Chaparral High School offers over thirty activity organizations, the majority of which are open to all interested students. Service organizations include Link Crew, a mentor program for incoming freshmen; Interact; National Honor Society; Peer Counseling; and Student Government. Competitive activities which allow students to earn a varsity letter include Speech and Debate, DECA, FBLA, FCCLA, Marching Band, Drama Choir, Orchestra and Journalism. Chaparral also has several club sports which have earned state recognition, such as boys' and girls' rugby, ice hockey, inline hockey and boys' volleyball. Chaparral activities have earned numerous state and national recognition and awards. Chaparral activity-based groups have also traveled nationally and internationally. The CHS band and orchestra have traveled to Ireland, and the select choir has traveled to Germany and China. The school has hosted an annual jazz festival, the Chaparral High School High Plains Jazz Festival, from 1996 to 2008. The school has a competitive marching band, competing in the Colorado Bandmasters Association since 2001. The band is notable in Colorado for having their director's son take his place, as Nick Hinman replaced his since-retired father, Steve, in the 2017-2018 school year. The band has appeared in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, under the direction of Orlando Otis at the time. They were a finalist band in 2009 and 2014. Usually their field shows consist of either pop songs or musical compositions for movies, such as the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack. Chaparral High School's theatre department was named the number one high school theatre program in the southwest US by Stage Directions magazine in November 2011. Their production of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables was awarded a total of five Bobby G awards by the Denver Center of the Performing Arts in 2013, including Best Overall Production, Best Direction, Best Musical Direction, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. The theatre and performing arts department continue to be a leader in the nation, with their own renditions of such musicals as Catch Me If You Can, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and most recently Cinderella.
Honor societies
National Honors Society is the largest honor society at Chaparral High School. It was established in 1921. Other honor societies include National Art Honor Society, National Asian Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Hispanic Honor Society. The National Art Honor Society was founded in 1978 to inspire and recognize scholarship and art in the development of creativity, character, service and leadership. NAHS strives to aid members in working toward the attainment of the highest standards in art areas, and to bring art education to the attention of the school and community. Every September 10–12 grade students who hold a GPA of a 3.0 or higher and have completed two or more art classes are formally invited to apply for membership. The National Chinese Honor Society was established in 2009 to honor dedicated students of the Chinese language. Chaparral has an active sister school relationship in China with Xinjin Middle School in Chengdu, Sichuan.
Sports
The school's football team is conditioned and competitive. The volleyball team was state champion two years in a row. The boys' basketball team won state in the 2011-2012 school year. The varsity cheerleading squad also won state in the 2011-2012 school year. Chaparral won three state titles in the 2011-2012 school year. The volleyball team and the boys' basketball team were both ranked second in the state for the 2018-2019 school year. In 2019 the volleyball team would place 1st in state. The unified soccer and basketball teams provide a unique opportunity for students to volunteer with a branch of Special Olympics in their own school. The unified basketball team was organized for the first time at Chaparral High School in winter 2006. The formation of the teams was spearheaded by physical education instructor Lori Pace in concert with the special education department. The unified soccer team was first organized in the fall of 2007. The unified sports teams provide an opportunity for students with special needs to participate in organized team sports with their peers in a fun and competitive environment.
