Clubs and Activities
Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities designed to develop leadership, responsibility, a sense of Parish and community service, and teamwork. Students must maintain an acceptable attendance record, satisfactory grades, and demonstrate appropriate Christian conduct in order to participate in any school-related activity, including field trips. In addition, Crusaders have the opportunity to participate in some 30-afterschool clubs such as Mandarin Chinese and Health & Fitness.
Student Council
We value and encourage student input into decisions affecting St. Martin’s and student involvement in parish activities. The Student Council sponsors food drives for the poor, assists with morning and afternoon prayers, and makes recommendations for improvement and growth of the school. Classmates elect students to the Council and officers are selected in a school-wide election. Candidates for the Student Council must be in good academic standing, demonstrate exemplary conduct, and show leadership ability and school spirit.
Safety Patrol
The Safety Patrol works as a unit of the Montgomery County Safety Patrol program. The members are volunteers from grades sixth through eighth and serve under the direction of a faculty moderator and a member of the Montgomery County Police Department. The faculty moderator appoints safety Patrol Officers. Safety Patrols are charged with helping to maintain safety on the playground, at street crossings, and during dismissal time. Safety Patrol members must be in good academic standing, demonstrate excellent conduct, and show leadership ability.
Scouting
Scouting is available to St. Martin’s School students in groups directly sponsored by the Parish. These groups include Girl Scouts (Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes), Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts.
Altar Servers
Eligibility to participate in the parish Altar Servers program begins in grade four for boys and girls. A period of training is given. The Servers have meetings several times a year in addition to serving at their assigned Mass times. Being an Altar Server is an excellent way for a student to become involved in the Liturgy.
Drama Club
The Drama Club consists of seventh and eighth grade students who are interested exploring the theater arts. The club gives the student the opportunities to learn while having fun with the different sides of play production, including acting, costumes, make-up, sound, lighting, scenery, props and public relations. Towards the end of the year, the club presents a play to the entire school, including families and friends.
Field Trips
Class trips are planned by the faculty in order to provide enrichment of classroom learning. A standard permission slip, approved by the Archdiocese of Washington, is sent home and must be signed by the parent and returned by the due date. Telephone approval by the parent is not a legally binding permission and therefore is never acceptable. Teachers who take students off campus for field trips or visits close-by will maintain contact with the school office via cell phone.
CNS Newscasts
In eighth grade students are allowed to join the Crusader News Station (CNS). Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, our news crew learns to work with tech equipment to broadcast our school's morning prayers. The tech teacher, Mr. Logan, teaches the students how to operate and set up the equipment. They set up the sound systems, video output, cameras, and weather broadcast. There is a TV in the front hallway where visitors can watch the broadcast when they are in the building.
The News Crew also includes a third grade student each day to broadcast the weather. A member of the News Crew writes the copy and using the school's iPads and laptops they record the third graders, usually outside, doing the weather segment. Using Skype to connect the iPad to the laptops, they broadcast the morning news on Mondays, to every classroom.
