Chester High School (Chester, Illinois)

Dance and Drill

The Dance and Drill team consists of girls who dance at home football and basketball games. The team practices year round to prepare for their performances at football and basketball games. The Dance and Drill team also performs in the Popeye Parade, the Chester Homecoming Parade, the SIUC Homecoming Parade, and the Christmas Parade. They also hold an annual camp for girls in Kindergarten through 8th Grade that lasts a week and teaches the girls a dance that is performed at a home football game.

Drug Free Youth

The Drug Free Youth is an organization that encourages students to be drug-free. The club organizes Red Ribbon Week every year so students participate in different activities to show that they are drug-free. They pass out red ribbons or red wrist bands for the students to wear that week that encourage all students to be drug-free.

Go Club

The Go Club consists of students who play the game of Go. The Go Club sponsor Mr. Lochhead researched the unknown game and shared his new finding with his students. The Go Club was formed for students to interact and play the game of Go.

Environmental Club

The Environmental Club is a club that encourages students to recycle. The Environmental Club encourages students to recycle paper by placing recycling bins in every class room and also plastic bottles by playing recycling bins in the cafeteria.

LifeSavers

The LifeSavers is a peer-support, suicide and crisis prevention program developed to train young adults to be caring listeners in their interactions with their peers. LifeSavers train selected students who can responsibly help other students deal with the emotional crisis of adolescence.

Marching Band

The Marching Band performs a field show during halftime of home varsity football games. The members participate in Band Camp that lasts a week to learn the music and formations for the show. The Marching Band also performs in various parades.

National Honor Society

The National Honor Society is a group of honored students. To be selected into the NHS the student must be a Sophomore, Junior or Senior and designated as eligible in the Chapter bylaws of the NHS handbook. The National Honor Society holds regular meetings and plans the NHS Week held at the school.

Pep Club/Colbert Crazies

The Pep Club is a club that encourages students to cheer on their school. The Pep Club decorates the school throughout the year to support the different athletic teams. The club encourages students to go to the athletic activities to show their school spirit. The Colbert Crazies are a group of students who cheer on the athletic teams. The club does many things to show school spirit including boys painting their chests during games and students chanting encouragement to the players.

Scholar Bowl

The Scholar Bowl is a team of five players answer trivia questions against teams from the surrounding schools. The Scholar Bowl is a lot like the game show Jeopardy. The students meet throughout the year to practice and prepare for upcoming Scholar Bowl meets.

Spanish Club

The Spanish Club is an organization for students enrolled in Spanish classes. The club takes trips throughout the year including lunches at Tequila's Mexican Restaurant. They also attend the SIU-Carbondale Foreign Language Day.

Student Council

The Student Council represents the student body and works hard to sponsor many school events. This group works the soda stand during lunch time and at athletic activities. The Student Council is in charge of preparing the Homecoming, Sweetheart, and Prom dances every year. They are also in charge of working various blood drives at the high school.

Sting Staff

The Sting Staff is a group of students who create the school newspaper called The Sting. The students write articles on activities going on at the school and also reports what is going on the world. The Sting Newspaper is distributed to all students once a month.

Peer Ambassadors

The Peer Ambassadors is a group of students chosen by principal Mr. Kittell based on their leadership in the school. Meetings are used to propose and discuss new ideas that will help improve the school. Each meeting the members were treated to pizza, soda or ice cream while working on different issues.

Swing Choir

The Swing Choir is a musical group that sings and dances. The members work hard throughout the year to practice their music and dances. They perform at different events in the community including the Women's Club at Christmas and they also sing the National Anthem at various basketball games. They attend contests and receive rankings and they also travel to Florida to perform at Disney World every other year.

Yearbook Summit Staff

The Yearbook Summit Staff is a class of Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors who work throughout the year making sure every event is covered in the Summit Yearbook. The class creates and designs the pages of the Summit Yearbook online. The students work diligently to get every event captured in the yearbook.

Weight Lifting

A group of CHS students travel to Perryville and Fredricktown for a weight meet every year. Students participate in lifting weights and are awarded medals for winning various events.

Athletics

Football - Boys (Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity)

Volleyball - Girls (Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity)

Cross Country - Boys and Girls (Varsity)

Golf - Boys and Girls (Varsity)

Cheerleading - Boys and Girls (Varsity)

Trapshooting - Boys and Girls (Varsity)

Baseball - Boys (Junior Varsity, Varsity)

Softball - Girls (Varsity)

Track - Boys and Girls (Varsity)

Basketball - Girls (Junior Varsity, Varsity) Boys (Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity)

College & Career Day

Chester High School holds an annual College & Career Day in October. Freshman and Sophomores take the Explore/Plan test and the Juniors and Seniors participate in College and Career activities. Colleges, universities and local business owners set up tables in the cafeteria and offer information to the students.

Freshman Orientation

Chester High Schools holds an annual Freshman Orientation a few weeks before school starts. During the orientation the incoming freshman learn about the school, its services, rules and regulations, the A/B Block 8 schedule, and the extracurricular activities. The incoming students are given a tour of the school by current students to familiarize themselves with their schedule and classroom locations.

Homecoming Week

The Powder Puff Game, Bonfire, and Snake Dance are now traditions of Homecoming Week at CHS. The Powder Puff game consists of girls playing each other in a football game coached by several boy players. Afterwards the students participate in the Snake Dance up to the parking lot where the Bonfire is held. At the Bonfire the band, dance team, and cheerleaders participate in performing the school songs.

Homecoming Dance

Every year CHS holds an annual Homecoming Dance. Three Senior candidates and two Junior candidates are nominated for King and Queen. The crowning of the Queen takes place at the football game on Friday night and the crowning of the King takes places at the dance on Saturday night.

Christmas Concert

The Chester High School choir, and concert band in which we do allow them to help in this effort performs there annual Christmas Concert in December. Come One Come all

Sweetheart Dance

Every year CHS holds an annual Sweetheart Dance. Five Senior candidates are nominated for King and Queen. The King and Queen are crowned at the dance held on Saturday night.

Prom

Every year CHS holds an annual Prom Dance. Five Senior candidates are cnominated for King and Queen that are crowned Saturday night at the dance. Three Junior candidates are nominated to be named Prince and Princess. After the dance students are encouraged to attend After-Prom. After-Prom is a lock in the gym where students can stay the night and do various activities throughout the night.

Spring Concert

Every year CHS holds an annual Spring Concert. The concert band, concert choir, and swing choir performs. The Music and Drama Awards are also awarded at the concert.