Something for Everyone
Archbishop Carroll High School offers dozens of clubs and student organizations that allow students to develop their skills and talents and discover new interests. Any student who wishes to found a new organization is encouraged to reach out to any member of the faculty or staff to explore new opportunities.
Faith in Action
Mass Choir
The Liturgical Choir leads music for all of our school-wide liturgical celebrations. We celebrate all-school Mass once a month, including Masses for Holy Days of Obligation. No prior experience is necessary to be a member of the choir. In addition to signing voices, the Liturgical Choir welcomes those who can play musical instruments. All students in all grades are welcome to praise and worship!
Patriots for Life
Patriots for Life is a student-run organization whose purpose is to educate students about all life issues in which the dignity of the human person is not respected. Our goal is to be a voice for the voiceless and to encourage our fellow Patriots to get involved defending all human life from womb to the tomb. In our efforts, we will raise awareness about life issues and encourage action that is appropriate for high school students. One of the highlights of the year is a trip to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life.
Campus Ministry
The purpose of the Archbishop Carroll High School Campus Ministry is to bring about an ongoing “Spiritual Revolution” at Carroll. Our mission is to put Christ at the center by:
- Making Carroll a place of prayer and worship -- to make sure that all students are both encouraged to pray and are given the opportunity to pray (Liturgy).
- Making Carroll a place in which we live our gospel call to serve others. Revolution will provide weekly opportunities to service our local community and, as a group, will be of service to our Carroll Community (Service).
- Making Carroll a place where everyone is welcomed. We will work to welcome students, to reach out to all students, and to encourage new involvement in Revolution (Outreach).
- Helping identify, train, and nurture our student leaders so that they can lead by example and help other students grow in their faith (Leadership).
Retreat Leaders
Juniors and Seniors can apply to lead the sophomore retreats. Seniors also have the opportunity to lead their class PATS Retreats. Applications are reviewed by Campus Ministry and the following are taken into consideration for selection:
- Making a habit of putting others’ needs before their own
- Demonstrating a sincere desire to be the person God calls him/her to be
- Being active in growing their faith through service, involved in spiritual activities at school and in their parish.
- Displaying leadership skills and responsibility with their commitments
- Modeling appropriate use of social media
- Being comfortable giving witness to their faith and life as a disciple of Christ
Mission Dayton Service Week
Mission Dayton attempts to integrate what students have learned in their Peace and Justice class with a real-world service learning experience. In this six-day program, students perform between 30-40 hours of community service and reflect on that experience in light of scripture and Church teachings. Students are engaged in discussions on justice issues, prayer, journaling, and simulation activities on contemporary issues. Space in Mission Dayton is limited. Students involved in this program must be able to meet numerous academic requirements, including assigned reading, written assignments, and a theological reflection paper. Students must apply for and be accepted into this program. Teacher recommendations, discipline history, attendance history, and the application itself are all used to determine acceptance in the program.
Vocation Fair
The Vocation Fair is held in September every other year. It is an opportunity for students in religion classes to talk with over 40 religious, service, and health organizations from Dayton and surrounding areas. The students attend the fair during the day and interview different organizations. The groups bring information to the students about volunteering, religious life, and service opportunities in and outside of Carroll. Some participating organizations are: Aim for the Handicap, Five Rivers Metroparks, Ascension Youth Ministry, St. Luke Youth Ministry, Suicide Prevention Center, Franciscans, Marianist Sisters, Dominican Sisters of the Mother of the Eucharist, UGive, St. Vincent DePaul, Dynamic Senior Solutions, Habitat for Humanity, Right to Life, Life Resources, and many others.
Monthly Masses
Carroll celebrates an all-school Mass each month of the school year, including Holy Days of Obligation, Lent and Advent. At Carroll, all students and faiths participate in this celebration of Christ and community.
Morning Masses and Prayer Services
Mass or a prayer service is celebrated weekly before school at 7:30 a.m. A rotation of area priests celebrate the Eucharist with the voluntary Carroll community. Clubs and sports are expected to attend as a team at least once during their season.
Shantytown
Students and teachers spend the night outside in solidarity with the homeless. We listen to speakers, sleep outside in boxes, and serve or panhandle for St. Vincent’s Shelter (offered during the fall semester alternating years).
Freshman Retreat
This one-day program helps freshmen meet new people, prepare spiritually for the challenges of being a teenager, and identify the choice before them to live a life of character and faith.
Sophomore Retreat
The sophomore retreat centers on growing as young men and women of integrity and character rooted in a relationship with Christ and fosters a deeper sense of community within their class. On this one day off-site retreat, students are divided by gender. By separating genders, this retreat model can be more attentive to the differences in male and female spirituality. It also allows for a more frank discussion of gender-specific issues. A team of teachers, parish youth ministers, and student peer-ministers lead the retreat.
Junior Retreat
The junior retreat is an overnight program held at and facilitated by Bergamo Center and encourages students to grow in their relationship with Christ and foster a deeper sense of community within their class. Themes center on one’s journey of faith, highs and lows in life and faith, blessings that flow from a relationship with Christ, healing through forgiveness, affirmation, and acceptance.
Senior PATS Retreat
For seniors, the PATS (Praying and Thinking Spiritually) Retreat empowers students to access their love of self and love of God with a challenge to renew their commitment to actively living their faith and nurturing their relationship with Christ. Themes include knowing and loving self, knowing and loving God through Christ, obstacles to God’s friendship, forgiveness, and change of heart through a commitment to Christ. It is led by a team of peers who courageously share their personal life-faith experiences with their classmates.
House Captain Retreat
Rising senior leaders of the House System develop leadership and planning skills offsite at the conclusion of their junior year.
Revolution Retreat
House Captains and other student leaders in campus ministry gather in the summer to plan events, prayer, and outreach for the upcoming school year.
Key Club
Students can become members of Key Club which is an international, student-led organization that provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership.
HONOR SOCIETIES
National Honor Society
Membership to the National Honor Society is very selective and is determined by a faculty council who evaluates students based on the four pillars of the National Honor Society: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. National Honor Society is open to Juniors and Seniors who have been enrolled at Archbishop Carroll High School for at least one semester. Students who have an unweighted, cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher will be invited to join in the fall of their junior or senior year. Please click here for more information about National Honor Society.
Latin Honor Society
The purpose of the Latin Honor Society at the Archbishop Carroll High School chapter is to lead, serve, and promote interest in studying Latin within the entire school community. In order to apply or be considered in September for membership in Latin Honor Society, a student must be enrolled in at least a Latin 301/302 level course, maintain a 4.0 GPA in Latin, and maintain a 3.5 weighted GPA. Students are required to tutor twice each quarter in order to maintain their membership status. Students are also required to attend and lead Latin Club meetings once per month.
Spanish Honor Society
The purpose of Los Patriotas chapter is to lead, serve, and promote interest in studying Spanish within the entire school community. In order to apply or be considered in January each year, for membership in Spanish Honors Society, a student must be enrolled in at least a Spanish 301/302 level course or higher and maintain a 3.5 weighted GPA. Students are required to tutor twice each semester in order to maintain their membership status. Our chapter hosts a beautiful graduation ceremony for seniors on a Sunday in May each year and is a leader for bilingual education on our campus.
National Art Honor Society
The National Art Honor Society is an organization open to all students enrolled in Creative Drawing/Design, Studio Art, and AP Art. The society brings art education to the attention of the school, while also fostering the artistic talents of its members through acts of service in the community. NAHS strives to aid members in the highest standards of art scholarship, character, and service.
International Thespian Society
The International Thespian Society is the world’s largest honor society recognizing excellence and achievement in high school theater students. Theater teaches powerful life skills preparing students for a bright future. Carroll is proud to be a member of the International Thespian Society with a charter of Troupe #8330. Active Drama Club members who are in grades 10-12, participate backstage and/or act in at least two productions, take part in outside trips, workshops, and or service projects, maintain a 3.0 gpa in Arts classes, and demonstrate commitment and service to the Carroll Freedom Players are eligible for membership.
Academic Clubs
Academic Team
Participants on the Academic Team will learn to recall scholastic facts quickly and rely on their intellectual instincts. As a member of the team, participants will learn how to inspire their teammates as well as learn how to be inspired by their teammates. Participants will be encouraged to learn facts from classical studies, life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, and mathematics. Senior leaders on the team will learn to mentor the other players by guiding them to useful resources and by will lead by example during practice. Practices include both content development as well as quick reaction buzzer practice. The Academic Team competes in the Greater Catholic Academic League (GCAL).
Latin Club
The Latin Club gathers to help promote enthusiasm as well as learn and celebrate elements of the ancient world. Latin culture is celebrated through myth and culture, Jeopardy! games, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, and Capture the Flag! The Latin Honor Society leads these meetings. The Latin Club is open to all students. This organization is also a registered chapter of the National Junior Classical League.
Spanish Club
The Spanish Club, an organization promoting an awareness of the Hispanic culture and Spanish language, is open to all current and former Spanish students wishing to be actively involved in experiencing Spanish-speaking culture. Activities have included attending Spanish plays, music and/or dance productions, and various Hispanic holiday “fiestas”.
Math Patriots
Carroll students compete in a number of math contests throughout the school year. These contests have a variety of formats, but all encourage students’ growth in mathematical knowledge and problem solving ability through challenging and competitive events. Some examples are the American Math Competition (AMC), American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME), OCTM State Tournament of Mathematics, the Ohio High School Mathematics Invitational Olympiad (OHMIO), the University of Dayton Annual High School Math Competition, and the Math Works Math Modeling Challenge.
Math Club
Math Club is a student-led organization that welcomes all members. Math Club members meet once or twice a month to share their interests in mathematics and solve intriguing and fun problems. It is a great way for students to develop intuitive thinking skills and learn new topics in mathematics. Furthermore, students are encouraged to view math not as a set of rules or guidelines, but as an art. In addition to the academic benefits, the Math Club is also a great way to meet new people and develop teamwork skills.
Ohio Math League
Ohio Math League gives students an educationally enriching opportunity to participate in an academically-oriented activity and gain recognition for mathematical achievement. The OML questions are varied in difficulty and involve topics of interest to students of all levels. Participation in OML encourages students to enjoy a challenge and to learn from it to find problem-solving discussions stimulating.
TEAMS Competition
TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science) is a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competition. Focused on a new theme each year, TEAMS challenges teams of middle school and high school students to collaboratively solve real-world engineering issues by applying their STEM knowledge in practical and creative ways. This group has a strong history of excellence at the state (four-time Best in Ohio award winners) and national levels of competition (three top ten awards in 2023).
Trebuchet Competition
Students taking Physics II use their engineering problem solving skills to design and build miniature trebuchets inspired by medieval machines that launched large projectiles into enemy fortifications. Students fire squash balls that work like the originals, using counterweights and gravity to rotate an arm with a sling that hurls the projectile.
Science Day
Students in Honors Science classes, as well as anyone interested in science, develop independent research projects each year. Students then have the opportunity to present their research at a variety of Science Day activities. They start at the Carroll Science Day, then progress to the County, District, and State Science Days, as long as they maintain a superior rating. Many Carroll students have been chosen to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair. There are numerous awards, scholarships, and special recognition given to students at all levels of Science Day activities.
Write-On
Write-On is a student-led literary magazine in which students' writings and art are shared in print form. One or two issues are shared per school year and participation is open to all students.
Model United Nations
Model UN allows students to take on the role of “delegate” for any member nation of the United Nations. Students research a problem facing their chosen country, come up with a solution to the problem, and propose their solution to the entire delegation at the Ohio Model UN conference in December. Students gain experience in research, public speaking, leadership, and problem solving through their involvement in Model UN.
Ohio Youth and Government
This civics club is designed to give students experience in working with local and state government, assisting with voting and local charities, and becoming more involved in community activities. It culminates in a year-end conference in Columbus, debating legislation and appealing cases before the Supreme Court. Students acts as legislators, judges, and governors, using the State Chambers and meeting State officers and legislators.
Special Interests
Military Kids Club
In February 2020, Archbishop Carroll High School became the first and only Catholic high school in the Dayton area to earn the Ohio Department of Education’s Purple Star Designation as a military friendly school. According to the ODE website, ‘The Purple Star Award for military-friendly schools recognizes schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military.” This club provides support to students whose parents serve in the armed forces and gives other students an opportunity to help thank the men and women who serve our nation.
Medical Careers Club
Are you interested in learning about the different careers, prerequisites, and educational opportunities in medicine, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, speech therapy, nutrition/dietetics, radiation therapy, sonography, radiology, and more? Join the Medical Careers Club led by Dr. Nick Herrin ‘08 (Team Lead of the Oncology and Cardiology Rehabilitation Department at Kettering Health).
Balloon Club
Students learn skills from basic twists to more complicated multi-balloon sculptures such as animals, hats, and other creations, and then can move on to teach the art of twisting balloon animals. These skills are showcased and balloons are shared through volunteer service for events at Archbishop Carroll and local non-profit sponsored events.
Sewing Club
Ever need to hem a pair of pants, hem a dress, or just want to learn sewing basics Then the sewing club is for you! Students of all skill levels are accepted and the possibilities for creations are endless.
Harry Potter Club
Expelliarmus, Horcrux, Quidditch, and Patronus! If you know the meaning behind these words, then the Harry Potter Club is for you! This club is devoted to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Meetings are held throughout the school year and focus on exciting Harry Potter themed activities such as wand making, dueling, the Yule Ball, fan fiction, Quidditch, a Death Day party, potion making, Harry Potter games and trivia, and movie marathons. Each year, new ‘wizards and witches’ will be sorted into their respective houses. If you are a fan of Harry Potter or want to learn more about the Wizarding World, please join us! Muggles are always welcome!
Cooking Club
The Carroll Cooking Club is an extension of the Culinary Arts section of the Family & Consumer Science Department. All Carroll students are invited to participate in the club who have an interest in Culinary Arts, even if you are not enrolled in a Family & Consumer Science class. We make fun seasonal treats and love trying new recipes from group members. This club meets once a month after school.
Multicultural Club
Multicultural Club is a journey of bringing awareness and appreciation of all cultures represented at Carroll. We are a club to help all students meet new friends and celebrate our Dayton community, all while learning about diverse cultures from around the world. From hosting our international student orientation and attending on-campus events together to traveling to Young’s Dairy, Carillon Park, museums, and historical sites, we strive to try new things together. Club membership is free, but several events off campus require admission fees that members are responsible for paying for on their own.
Muse Machine
Every student at our school is a Muse Machine member! Everyone experiences three in-school performances and has the opportunity to sign up to take trips to see live performances with discounted ticket prices at the Victoria Theatre, Schuster Center, and many other performing arts centers. Students also have the opportunity to audition to perform in the annual Muse Machine musical production at the Victoria Theatre in January. Pit orchestra and backstage production positions are also available. Club membership is free, but students wishing to attend performances off-campus will be responsible for the payment of their ticket.
Drama Club
The Carroll Freedom Players is a group of students directly involved in the production of the fall play and the spring musical. Recent performances include Back to the 80's, A Murder is Announced, Anastasia, Oklahoma and M*A*S*H. In addition to acting in the plays, students are involved in various committee work like props, make-up, publicity, sound, costumes, set design (building and painting), and stage crew. The Freedom Players also attend area productions, participate in workshops, and visit Grand Rapids, MI and New York City to see professional shows and learn about theater development. Members also help with Carroll’s Call for Talent, our student talent show.
Chess Club
Come play chess for fun in a non-competitive environment. Don’t know how to play? Try something new! All are welcome!
Athletic Clubs
Badminton Club
The Archbishop Carroll Badminton Club gathers to learn the sport of badminton through fellowship and friendly competition. Students will become familiar with the rules of the game and will learn the proper technique for playing the game.
Rowing Club
Archbishop Carroll's Rowing Club connects interested students with the sport of rowing through the Dayton Boat Club. Carroll Patriots join other students from the Dayton area in learning and then excelling at the sport of rowing. No experience is needed to join. Please contact rowdbc@yahoo.com or visit http://www.daytonboatclub.org.
Sports Medicine
Carroll students can become student athletic trainers and participate in such activities as taping, wrapping, and assisting with therapy for injured student athletes. Students may train for one, two, or three sport seasons each year. These students work closely with our athletic trainers from Kettering Health.
Flag Patrol and Frontline
This group of Patriots carries the Carroll flags at our football games and other major sporting events. It is composed of seniors who are selected after an application process to carry on this tradition. Students must be reliable and show spirit and enthusiasm for Carroll’s varsity teams.
Wrestling Statisticians
Wrestling statisticians are an important part of both the boys' and girls' wrestling teams! Stats are responsible for videotaping and recording stats during each match.
Instrumental Music and Bands
Concert Band
This group meets during the school day and plays a variety of music at several concerts throughout the school year. These students also participate in the District Concert Band Contest. Concert Band has won many awards and regularly qualifies for the state contest.
Jazz Combo
Jazz Combo is a select group of Jazz musicians that focus on improvisation. This group performs locally at several outreach events.
Jazz Band
Jazz Band members are chosen by audition in November. This ensemble practices after school and performs at many school and community events. Students who do not take music classes are encouraged to audition for this group.
Marching Band
Participation in The Marching Patriots is an exciting opportunity for any student interested in music or dance, regardless of background or ability level. This award-winning group performs at competitions, football games, and other special events. The Marching Band travels several times each year, including an annual trip to perform at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for Bands of America Grand National Championships. Every four years, The Marching Patriots travel to Orlando, Fla., for a week of performances, clinics, and fun at theme parks. Recent accomplishments of the Marching Band include winning the 2023 BOA Class A Regional Championship, seven consecutive medals at the Mid-States Band Association Championships, and several first place awards at local competitions.
Winter/Color Guard
The Winter/Color Guard is a performing group that is open to any interested student. The group combines dance with spinning flags, rifles, and sabres. The Winter Guard uses colorful costumes and props to create an exciting performance. The Winter Guard performs at many contests each year, including the Mideast Performance Association championship and the Winter Guard International Championships at UD Arena.
Social Events
Prom
Prom is a formal dance held in late April or early May. Juniors and seniors are encouraged to attend, and sophomores may attend if invited by an upperclassman. A king and queen are crowned at this event.
After-Prom
After-Prom is sponsored by the parents of Juniors. This is a fun event held after the Prom to encourage fun and safe choices. Dates are not required, but sophomores may only attend with their Prom date. This fun-filled event lasts well into the morning hours and is great for those wanting to have a great time!
Father-Daughter Event
The Father-Daughter Event is a special night filled with games, contests, and more shared between female Carroll students of all grades and their dads (or father figures). The event is themed each year and encourages a lot of fun for all!
Mother-Son Dance
The Mother-Son Dance is a special night shared by boys of all grades at Carroll and their moms (or mom figures). The dance is themed each year encouraging costumes, dance competitions, and lots of fun.
Activities
Alumni Vocation Shadow Day
Juniors and Seniors have a great opportunity to shadow an alumnus who is working in the student’s interested career field. This event is typically held at the conclusion of the first quarter.
Blood Drive
We have two opportunities for students to donate blood during the year, once in September and once in March. Students can earn a red cord to wear at graduation if they donate blood at least three times during their high school years. Students can also volunteer to help with the March drive by gathering food donations, serving donors, and walking donors back to class.
Carroll’s Call for Talent
Our student talent show provides a night on stage to perform and showcase personal talent in front of an audience. Dancers, singers, comedians, jugglers, and more have all shared their skills with our audiences while competing for prizes!