Activities & Clubs

Activities
Clubs

Briarcliff Cross Country 2025

Being a member of the Briarcliff Cross Country team is more than just becoming physically stronger and healthier, it’s about developing self-confidence and camaraderie with your fellow teammates, making new friends and having fun! An informational team meeting will be held the first week of school and we encourage all students to attend.

Our team is co-ed and is open to any and all students who wish to be a part of something great. If you’re not a fast runner, don’t sweat it! Through training and conditioning, your abilities will improve over the course of the Cross Country season, helping you become your personal best.

Here are a few things about our team…

Practices and Meets

Practices are held Monday through Thursday on the days there is not a meet and will take place from 2:45 - 3:45 pm.

We meet on the track. Please be sure you have a pair of RUNNING SNEAKERS and a REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE.

Team members should plan on attending all practices. We are understanding and flexible but remember, as a part of a TEAM, your coaches and fellow teammates are counting on you. You must email or see us during the school day if you can not attend practice. Missing practice could result in a runner not participating in a meet.

SPORTS PHYSICALS

All students wishing to participate in cross country must complete a sports physical with their primary care physician. NO STUDENT WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICES OR IN MEETS WITHOUT COMPLETING A SPORTS PHYSICAL. Complete your sports physical OVER THE SUMMER so you can begin practicing with the team right away.

Annual Pre-Athletic Physical forms are available in the Briarcliff Health Office or may be downloaded from the BC Health Office webpage. There are two parts to the form.

We look forward to a great XC season!!!

Coach Bogucz kbogucz@mlschools.org

Coach Pelliconi dpelliconi@mlschools.org

Meet Schedule TBD

Soccer Boys

Practice begins after the start of school and will occur at Midvale Field or the Soccer Field B behind the High School. Regular season games go from the middle of September to the end of October. The county tournament will follow and last about two weeks if the team(s) make it to the finals. All athletes are expected to have an up to date physical as well as all forms completed in Genesis. Contact Nurse Ludlow at aludlow@mlschools.org with questions about physicals.

For soccer inquires, please contact:

MLSD Athletic Director Kevin Wallace - kwallace@mlschools.org

Soccer Girls

Practice begins after the start of school and will occur at Midvale Field. Regular season games go from the middle of September to the end of October. The county tournament will follow and last about two weeks if the team(s) make it to the finals. All athletes are expected to have an up to date physical as well as all forms completed in Genesis. Contact Nurse Ludlow at aludlow@mlschools.org with questions about physicals.

For soccer inquires, please contact: ?

MLSD Athletic Director Kevin Wallace - kwallace@mlschools.org

Winter Season

Spring Season

Registration

Briarcliff Sports Club

Concerts & Shows

Destination Imagination

Family Math Night

Halloween

Jazz Band

In the 'Cliff Notes Jazz Ensemble, students will explore the common styles of Jazz Music (Swing, Blues, Ballad, Latin, etc.) to learn how to play in a Jazz Group. Students will also have the opportunities to express themselves through the art of improvisation. The 'Cliff Notes Jazz Ensemble is the feature act in the Briarcliff's annual Pops Cafe. This group is open to all students/instruments at Briarcliff and it begins in January.

Auditions are only conducted if a large amount of students express interest.

Cliff Notes rehearses once a week after school.

Conductor: Vince Buzzelli

Email: vbuzzelli@mlschools.org

Musical

The Briarcliff Musical Team meets for auditions in December to cast our annual production. Rehearsals begin the first week of January. Rehearsals are mandatory, twice a week for all cast members & four times a week for all leads. There are usually no Friday rehearsals.

There are students who are involved as Stage Crew & their attendance is worked out with the directors. The play is presented in late March / early April (calendar permitting).

There is a Canvas webpage with all pertinent details. This webpage is published the first week of December.

Musical Directors: Melissa Pecarific

Stage Crew Advisor: Brianna Boehm & Melissa Pecarific

Grade Level: 6th through 8th Grade

Cast/Crew Size: Unlimited.

Meeting Dates:

Interest Meeting:

There will be an interest meeting for anyone interested in being a part of
the Briarcliff Musical, “Wonka, Jr”. A meeting for cast and crew members
will be on Thursday, November 13th at 2:45. Please email Mrs. Pecarific at
mpecarific@mlschools.org with questions!

Auditions: December 1st - 5th.

Rehearsals: December 8th. - March 28th, M -Th and Fridays starting in
March.

Show Times: March 27th @ 6pm/March 28th @ 1pm.

Pops Cafe

Student Council

Clubs

Environmental

🌿 Together, we can protect our planet through fun activities, awareness campaigns, and hands-on projects. Be a part of the change—because every small action counts!

Environmental Club Presentation

Club Advisor: Christina Doolittle
Grade Levels: 6th through 8th grades.
Club Size: Open.
Meet Dates: Alternating Tuesdays, 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., beginning in October.

Homework

Intramural Basketball

Math Counts

MathCounts Club is where students join together to work on challenging math problems they may not typically see in the classroom. They work independently or in small groups moving at the pace that is comfortable for them. These problems help students prepare for the various school math competitions offered throughout the school year (AMC8, NJ Math League, & Math Olympiads). High scoring students will be recognized by both Briarcliff & the competition organizations!

Club Advisor: Michelle Major
Grade Level: 6th through 8th.
Club/Team Size: Unlimited.
Meeting Dates/Times: Stay Tuned!

Mock Trial

mocktrial21/22

Each Mock Trial must have two witnesses for each side, prosecution/plaintiff & defense. Teams will work with an attorney to help clarify points of law & procedure, write up the facts, witness statements, & develop their written case based on state & federal law(s). All teams submit their case by January 31 for careful review & judgement by the NJ Bar Foundation. When winning cases are selected, the teams who wrote them will be required to "perform" their case at Law Adventure Programs in May.

Club Advisor: Danielle Peterson
Club Member Size: Unlimited.

Newsletter/Newspaper

Join the Newspaper Club!

Do you love sharing stories, asking questions, and finding out what’s happening around school? Then the Newspaper Club is the place for you!

In this club, you’ll get to be a real reporter for “The Briarcliff Bugle”. You’ll interview teachers, classmates, and even special guests, attend fun school events like sports games, musical performances, and Student Government meetings, and help keep everyone in the know!

You’ll also work with our awesome news team, photographers, and editors to write everything from quick updates to exciting feature articles. Don’t worry if you’ve never written for a newspaper before—all skill levels are welcome, and we’ll learn together!

We meet on Tuesdays starting 9/9 from 2:24–3:30 in Room 8.

Contact Mrs. Pecarific with any questions: mpecarific@mlschools.org

Come share your voice, meet new friends, and help create something amazing for our school!

Club Advisor: Melissa Pecarific
Grade Levels: 6th through 8th Grade.
Club Member Size: 12 - 15

Quiz Bowl

Calling all trivia buffs! The Briarcliff Academic Team is the perfect club for students who enjoy competing in a Quiz Bowl format. Students will practice in teams, compete with schools form the tri-state area, & have the possibility of competing in the NAQT National Tournament! Students on the Briarcliff Academic "Quiz Bowl" Team will have the opportunity to continue competing at the high school level, on our very successful MLHS Academic Team.

Club Advisor: Michael Alves
Grade Level: 6th through 8th.
Club Size: Unlimited.
Meeting Dates: Every Monday after school, 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Competition Dates: TBA.

How to Play Quiz Bowl

Robotics

Ski

Upstanders

Upstander’s Club is an after school club that allows students the opportunity to promote a positive school climate. The goal is to give students the chance to be leaders by creating ideas and activities that will make a positive impact among the students and staff at Briarcliff. Students invent creative ways to spread kindness across the school.

Club Advisors: Vicky Gaffney & Kaitlin Platt
Grade Level: 6th through 8th Grades.
Meetings: September - June.
Club Size: Unlimited.

Yearbook

It's time to make memories! This will be an all year school club. Students will work together online to design the Briarcliff Yearbook. They will decide which pictures go into our yearbook through the guidance of our Club Advisor and our Yearbook Graphic Designer. Students are also given the opportunity to take photos of fellow students to be put into the yearbook.

Club Advisor: Kelly Bogucz
Grade Level: 6th through 8th Grades
Club Size: 15