Activities

Art Club meets from 3-4 p.m. on Wednesdays. We do have a 20 student limit, first come, first serve. Cost is $15. Deadline to register is September 11. Each month we work on a new project using unique materials and creativity to experiment and learn new techniques. See below for grade-level registration forms. 

Fall 2023 Schedule:

3rd grade: September 13, October 11, November 8, December 6 – click here to register for 3rd grade

4th grade: September 20, October 18, November 15, December 13 – click here to register for 4th grade

5th-8th grades: September 27, October 25, November 29, December 14 (Thursday) – click here to register for 5th-8th grades

In addition to full-band rehearsals, students will also receive small group lessons during the school day. Band performs at the Christmas Concert, Spring Concert and various other events during the school year. There is a separate activity fee, plus the cost of instrument rental. Instruments can be rented or purchased at Kidder Music. All beginning band students need an instrument, an Essential Element 2000 book 1, and a stand available to practice at home. All band students are asked to practice 75 minutes a week on their own.

To register for band in 2023-24, please click here. 

This ministry for junior high boys meets after school on the following dates during the 2023-24 school year: September 20, October 18, November 15, January 17,  February 21, April 17. Boys who are interested should look for information at the beginning of the school year from Miss Bogner and Mr. Dippold.

St. Philomena offers Cub and Boy Scouts. The programs are open to all children in the parish, including home-school families and those who attend a non-Catholic school (but are parishioners).

Interested in Cub Scouts? Come join us for our registration event on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 from 6-7 p.m. at the St. Philomena playground. We’ll be in the school cafeteria if it rains. We will have snacks, drinks, and activities and be able to answer any questions you might have. Come register your child and enjoy an hour of fun. Cubs Scouts at St. Philomena’s Parish is currently offered for boys in Kindergarten through 5th grade.

Larry and Katie VanRyn, are again our chess club moderators here at St. Philomena School. If you have specific questions about the club, please contact them directly (contact information can be found in FACTS or ask the school office staff). Students will register for the fall session (September-December), and then for the spring session (January-April) separately. Registration will be limited to the first 20 students signed up. Cost per session is $25. Click here to register. 

Club Goals

To inspire our children’s interests in the greatest mental game, chess!

Promote problem solving, strategic thinking and sharpen cognitive abilities through the game of chess.

Improve our children’s abilities to learn, focus and demonstrate patience.

Where/When

Fridays beginning September 8, 2023. We will meet in the Learning Center and dismiss at 3:30pm for recreational players and at 4:00pm for tournament interested players. Students will dismiss from from the front doors of school.

From 3-3:30 p.m. we will focus on recreational play. This is a great time for students to learn the game, build on skills and play casual chess.

From 3-4 p.m. we will focus on one-on-one skills building and competitive play. This is more focused for students who are interested in playing in tournaments. You do not have to play in tournaments to stay the full hour.

Tournament/Competitive Play

Those students who are interested in playing competitively can enter with the club at local (Central Illinois) and state tournaments (Illinois State Scholastic Championship and potentially IEASA).

St. Philomena will host a chess tournament on Saturday, October 21. 

Choir rehearsals begin the week of September 18, 2023. Students in 5th and 6th grades rehearse on Mondays, while 7th and 8th graders rehearse on Thursdays. All rehearsals start after school and go until 3:45 p.m. There is no cost to participate in choir. 

Click here for the registration form. 

This ministry for junior high girls meets after school on the following dates during the 2023-24 school year: September 20, October 18, November 15, January 17,  February 21, April 17. Girls who are interested should look for information at the beginning of the school year from Miss Bogner.

The organization holds regional, state, and international competitions each year, based on a new challenge and theme.

“The 2023-2024 FIRST® LEGO® League Season theme is Masterpiece where students build and code an autonomous LEGO Education robot to complete a series of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Science) related missions. The missions will explore new ways to create and communicate art across the globe

FIRST LEGO League challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During the Super Powered season, teams will choose and solve a real-world problem in the Project. They will build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under FIRST LEGO League’s signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism®.” Click here to register for the 2023-2024 Lego League teams. For more information, please check out the LEGO League presentation  or visit https://www.firstinspires.org/ or https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll.

The Little Flowers group will be offered for kindergarten-third grade and Little Women for fourth-fifth grades. Both groups will gather Saturdays at the St. Philomena Parish Center from 8:30-10:00 am. All mothers of the girls are welcome and encouraged to attend each month. During each get-together there will be time for fellowship, fun, creativity and learning about the life of a saint and virtue. We will break out into small groups by age. Mark your calendar for: October 7, November 4, February 3, March 2, April 6 and May 11. Sign up by clicking here, cost is $10/daughter. If you prefer to not pay online, please make payment of exact cash or check (payable to St. Philomena) to the parish office by September 15.

Past Productions The Wizard of Oz (2023); The Little Mermaid (2022); Seussical (2021); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2019); Lion King Jr. (2018); Beauty & The Beast Jr. (2017); Annie Jr. (2016); Shrek: The Musical, Jr. (2015); The Wizard of Oz (2014); The Little Mermaid (2013); Cinderella (2012); Seussical (2011); Beauty & The Beast, Jr. (2010)

It’s fun – fast paced – and educational!  The season starts in January with practices and then meets. We compete against local Catholic and public schools, meets are after school (around 4:00 p.m.) on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Interested students should look for a sign up sheet at school in the Learning Center in December. There is a fee of $15 per student.

Speech develops leadership qualities, speaking and listening skills, and a strong work ethic in our students while encouraging collaboration. The Speech contest requires memorization of a five to ten minute script which can be performed as a monologue, duet, or small group acting. Sign up for speech team occurs in December, prior to the Christmas break. Fees are also due at that time. Look for information to be sent home. There is a fee for the team to help cover the cost of scripts and entry fees. The team also enjoys an end-of-the-year pizza party to celebrate. Practices begin after Christmas break once-a-week. Students should be prepared for extra practices to be added in as the performance date gets closer. Practice times are TBD by the moderator, but in the past have been before school or during recess.