What to do at CSAT
Band – A. Mark
Concert Band
Concert Band is open to new members but is a class that is part
of students' schedules. Permission is needed to join if you
would like to take up learning an instrument for band.
Students have rehearsals as part of the rotating AB/CD day
schedule as well as weekly lessons for which they are pulled out of
class. Two concerts are given per year at Cardinal O'Hara HS.
Wind Ensemble
Wind Ensemble is the more advanced band, which competes at various music festivals
in the spring. Students are chosen for wind ensemble by the band director.
Jazz Ensemble
Jazz Ensemble is more exclusive than Wind Ensemble. It is made up of the hardest
working, most dedicated and capable band students. The music played is technically
challenging but also the most fun to play. The jazz ensemble also competes in the
spring with the Wind Ensemble. Jazz members are also chosen by the band director.
Baseball – J. Reed/J. Black
Baseball is a Spring sport at CSAT. Any interested boys are invited to participate. A JV
and Varsity team is offered. Tryouts are held in April. Listen for announcements.
Basketball – M. Mills/T. Darnell
Varsity and JV Basketball are offered at CSAT for both girls and boys.
Anyone in grades 9-12 who is interested is encouraged to try out in
November. The JV team is typically made up of about 15 players in 9th and
10th grades. The Varsity team is made up of about 12 students, mostly
juniors and seniors. Listen for announcements regarding exact dates for tryouts. Our season runs through February/ March and culminates in Sectionals for
Varsity. Practices are held six days a week (including Saturdays) with games usually on
Tuesdays and Fridays. Even if you are not interested in playing basketball, you are still
encouraged to attend home games and support the team!
Book Club – B. Miller
All grades are welcome to join the Book Club. Members are given free young adult or
teen books to read at their own pace. Everyone reads the same book which is then
discussed at our weekly meeting held on Fridays at 7:30am in the Library. Stop in the
Library today, it's not too late to join us.
Cheerleading – K. Collea
There are both JV and Varsity squads for girls in grades 9-12. Girls with
more skills will be on the varsity team. We practice three times a week. We
attend and cheer at every Boy’s Basketball home game. We do not travel
to away games. We work on stretching, conditioning, sideline cheers, floor
cheers, dances, stunts, and jumps. All those who think they might be
interested should attend tryouts in early November. Listen for
announcements.
Chorus – I. Mutch
High School Chorale
Corale is the general chorus. Here, students sing repertoire at
beginning to intermediate levels and focus on musical basics. It is a
class that rehearses on A and B days. We perform at the Winter and
Spring Concerts. If the group shows a high level of performance, they
could possibly compete at the Darien Lake Music Festival in the
Spring.
Select Choir
Select Choir is an audition-only ensemble. Students that show a great level of maturity,
responsibility and musical ability may be selected to join Select Choir. The group is a
competition level ensemble and performs at multiple times throughout the year including
public festivals, media events, the Buffalo Bison’s baseball game, and our regularly
scheduled concerts.
Women’s and Men’s Vocal Ensembles
There are also Women’s and Men’s Vocal Ensembles. Mr. Mutch chooses the
members for these groups based on ability. In the past, these groups have won first
and second place trophies at multiple festivals!
All students are encouraged to join the choral program! Sign up for High School
Chorale. If you are an advanced singer, audition for Select Choir. All are welcome! If
you have questions, please see Mr. Mutch.
Cross Country – B. Tollar
Come one and all to join cross country! Everybody is welcome to sign up next year.
Practice is every day from 4:00- 5:30p.m. after school. You will most likely hear the
announcements at the end of the day. It requires hard work and dedication to do cross
country. We have several meets throughout the year. Mr. Tollar is the coach for cross
country. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing for practices because the weather
can be unpredictable.
Drama Club/Stage Crew – I. Mutch/L. Catone/N. Shanahan
The High School Musical is an award winning program at CHSAT. It is a great way to
make new friends and have
fun! Last year, our school was a finalist
for the Buffalo Kenny
Award. We won one of the categories,
but hope to bring home the
top prize this year! The program has
grown over the past few
years and shows no signs of slowing
down!
All singers,
dancers and actors are welcome! We
also have opportunities in our stage crew. Come join the show!
Listen to the announcements for information about auditions in October and November!
Golf Team – N. Paterson
The CSAT Varsity Golf Team is currently in the middle of its
third year. Any CSAT student grades 7-12 is able to join the
team, boy or girl. Our season consists of a mix of practice
and matches against teams in the N-O League. We get the
chance to play many great golf courses in the WNY area.
The season is very short, but very busy. During the month of September, we are going
strong 4 to 5 days a week, either with practice at our home course, Beaver Island, or
with a match against one of our N-O League Competitors. Sadly, golf is not a very
spectator friendly sport, and our home course of Beaver Island does not allow for
observers other than coaches and school personnel.
GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) – S. Monaco –
In GSA, we talk about issues that kids are facing, including bullying, equal rights,
identity, etc. It is NOT specific to any sexual orientation, we talk about the issues in
general. The idea is that students who are struggling have allies in the school and know
that if they are gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual (GLBT) that it is safe to bring it up at
our meetings As of right
now we meet on
Thursdays, our first
meeting is this week at
3:15, all are welcome! We
will be discussing meeting
days for the rest of the
year at the meeting. We
participate in the Gay
Pride parade, and do some
fundraising/community
service activities, watch
movies, and do other
normal activities. Most
importantly, we want
students to know that this is
not a “gay” club (Mrs.
Monaco is straight! So are
many of our members). We just want to promote tolerance and support in general for all
students!
NAHS (National Art Honor Society) – K. Kovach/B. Miller
NAHS is for students that take an art class and get an average in the class of a 90 or
above. This club is for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. NAHS is a club held
throughout the country. We hold events and fundraisers such as bake sales, the “We
Remember” ribbons for 9/11, face painting at Fall Fest, selling refreshments at the
plays. The NAHS has meetings after school on the first Wednesday of the month. :)
NHS (National Honor Society) – A. Wheeler
NHS is a recognition program for high school students in throughout the
United States and in several other countries. NHS honors those students
who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership,
service, and character. Students are invited to join NHS their junior year
based on a nomination from a core-subject teacher. They then obtain
letters of recommendation and apply for membership. NHS is one of the
most exclusive clubs at CSAT. Participants attend regular meetings and frequently
participate in charity fundraisers and other types of community service. Colleges love to
see NHS participation because it truly speaks to a student’s quality of character.
Soccer – K. Fennell (girls) / A. Gregoire (boys)
Girls and Boys JV and Varsity Soccer is offered to all students interested in soccer,
physical fitness, developing new friendships, teamwork and fun. JV is for students in 9th
and 10th grade. Varsity is for students in 11th and 12th grade, as well as exceptional
underclassmen. All teams meet Monday through Friday and practice from 4:00 pm until
6:00 pm. Games are played in the Niagara Orleans League. This is only the second
year that the Varsity program has existed. The school has had soccer teams since
2006.
We would love people to come to our games and support us! Please see our
representative for a schedule of home games!
Photo Club – M. Turcan
Photo Club is a brand new club this year created for those interested in
learning more about the art of Photography. Since you have to be a
senior here at CHSAT to take the Digital Photography class, Photo Club
is open to everyone- the only requirement is that you have to have your
own digital camera! We will be working with yearbook staff, taking
fieldtrips and entering photo contests. We meet every Monday in the art
room from 4-5pm. Our first meeting will be Monday, Sept. 19th.
Science Olympiad – T. Black
We are the best of the best that CSAT has to offer. Involved students will sign up for
WOT-SO for two years.
Science Olympiad is a team competition involving tournament events balanced between
Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Those with a knowledge of science
facts, skills and processes, and who can apply them, do the best in these tournaments.
The team is limited to 15 students and may have no more than 7 seniors on the team.
Team members should be involved in at least 3 events.
WHEN AND WHERE THE TOURNAMENTS ARE HELD:
REGIONAL
Team competition is held first at the regional level at Canisus College with
approximately 35 central New York teams competing in 23 events on Saturday,
February 4, 2012. The top 3-4 teams are then invited to the state competition.
STATE
Approximately 55 teams compete in 25 events on March 30-31, 2012 at Canisus
College in Buffalo, NY. The top two teams in New York State are then invited to the
National competition in Orlando FL.
NATIONAL
Approximately 60 teams from across the USA will compete in 23 events in Orlando, FL
on May 17-19, 2012.
Softball – J. Reed/B. Chapman
Softball is a Spring sport at CSAT. Any interested girls are invited to
participate. A JV and Varsity team is offered. Tryouts are held in April.
Listen for announcements.
Student Government - L. Dust, E. Lee, E. Corigliano
Student Government is a group made up of 4 elected students from each grade that are
voted on August/September. Elections were 2 weeks ago in social studies classes.
Students can no longer join Student Government this year. Most school events are run
by student government. (Homecoming, Spirit Week, Dances, Hoop-fest, Flower sales,
Talent show, Springfest, Senior night, etc.) The elected officials meet every Tuesday
during intervention.
Volleyball – D. Whitehead
Girls Volleyball is new this year. Currently, only a JV team is offered but any interested
girl may participate (grade 9-12). During the fall season, we practice every day and
have games about every other day, both home and away. Volleyball is a great way to
stay in shape and make new friends.
Weight Lifting Club – C. Burzynski
Weight Lifting Club is a great way to get and stay in shape. Boys
and girls of all grades are welcome to join. We meet every day
after school from 4p-5p. Members use the time to systematically
work different muscle groups each day to achieve total body
fitness. Listen for announcements in your gym class for
instructions on how to join.
Writing Club – L. Mendolia
In writing club, we come to together to share our
ideas on stories, poems, songs, and other thoughts
you have. We meet every 2 weeks on Wednesday
and our meetings will be announced over the
announcements. Everyone is welcomed to share
their ideas and show their stories. It is held from
4:00 to 4:30 after school. For more information
please ask Miss Mendolia about it.
Yearbook – A. Gambino
Our yearbook is assembled each year by our
Broadcast Journalism class. This class is offered to
seniors and serves as their senior ELA credit. Class
members make all design and editorial decisions,
including which photos to include, order of pages,
and text layout. Serving on Yearbook Staff is a great
activity to add to any résumé!