Activities & Clubs

Moderator: Dr. Swaney

Academic Decathlon is the pinnacle of academic competitions. Teams of nine students compete in regional competitions each winter with the hope of advancing to state and then national championships.

Each year, United States Academic Decathlon publishes a theme and study materials on which all of the events are based. Every team member competes in all ten events- Essay, Interview, Speech, and 7 Multiple Choice Tests:

1. Art
2. Math
3. Science
4. Music
5. Economics
6. Social Science
7. Language and Literature

The highlight of competition day is the Super Quiz during which teams occupy seats on the floor of a gymnasium or stadium and fans cheer on the live score that tracks their correct responses.

Crespi Academic Decathlon competes in the Southern California Private Schools Academic Decathlon, participating in a 1-day scrimmage in November and the 2-day regional competition on the last Saturday in January and the first Saturday in February.

Moderator: Mr. Knabenshue

The Acolytes are the Altar Servers for our Masses. No experience is necessary and all are welcome to join the team. They are usually scheduled for 2-3 Masses throughout the year.

Moderator: Mr. Malcolm

Ambassadors serve as support through student service. Ambassadors represent our student body at school functions and recruiting. Events will include; Information Nights, family tour guides, off-campus recruiting at feeder programs, 8th-grade Step Up Day, and Open House. Please see Mr. Malcolm in the admissions office if you are interested in joining.

Moderator: Mrs. Leizer

The California Scholarship Federation is a statewide organization formed in 1921 by Mr. Charles Seymour as a means of honoring outstanding high school students. Students sign up after every semester to report their academic record for eligibility requirements. Members must accumulate 10 points from the approved CSF List without any D or F grades during the semester. For more information, contact the school registrar.

Moderator: Mr. Bilek

Environmental Studies & Outdoor Leadership is an honors course available to all students. Those who complete two trips, two seminars and at least one Expedition will receive honors recognition at graduation and on their transcripts. ESOL activities include: Day trips - hiking, surfing, climbing, scuba diving and other outdoor activities Seminars - Two held per semester as discussion group reflections on articles or readings based on environmental issues and topics Expeditions - One overseas trip per year that typically takes place over spring break and is paid for by students' families or guardians.

Moderator: Mr. Parlato & Mrs. Yang

HOWL Magazine is an annual student publication of student art and creative writing. HOWL is open to all students and focuses on students learning Adobe InDesign digital publishing layout software. Students on the editorial team will work directly with Mr. Parlato and Mrs. Yang to generate and select submissions for publication and participate in all processes of publication design. Any Crespi student can submit work to be reviewed for acceptance and publication.

Moderator: Mrs.  Root

The mission of the Junior State of America and the Junior Statesmen Foundation is to strengthen American democracy by educating and preparing high school students for life-long involvement and responsible leadership in a democratic society. Students come to weekly meetings to discuss current events, debate controversial issues, educate and involve themselves and their peers in politics and government.

Activities, Conventions & Conferences:
Every year, thousands of high school students come together to debate and discuss pressing political and social issues at Junior State conventions and conferences. In cities throughout the nation, JSA holds over 40 day-long conferences and overnight, weekend conventions. These major events give students the opportunity to learn about the issues and exchange viewpoints in an open environment where opinions may be scrutinized and challenged, but are welcome and appreciated.

Moderator: Mr. Kearin

Mock Trial allows students to acquire a knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical and communication skills, work in teams, and gain an understanding of their individual obligations and responsibilities to our society.

Each year, we are given a new set of Mock Trial materials based on an important issue facing America's youth. This includes a hypothetical criminal case, summaries of case law, witness statements, official exhibits, and simplified rules of evidence, and competition rules and guidelines.

The students work side by side with judges, attorneys, and teachers studying the case packet, and preparing strategies and arguments for trial. The students compete against various schools in the county toward competing at the state level.

Moderator: Mr. Hoyer

Established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1921, the National Honor Society aims to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of secondary schools. Students will help serve at Crespi events for service hours (events) and we are looking into internships outside of Crespi for this year. For more information, contact Mr. John Hoyer '02.

Moderator: TBD

National Science Honor Society was established in the year 2000 to recognize the academic achievements of Juniors and Seniors who have excelled in the sciences. Members must maintain a 3.0-grade point average, maintain a B+ average across all science courses, and complete 10 hours of service per year.

Moderator: Mr. Bilek

Crespi Sports Medicine Club is a part of the National Honors Society of Sports Medicine. Moderated by Mr. Bilek, the club is dedicated to create enthusiasm for scholarships in the area of sports medicine and other fields directly related to sports medicine, to stimulate a desire to render service in the community, to promote leadership amongst our Celt brothers, and to create an environment where Celts advocate and promote excellent health care. Overall striving to create a safe school environment.

Moderator: Mrs. Nan Lehnert

The National English Honors Society is an organization for students who have experienced the power of literature, the pleasures of good writing, and the excitement of language studies. As a tribute to Crespi’s beloved educator, mentor, and friend Mr. John King, the chapter was renamed “King’s Men.” The King’s Men have pledged to adhere to the motto: “Gelast sceal mid are,” which is Old English for “Duty goes with honor,” and they have promised to share their gifts and talents with their Celt Brothers and Crespi Community.

Moderator: TBD

A competitive club/program/team that focuses on developing STEM skills. Students build autonomous and human-controlled machines that perform a specific task that engages in the engineering design cycle using multiple prototypes and iterations. Actively participating in VEX competitions throughout the year, this program prepares students for future college endeavors in STEM.

Moderator: Dr. Brahim

Qualification Requirements:
All students at Crespi receive a STEM education once enrolled in our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) courses. Students who test highly on the HSPT and the Math and Science Placement Exams will be invited to join the STEM Cohort. Students who did not qualify may apply at the end of either semester of their Freshman year. These students must collect letters of recommendation from both their science and math teachers commenting on their grades, attitudes, interest level, and work ethic.

Grade GPA Requirement:
Students must maintain a 3.0 Average in their Math/Science Courses without receiving any grade lower than a B- in Math or Science. If a student’s cumulative GPA drops below 3.0, the student will be placed on probation for a semester. The student will be encouraged to drop all extracurricular activities, including STEM work until they have shown improvement on the first progress report of the probationary semester.

Research Requirement:
Members of the STEM Cohort will be required to work on a competitive STEM-based project. Students must submit their completed projects to relevant competition organizers by the due deadline with the permission and approval of a STEM teacher. The project requirements, group participants, and submission deadlines are very diverse with many options to choose from. A research project can be and is encouraged to be, part of a larger study performed by professional scientists, but the project presented by the students must be only their own portion of the complete study.

Students will spend their first three years in the STEM Cohort on their research requirement. During their freshmen year, students will research project ideas and explore potential interest areas and develop a proposal for their research requirement.

It is encouraged that a bulk of their project is performed during their sophomore year so this provides them an extra year to apply for science fairs during Junior year.

STEM Cohort members during the Senior year will focus on mentorship for the younger students. Mentors will be paired with a younger student or student group and will guide them through the process of submitting to a science fair.