Clubs & Organizations

The mission of the Astronomy Club is to encourage, inspire, and educate the students of University School of Jackson to gather a better scientific understanding of the universe in a collaborative, inclusive environment. Our club works closely with the USJ Physics Department and the local Lambuth Planetarium to enrich our student body with star-gazing. With future plans of weekly astronomy sessions teaching students to read the skies and grasp the vast universe, Astronomy Club is the student body's beacon for science.

The USJ Buddy Club serves to educate our students about unity, cooperation, and inclusion for everyone, no matter their physical or mental abilities. We will participate in training and outreach programs to apply what we learn around us. The Buddy Club will be partnering with many local ministries and businesses to put on the Night to Shine prom in the spring. Our goal is to create a community of friendship and inclusion for people of all abilities, and we will strive to better bridge the gap between the private school community and the disability community.

The USJ Chemistry Club is chartered through the American Chemical Society.  It gives high school students a unique opportunity to experience chemistry beyond the classroom.  Students engage in activities that enhance their understanding of science, involve them in the community, and help them better appreciate how chemistry plays a role in our everyday lives. University School of Jackson is the only private school in Jackson offering a charter of the American Chemical Club.

You can learn more about the American Chemical Club online at acs.org/.

The club’s main goal is to bring people together to make new friends through the game, learn how to play if you don’t know, and just to hang out and have a good time. We plan to host at least one tournament each semester, and more if possible.  Every effort will be made to revolve around everyone’s schedule and meet when it suits everyone best.  In the future, we hope to find a way to collaborate with other schools and to play each other. There are no dues.

The mission of FCA is "to present to athletes and coaches, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church." FCA meets every Monday to discuss a passage of scripture that challenges the students in their lives. In conjunction with this, students in FCA are involved in the local Jackson community. In December, several of the members joined with the Salvation Army to participate in their Bell Ringing ministry during the holidays, which raised money for those in need.

Students taking French as a foreign language are eligible for membership to the USJ French Club beginning in ninth grade.  Dues are $20.00, and they are paid one time at the start of the fall semester of your freshman year.  These dues cover your membership for all four years of high school. The French Club has several meetings throughout the year, often to celebrate holidays and to share meals.  The French Club holds an annual bake sale to benefit an orphanage in Haiti.

The International Thespian Society (ITS), founded in 1929, is an honorary organization for high school theatre students located at more than 4,200 affiliated secondary schools across America, Canada, and abroad.  The mission of ITS is to honor student achievement in the theatre arts. The Thespian troupe is a subset of the theatre arts program. It is the student honor society, a separate student organization, and membership is earned.  Any student may be a member of the theatre program, but only students who have been officially inducted and registered with the EdTA national office are members of the theatre program and the International Thespian Society.  Students must have a minimum of one hundred hours of theatrical work, whether it’s performance or technical work.  Initial dues are $26, which provides a subscription to Dramatics magazine.  The magazine provides pertinent information on colleges, workshops, scholarships, and more.  For every year after, dues are $15 paid at the beginning of the school year.

Upper School students have taken it upon themselves to make sure student conduct is a matter of honor by instituting an Honor Council and an Honor code predicated on the assumption that all students are honorable young men and women who have the right to be trusted. The formation of the Honor Council and Honor Code started in the 2008-2009 school year as Honor Council members visited other schools with honor councils, performed online research, and participated in all-day workshop where they wrote and designed the code, oaths, hearing procedures, constitution, and by-laws. The Honor Code makes students accountable for their own actions, as well as that of their school community and promotes the goal of character education which can last a lifetime. The Honor Council representatives serve as leaders who seek to maintain an atmosphere of honor and integrity so that both students and faculty can learn and teach in a trusting environment. The Honor Council is compromised of two elected representatives from each grade and one speaker from the senior class. Elections are held annually and all representatives must maintain a 3.5 grade point average. Students who seek a position on the Honor Council do not campaign but are elected based on their commitment to our school and its honor code. During an assembly at the beginning of each school year, Upper School students recite the Honor Code oath, thereby accepting their responsibility for the Honor Code on campus and at all school functions. Students are charged with supporting the community of trust and integrity embodied in this code and are expected not to condone the violation of this code by others. 

Model UN is an authentic simulation of the United Nations, allowing students to act as ambassadors to a country and work to resolve conflicts.  This is a great chance for students to learn about diplomacy, problem solving, and debate while developing a more global awareness of the world’s major issues.  Model UN attends five conferences each year; one international, one regional, one statewide, one local, and one school-wide. In addition to the conferences, each year Model UN hosts a club fundraiser and organizes a school wide service project to give back to the school community.

The University School of Jackson chapter of Mu Alpha Theta is its mathematics honor society. This is an honor society for students who have demonstrated an aptitude and achievement in mathematics. Each year the members complete a service project that benefits local charitable organizations. Membership is by invitation only and the dues are $10 at induction. To be considered for membership, students must be Juniors or Seniors enrolled in AP Pre-Calculus or AP Calculus with a GPA of at least 3.0 in past courses. 

The National Alliance for Mental Illnesses (NAMI) club intends to spread awareness on mental health. Mental health desperately needs to be spoken and learned about. We intend to make a comfortable place for people who struggle with mental health issues and for people who want to support the awareness of these issues. This is not a therapy group. It is a club to support people with mental health issues, as well as advocate for them. Dues are $5.00.

Established at USJ in 1997, the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) is a program specifically for high school students, grades 10-12, for the purpose of inspiring and recognizing those students who have shown an outstanding ability in art.  The NAHS strives to aid members in working toward the attainment of the highest standards in art areas and to bring art education to the attention of the school and community. All student members receive the NAHS News, which is published twice a year with reports of chapter activities, art history, student drawings, art careers, photographs, scholarships and general information.  Graduating seniors who have maintained requirements receive an honor cord.

Membership in NEHS is by invitation, extended through a local chapter on behalf of the national organization.  Membership in NEHS is an honor bestowed on individuals selected for their accomplishments in the field of English and in overall academic achievement.  The NEHS Constitution sets forth the following as minimum requirements for active membership:

• Attend USJ the equivalent of one semester prior to being considered.

• Complete the Fall Semester of Honors English II prior to induction.

• Achieve a minimum of 92.5 in English prior to induction.

• Pay $10.00 in dues.

• Achieve an average of 92.5 overall (overall GPA).

• Attend all meetings unless excused by the sponsor.

• Remain in AP Language and Composition and AP Literature and Composition.

The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students.  More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.  These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1921. Today, it is estimated that more than one million students participate in NHS activities.  NHS chapters are found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, many U.S. territories, and Canada. Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments but challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service.  Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors who have achieved a 92.5 average after the fall semester are eligible to apply for membership in the University School of Jackson chapter of the National Honor Society. The final list of students eligible to apply is dependent upon a disciplinary status check. Members must maintain a 90.0 average to remain active in the club.  All club members are expected to participate in NHS service projects. 

You can learn more about the National Honor Society online at https://www.nhs.us/

Being a high schooler and coming into today’s world can be a daunting thought. USJ’s Rising Investors Club promotes proficiency in understanding financial forces each person will encounter within their lifetime. A live stock market simulation keeps members skilled on investing around a dynamic market, and outside speakers allow members to interact with current professionals in today’s financial world. USJ’s Rising Investors members will come into adulthood with a firm foundation of understanding personal finance and investing.

To be eligible for the National French Honor Society, a student must be at least a sophomore and in French II Honors or a higher level Honors or AP French class.  Students must demonstrate and maintain proficiency in their French courses and good standing in their other classes. Dues are a one-time payment of $20.00. NFHS and the French Club host events together.

Membership is limited to Juniors and Seniors who have maintained a 3.5 average overall and in the sciences.  Members must also have taken at least one AP science and have been enrolled in either Honors or AP levels of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.  SNHA promotes scientific and intellectual thought and advances students’ knowledge of classical and modern science. It also helps prepare the USJ Science Bowl team and conducts a Science Bowl in the spring for the Middle School. USJ is currently the only high school in Jackson, TN that offers a chapter of the Science National Honor Society.

You can learn more about the Science National Honor Society at https://www.sciencenhs.org/

As a ninth grader, you are eligible to join USJ’s Spanish Club.  The dues are a one-time fee of $20.00, which are paid at the beginning of the fall semester and never have to be paid again during your high school career.  The Spanish Club meets several different times throughout the year for breakfast and lunch, and also sponsors the annual Angel Christmas Tree, which collects items for children living at the El Ayudante orphanage in Nicaragua.

The Social Studies Honor Society consists of Seniors in good standing who have successfully completed an AP history course and want to serve their fellow students.  Among their responsibilities are coordinating the Veterans Day program, organizing the 40/40 challenge, and leading our voter registration drive. Members of the honor society receive a red and gray cord at graduation.

Students at USJ are eligible to be inducted into The National Spanish Honor Society after having completed three semesters of Honors Spanish with a cumulative average of 93.  If students miss the initial induction, they are eligible at the end of each semester through the seventh semester of the high school curriculum. The National Spanish Honor Society works in tandem with The Spanish Club on the Christmas Angel Tree service project to benefit the children living at El Ayudante Orphanage in Nicaragua.

The purpose of the Student Government Association is to provide a democratic form of government in which students can address school related issues:  maintain a continuous communication channel from students to both faculty and administration, as well as among students within the school; assist in organizing a year-long program of functions and community involvement projects for students: and to train students in the duties and responsibilities of faith, service, and scholarship.  The SGA is composed of eight officers elected from grades 11-12 along with the officers of each class and club.

2021-2022 SGA OFFICERS

President - Elle Jerge

V. President - Sawyer Phipps

Secretary - Gracen Rainey

Treasurer - Reed Sullivan

Chaplain - Sadie Hanna

Corresponding Secretary - Caroline Wilkerson

Historian - Mimi Campbell

Parliamentarian - Ijeoma Oleru

The three M’s stand for Modern Music Masters.  The purpose of this Honor Society is to inspire music participation, create enthusiasm for scholarship, stimulate a desire to render service, and promote leadership in the music students of secondary schools.  Tri M is under the sponsorship of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).  In order to be a member of Tri-M, candidates must be enrolled in a school-sponsored music ensemble/class, maintain a B average in music with at least a C average in other academic subjects.  They also must have demonstrated leadership, service, and character in their activities. In order to receive a Tri M honor cord their senior year, students must have paid their membership dues, completed an acceptance form for membership, and accumulate 300 points in performance, service, and leadership while maintaining the previous mentioned requirements and must be currently enrolled in a performing arts class.

The Study Group is a program in which high school students help bridge the gap between middle school and high school by tutoring and mentoring middle school students. The program is meant to help middle school students with their classwork and build meaningful relationships with the middle schoolers by meeting with them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The USJ Sport Shooting Team provides a competitive and supportive environment for students passionate about clay target shooting. As an SCTP team, we compete in various disciplines, including trap, skeet, and sporting clays, at events across West Tennessee throughout the spring and summer. With over 20 student athletes and alumni, our team emphasizes sportsmanship, safety, and skill development.

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The Bruinettes are a Game Day focused team comprised of talented and dedicated dancers. We collaborate with USJ Parents, and perform at home football and basketball games throughout the school year, as well as various community events.

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Open to all students with a desire to fish competitively, the club welcomes beginners and experienced anglers alike. It emphasizes accessibility, requiring only a willingness to learn and a dedication to improving. Throughout the school year, the team organizes fishing days at various lakes, providing students with the chance to hone their techniques in diverse environments. These activities prepare members for the challenges of competitive tournaments while also instilling patience and adaptability - qualities essential both on and off the water.

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