CLUBS & EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Academic Games
The PFTSTA Academic Games club began the first year that Taylor was open full-time in 2005. Students compete in Equations, On-sets, Linguishtiks, and Propaganda in the Jefferson Parish League. Students who go on to compete at the national level also play Presidents. The Jefferson Parish League is a member of the Academic Games League of America (AGLOA) which holds national tournaments every April. Students must compete at all four Jefferson League tournaments in order to be eligible to compete at nationals and must rank in the top ten of their division.
PFTSTA's Academic Games club meets after school twice a week (usually Tuesdays and Thursdays) for practice and instruction. Students must maintain an overall C average and attend more than 50% of the practices in order to compete at the tournaments. All students in grades 6th through 12th are invited to join. See Ms. Kelley in room 403 for more information and visit http://academicgames.org/ for details about the individual games. Club dues are collected at the beginning of the year to raise money for more games and tournament costs.
Bookmarked
This two year old high school club is sponsored by the school's librarian. High school students are invited to join the weekly discussion in the library at lunch. Students meet to talk about their favorite books, authors and trends in literature. One of the highlights of the year for members is helping to plan for Teen Read Week in October. All readers are welcome.
District/State Rally
Established in 1909, State Rally is an educational institution in Louisiana. High school teachers are allowed to recommend one student per course to participate in competitive testing. District Rally is held in March on UNO's campus. Students who place first or second in their division are invited to participate in State Rally in April. The annual State Rally competition includes seventy-eight events (Literary-43; Music-7; Speech-4; and Special Open events in Foreign Language Speaking/Writing-24). Over a quarter of a million Louisiana high school students participate in ten District Rallies held throughout the state with some 6,000+ district winners advancing to State Rally at Louisiana State University. PFTSTA participated in Rally for the first time in 2009 as a Division IV school. In that year, Taylor swept its division at District Rally.
Extracurricular/Sports Activities
In order to participate in any sports activities/dance team etc., a student must meet the requirements of the JPPSS and the LHSAA guidelines for academic eligibility. Members will be chosen at various sports tryouts. Tryouts are open to all present and entering students of Patrick Taylor High School who are academically eligible, and have good attendance and discipline records.
Junior Beta Club
The PFTSTA Junior Beta Chapter began in 2006-2007. It is an education organization for students in grades 6 through 9, whose membership indicates that "the student has been approved by the administration of the school as a student of good character and mentality, creditable achievement, and commendable attitude." The Beta motto, "Let us lead by serving others" serves as the guiding mission of the club.
Members must maintain a 3.2 GPA. New members are invited to join after the first nine-week marking period. A one-time $13.00 dues fee is required by the national office. Transfer members from other Jr. Beta clubs are accepted if they are in good standing. Taylor is a member of District 12, and as such, participates in district day competitions in quiz bowl, spelling, writing, math, speech, talent, and several other events. Winners go on to compete at the state convention in early May, at the Cajundome, in Lafayette, Louisiana.
There is a service work requirement that is measured by time and effort spent in club activities. The club participates in activities at nursing homes, raises money for charitable contributions to designated philanthropies, and looks for partnerships with students in need in other schools.
Key Club
Key Club is the oldest and largest service program for high
school students. It's a student-led organization that teaches leadership
through serving others. Members of the Kiwanis International family, Key Club
members build themselves as they build their schools and communities.
Patrick
F. Taylor invites all high school students to join the Key Club. Service
projects and meeting times will be decided upon by the members. The faculty
advisor is Mr. McCloskey located in room 302.
MATHCOUNTS
Mathcounts is a
national mathematics enrichment, club, and competition program that
promotes middle school mathematics achievement. With the leadership of
the National Society of Professional Engineers, Mathcounts strives to
provide students with the foundation for success in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics careers. The PFTSTA Mathcounts club meets
twice a month on alternating Fridays at lunch and has practices
available after school for those interested in competing at the
regional, state, and national level.
Model UN
The Model United Nations club for high school students meets twice a month on Thursday.
Mu Alpha Theta
Full Membership Requirements:
High school students in grades 9 through 12 who have completed the equivalent of four semesters of college preparatory mathematics and have completed or are enrolled in an advanced course at Taylor Academy are eligible for full membership in the Patrick F. Taylor Chapter of Mu Alpha Theta providing their mathematical work was done with distinction. On the 4-point grading scale, this means at least a 3.25 grade point average on qualifying mathematics with no mathematics grade lower than "C" on the official high school transcript (semester grades). New students must meet these requirements plus complete at least two semesters of qualifying mathematics with distinction (3.25 average on 4-point scale).
Associate Membership Requirements: See school sponsor for details of associate membership.
NOTE: All Taylor students are welcomed and encouraged to attend Mu Alpha Theta club meetings and participate in the mathematics activities, whether they qualify as members or not. Our goal is to help all Taylor students improve their mathematical abilities and learn to appreciate and enjoy mathematics.
National Honor Society
The charter for the PFTSTA Chapter of the National Honor Society was granted in 2007. The purpose of the school's chapter of this national organization is to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Students in grades 10 through 12 are invited to join NHS at the end of the fall semester. They must have a 3.5 grade point average on a 4-point grading scale. The students are asked to complete an information form detailing their leadership and service activities in and out of school. The faculty is asked to report on the character of each student. An induction ceremony for new members is held yearly in the early spring along with induction of new officers. Once students become members, they must keep their academic standing as well as engage in 50 hours of community service. Service is a major component of NHS activities. Officers will plan monthly activities for members to volunteer in the community or within the school. NHS also provides twice weekly tutoring at school for all grades and all subjects.
Quiz Bowl
The PFTSTA Quiz Bowl team competes in district wide academic trivia competitions once per semester. Interested 9th-12th grade students are eligible to try-out in the fall of each school year. Practices are held weekly during lunch time in Ms. Beck's room. Three members of the team also participate in a televised WII Quiz Bowl competition sponsored by the National World War II Museum.