Student Clubs & Activities

Each year students at CSN have more than 20 clubs and activities from which to choose. Additional clubs and activities may be formed at the beginning of the new school year.

Academic:

Academic Team- Students compete as a team against other schools in an academic based question and answer competition at either a varsity or junior varsity level. The A Team participates in two types of competitions:  a computer-generated national test twice a year and the Collier County competitions involving all the high schools in the county.  Students nominated for the Collier County Team, which competes at the State of Florida Championship in Disney World, are chosen from the top three finishing schools at the Collier County Varsity Tournament.

Academic World Quest- Sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America,  World Quest is a team game played by both adults and high school students that tests the competitors’ knowledge of international affairs, geography, history, and culture. CSN has represented the Naples Council on World Affairs in the Washington DC competition three times.  The team generally meets on weekly during lunch to prepare for the local competition on February 26, 2011.

Art Club- This club is designed for students who enjoy exploring various  types of visual arts,  like to improve their art ability, or just want to find new ways of expressing themselves.

Students work with clay, drawing and painting, and other mediums. The club will also be involved with community service projects such as the Empty Bowls fundraiser or visiting care centers to lead craft projects. 

AP Art Club- The AP Art Club is open to any students currently enrolled in an AP Art class.  Students will learn about framing and mural painting and have extra time to work on their portfolios.       

Creative Writing/Tessera- This club presents an opportunity for students to celebrate and  receive feedback on their poetry, playwriting, and fiction in an informal workshop atmosphere.  The club solicits submissions for, edits, and organizes the school’s literary journal Tessera.

CSN’s Performing Arts Club (C-PAC)- C-PAC  unites students who have musical talent. Club members support one another as they work on developing their talents in performing and song writing.  Possible projects include recording music,creating music videos to share with the entire student body, and performing during lunch in the Upper School Pavilion or at off-campus venues.

French Team- Annually, 25 students from five different levels of French represent CSN at state competitions in Orlando.  At Congrès, students compete individually in 25 events, including poetry recitation, impromptu speech, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.  As a team, students also present a theater piece, a skit,  an album, and compete in French Scholar Bowl.  Practice for Congrès occurs throughout the week after school.  Students are expected to practice at least once a week for every event in which they participate. 

Harvard Model Congress- Harvard Model Congress offers a comprehensive program of carefully designed American government simulations to prepare students for meaningful involvement in our nation’s government. Role-play simulations offer students valuable hands-on experience as they become politicians, cabinet members, presidential advisors, and reporters.  Students  participate in a national conference in Sanfrancisco in January .

Mock Trial- The Mock Trial competition  stimulates and encourages deeper understanding and appreciation of the American legal system.  Important objectives include  improving proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and reasoning skills and  promoting effective communication and cooperation between the educational and legal communities.  Members have the opportunity to compete in an academic setting that  promotes tolerance, professionalism and cooperation among other young people of diverse interests and abilities.  Students work closely for six months with judges and attorneys in Collier County.

Model United Nations- Student delegates study a foreign nation in depth, researching related topics of global interest.  They learn parliamentary procedure, practice specialized writing formats, and learn the diplomatic art of negotiation and compromise.  Months of study culminate in two conferences- the Harvard Model UN in Boston from January 27-30, 2011, and the SWFLA MUN held on the campus of FGCU.

 Mu Alpha Theta- Mu Alpha Theta is a national mathematics honor society that promotes the study of math.  At CSN all students are welcome to attend practice sessions in Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, Calculus and Statistics held one day every week.  The sessions will give students an opportunity to look at math from a different perspective and learn to deal with non-routine situations in math.  Interested students may then participate in local and state math competitions  held from November through April.

Spanish Club- The purpose of the Spanish Club is to further the understanding of the language and the diverse cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.  Students from all grades and levels of Spanish are encouraged to participate in the club’s activities which include watching Spanish films, writing to pen-pals, learning how to prepare traditional Spanish and Latin American dishes, learning traditional dances, and learning about the customs and traditions of Spanish-speaking countries.

Community Service:

Disaster Relief Club- A student-based service organization,  members conduct various charitable activities.  It is a dual-purpose club -  raising donations for The American Red Cross while providing fun, safe social activities for CSN students.  The selection of events will be decided upon by students participating in the club each year.

Ecology Club- This service-oriented club is open to all students interested in protecting and conserving our natural environment.  The goal of the ecology club  is to increase environmental awareness among students, faculty and staff by articulating a clear mission on environmental practices on and off campus.

Key Club- Key Club is a service organization sponsored by a local Kiwanis Club for high school students.  The objective is the development of initiative, leadership ability and good citizenship practices.  The Key Club, which meets weekly, plans and participates in a variety of community service activities throughout the year.  Students are required to participate in at least one scheduled activity per month.

RACE- (Running Activists for Causes Everywhere)- The goal of this club is to develop a CSN team to participate in local walks that support a variety of causes.  Most walks are held on Saturday mornings throughout the year.

SMILE- (Students Making an Impact Lovingly Every Day)- SMILE  seeks to create a positive, comfortable environment for all students through active community building and “random acts of kindness.”  SMILE has established an informational bulletin board in the Upper School, announces student birthdays in the daily announcements, sends each Upper School student Hershey’s kisses and a note on Valentine’s Day, and provides behind-the-scenes staffing and organizational support for the Spring Fever fun night. 

Miscellaneous:

Investment Club- The Investment Club at CSN offers students a unique opportunity to analyze and comprehend the intricacies of the financial world. Members engage in active and thoughtful debates on a host of issues, invite prominent guest speakers from a variety of disciplines, embark on occasional field trips, and read online written communication in hopes of developing well-rounded, informed students. The club meets weekly during lunch .

Young Democrats of CSN- The purpose of this club is to gather a group of students together to discuss the elections and other political topics, and to meet with others who share the similar beliefs.  Additionally, the group will meet with the Young Democrats Club to debate/discuss current issues.

Young Entrepreneurs Society  (YES)- YES teaches members the fundamentals of starting a successful business, including how to sell on ebay. Activities include computer simulation games, speakers, and trips to successful businesses started by entrepreneurs. This club meets once a week during lunch. 

Young Republicans of CSN- The purpose of this club is to gather a group of students together to discuss the elections and other political topics, and to meet with others who share the similar beliefs. The group also meets with the Young Democrats Club to debate/discuss current issues. This club is sponsored by the Collier County Teen Age Republicans (CCTARS) who occasionally provid speakers for the group.

Philosophy Club- This club meets to discuss philosophy.  Members are encouraged to debate  their points of view.  The time commitment is one lunch period each week.

Student Council- Participants  represent and act upon the ideas of the student body, to encourage student participation within the school and larger community, and to promote school spirit.  With a focus on school spirit and community service, the Student Council offers every member of the Upper School innumerable opportunities to become involved.  All students are invited to run for a position on Student Council: Those that do not hold a position are encouraged to attend meetings and continue their involvement in the school through participation on committees, etc.

The Hawk Squawk- Budding journalists with CSN's Upper School newspaper investigate the CSN community and report on it with the added flavor of pop culture. Under the leadership of an Upper School faculty member, the team meets weekly after school . The Squawk always welcomes writers who want to share their voice and perspective with the CSN community.