ALWAYS ENGAGED
Extracurriculars
At OHMS we offer many opportunities for girls to get involved and dive deeper into their areas of interest. These programs give girls the opportunity to build relationships with classmates in other grades while strengthening their sense of community and fostering their talents and skills.
OHMS Clubs & Programs
Extracurricular programs are optional but highly encouraged to keep students engaged, building new relationships and most importantly - exploring their own interests and skills.
Chorus
Open to all girls, with no audition required, this once-a-week club emphasizes the joy of singing while introducing proper vocal technique, sight-singing, solo work, and multi-part harmonies, all while exploring a wide variety of choral repertoire. In addition to performing at Winter Ceremony and the end-of-quarter Studios, the chorus participates in a number of other performance opportunities, both at school and off campus.
Gems
Gems provides a safe space for Black girls to build resilience, empower each other, and share experiences around being a Black girl in predominantly white spaces. In weekly meetings, the girls will learn how to find their voice and develop self-confidence while engaging in discussions and activities around a variety of topics.
Facilitators: Stacie Brown & Melody Scott
Kaleidoscope (SoCG)
Kaleidoscope provides a supportive space for girls to discuss diverse experiences and unique perspectives including, but not limited to, belonging in predominantly white spaces. The group will discuss topics that build capacity for self-love, self-advocacy, agency, and a sense of belonging. Students of color are any student that identifies as Black/ African/ African-American, Asian/ Asian-American, Middle-Eastern/ Middle-EasternAmerican, Native-American/ Native/ American Indian, Latinx/ Hispanic, and/or Bi-racial/Multi-racial descent.
Facilitators: Stacie Brown & Melody Scott
Yearbook Club
Every OHMS yearbook is created start-to-finish by 7th and 8th graders, who meet after school to figure out the direction the yearbook will take, flex their design skills, and make a meaningful artifact for the OHMS archives.
Spectrum
Spectrum is a weekly lunchtime discussion group for 7th and 8th Graders who are allies to the LGBTQ+ community, students with LGBTQ+ family members, and LGBTQ+ students. Faculty facilitators lead the group with topics that highlight the nuts and bolts of constructing and finding inclusive communities, the importance of upstanders and ally networks, self-expression, LGBTQ+ culture and history, and how to take part in discussions that strive to hear all voices. Student submissions for topic requests are also important parts of the ever-evolving curriculum.
Facilitators: Rebecca Reyes & Penn Ward
Girls for a Change - Girl Action Team
Girls for a Change is a non-profit organization aimed at empowering self-identifying Black girls in Central Virginia. Girl Action Teams support girls in fully developing their voices, abilities, and problem-solving capacities to realize their full potential. They tackle social issues they feel passionate about, coming up with solutions with guidance from their coaches. Action Teams are at the heart of Girls For A Change.
DEI Update 2024
“Orchard House has brought out the best in me. As the years went on, I became more optimistic and have blossomed out of my shell.”
- OHMS Student
Contact Us
We’re excited that you’re considering Orchard House – where girls love middle school. If you’re ready to talk about what an independent, all girls middle school education looks like for you or your daughter we invite you to get in touch.