Extracurricular Activities

St. Bede School offers many enrichment programs to students beyond the classroom. The sense of community arising from the additional activities enhances the student’s sense of self as a part of St. Bede School and as a member of the larger community.

Girl Scouts

The mission of Girl Scouts is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. As Girl Scouts, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Girls grow courageous and strong through a wide variety of enriching experiences, such as field trips, community service projects, cultural exchanges, and environmental stewardships. Girl Scouts helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others.

Cub/Boy Scouts

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation’s largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations, providing programs for young people that build character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship and develops personal fitness. For more than 100 years, Boy Scouts of America has helped build future leaders by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun.

St. Bede Scout Programs:
Cub Scouts for children in Grades 1-5, Cub Scouting is the foundation of our organization and involves the whole family as parents pitch in to plan and deliver activities.
Boy Scouts for youth 11-17 years old, this is the traditional Scouting experience. While there’s guidance from experienced leaders, Boy Scouts take their own lead, exploring places they’ve never been as they dive into the rugged world of outdoor adventure.

Mad Science

Session 1 will run from Sept. 20-Oct. 25th and is open to students in grades K-6. The time/day of this club is Tuesdays from 2:30-3:30 pm. Students are typically dismissed from the main front doors on Edgerton Avenue. Please see the attached flyer for more details about the program. To register: https://pittsburgh.madscience.org/parents-details-a.aspx?regItemSessionID=368003

Tennis Anyone!? Tennis Club 2022-2023 with Coach Mark Haffner

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays after school from 2:30-3:30 and will begin in November . Tennis club is open to students in grade 1-6.

Art Club

The Art Club is a 5-10 week after school class where students interested in extra art do projects and activities inspired by the theme for the session. A variety of traditional and non-traditional art supplies are utilized and the sessions alternate between grade levels.

Chess Club

The St. Bede Chess Club (SBCC) aims to generate a lifetime of enjoyment and love of chess – the oldest sport/game in western civilization! This year's chess club will be hosted by Fr. Vasyl Polyak, a local certified chess coach by the U.S. Chess Federation! The club will be held on Wednesday afternoons 2:45-3:45. The SBCC is open to all players: grades 1-8, girls and boys, beginners to advance.

Zumba Kids

The Zumba® Kids and Zumba® Kids Jr. programs are designed for and welcome ALL types of kids: girls/boys, active/inactive, overweight/underweight. Additionally, the Zumba® Kids and Zumba® Kids Jr. programs appeal to kids that are not necessarily attracted to traditional physical activities for kids. Will Norman, co-author of a recent study on school children and physical activities and director of the Young Foundation, a social think-tank in London, said: “Kids want to do much more informal sports like street running, parkour and Zumba®-type activities that are very flexible, can be done wearing different types of clothing or while listening to music and can be done individually. Competitive sports will work for some people. But if we want to get the most active, we need to change our thinking. We need a philosophy that’s driven by the people we are trying to target and not provide things that the most inactive don’t want to do.” Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/oct/01/competitive-team-sports-alienate-schoolchildrenThis club will be held on Thursdays from 2:45-3:45 for students in grades 1-5. (Please see the attached flyer for more information and how to register).

Student Council

The St. Bede Student Council is a service oriented organization that strives to uphold the Catholic Christian values of integrity, faithfulness, kindness, and charity. The council consists of four officers along with two representatives from grades 4-8 that are chosen by their classmates.

Youth Group

The St. Bede Middle School Youth Group meets every other week after school to dive deeper and grow in faith and love. Through service, activities, games, movies, discussions, etc. we strive to open our minds and hearts to God so that we may have a better relationship with Him. Some of our service activities include:

Community Clean ups
Visiting Soup Kitchens
Collections for the Little Sisters of the Poor
Food Bank
Pumpkin Gleaning
Cleaning up the grounds at the Homewood Cemetery
Christmas Caroling for those in a nursing home or at the Children’s’ Institute
Cards for people in a nursing home

“St. Bede School is a wonderful community and has rigorous academic standards. One thing that really sets St. Bede School apart is the amazing fine arts programs. The children are exposed to visual arts, music, and creative and performing arts. When choosing an environment for our children we wanted somewhere they would be able to have different experiences and learn to love learning and the process of learning."

- Parent of a Fifth Grade Student

Math Club

Math Club is a time for exploratory learning for grades 3-5 with the help of several 6th grade volunteers. The students are given an opportunity to learn how to use Math manipulatives, including place value blocks, tangrams, linking cubes, and other fun tools. They will also have a chance to play Math many different math games including 24, Math Bingo, Math Baseball, and many others.

Altar Servers

Altar Servers assist at liturgical services that include weekend Masses, funerals, weddings, and prayer services. Both boys and girls in St. Bede School and CCD are invited to participate in this volunteer activity in the spring of the fourth grade. New servers are paired with veteran servers for one week of serving during the summer before being scheduled. Servers range in age from 5th grade through high school.

Science Fair

All 6th, 7th and 8th grade students are required to participate in the St. Bede Science Fair by completing a science project. This controlled experiment is to be designed using the scientific method. With the guidance from parents and the teacher, the science project gives St. Bede students the opportunity to be scientists. They find a problem, research it, design an experiment to test a hypothesis, collect observations, and analyze the information to see if the hypothesis is valid. The completed project counts for approximately 50% of the student’s 2nd grading period Science grade.

Yoga

Yoga for Kids is offered in the after school program at St. Bede for children in grades 1-4. Sessions typically run 5-6 weeks long and are offered throughout the school year. Kids will learn fun yoga poses and many breathing methods to keep their growing minds and bodies strong. Kids’ yoga classes nurture relaxation and cultivate calmness, confidence and security.

Yearbook

The school yearbook is a project undertaken by volunteers in the 8th grade class. Students work from October through March to create the annual yearbook for the rest of the school. They take pictures of each grade throughout the year at lunch, recess, special events and in class. A computer program is used to design the layouts for each page and add the pictures, backgrounds and titles. Yearbooks are delivered and handed out to students at the end of the school year.

Children’s Choir

The St. Bede Children’s Choir is open to children in grades 3-8 and meets on Fridays after school from 2:45-3:45pm. The Children’s Choir sings at the Family Mass at 10am on the 1st Sunday of each month and on special occasions throughout the year such as the Catholic Schools Week Mass and Christmas Eve. The children also have opportunities to join with the Adult Choir for Masses. Children are taught vocal techniques, solfege, rhythms, learn anthems, and have opportunities to cantor at Masses.

Musical Theater

Actors in the Musical Theater Club engage in vocal instruction, choreography, and staging. Over the course of approximately two months, students attend rehearsals and prepare a final performance each year.