Student Groups & Clubs
A rich collection of activities provides opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, build a sense of community, recognize and respect differences, pursue specific interests and have fun.
Academics
- Anatomy Club
- Aviation Club
- Biomedical Science Club
- Business Club
- Ceramics Club
- Chess Club
- Classics Club
- Computer Science
- Cryptocurrency Club
- Cultural Performance Club
- Current Events
- Debate and Forensics Team
- Environmental Awareness
- Film Club
- Girls Who Code
- Math Club
- Middle School Model UN
- MUN Impact
- Philosophy Club
- Poetry Club
- Robotics
- Super Mileage Vehicle Competition SMVC
- Surfrider Foundation
- Science Olympiad
Anatomy Club
Aviation Club
Student Leader: Devon Dehghani
Faculty Sponsor: Wayne Winters
Mission: Committed to involving and motivating students in the field of aviation, club meetings will focus on the topics surrounding aviation including building model aircraft, exploring airfields, experiencing simulations and learning from pilots.
Biomedical Science Club
Business Club
Ceramics Club
Student Leaders: Graham Engler & Sydney Starks
Faculty Sponsors: Mike Gesiakowski
Mission: To provide enrichment for students beyond what the can experience within the classroom and expose the greater JBS community to the ceramic arts. This club will provide students with the opportunity for further artistic achievement through planned club events such as Empty Bowls with the Montgomery Plan, field trips to museums and local ceramic artists' studios and to build camaraderie with fellow student artists.
Chess Club
Classics Club
Computer Science
Cryptocurrency Club
Cultural Performance Club
Current Events
Debate and Forensics Team
Environmental Awareness
Student Leaders: Sarah Ding, Savannah Gafford, Abigail Gardner & Lana English
Faculty Sponsor: Deena Goran & Tracy Walther
Mission: The purpose of this club is to educate the student body about the environment and climate change, cultivate a love for our planet, and provide opportunities for students to take political action to prevent climate change.
Film Club
Student Leaders: Liv Acree, Sylvia Barnes, Adrienne Sayad & Lilly Wang
Faculty Sponsor: Jim Lowe
Mission: To watch movies of cultural, historical or social importance and discuss their impact and style. We also hope to explore film-related topics in pop culture and bring students together through these activities.
Girls Who Code
Math Club
Middle School Model UN
Student Leaders:
Faculty Sponsor: Aaron Dowdall & Carrie Dodson-Ching
Mission: To ensure an understanding of Model United Nations (MUN) among 7th and 8th graders. Members will try to participate in outreach with other MUN programs around the world, and learn about the program as whole, through debates, including regarding the Sustainable Development Goals, community service opportunities, and speaker sessions among other activities and projects.
MUN Impact
Philosophy Club
Poetry Club
Student Leaders: Sarah Ding & Lily Yanagimoto
Faculty Sponsor: Joy Gebhardt
Mission: To raise student interest in and appreciation of, the reading, writing and discussion of poetic work. The club will accomplish this by distributing written work to its members, by meeting to discuss poems, poetic forms and creative movements in poetry, by engaging in free-writing time in response to prompts/other relevant information and by sharing student work with peers.
Robotics
Student Leaders: Daniel Green, Dalton Harrold & Adithya Suresh
Faculty Sponsor: Alan Chung
Mission: To participate in the FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics competition. FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. It provides unique opportunities for students to apply science, technology, engineering and math-related concepts and skills by competing in the FTC robotics program.
Super Mileage Vehicle Competition SMVC
Surfrider Foundation
Science Olympiad
Student Leaders:
Faculty Sponsors: Scott Heinzel, Marina Smallwood & Tracy Walther
Mission: Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events. Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation.
Diversity
- Asian Culture Club
- Diversity E.T.C.
- French Club
- GEO (Gender Equity Organization)
- Hispanic Culture Club
- Jewish Culture Club
- Middle School Diversity
- Political Action Club
- RISE (Race Intersectionality with Socioeconomic Status)
- Spectrum
- Stubborn Ounces
- World Religions Club
Asian Culture Club
Student Leaders: Simran LaBore, Jana Smith & Luke Tu
Faculty Sponsor: Julie Shimabukuro
Mission: To increase awareness of Asian culture, country by country, through the study of the history, language, art, religion, music and food, and to help students gain a better understanding of how race and ethnicity inform identity.
Diversity E.T.C.
Faculty Sponsor: Jennifer Kinney
Mission: To instill the joy of living through the advancement of community. We believe that it is an integral part of education during these formative years to cultivate character and compassion by productive interaction. Welcoming all, regardless of background or opinion, Diversity E.T.C. strives to serve as a clearinghouse for ongoing, open discourse, with the goal of encouraging affinities within the Burroughs community. Functioning to enhance learning through formal meetings, informal conversations and planned activities, we are always striving to promote awareness and enrich consciousness.
French Club
GEO (Gender Equity Organization)
Hispanic Culture Club
Jewish Culture Club
Middle School Diversity
Political Action Club
Student Leader: Audrey Gray& Celia Ross
Faculty Sponsor: Jamie Wagner
Mission: The Political Action Club focuses on developing the agency of students to affect positive change through the political process. Students will learn how to exercise advocacy actions such as writing politicians and decision-makers, calling the offices of these leaders, and lobbying these leaders directly in-person. The Political Action Club is open to individuals across the political spectrum to learn these skills and will help train groups and other clubs interested in political advocacy.
RISE (Race Intersectionality with Socioeconomic Status)
Student Leaders: Janae Harris, Gabrielle Moore & Madison Moore
Faculty Sponsor: Andranique Ellis
Mission: To support discussion of issues relevant to the intersection of race and socioeconomic status, engaging in "revealing" activities that highlight inherent privilege, or lack thereof, by virtue of one's race of socioeconomic status and by doing this work to help make and anti-racist culture in the Burroughs community.
Spectrum
Student Leaders: Charlotte Kaye, Molly Magarian, Maddy Pass, Brice Shearburn, Iris Sommer & Mia Wood
Faculty Sponsors: Ellie DesPrez & Katarina Fernandez
Mission: To represent the LGBTQIA+ community in an effort to increase awareness of and safety for Gender and Sexuality Minorities (GSM) in the Burroughs community. This is done by spreading information about various gender and sexuality identities through meetings, assembly speeches and events, as well as promoting response to any issues which may infringe upon the rights of those who identify as a GSM.
Stubborn Ounces
Editors-in-Chief: Ayomide Ajakaiye, Isabel Cepeda, Evan Dierberg, Anya Liu & Aarnavi Paduru
Faculty Sponsor: Kamau Walker
Mission: To create a publication in the 'zine style, focusing on creating meaningful and respectful conversation among members of the JBS community on the topics of diversity and inclusion. It is a publication that is submission-based and includes all types of artistic expression.
World Religions Club
Health & Wellness
Publications
Bomber Beat
CRISIS
Gourmand
Student Leaders: Evan Dierberg, Daniel Greene, Barghav Vissa & Connor Woods
Faculty Sponsor: Bob Henningsen
Mission: To promote cultural diversity through the palate. The publication achieves this by providing a space for students and members of the John Burroughs community to free write opinionated pieces, tier lists and reviews on restaurants or foods.
The Governor (Yearbook)
Editor-in-Chief: Grace Turza
Faculty Sponsors: Erica Moore
Mission: To have students work together from the beginning of the school year through March to produce a traditional yearbook called the Governor. Under the direction of the senior editors-in-chief, students are responsible for page layout, design, writing, editing and photography. Students work together during open meeting times and individually to complete these tasks.
The Moon
The Review
Editors-in-Chief: Sylvia Barnes, Madeline Buchowski & Lily Yanagimoto
Faculty Sponsor: Ellie DesPrez & Griffin Kennard
Mission: To promote visual arts and creative writing while collecting pieces for the annual publication of the student literary magazine, The Review. We host regular meetings to review nominations, which are open to all grade levels. In addition, The Review sponsors the annual Review Preview, a music and spoken word festival.
Works in Progress
Editors-in-Chief: Ari Duel, Elijah Riker & Nura Sharp
Faculty Sponsors: Jill Donovan & Shannon Koropchak
Mission: To nurture and help showcase the creative writing and art of middle school students. Participants support each other as writers in after-school creative workshop gatherings, and help to edit and lay out the literary and art magazine Works in Progress: An Anthology of Middle School Creative Work at Burroughs.
The World
Editors-in-Chief: Allie Dornfeld, Lana English, Eesha Jasti & Brice Shearburn
Faculty Sponsor: Sarah Hasselman & Megan Zmudczynski
Mission: To be a beacon of independent journalism and critical thinking at Burroughs. Our members will ask questions to spark candid, respectful conversations about topics both within our school and the global community and report about them accurately. We will not stop in our pursuit of objectivity and will be the microphone that amplifies student voices.
Service
- Aim High
- Animal Allies
- Best Buddies
- Extra Hands for ALS
- Global Aid Project
- Kids Against Cancer
- KIVA
- Montgomery Plan Committee
- Sports for Charity (SPOFO)
- St. Louis Area Food Bank Club
- START
Aim High
Animal Allies
Best Buddies
Extra Hands for ALS
Student Leaders: Gabrielle Moore & Madison Moore
Faculty Sponsor: Laura Crowley
Mission: To provide assistance to people living with ALS (or other degenerative diseases) throughout the St. Louis area. While in the homes of patients, students perform household chores that are difficult for people living with these conditions. The club also raises money to help fund ALS research and participates in community-wide events that raise ALS awareness.
Global Aid Project
Kids Against Cancer
KIVA
Student Leaders: Clarke Campbell, Isabel Cepeda, Simran LaBore, Sahana Madala & Sameera Rao
Faculty Sponsor: Laura Fogarty
Mission: To enable Burroughs students to help people in other countries by providing micro-loans to assist individuals around the world in growing small businesses. We focus on supporting single women building their independence. Burroughs students will raise money, then choose the people, causes and businesses they want to support.
Montgomery Plan Committee
Student Leaders: Each activity is chaired by a different set of student leaders
Faculty Sponsors: Glenn Dutch, Jim Holmes, Sally Kilbride, Emily Patterson & Megan Rathert
Mission: To promote social consciousness, cultivate relationships, foster empathy, and inspire lives of civic responsibility by compassionately engaging with the greater St. Louis community through volunteering and service
Sports for Charity (SPOFO)
St. Louis Area Food Bank Club
START
Student Leaders: Eesha Jasti, Katie Kantrovitz, Brice Shearburn & Nadia Steinle
Faculty Sponsor: Aaron Dowdall
Mission: Aids refugees in the St. Louis region through volunteering, providing assistance and fundraising activities. Our organization gives students the chance to engage with refugees in our community with the hopes of helping them rebuild their lives.
Student Life
- Cars and Coffee
- Climbing Club
- Fashion Club
- Guild of Geeks
- JBS ESports
- Marble Club
- The MC (The Music Club)
- Ping Pong Club
- Puzzle Club
- Sixth Man Club
- Student Congress
- Student Court
- Volleyball Club
Cars and Coffee
Climbing Club
Fashion Club
Guild of Geeks
Student Leaders: Zach Cameron, JRob Goffstein, Jane Leavitt, Lauren Inazu, Jack Parsons, Gabe Porter, Davin Rich & Rafe Rosario-Blake & Patrick Whiteford
Faculty Sponsor: Paul Salomon
Mission: To serve as a welcoming environment to promote awareness and increase participation in board games and a variety of other different media that are less popular. We strive to be inclusive in our activities, and, above all else, to simply have fun.
JBS ESports
Marble Club
The MC (The Music Club)
Ping Pong Club
Puzzle Club
Sixth Man Club
Student Congress
Student Body President: Jah'de Alexander
Faculty Sponsors: Kate Grantham & Jeanne Gillanders
Mission: To direct student organizations and help establish an understanding between students and other branches of the JBS community. It creates an atmosphere and a forum for the open discussion of school problems. Congress helps define and implement the JBS philosophy and is the main student vehicle to initiate change within the school. Past activities include the Dance Marathon, Movie Night, Commons Café and Field Day. All meetings are open to the student body. The Student Congress is comprised of the president of each class, Chief Justice of the Student Court, Student Body President and an appointed Chief of Staff.
Student Court
Chief Justice: Kelenna Eke-Okoro
Faculty Sponsors: Rene Iannotti & Pete McKeown
Mission: To hear cases arising from alleged violations of school rules. The Student Court is composed of ten students, including a chief justice, two seniors, one junior, one sophomore, one freshman, one eighth grader, two bailiffs and the court secretary. The Student Court offers the community unique opportunities for learning and developing fostered responsibility. Throughout the school year, the court meets weekly to discuss and process more than 500 cases and demonstrate some sophisticated judgments and creative punishments.