groups at scheduled times and assist the administrators and counselors at different events.
Writing Club/“The Growl” (Ms. Liu) Are you a creative type who likes to write, draw or take artistic photographs? This year, Writing Club members will be launching “The Growl,” a brand-new literary magazine for TCMS. We are looking for writers, editors, photographers, designers, and artists to lead this new effort. Not ready to commit? Consider contributing your wonderful work!