Student Activities

From our "no cut" policy to our extracurricular schedule, we foster an environment where students can explore, collaborate, and try new things – be that in 6th, 9th, or 12th grade. Whether you are brand-new to cross country or well-versed in technical theater, Burke will be your space to grow.

We design our schedule to: 1) enable students to try a wide variety of extracurriculars and discover what they most enjoy and 2) build time for arts, clubs, and affinity spaces into the school day, both to affirm their significant value and to lessen the constraints on after school hours.

Extracurricular Overview

Sports teams, theatre	practice and rehearse after school with occasional weekend commitments
Bands, choruses	are classes and meet during the school day with some evening and off-campus performances
Affinity Groups	meet during the morning community period on a rotating basis
Clubs, Yearbook	meet during the Friday clubs period
Debate Team, Leadership Program, Newspaper, Student Government	meet on their own schedule, which may include after school and lunch

List of 4 items.

Affinity Spaces

Asian Student Association
Black Girls Meet
Black Student Union
Boys Leading Boys
Faith in Focus
Feminist Cooperative
Fusion (multiracial students)
Latine/Hispanic Student Union
Jewish Affinity Group
Middle School Students of Color
Queer Student Association
Students Against Ableism
White Allies for Values of Equity
Young Black Men

"Affinity groups help create a “brave space” in which people can explore issues of shared identities and experiences; they can affirm their emotional and intellectual responses to being part of a distinct subset of the larger school community." - Ashley Greene, The Churchill School and Center in New York City
Student-Run Clubs

These clubs meet on Fridays during the morning community period.

Updated: September 2024

Baking Club
Basketball Club
Chess Club
MS Cooking and Baking Club
Crochet Club
Dungeons & Dragons
Dance Team
Drama Club
Entrepreneurship Club
Fashion Club
Film Club
Flag Football Club
George Orwell Consortium
Make-a-Wish Club
Math Club
Munch n' Mingle
Movie Club
Oxford Comma Club Gold
Photoshoot Club
Science Club
Skateboarding Club
Stock Market Club
Students Demand Action
Publications

Photography, Art, Writing ("PAW") - meets during clubs period
The Cageliner (newspaper) - meets during lunch and enables participation in other clubs
Yearbook - meets during clubs period
Additional Programs

Debate Team
Founders’ Day Team
Leadership Program
Student Government Association

Meet Our Students

Club Expo by Edmund Burke School on Exposure

Forming Bonds
10/4/2024
From September 19-20, our 6th-11th graders traveled around and beyond the DC region, enjoying quality time with classmates and advisors. Our middle schoolers, who all have overnight trips coming up this winter and spring, spent a day lakeside in Edgewater, MD, followed by an active day at The St. James for 6th-7th grade and a serious hike on the Billy Goat Trail for the 8th grade.
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Student Spotlights - September 2024
9/25/2024
Highlighting students' creative and athletic pursuits outside the classroom.
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Let's Go Clubbing
9/18/2024
At the Club Expo, that is. On Friday, September 13, student leaders set up tables and displays from the Commons to the Library, encouraging fellow students to sign up for their organization – and often enticing them with treats (or "elements" in the Science Club's case).
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All Together Now
9/7/2024
On the second day of school, we gathered in the Bengal Den for Opening Assembly, led by this year's Student Government Association Co-Presidents Taylor S. '26 and Jack J. '26.

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Sustainability in Philly
5/22/2024
The 7th grade has returned from their annual overnight in Philadelphia, centered around sustainability and conservation. Following an early departure, they spent the morning at the Philadelphia Zoo, explored Bartram’s Garden and searched for microplastics in the Schuylkill River, and visited the Magic Gardens before spending the night at Temple University.
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A Taste of Culture (and more)
5/16/2024
On Tuesday, May 7, we celebrated the wide range of cultures and traditions represented at Burke – starting with steelpan music on the front steps during arrival.

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Founders' Day 2024: Game On!
5/9/2024
Dreamed up in 1999, and revamped in 2008, Founders' Day remains an anticipated tradition during the spring months. Led by a team of 11th and 12th graders, this year's event boasted a board game theme, with inter-grade teams named for Ticket to Ride, Chess, Connect 4, and Monopoly, among others.
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Student Spotlight: Eliza G. '25 and Olivia M. '25
5/9/2024
This past April, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (Mid-Atlantic Region) recognized Eliza G. '25 and Olivia M. '25 for their work with Student Visionaries of the Year, a seven-week philanthropic leadership program supporting LLS' mission to cure blood cancers. The team representing Burke collectively raised over $46,266 for the cause. Congratulations!
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Interfaith Conversation
4/24/2024
Last month, Faith in Focus hosted a joint Passover and Ramadan program (beautifully led by Elena M. '26), with help from the Jewish Affinity Group – culminating in a Friday afternoon gathering, where students and adults sampled an array of foods, including dates (used to break the fast during Ramadan) and charoset (served during the Passover seder).
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Recognizing Our Reporters
4/24/2024
The Private School Journalism Association (PSJA) Contest, co-sponsored by Quill and Scroll, awarded 1st place for Continuous Team Coverage to The Cageliner's 2021-22 and 2022-23 editorial boards and contributing writers – recognizing their thoughtful, multifaceted reporting in the aftermath of the April 22 shooting.
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The Voices of History
3/6/2024
On February 22, our Black Student Union, Black Girls Meet, and Young Black Men affinity groups mounted a powerful celebration of Black History Month at assembly, encompassing poetry, film, trivia, and performance. The assembly concluded with a performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," bringing together singers from across all grades.
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Burke's Got Talent
2/22/2024
Each winter, students from all grades gather to showcase their musical and artistic talents in the Atrium (while enjoying snacks and a chill atmosphere). As hosts of the event, Student Government Association bestows a unique awards on each act, plus names their top three picks.
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Student Spotlight: Carrie J. '24
1/25/2024
Congratulations and cheers to Carrie J. '24, who has been named to the 2024 Arts and Social Justice Fellowship (ASJF) cohort.
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Belated Halloween 2023 Report
11/8/2023
Spooky Town Hall
This year's Halloween Assembly served a dual purpose. First, costumed SGA leaders, along with school administrators, hosted a panel-style discussion, responding to questions from student-constituents.

Haunted Showdown
Next up, the Annual Costume Contest, judged by a most esteemed faculty and staff panel, showcased the creativity, humor, and whimsy of students and adults alike. Each grade had two entries (group or individual), and delightful garments included Jafar (6th grade), Jake from State Farm (9th grade), the Despicable Me family (11th grade), and a fluffy blue shark (12th grade). Ultimate winners were:
1st place - Owen F. '24 as "Barbenheimer"
2nd place, tie - Beatrix F. '27 as a Clown and Elijah S. '24 as Costco
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Spirit & Pep
10/13/2023
Spirit Week

The week of October 2 brought a veritable parade of zany and creative garb, as students and adults alike embraced the Spirit Week themes. If you have not already, be sure to hop to Burke's Instagram for reel recaps of each spirit day.
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Boundless Bonding
10/2/2023
On September 21-22, grades 6-11 scattered across (and beyond) the DC region to explore and connect with their classmates.
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Joining the Clubs
9/27/2023
September 14 marked the raucous, awesome, annual Club Expo, where student-run club leaders entice new members through colorful displays and the occasional cookie. Nearly 30 clubs made an appearance, ranging from Arts for Change to Crochet Club, from Model UN to the Middle School Tea Club.
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Student Spotlight: JP P. '27
9/20/2023
This past summer, Joseph P. '27 (JP) was the youngest participant in a Wild Images tour, resulting in beautiful wildlife photographs captured in Nome and Utqiagvík, Alaska. Below is an excerpts from Wild Images' interview with JP this August.
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Bengals Assemble
9/13/2023
As is tradition, all community members gathered on the first day of class for an assembly. Following announcements and introductions (some spoken and some sung) to new faculty and staff, the Student Government Association kicked off the first grade competition of the year: perennial favorite Schoolwide Musical Chairs.

What are grade competitions?
Students can participate in impromptu, amusing contests during the year, with the winners earning points for their grade. The grade with the most points earns a prize plus eternal bragging rights.

Musical Chairs Showdown | September 7 2023
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Let's Get Together!
9/13/2023
Hundreds of students, family members, faculty, staff, and friends assembled in our favorite Rock Creek locale for some back-to-school merriment. They met new friends, reconnected with old friends, played some impromptu soccer and Connect Four, and enjoyed delicious food from Taco Bamba.

Special thanks to Edmund Burke Parents Association's leadership for heading up this great tradition.
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