Student Clubs

Do you love to read? Do you want a place to read a book for fun and get together to talk about it with great food. The Book Club is for you.

The Burning Page is the high school's literary and arts magazine. Published annually, the Burning Page is a student-run publication, from the submission of work to the editorial process to the design and layout of the magazine. 

DECA is an association of Marketing Students.  Students enrolled in the appropriate Business courses at SMA will have the opportunity to compete in various Business-related events throughout the year.  Students will compete in both role-play and written project events at the District, State (Broadmoor in Colorado Springs in February) and National (Orlando, FL in April of 2023) level of competitions.  Those interested in a college major related to Business are encouraged to enroll.  You won't regret it!

The Genetics Club encourages students to explore the topic of genetics through various media (books, articles, etc.) and open-ended discussions, focusing on the impact and use of genetics in the modern world.

Mock Trial is a competition between more than 100 high school teams across Colorado. Students across the state receive the same case and they work together to develop a theme, opening, and closing statements, as well as lines for questioning. Students present their case in a county tournament which takes place over two days at a local courthouse and perform their case in front of judges and witnesses. A few teams from the county tournament are selected to move on to a State Tournament. Students learn about the American legal system while developing public speaking skills.

Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an extra-curricular activity at SMA in which students research and role play delegates to the United Nations and simulate UN committees.  Thousands of middle school, high school, and college students across the country and around the world participate in Model United Nations, which involves substantial researching, public speaking, debating, and writing skills, as well as critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities.

“The Quill” is a journalism club that publishes St. Mary’s online newspaper. Members of “The Quill” write, edit, and publish articles with accompanying photographs on local, national, and international current events. Members also write regular features and are encouraged to write about their own interests.

SMAbotics (smabotics.com) is one of the few ALL-GIRL competitive FIRST robotics teams in the United States.  FIRST is an international robotics competition whose competitive season runs January through April  (more information available at www.firstinspires.org).  Off-season training is provided during the Fall where new participants are trained in the basics of robotics, from CAD & fabrication, to electronics & programming.  Community Outreach is integral to the program and occurs throughout the year.   Outreach includes (student) mentorship of St. Mary's middle school BEST robotics team and lower school FIRST Lego League teams (September-December), as well as participation in National Conferences (WICT Tech-It-Out & SCTE) and robotics demonstrations and instructional camps for the greater Denver community.

The SMathletes organization helps introduce and prepare students for competitive math. We focus on the American Math Competition (AMC) which can qualify students for further contests including the AIME and USA(J)MO. 

Sources of Strength is a peer-led, best practice suicide prevention and health promotion program. Peers work to promote help-seeking behaviors and increase connections between caring peers and adults. Sources of Strength moves beyond a singular focus on risk factors by utilizing an upstream approach for youth suicide prevention and health promotion. This upstream model strengthens multiple sources of support (protective factors) around young individuals so that when times get hard, they have strengths to rely upon.

Speech and Debate Club is a competitive, extra-curricular activity, where students develop skills in research, critical thinking, organization, persuasion, and communication. In the Speech "track," competitors craft a persuasive and/or informative speech and present it to a series of judges. In the Debate "track," students prepare for Lincoln Douglas events with students from different schools, based on a nationally selected topic that changes every two months. Competitions are at the regional, state and national level.

The SMA Young Republicans Club is a group that engages students and helps to spark interest in political issues. Being a part of this group will allow students the opportunity to participate in positive discussions and learn about current events in our community and the country. This club hopes to open doors to new opportunities and perspectives to make SMA an even more inclusive environment. 

Known officially as the International Thespian Society, this group has been around for nearly 100 years, and helped some of the most famous actors and actresses fall in love with theatre and the performing arts! If you're thinking of potentially pursuing an undergraduate degree in acting or some other program related to the performing arts, getting involved in the International Thespian Society is a great place to start! Build important friendships, create theatre together, and be a part of the thespian society convention where you can make instrumental connections, learn valuable skills, and even complete some college auditions!

NAHS recognizes and inspires students who have shown outstanding ability in art and aids members in working toward their highest potential.  The group also works to bring art to the attention of the entire school community. 

The National English Honor Society (NEHS), founded and sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta, is the only international organization exclusively for secondary students who, in the field of English, merit special note for past and current accomplishments. Immediate benefits of affiliation include academic recognition, scholarship and award eligibility, and opportunities for networking with others who share enthusiasm for, and accomplishment in, the language arts.  The NEHS motto, "gelast sceal mid are," is Old English for: "duty goes with honor.”

The National Honor Society is a nationwide organization that recognizes outstanding students throughout the United States and allows them to demonstrate their commitment to academic service. SMA students apply and are inducted during the winter of their junior year, and their NHS membership is active during their senior year. To apply, students must earn a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.8 or higher, receive a teacher recommendation, and write an essay explaining how they have exemplified the National Honor Society’s core values of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Once inducted, they must complete at least fifteen hours of tutoring or other service to the SMA community over the course of their senior year.

The Science National Honors Society is a group of students dedicated to the advancement and education of science. We work together to make monthly newsletters about notable events in the STEM world. Our goal this year is to collaborate with the middle school to host a school science fair. 

The Spanish National Honors Society's (Spanish NHS) mission is to recognize the student's achievements in the Spanish program during their high school years and to promote continuity of interest in Hispanic studies. Our Chapter, Santa María, is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). The AATSP offers opportunities to earn scholarships and awards to graduating senior class members of Spanish NHS who have shown evidence of high achievement in Spanish. The members of the Spanish NHS are committed to completing four hours of service, which may include tutoring lab, one-on-one tutoring, participation in SMA Open House, and assisting the Spanish teachers with classes. 

The Rho Kappa National Social Honor Society (NSHS) is the only national organization for high school juniors and seniors that recognizes excellence in the field of Social Studies. The principle purpose of Rho Kappa is to stimulate a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of all the academic disciplines comprising the social studies curriculum. Thus, on this occasion it is appropriate to take a moment and reflect on the significance and contributions of social studies in the development of the individual.” Our name, RHO KAPPA, is taken from two words of Semitic origin. RHO is derived from “resh” meaning “head” and KAPPA is derived from “kapf” which means “palm of the hand.” Both of these terms symbolize our firm belief that “knowledge without service is useless.”