The goal of the Brooks Chess Club is to provide enrichment, teach, sharpen, and reinforce chess skills while learning to appreciate and enjoy the game. We hope to ultimately help all players, regardless of skill level, and improve their chess playing ability. Chess Club meets on Tuesdays from 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm in room B305 with Mr. Hausfeld. 

Math Club/Math Team provides students with the opportunity to participate in various mathematics competitions. In the past, Brooks has sent teams to the following events: Fenwick Junior High School Math Contest, Illinois Math and Science Academy Junior High Mathematics Contest, Latin School of Chicago Mathematics Contest, MathCounts, and Trinity High School Math Contest. The primary emphasis of math club is team work and problem solving.  Meetings are held on Mondays after school from 3:30-4:30 pm and the first meeting will be on September 30th. Students of all abilities are welcome. Contact Ms. Smith ([email protected]) with questions. 

The Oak Park Education Foundation VEX Robotics program teaches students to design, build and program robots to play the VEX Robotics challenge game at local and regional competitions. 

Let your dreams take flight! The makerspace club consists of visionaries who see the world a little bit differently. Want to build something? Sew something? solder something? record something? code something? Make a T shirt with a skateboarding T-Rex saying "cowabunga!"? Come solve the world's problems this spring!

Contact Mr. Pros ([email protected]) or Mr. Olson ([email protected]) with questions. The club begins in March and runs through May. 

Basketball is offered for both boys and girls. Four teams are organized by grade level and gender creating a seventh and an eighth grade boys’ basketball team (October - January) and a seventh and an eighth grade girls’ basketball team (August - October). The teams provide interscholastic activity in basketball for those students who successfully tryout for one of the teams. Instruction is given in basketball strategies and skills. Team membership requires attendance at practices and games that may be either at Brooks or another middle school. Contact Dr. Brown regarding girls basketball and Mr. Haus, Mr. Contraveos, or Ms. Thigpen regarding boys basketball. 

Cross Country is offered in the fall for all students. Conditioning begins in mid-August. Cross Country is a “no-cut” sport so anyone who wishes to come out for the team is offered a spot. Cross country practices before school with meets after school and/or Saturdays. Race distances are 1.5 to 2 miles depending on age. Season “runs” through mid-October. Contact Ms. Beader, Mr. Rocco, or Mr. Grimaldi with questions. 

Special Olympics Bocce Ball

A fun, no-cut sport for students with and without intellectual disabilities that has athletes trying to get their bocce ball closest to the target ball (pallina). There are traditional singles and doubles (students with intellectual disabilities play in these divisions) and unified partner and doubles (pairing students together with and without intellectual disabilities). Special Olympics Bocce Ball is a fun way to develop social relationships and learn how to compete in individual and team matches. Contact Mr. McDonald with questions. 

Special Olympics Basketball

Play in inter -squad games against other districts and participate in the Individual Skills Challenge Competition. Contact Mr. McDonald with questions. 

Special Olympics Unified Soccer

The unified soccer team will consist of students with and without disabilities and will participate in a tournament against unified teams from other districts in October. Contact Mr. McDonald with questions. 

Track is offered to all students and is a “no cut” sport, so anyone who wishes to join the team will be offered a spot. The team travels throughout the Chicago area to compete in 13-14 events. Track practice is before school with meets after school and/or Saturdays. Season begins mid March and runs through May concluding with State Championships. Contact Mr. Contraveos or Ms. Dajani with questions. 

Volleyball is offered for both boys and girls. Four teams are organized by grade level and gender creating a seventh and an eighth grade boys’ volleyball team and a seventh and an eighth grade girls’ volleyball team. The teams provide interscholastic activity in volleyball for those students who successfully tryout for one of the teams. Instruction is given in volleyball strategies and skills. Team membership requires attendance at practices and games that may be either at Brooks or another middle school. Contact Mr. Grimaldi with questions. 

Please contact Mr. Colucci or Dr. Homles for more information about Wrestling! 

Calling all artists! Come to art club for "open studio". Mrs. Murray will offer a variety of materials and techniques. Come ready to explore your own ideas, work at your own pace, and make new friends in a creative environment just for artists! 

BRAVO is the extracurricular, award-winning, nationally recognized performing arts program at Brooks Middle School. The BRAVO program serves Brooks Middle School students as well as other schools, functions, and programs affiliated with District 97.

Before-school vocal ensembles are comprised of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Individuals are admitted to the highly popular co-curricular groups through an audition process in September. Students involved with the small vocal ensembles must also participate in Band, Chorus or Orchestra curricular classes. Contact Mr. Blackmen with questions. 

Jazz Ensemble: This co-curricular activity. Participation in a full-year music class is required for participation for all students. Students are selected by audition.This group is for anyone that plays Saxophone (Flute. Clarinet opt.), Trumpet, Trombone (Euphonium), Piano, Electric/Acoustic Bass, Guitar or Drums. Students that play piano/guitar, should have a minimum of 1 year experience and need to study privately on their instrument in order to successfully participate in the jazz program.Students will be exposed to playing swing, jazz, Latin and contemporary music styles of music. They will also learn basic improvisation skills needed to construct soloing skills.

Jazz Lab: This co-curricular activity. Students must be registered in a full year music class to participate. There is no audition requirement. This group is for anyone that plays Saxophone (Flute. Clarinet opt.), Trumpet, Trombone (Euphonium), Piano, Electric/Acoustic Bass, Guitar or Drums. While 7th & 8th graders will audition for Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band is open to any 6th-8th grade students that are registered in a full year music class (band, orchestra, choir). Students that perform other band instruments should contact Mr. Davis for more details about the jazz program. Students that play piano/guitar, should have a minimum of 1 year experience and need to study privately on their instrument in order to successfully participate in the jazz program. Students will be exposed to playing swing, jazz, Latin and contemporary music styles of music. They will also learn basic improvisation skills needed to construct soloing skills.

Contact Mr. Davis with questions. 

Speech Team cultivates students’ public speaking skills and gives them the opportunity to perform in front of an audience at the West 40 Speech & Drama Festival. This area-wide festival includes 10 different categories, including serious, humorous, dramatic, choral, duet, and monologue presentations. Teachers and coaches select the material that participants perform. Participants are selected by auditions, which are held at District 97 middle schools during November or December. Contact Ms. Perros or Ms. Gaffney with questions. 

In conjunction with the OPEF, Spoken Word Poetry will be implemented into the curriculum with "teacher artists" coming in to instruct. Additionally, the "teacher artists" will act as guides for the Spoken Word Poetry Club. Contact Mr. Lee with questions. 

Best Buddies is a Middle School Chapter of an international organization that provides opportunities for friendship and activities between students with developmental disabilities and general education students. There are monthly meetings, field trips, service projects and a fundraiser.

Activities include:

• Monthly Meetings
• Field Trips
• Service Projects
• Fundraiser

Schedule for 2023-2023

For more information, please contact Ms. Sefcik, Mr. Scanlon, or Ms. Gaffney.

Students who are passionate about helping the environment, fighting pollution, saving endangered species or who just want to do interesting things outdoors should check out the ECO EAGLES, the Brooks ecology club. Last year we made an award-winning short film, went to a climate change protest in Chicago, organized a flower sale for St. Patrick's Day, put on a dodgeball tournament & planned a butterfly garden. This year, we're planning even more cool stuff! Contact Ms. Stamp with questions. 

Rainbow Revolution brings together Brooks students who are members of the LGBTQ+ community AND their Allies!! EVERYONE is welcome! We spend the year working on different projects to help members of our LGBTQ+ community feel safe and welcome at Brooks. This is a safe space for all! Please contact Ms. Berman ([email protected]) for more information. 

Service Learning provides a curriculum and activities to foster community service and to encourage students to volunteer services to the community. Students work for such causes as food pantries, PADS shelters, Hines Veterans, Ronald MacDonald House, and Kids March for Homeless Kids.

Service Club

Service Club meets every Friday morning at 8:00am in C108.

Everyone is welcome! Please see Ms. Walsh or Ms. Martínez with questions.

We will be collecting travel size toiletries all school year to make care packages for the PADS shelter. Please give any donations to your advisory teacher or directly to Ms. Walsh or Ms. Martínez.

Upcoming projects:

• Hearts for Haiti dance (February)
• Feinstein Challenge food drive (March/April)
• Misericordia Candy Days (April)
• Book drive (May)
• PADS care packages (May)

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat...Are you always sending and posting pictures of things that you have done this past summer? Perhaps you are more into digital graphic design and layouts. Then there is also a place for you in the Brooks Yearbook Club! Maybe you love to draw Anime, cartoons or general pictures and designs. How would you like them pictured in the yearbook? Everyone is welcome to join GBMS Yearbook Club. We are looking for students to assist us in recording the student activities & events of the 2019-2020 school year! See Ms. Turner-Reid or Ms. Pabellon with questions. This club is held on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. 

Activities include:

• Photographing School Events
• Write Sections
• Format the book
• Sell books
• Distribute at the end of the year.