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
- Chess Club
- Classics Club
- Computer Science
- Cultural Performance Club
- Environmental Awareness
- Girls Who Code
- Math Club
- Philosophy Club
- Poetry Club
- Robotics
- Super Mileage Vehicle Competition SMVC
Anatomy Club
Aviation Club
Student Leader: Devon Dehghani, Jack Parsons, Monet Witherspoon
Faculty Sponsor: Wayne Winters
Mission: The JBS Aviation Club is 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
Chess Club
Classics Club
Computer Science
Cultural Performance Club
Environmental Awareness
Girls Who Code
Math Club
Philosophy Club
Poetry Club
Student Leaders: Shangri-La Hou, Sophia Byrne & Sarah Ding
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: Dalton Harrold & Gavin Daengsurisri
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
Diversity
- GEO (Gender Equity Organization)
- Hispanic Culture Club
- Jewish Culture Club
- Political Action Club
- RISE (Race Intersectionality with Socioeconomic Status)
- Spectrum
GEO (Gender Equity Organization)
Hispanic Culture Club
Jewish Culture Club
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 & Kristin Pass
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: Molly Magarian, Rafe Rosario-Blake, Iris Sommer, Theo Wolfgram, Molly Kiley, Charlotte Kaye & Caroline Nelson
Faculty Sponsors: Darryly Calkins & 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.
Health & Wellness
Kids Under Twenty-One (KUTO)
Student Leaders: Mira Nayak, Katherine Pruett, Sophia Frater, Ella Deutsch, Barrett Hughes
Faculty Sponsor: Sally Kilbride
Mission: To aid and ease the navigation of kids under twenty-one through the world of middle/high school and the stress and/or mental obstacles that may be encountered along the way.
Publications
Bomber Beat
CRISIS
Gourmand
Student Leaders: Barghav Vissa, Connor Woods, Daniel Greene, Jackson Makepeace & Ted Spetnagel
Faculty Sponsor: Darryl Calkins
Mission: Welcome to JBS Gourmand, John Burroughs School’s food writing publication and club. Our aim is to promote cultural diversity through the palate. The publication achieves this by providing a space for the students and members of the John Burroughs community to free-write opinionated pieces, tier lists, and reviews on restaurants or foods. The club’s events include taste-testing different snacks, foods, and restaurants.
The Governor (Yearbook)
Editor-in-Chief: Arden Sigmund
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
- AI Club
- Bird Nerd Club
- Cars and Coffee
- Guild of Geeks
- High School Book Club
- JBS ESports
- Marble Club
- Mock Trial
- Movie Makers Club
- Music History Club
- Ping Pong Club
- Puzzle Club
- Sixth Man Club
- Student Congress
- Student Court
- Volleyball Club
AI Club
Bird Nerd Club
Cars and Coffee
Guild of Geeks
Student Leaders: Davin Rich, Elsa Lattanand, Alexander Edleman, Adi Veeramachaneni
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.
High School Book Club
JBS ESports
Marble Club
Mock Trial
Movie Makers Club
Music History Club
Student Leaders: Brendan Purcell
Faculty Sponsor: Drew Battles
Mission: The Music History Club strives to engage students into the world of music, especially music throughout history. This club focuses on the different decades and genres of music in order to further educate and entertain the minds of students interested in music, one of the oldest industries in America.
Ping Pong Club
Puzzle Club
Sixth Man Club
Student Congress
Student Body President: Monét Witherspoon
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: Charlotte Peterson-Kopman
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.