Clubs & Activities

School clubs and activities are a fun and meaningful way to complement a student’s classroom education. Extracurricular activities provide a familiar and secure setting for a student to learn a new skill, meet students in other classes and grades, and expand their educational and social horizons. 

At Saint Kilian Catholic School, students have a diverse selection of clubs and activities to choose from as follows.

Children in the fourth grade or higher can act as Altar Servers. Training and scheduling is provided by Saint Mark the Evangelist staff. Altar servers perform most of the functions of the former minor order of ordained clerics known as acolytes from the Greek word akolouthos (attendant). Church writings from the second and third centuries discuss the role of acolytes, giving the office great importance and honor in the history of the Church. Although institution into the ministry of acolyte is reserved to lay men, the diocesan bishop may permit the liturgical functions of the instituted acolyte to be carried out by altar servers, men and women, boys and girls. Altar servers are not ordained, they are commissioned by their parish priest.

The primary role of the altar server is to assist the priest in the celebration of the liturgy during Mass. This is done through specific actions and by setting an example to the congregation by active participation in the liturgy by their actions, singing of hymns, responses of the people, looking alert and sitting or standing at the appropriate times. 
Servers carry the cross, the processional candle(s), hold the book for the priest celebrant when he is not at the altar, carry the incense and censer, present the bread, wine, and water to the priest or deacon during the preparation of the gifts or assist him when he receives the gifts from the people, wash the hands of the priest, assist the priest celebrant and deacon as necessary. 

Altar servers are chosen from among the faithful who display a desire to participate in an intimate way during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is an extreme privilege to kneel so close to the altar as our loving Savior, Jesus Christ, becomes truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity upon the altar. 

A server is uniquely joined in the Heavenly Supper of the Lamb of God and serves in the company of myriads of angles eternally singing "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" 

For more information, please contact Deacon Ralph Bachner.

Art Club presents an opportunity for middle school students to complete teacher directed activities and/or an independent study where they can design a project that they would like to work on independently. Art Club students also help to organize, set-up, and run our annual Art Show. The Art Show showcases work from all students in Preschool - 8th Grade. Students' artwork is awarded recognition and student created projects can be purchased to support Saint Kilian Catholic School art program. 

Band allows students in Grades 4 - 8 to express themselves in a creative manner through music via woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. Students learn through a variety of music genres and participate in performances throughout the school year.

CHESS CLUB
There are 2 Chess Club sessions during the school year (Fall and Spring) and take place after school on Tuesday's.  
 

Chess club offers students in Grades 4 - 8 the opportunity to learn how to play, develop current skills and advance their experience through matches against other students and supervision by parent volunteers.

Session Information
The club is broken into 3 groups: Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced. Levels may fluctuate depending on the student's ability to master skills and participate. Leaders who have been identified with strong chess capabilities will be available to all groups during the session providing skill-building strategies. 

• Beginners - all students new to chess or in the early stages of learning the game.  Leaders will consistently monitor games that the beginners play and provide lessons that will focus on terminology and offensive and defensive moves.  Volunteers will assist, supervise and encourage the beginners to ensure they understand the game and learn basic tactics.
• Intermediate – all students who are comfortable playing chess games, understand the rules and are developing their skills.  Leaders will work on strategy and improving their skills throughout the entire game. Volunteers will supervise play and encourage students to ask questions and challenge themselves every week.
• Advanced – all students who have the skill level and competence to compete in tournament play.  Leaders will teach tournament strategies and skills.  All games will be played according to tournament rules.  Volunteers encourage the students to display tournament-style play.

Enrollment
Enrollment takes place at the beginning of each session.

Tournaments
In addition to our Tuesday meetings, we encourage the students to participate in chess tournaments. Tournaments are held in the Pittsburgh and surrounding area.  Information on these tournaments will be distributed to the club. 

Chess Club Contacts
If you need further information, please contact Donna Weber.

Students in grades 4 through 8 have the opportunity to develop singing, acting, and ensemble performance skills through practicing and the performance of an annual school musical. Students experience a full production including costumes, sets, props, hair, and make-up. Our musicals are performed at a local auditorium on a full stage. Past musicals have included junior productions of Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, High School Musical, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, Madgascar, Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid, Annie, and The Wizard of Oz. Our 2023-2024 production will be Frozen Jr.   

Students in grade 6 through 8 can also join the production behind the scenes in Stage Crew. Stage crew students work throughout the year on the creation of sets, backdrops, and props. During the show students run the lights, curtains, and sound board. Stage crew members also work with the cast on set and prop set-up during each performance. 

Winners of the SKPS Science Fair move on to complete regionally among other middle school students. Students present their Science Fair projects to PRSEF judges and monetary awards are provided to the winners from each category. Please click here for more information about PRSEF.

The Science Fair is an opportunity for students in Grades 2 - 5 to prepare an experimental or research-based project while learning the steps of the scientific method.  Projects are presented to the school community. 

At SKCS, knowledge and practice of the Catholic faith are incorporated into all aspects of the curriculum. A key component of this approach is providing the link between Catholic social teaching and service which integrates those teachings into the students' daily lives through age-appropriate service projects. Students participate in grade level and school wide service activities and projects throughout the entire school year.

The Grades 4 - 6 Spelling Bee is an annual Diocesan event that features the winner of our SKPS Spelling Bee in Grades 4 - 6. The student competes against other students from other Catholic Schools in the area in a series of competitions before advancing to the finals for the title. SKPS winners include:

• 2015 Diocesan Spelling Bee Champion - Thomas O'Toole, Grade 6
• 2016 Diocesan Spelling Bee Champion - Anthony Spalvieri, Grade 6
• 2017 Diocesan Spelling Bee Champion - Anthony Spalvieri, Grade 7
• 2018 Western PA Spelling Bee Champion - Anthony Spalvieri, Grade 7

Our 7 - 8 Grade Spelling Bee began in the 2017/18 school year to allow SKPS to sponsor a student to participate in the Western PA Spelling Bee. We could not be MORE proud of Anthony Spalvieri (Grade 7), who not only won the SKPS Bee but went on to compete and win the 2018 Western PA Spelling Bee. Anthony went on to represent Western PA in the National Scripps Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.

Student Council is a student run organization that plans school-wide service, spirit, and fundraising events. Student Council Leadership is determined by an annual election after the campaigning period has ended. Students may also choose to be a Homeroom Representative or Committee Member (Service, Fundraising, and Spirit). Student Council is open to our Middle School students.

Yearbook allows our Grade 8 students to work on the creation of the annual SKPS yearbook.

The organization's mission statement is to "motivate, educate, and bring positive change to many young people".  The group focuses on encouraging students to be positve roll models to everyone around them by sharing kindness and compassion.