Clubs and Activities

Ridgewood High School offers a variety of clubs for students. Becoming involved by joining a club is a great way to take full advantage of all that RHS has to offer.

An activities fee is required to participate in most clubs.

All clubs are open to Grades 9-12, unless otherwise noted. Students are encouraged to involve themselves in as many of these activities that interest them so long as their schedules and commitments permit it. View the procedure for creating a new club here.

Clubs are currently being update for the new school year. Check back soon for new information.

Club Name: AOPS/ALPS
Advisor: Brian Quirk & Barbara Barker

About Club:AOPS & ALPS are application programs for incoming 9th graders and rising 11th graders respectively. The club is based on the "Outward Bound" philosophy that participants are capable of much more than they think they when engaging in difficult circumstances in "overnight wilderness settings". Students are introduced to a wide-range of outdoor experiences and treated as young adults---exploring and learning about leadership and personal responsibility are program hallmarks. Each group meets once a month in the evening and hosts up to 6 weekend overnight "field experiences" each school year (hiking, camping, x-country skiing, whitewater rafting). Each segment of the club runs together in the sense that all members can attend any club function/trip, yet the 11th & 12 grade (ALPS) membership is tasked with playing an active club leadership function both "in house" and "on trips".

Student Leader:
Contact to Join: Application Information
Link:

Club Name: Chinese Club

Advisor: Christine Lee

Student Leader:

About Club: Our mission at the Chinese Club is to foster a community of inclusivity, support, and service. We strive to create an environment where every member feels valued, respected, and welcomed regardless of background, nationality, or proficiency in Chinese language and culture. Our aim is to provide a platform for mutual support, where members can find encouragement, guidance, and camaraderie in their journey of cultural exploration and personal growth. As a club, we are committed to extending our support beyond our membership and reaching out to serve the broader community in times of need. Through meaningful service projects and initiatives, we seek to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us, embodying the spirit of compassion, empathy, and social responsibility. By embracing diversity, fostering unity, and serving with compassion, the Chinese Club endeavors to create a more inclusive, supportive, and connected community where everyone can thrive and contribute to the common good. Together, we aspire to build bridges of understanding and cooperation that transcend boundaries and enrich the fabric of our society.

Contact to Join:Google Classroom Link

Link:

Club Name: eSports
Advisor: Sean Kase
Student Leader:
About Club: The mission of the RHS eSports Club is to create an inclusive and supportive community for students who share a passion for competitive gaming. We aim to provide a platform where students can pursue their interests in eSports, develop valuable life skills, and build lasting friendships. Our club is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and all members are treated with respect and fairness.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: tinzrsi
Link:

Club Name: exCELL
Advisor: Mrs. Danielle Wood
Student Leader:
About Club: Club exCELL (Excellence and Commitment to Education, Learning, & Leadership) is for students who want to develop their leadership skills by participating in learning opportunities and then sharing their knowledge with others. The students are committed to their own growth as well as making an impact in their local community. In order to be a member of the club, a student must apply and be selected to join the club and participate in a leadership conference. After the conference, students put their new -found knowledge and skills to work by giving back to the community in various ways. The ultimate goal of club exCELL is to foster growth in the area of leadership.
Meets: This club is only available via application and participation in the BOLT program.
Link:

Club Name: French National Honor Society
Advisor: Laura Polk
Student Leader:
About Club: The aim of this organization is to stimulate interest in the study of French, to promote high standards of scholarship, to reward scholastic achievements, to create enthusiasm for and an understanding of Francophone cultures, and to promote international friendship.
How to Sign Up:Students are invited to join based on GPA (French & overall), typically in the spring of their sophomore year (while enrolled in French 3 Honors or higher). An induction ceremony takes place in May.
Link:

Club Name: Global GLOW
Advisor: Freddie LaFemina
Student Leader:
About Club: Global G.L.O.W. (Girls Lead Our World) programs combine out-of-school safe spaces and dynamic group mentorship with innovative, girl-centered curricula to equip girls in vulnerable communities with the skills and resources they need to thrive. This would be a local RHS chapter of a global group that would put students in a position to serve as volunteers and participants in the organization's programming, in particular through a partnership focused on Rwanda.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: 6il5wsx
Link:

Club Name: Green Club
Advisor: Miles Luo
Student Leader:
About Club: The Green Club seeks to promote the sustainability, as well as environmental awareness and health of the Ridgewood High School community through projects such as maintaining the school garden, helping to run the school's Sustainability Day, planting trees, conducting biodiversity surveys of campus, participating in the village's Earth Day Festival, and coordinating with village organizations to improve the village's sustainability as a whole. We have many projects that students can join, and we welcome all new members and any practical ideas they may have!
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Link
Link: Instagram: rhs_greenclub

Club Name: HOSA
Advisor: Crstina Gayed
Student Leader:
About Club: HOSA is a global student-led organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services and several federal and state agencies. HOSA’s mission is to empower HOSA-Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community, through education, collaboration, and experience. HOSA actively promotes career opportunities in the health industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. HOSA’s goal is to encourage all health science instructors and students to affiliate and be actively involved in the HSE-HOSA Partnership.
HOSA provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, middle school, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in health science education and biomedical science programs or have interests in pursuing careers in health professions. HOSA is 100% health care!
How to Sign Up: Google classroom Code: o2jnrqq; Instagram: @ridgewood_hosa and visit national HOSA website: hosa.org to get general info.
Link:

Club Name: Jewish Student Union (JSU)
Advisor: Laura Freedman
Student Leader:
About Club: The Jewish Student Union is an organization that was created to introduce Jewish culture clubs to public schools all over the country. We decided it was time to start this club at RHS! During our club meetings, we will be learning about and discussing Jewish culture, food, religious holidays, current events regarding the Jewish community, and how we can all connect no matter our backgrounds or affiliations. Which means that everyone is welcome, no matter your religious identity!! Also there is pizza and treats at meetings!
How to Sign Up: Google Classroom Code: 45hphh7
Link:

Club Name: Latin Club
Advisor: Amy Mason
Student Leader:
About Club: Latin Club is dedicated to the New Jersey Junior Classical League spring convention and contests; the American Classical League student competitions such as the Medusa Mythology Exam; Latin outreach to the Ridgewood middle and elementary schools; charitable donations like our "amor est amor" shirts to support the Trevor project; and bonus Greco-Roman activities as selected by students.

Students can become members of both the NJ-JCL (http://njjcl.weebly.com/) and NJCL (https://www.njcl.org/) and have a myriad of opportunities to participate in state and nationally ranked competitions.

Latin Club is open to all students, including those who have never taken Latin.
How to Sign Up: Google Classroom Code: ey6mfoj
Link:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridgewoodlatin/
Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/ridgewood-latin/

Club Name: Model UN
Advisor: Drew Forgash
Student Leader:
About Club: In RHS Model UN, students get to simulate United Nations proceedings, debate important international issues, and collectively create solutions. We host mock conferences and compete at other high schools and universities. Students are free to select committees to participate in, from fast-paced specialized conferences in fictional worlds, such as Star Wars, to General Assembly committees debating real-world topics, such as the ethics of AI Weaponization. It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded students from across the world, scheme with allies, and improve your diplomatic, debating, and speaking skills, all while educating yourself on international affairs and issues. No experience is needed or expected, as Model UN procedure is taught every year. All are welcome!
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: 4hypato
Link:

Club Name: Motorsports Club
Advisor: Steven Bourque
Student Leader:
About Club: This is a club for anyone that is interested in Motorsports, and would like to learn more about it. This is a great place to discuss the happenings in the world of motorsports. We will discuss any kind of motorsports as long as anyone is interested, including Formula 1, NASCAR, MotoGP, World Endurance Championships, IMSA, and many more. We also discuss sim racing as that is what some motorsports drivers do as well. We will recap the races that have occurred and will occur that particular week, and allow a place for anyone interested in motorsports to be at.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: d54pfpo
Link:

Club Name: National History Day
Advisor: Corrina Moss-Keller
Student Leader:
About Club: National History Day (NHD) is an academic program that engages students in the process of discovery and interpretation of historical topics. Either individually or in a group, students present their historical research on a topic related to the competition’s annual theme in the form of a performance, exhibit, documentary, website, or paper. These projects are then evaluated at local, regional, and state competitions that culminate in a national contest every June. The mission of NHD is to improve the teaching and learning of history in middle and high school through an innovative framework of historical inquiry and research.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Link
Link:

Club Name: New Players Company
Advisor: Kelly Van Zile and Morgan Knight
Student Leader:
About Club: All things THEATER ! If you are interested in being on stage, acting in plays, singing in musicals, working backstage, building sets, making costumes, hanging lights, stage managing or designing sound, this is the place for you! The New Players offers many opportunities to for you to be a part of professional theater company at the high school.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: 5dugigg
Link:RHS NEW PLAYERS Instagram

Club Name: Paddle Tennis Club
Advisor: Ron Knott & Brian Quirk
Student Leader:
About Club: The club was organized a number of years ago to promote and grow the game of Paddle Tennis (Platform Tennis). The club is for both boys and girls and runs on Wednesday and Friday afternoons at 4-5:30PM from mid-November to Early March utilizing the courts at the Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club. Format of the club runs like a "sport" in the sense that players drill the requisite skills and move onto competitive "house" play and wherever available, potentially compete against other high schools. An annual, one-time nominal cost (approximately $35.00) will be collected at the start of each years' programming to account for use of courts and incidentals.
How to Sign Up:Interested students should seek out contact information available at the annual "Welcome Back Club Fair" in September and/or contact Mr Quirk in the RHS PE Office. Traditionally, an introductory interest meeting will be organized around the beginning of November and advertised on the morning announcements.
Link:

Club Name: Picture Book Club
Advisor: Vanessa Cornacchia
Student Leader:
About Club: Our club strives to interact with picture books through read alouds, analysis presentations, and creative writing/drawing exercises. We believe that picture books are valuable media for teens to interact with for several reasons. The first being that our generation's lack of attention span has led to much fewer teens reading; picture books can provide teens with easier literature that still preserves a love for reading. The second reason is that for budding artists and writers, picture books made by professional illustrators and authors can be sources of inspiration, and learning to create our own picture books can function as valuable practice. A third reason for teens to read picture books is because they are generally wholesome and contain easily digestible, positive messages that are often forgotten or ignored in certain toxic teen environments. The final reason to read picture books is for that lovely nostalgia.
How to Sign Up:Google classroom Code: 65yq7sm
Link:

Club Name: Poetry Club
Advisor: Joseph Rathgeber
Student Leader:
About Club: This club is for anyone interested in reading, writing, and/or sharing poetry. Bimonthly prompts will be given to members as well opportunities to share their poems (whether or not it follows the prompt). Members will be notified of poetry-related opportunities such youth poetry slams, open mic nights, or poetry houses. Videos of slam poetry performances and poetry in other forms will be shared.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Link
Link:

Club Name: Quiz Bowl/History Bowl
Advisor: Amanda Valeri
Student Leader:
About Club: The Ridgewood History/Quiz Bowl Team competes in Jeopardy-like academic competitions, in which members of the team show their knowledge by "buzzing" in and questions right. The club participates (and has excelled in) in the history-specific History Bowl, as well as Quiz Bowl, a similar competition which includes questions in subjects like history, geography, science, art, mythology, and literature. If you're ready to show off just how much you know, the Ridgewood History/Quiz Bowl Team is the club for you!
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: kcgojlc
Link:

Club Name: RHS Rock Climbing
Advisor: Livia Lauro
Student Leader:
About Club: Our mission in this club is to spread interest for climbing as a sport throughout the Ridgewood High School community. This will also provide a place for climbers to meet and talk about climbing. Club members will learn about rock climbing, watch climbing videos and discuss techniques, beta reading skills and exercises that can help make you a stronger climber.

Our target audience is people who are interested to learn more about climbing, those who want to challenge themselves and climbers of all levels from beginner to intermediate to advanced. The club will meet once a month at lunch and hopefully overtime as we grow we can meet more often.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom code: q3d3rss
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Club Name: RHS TEEEM
Advisor: Lauren Besser
Student Leader:
About Club: TEEEM -- The Empathy, Equality, Entrepreneurship Mission -- is a local non-profit organization that teaches students about global issues and humanitarianism through empathy and entrepreneurship. TEEEM fulfills this mission by connecting New Jersey high school students with various humanitarian organizations around the world. In conjunction with learning how to comprehend and tackle global issues, these partnerships cultivate meaningful, rewarding experiences for students as they make a real impact on the world.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: zmyxw7x
Link:

Club Name: Ridgewood Rookies
Advisor: Alex Roberts
Student Leader:
About Club: Ridgewood Rookies is a fun, nonjudgmental, safe club for students to meet more of their peers and socialize together. It was specifically started for transfer students to meet each other in the hopes of easing their transition to RHS by connecting with other students experiencing the same social endeavors. We hold meetings during Unit Lunch to meet up and form connections. It's no stress and no commitment, just an easy opportunity to mingle and share how everything is going. All students (even non-transfers) are welcome and encouraged to join because it is a great way to make some new friends and be yourself.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: dhi2v63
Link:

Club Name: Sharing the Arts
Advisor: Gina Minichini
Student Leader:
About Club: Sharing the Arts is a non-profit performing arts program for individuals with mild to moderate developmental delays, including chromosomal abnormalities, Asperger's, genetic anomalies and other developmental delays. Our mission is to enhance the lives of individuals with special needs through the performing arts. Practices are led by student volunteers who serve as assistants, demonstrators, mentors as well as friends in the class.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: vxfg4v4 or contact Ms. Minichini at gminichini@rpsnj.us
Link:

Club Name: Ski and Snowboard Club
Advisor: Craig Bunzey & Brian Quirk
Student Leader:
About Club: Ski and Snowboard Club was organized a number of years ago to provide RHS students with a low-key opportunity for twilight Ski/Snowboarding @ Mountain Creek in Vernon, NJ. The club is open to all grades on a first come, first served basis--and is limited to the first 50 students who sign-up. The program runs 5-trips annually on Tuesday's beginning in January and concluding in Early to Mid-February (weather dependent). Typically, we'll depart RHS at about 3:30PM on a charter bus, arrive at Mountain Creek at approximately 4:45PM, be on the mountain until approximately 8:30PM, depart Mountain Creek's parking lot at 9:00PM, and arrive back in the RHS upper parking lot at approximately 10:15PM. When a student "signs-up", he/she is financially committing to all 5-trips. Sign-up entails a two part process...the first is paying for the "RHS School Portion" of the programming which entitles the participant with a reserved spot on the charter bus for each of the 5-trips and the associated "chaperone costs" (participants can expect a cost in the neighborhood of $250). Upon receipt of that payment, the first 50 participants will be included in the RHS Ski Club Classroom where a specific Link to the Mountain Creek Lift-Ticket/Rental portal will be shared. Each participant will then be required to coordinate the purchase of either the "5-night twilight package" and/or the "seasons pass"option from Mountain Creek.
How to Sign Up:Mr. Bunzey or Mr. Quirk in the PE Office. General Info
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Club Name: Special Needs Siblings & Friends
Advisor: Amy Policelli
Student Leader:
About Club: Special Needs Siblings and Friends Club is a club that provides an open space for students with siblings and friends of special needs individuals. At club meetings they will to share their experiences in an understanding environment. We share ideas and offer insight into each other's lives. The club also plans fun events throughout the year that are inclusive to all.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Link
Link:

Club Name: Support the Troops
Advisor: Alex Roberts
Student Leader:
About Club: The RHS Support Our Troops and Veterans club is devoted to giving back to those who risked their lives protecting us. We work with both local veterans, troops overseas, and families of deployed soldiers to achieve an impact around the community, country, and world. Some of our favorite projects include writing letters to deployed soldiers and a Christmas wishlist drive for local veterans.
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: f4edzfq
Link:

Club Name: Taylor Swift Club
Advisor: Lauren Besser and Alex Roberts
Student Leader:
About Club: Welcome to the Taylor Swift Club…it’s been waiting for you!!
This club is designed to be a safe haven for swifties of all kinds to connect and enjoy her music. We meet once or twice a month (pretty much at random) in room 305 during unit lunch. We put on some Taylor Swift and sing and eat our lunches and hang out. It’s the best. Our faculty advisors are Ms. Besser and Ms. Roberts, and we would love to see you at our next meeting. I’m sure we will be “enchanted to meet you!!”
How to Sign Up:Google Classroom Code: 3tzwfrd
Link:

Club Name: The High School Democrats
Advisor: Gregory Zaino
Student Leader:
About Club: Our aim is to provide a powerful and collective voice for politically-active high school students. The High School Democrats is entirely student-run, and dedicated members from all walks of life have the chance to open new doors through their involvement in projects and events. We frequently meet on a biweekly to weekly basis in order to discuss local and national elections and current events.
How to Sign Up:Contact Advisor: gzaino@rpsnj.us
Link:

Ridgewood High School

Clubs and Activities

Clubs List