Clubs and Activities

Menlo Park Academy Student Clubs for 2021-22

Menlo Park Academy offers after-school clubs for students to participate in additional activities with their school peers and classmates. The school relies on faculty members, parents, and local organizations to provide and oversee clubs of student interest, such as chess, scouts, recreational sports, science, and art.

Clubs may vary each year based on interest and availability.

Art Club

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Tuesdays
Times: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Who: Grades 1-8
Description: The art club allows students to use their creativity while developing their artistic skills creating pieces to showcase. Students will be instructed in basic techniques and introduced to competitions.

Board Game Club

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Mondays
Times: 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
Who: Grades 2-8
Description: Students will learn a variety of age-appropriate tabletop board games, focusing on resource management, problem-solving, strategy, and negotiation.

Boy Scouts of America, Troop 110

Where: Menlo Park Academy Days: Monthly meetings
Times: TBD
Who: Ages 11+
Description: Open to both boys and girls, Scouts BSA (ages 11-17) combines community service, leadership development, and vital life skills with outdoor adventures, hiking, and camping. Youth plan and lead their activities, working their way toward earning Scout BSA’s highest rank of Eagle Scout. Scouts explore their interests and improve their skills with more than 130 available Merit Badges covering sports, crafts, science, skilled labor trades, and business. The variety of activities often helps youth identify their future career.

Cub Scouts of America, Pack 110

Where: Virtual meetings
Days: Monthly pack meeting on 3rd Tuesday of the month, plus monthly den meeting (day varies)
Times: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Who: Grades K-5
Description: Cub Scouting is a year-round program uniquely designed to meet the needs of young boys and girls (kindergarten through fifth grade) and their families. The program offers fun and challenging activities that promote character development and physical fitness.

Chess Club

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Fridays
Times: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Who: Grades K-8 (Kindergarten can join starting Winter semester)
Description: No previous experience is necessary students start at their own level. Instruction will be provided by Progress with Chess, a local nonprofit organization with chess programs in over 50 area schools and recreation centers. Chess improves higher-level thinking skills such as memory, concentration, and pattern recognition, and provides many opportunities for positive social
interaction. Sessions include interactive lessons and structured open play in a supportive environment.

Cooking Class

Where: From home via Zoom
Days: Tuesdays
Times: 6:00 PM
Who: Grades K-8 (younger kids will need parental assistance)
Description: James Beard Award semifinalist Chef Brandon Chrostowski has a passion for teaching children valuable kitchen skills and making a healthy, delicious meal. As the founder, president, and CEO of Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute, Chef Brandon offers cooking classes to various local schools and shares his passion with children to teach them about the pride and joy of cooking a meal.

This program is being offered to MPA students and their families. Cooking classes are hosted through Zoom (participating families receive a link ahead of the scheduled class). Meal kits are pre-packaged at Edwins Butcher Shop & Restaurant, and some ingredients are pre-portioned and prepared.

Kits must be picked up at Edwins Butcher Shop & Restaurant between 11 AM and 4 PM on the Tuesday of class. The meal-kit will make one meal – and is designed to feed a family of 4. Some kitchen equipment is necessary, such as a pot of water or oven, depending on the recipe.

Drama Club

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Tuesdays
Times: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Who: Grades 6-8
Description: Drama club allows students to participate in supervised creative dramatic activities which include performances in front of an audience. Drama club performs one play each year, and students engage in acting and stage crew.

Mad Science® of Northeast Ohio

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Wednesdays
Times: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Who: Grades K-5
Description: A fun break between school and homework! Mad Science® after-school programs are not only educational, but they also have loads of fun. Children engage in hands-on activities, watch spectacular demonstrations, and take home educational science-themed toys that reinforce the concepts they’ve learned.

Mock Trial

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Fridays
Times: 3:30 PM – 5:45 PM
Who: Grades 6-8
Description: Supervised by attorneys, Mock Trial is a competition in which students simulate a real trial. Auditions determine attorneys and witnesses.

Public Speaking (Beginning)

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Tuesdays
Times: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Who: Grades 4-8
Description: Students will learn, practice, and perform primarily impromptu speeches focused on developing public speaking skills (both speech structure and delivery).

Public Speaking and Debate (Advanced)

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Wednesdays
Who: Grades 6-8 who previously attended public speaking club
Description: This section is open to students who previously participated in public speaking club or by audition. Students will branch in varied organizational structures for speeches, prepared speeches, and full Lincoln Douglas (LD) Debate.

Ski Club

Where: Boston Mills/Brandywine
Days: Wednesdays
Who: Ages 8+
Times: 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Description: This club serves to promote camaraderie, physical fitness, and love of the outdoors through participation in weekly ski trips.

Yoga Club

Where: Menlo Park Academy
Days: Mondays
Times: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Who: Grades K-8
Description: Yoga improves balance, strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity in children. A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behavior, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children.