Clubs and Activities
Coal City Middle School offers students a wide variety of extra- and co-curricular opportunities designed to spark interests and build connections beyond the classroom.
Best Buddies
• Sponsor—Mrs. DePersia
Best Buddies is an International program and we have a local chapter at Coal City Middle School. Best Buddies is a club that offers friendships and leadership development for students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. We have monthly meetings during school and after school optional events to attend. Best Buddies promotes inclusion, compassion and fun for all students at Coal City Middle School.
Math Team
• Sponsors—Mrs. Wankowski, Mrs. Krippel and Mrs. Matsko
Math team is a competitive extra-curricular activity where students get the chance to compete individually and as a team against other middle school math teams. There are four to five competitions starting after winter break.
Club Green
• Sponsor—Mrs. Yedinak
Club Green is a student-led group in which students are in charge of the recycling program. They also organize activities and design dress up days for Earth Week.
Speech Team
• Sponsors—Miss Drey, Mrs. Sobieck and Mrs. Wankowski
If you are interested in acting or performing in front of others, the speech team is for you. The speech team begins in September. Students can decide to perform a solo script, a duet, improv duet [make it up on the spot], small group acting, poetry recitation, or impromptu speaking. Practice is once a week until contest day which is one Saturday in November. Students memorize the script and perform it in front of a judge. This is a state contest, and students can get a I, II, or III place for speech state. This is open to students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade.
Musical
• Sponsor—Mr. Micetich
Every year the Coal City Theatre Department produces a musical that is open to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. Auditions take place within the first few weeks of school, and the performances take place in November. If you enjoy singing, dancing, acting, or even enjoy being behind the scenes, the theatre may be for you.
Spelling Bee
• Sponsor—Mrs. Sweeney and Mrs. Sobieck
Spelling Bee is open to all students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Spelling Bee usually begins in January with the first-round test. The top 10 scorers from each grade advance to round two. These students get a new spelling list and will compete in round two. From there, the top four students from each grade level go on to compete in the Coal City Middle School Spelling Bee. The winner in each grade will go on to compete in the IVC Spelling Bee which is usually held in March or April. The runner-up for each grade will serve as an alternate for the IVC Spelling Bee representative.
Vocal Music
• Sponsor—Mr. Felbein
Middle school choir is an elective in which students learn vocal technique, and how to make music collaboratively. Students will have the opportunity to sing music in a variety of styles, genres, and languages. All choir students will perform in two main concerts and can also choose to participate in other small group and individual performances throughout the year! Talk to Mr. Felbein at the beginning of the school year to join.
Scholastic Bowl
• Sponsors—Mr. Hitchcock and Mrs. Munsterman
Scholastic Bowl [also known by names like Quiz Bowl or Academic Bowl] is a competitive, academic, team-based game that tests players on a wide range of general knowledge subjects. It is often described as similar to a team version of Jeopardy! but with a defining feature: the buzzer system, which allows players to "buzz in" at any point during a question's reading to answer it.
The Coal City Middle School Scholastic Bowl team’s season starts in early-to-mid January and the regular season ends in April. The state tournament ends in May. Practices and meets are on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a conference meet usually in early April. Through staff recommendations, we send invite letters to 15 middle school students in early December. The scholastic bowl team can work around the schedules for boys' basketball and track but not the schedules of volleyball and wrestling.
The team has had a lot of success. The team won the state’s regional tournament three of the last four years and has made it to the “Elite Eight” state tournament two of the past three years.
Chess Club
• Sponsor—Mr. Hitchcock
The Coal City Middle School Chess Club is excited to welcome all students, from those who have never played a single game to seasoned strategists, to join us for an hour of mental challenge and fun. Chess is a fantastic way to develop critical thinking, patience, and problem-solving skills, all while meeting new classmates who enjoy a good strategic workout.
Mini lessons are conducted and chess sets are provided.
Club Members have the option to compete in the Coal City Middle School Chess Tournament in late January and the IESA State Chess Tournament in Peoria in late February.
Newcomers to the Coal City Middle School Chess Club are always welcomed throughout the season.
Before School Assistance Program [BSAP]
• Sponsors—Ms. Fincher, Mrs. Roseland, Mr. Larson, and Mrs. Sanburg
Coal City Middle School's Before School Assisting Program (BSAP) is open to all sixth, seventh and eighth grade students on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays starting at 7:30 a.m. BSAP provides a welcoming, structured environment where students can begin their day with confidence. Staff is on hand to offer academic support, help with organization, and ensure students are prepared for the day ahead. Whether they need a quiet space to finish homework, guidance on assignments, or assistance with upcoming assessments, this program promotes responsibility, readiness, and positive routines.
Additional Clubs and Activities available at Coal City Middle School include: Art Club, Band, Student Council, and Web Leaders.