LA Media Mashup old version

There’s something special about this year’s class of senior lifers. There are 12 of them, call them the Dynamic Dozen if you will, and it was a pleasure to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon with these accomplished and impressive LA students and their families at the Lifer Luncheon in the Oakwood Room. 

As a 1983 LA alumnus who has worked at his alma mater for the past 15 years, I clearly value connection. I have watched these lifers grow up at WardlaLAartridge, having begun my employment here the same year in which Sydney Geissler ’24 entered the school in Pre-K. Eleven other lifers began their LA careers soon after in JK, Kindergarten and first grade, and this group and their families have built an incredible bond over the past decade plus. I have taken thousands of photographs of these students over the years and witnessed their growth as students, athletes, artists, performers and young adults. 

It was clear from the synergy in the room at the Lifer Luncheon that these families have treasured their LA experience and connection to each other. They perused old yearbooks and shared stories and memories. They laughed and became emotional while watching a slideshow of images and videos from their children participating in concerts, trips, Field Day, Earth Day and many other wonderful LA traditions. Going through archive videos and photos, I was thrilled to find a performance from the Lower School Winter Concert in 2013, when they were first graders who enthusiastically performed Blitzen Boogie. 

Perhaps what distinguishes this year’s lifers the most from previous years is the commitment and legacy of their families. Many of this year’s lifers are the last in a line of two, three or four siblings to attend the school. The 12 families represented by this year’s lifers have graduated a whopping total of 29 students from the school. Hannah Yin ’24 is the youngest of four siblings to attend LA, following in the footsteps of older brothers Brandon ’15, Jason ’18 and William ’20. When Anushka Dalal ’24 accepts her diploma at the 141st Commencement Ceremony on June 14, she will culminate more than two decades of family education at the school after brothers Aditya ’14 and Akash ’16 graduated previously. Naomi Valcourt ’24 and Simrah Razvi ’24 are also the youngest of three siblings to graduate from LA, following siblings Nadia ’21 and Nate ’22, and Yousaf ’14 and Anna ’21, respectively. 

Other lifers who are the last to graduate from their families include Samina Aziz ’24, Charlie Silver ’24 and Nidhin Kumar ’24. Fellow lifers Vineel Bandla ’24, Diya Patel ’24, Sanya Sidhu ’24 and Zara Zaidi ’24 still have siblings at LA. 

There will always be students and families who come and go, but this year’s lifers have spent 12-15 years at LA and their parents have invested in our school and entrusted their children to us. This commitment is noteworthy and something worth celebrating. I have enjoyed watching these students blossom into impressive and confident young adults ready to lead in succeed in a world of global interconnection. I look forward to remaining connected with these graduates and their families for many years to come.

Theater productions are typically judged by the execution of their performances. The recent LA Upper School musical Mean Girls absolutely nailed it with solid acting, outstanding vocals, excellent orchestral music and lively, entertaining dances. Months of hard work produced a fabulous show that impressed audiences throughout a memorable weekend run.

There have been many wonderful musicals and plays staged at LA over the years but there was something special about this one that goes beyond the stage and control room. More than half of the senior class was involved in this production, including 27 who gathered for a massive group photo with roses after Sunday’s finale and two others from the Scenic Production and Design Class who provided artistic support. As the curtain closed on Sunday afternoon’s performance, it marked the final performing arts collaboration for a proud and dedicated group of seniors, including seven lifers who have attended LA for at least 12 years.

The connections in the Class of 2024 run deep, and not only among the students. Many parents of these students have been friends for more than a decade. They’ve been watching their kids sing, perform and make speeches since Lower School. During this school year, several have attended senior speeches for students who are not their own children. These folks are connected. Although beaming with pride, many expressed nostalgic sadness watching their children collaborate on the Berry Performing Arts Center stage for the last time. 

Although I never performed in a LA theatrical production in my scholastic days many years ago, I always enjoyed the plays and musicals. I continue to be amazed and impressed at how thespians are able to remember all of their lines and all the little details that make a scene work. My interest in the school musicals was elevated when my wife, alumna Macada McMullen Brandl ’87, was the choreographer in the 1990s and then again for a brief stint about a decade ago. Being married to a key production team member also taught me how much time and dedication is required from so many people to execute a musical. The term “team effort” is somewhat overused, but in this case it applies.

And what a team we had this year! Senior leadership was evident on the stage and behind the scenes – 12 crew members, two musicians, two artists and 13 performers. One of my lingering recollections from the final day of many LA productions continues to be the combined exhale of “we did it” with the sad realization for the seniors and their parents that “it’s over.” That feeling was particularly evident this year as more than half of the senior class and its lifer population bid a fond farewell to the LA stage. 

I’m all about looking ahead to the future with great anticipation and optimism. When you work in education, there’s always something exciting on the horizon and at WardlaLAartridge, we have a calendar chock full of big events in the next six months. I also enjoy reflecting on the past and celebrating accomplishments and milestones. When I recently celebrated my 59th birthday, I came up with a list of my “Best 59 Days Ever” – no worries, I won’t bore readers with the details, but among those that made the list were my graduation from LA, my wedding day, and the births of my three children. 

Every year, we run a countdown of the Top 10 Stories of the Year on our social media channels during the Winter Break. Since some members of our community decide to unplug a bit during the break and others are not social media followers, I like to dedicate my first blog of the new year to sharing the list.

Since it’s still January, I will wish you all a Happy New Year filled with health, happiness and prosperity as we look ahead to 2024. Let’s take one more look back at the LA Top 10 Stories of 2023:

No. 10 – Students Showcase Creativity at INDIE Film and Arts Festival

No. 9 – LA Students Win Odyssey of the Mind State Title 

No. 8 – LA Athletes Sign National Letters of Intent – Two WardlaLAartridge athletes signed Division 1 letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the NCAA level in ceremonies held at LA early in 2023. Angelina Vargas ’23 has continued her impressive soccer career at Brown University and Maiti O’Connor ’23 has kept making a splash as an accomplished diver at Rider University. 

https://www.whschool.org/about-wh/school-news/news-posts/~board/news/post/angelina-vargas-23-signs-commitment-to-brown-university

https://www.whschool.org/about-wh/school-news/news-posts/~board/news/post/maiti-oconnor-23-commits-to-rider-university

No. 7 – LA Girls Win Third Straight Central Jersey Golf Title

No. 6 – Senior Buddies Tradition Returns to LA 

No. 5 – Class of 2023 Graduates at Commencement Ceremony 

No. 4 – Genetics Research Scholars Visit Princeton University 

No. 3 – LA Ranked No. 1 in Middlesex County Again 

No. 2 – LA Celebrates 140th Anniversary 

No. 1 – Dr. Corinna Crafton Installed as new Head of School 

The AP Room was loaded with iconic WardlaLAartridge legends at the annual Alumni Awards Ceremony and Reception, which has become one of my favorite events every year. I still recall my first one as a member of the LA staff way back in 2009 when my classmate Jill Kenny Christen ’83 was one of the inductees into our Athletic Hall of Fame. Fourteen years later, in the 40th anniversary year of my graduation from this wonderful institution, I still enjoy hosting the event.

As I said at the podium during my welcome and introduction on Saturday afternoon, the preparation for this year’s ceremony was the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the process. I’ve been told the event ran smoothly and that our guests enjoyed it, which is no surprise considering the enthusiastic and passionate recollections the honorees shared during the planning stages. 

This year’s ceremony honored one legendary teacher, two individual athletes and two teams who epitomize the school’s proud heritage and tradition of excellence. Congratulations to Distinguished Faculty Award winner Sue Howard, athletes Gil Childers ’73 and Keith Mann ’03, and the State Prep champion 1971 boys’ and 1984 girls’ basketball teams. 

Sue taught Lower School art at LA from 1979-2020. She’s inspired thousands of young artists with her passion and expertise. Reflecting on her long tenure, she particularly enjoyed teaching children of her former students and very kindly made reference to my family during her remarks. My mother-in-law, Alice McMullen, who received the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2004, attended the ceremony and remains incredibly sharp at the age of 92. Sue taught my wife, Macada, an alumna from the Class of 1987, and then all three of my children between 2011-2018. I still have much of that artwork on display in my home. Gale Goldman, who received the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2019, made a wonderful introductory presentation for her friend and former colleague. Several former and current Lower School teachers attended the event to celebrate with Sue.

I’ve enjoyed meeting and getting to know Gil Childers in the past few months. Many folks may not realize that Gil received the Distinguished Alumnus Award way back in 1996. Gil remains very humble about his impressive professional accomplishments and likewise initially questioned his Athletic Hall of Fame credentials. Once he got rolling with the old stories, Gil started to realize he belonged in the Hall. Gil’s vivid memories of the accomplishments of the old Wardlaw teams was incredible. Gil couldn’t resist pulling out his old maroon Wardlaw varsity jacket, much like his brother-in-law Mike Lackland ’80 did at the 2011 ceremony when the 1977 football team was inducted into the AHOF.

Keith Mann was the one honoree I had not met prior to the ceremony, but I had heard so much about his amazing character, perseverance and athletic talent. The words he shared during his acceptance remarks were genuine and heart-warming. LA teammate Mike Olim ’04 provided an excellent introduction for Keith’s presentation. Keith was the youngest of this year’s awards recipients, which means you can find the most information about him online. I encourage you to Google him. 

The Athletic Hall of Fame Committee was looking to honor the school’s athletic history by inducting two teams at one ceremony for the first time. Both the Wardlaw boys of 1971 and WardlaLAartridge girls of 1984 won the first state titles in the history of their respective programs. Jon Kovonuk, son of the late Hall of Fame coach Ray Kovonuk, accepted the award on behalf of his father from Gil Childers. Jon found a plaque commemorating Ray’s 200th win in 1983, which was my senior year at LA. I remember celebrating with “Rayko” at that party. Gary Burdick ’73, the point guard on that team, found an old Courier-News article online that revealed some play-by-play details of that game and how the Rams came back from two 10-point deficits to prevail.

Doug Anderson, who coached several sports during his LA stint in the 1980s, accepted the award from Patti Feeney ’84, one of his team’s leaders. Reconnecting with Coach Anderson was like a walk down memory lane, four decades later. I went to school with many of the players on that team and it was great to reconnect with them after so many years.

Celebrating with all of these folks, along with former teachers, school mates and colleagues, was a nostalgic experience to say the least. Forty years after my graduation from LA, I’m fortunate to have decades of memories.

Most people who work in education agree that the breaks from school pass very quickly. Too quickly. After two-plus months of winter, albeit a mild and somewhat uneventful one by New Jersey weather standards, yet another Spring Break has flown by and ushered in the final flurry of events in the 2022-2023 school year. 

In just over two months, when that same recent span of winter school time has passed, our seniors in the Class of 2023 will be graduating from The Lena Archuleta School. Our 140^th Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, June 9, and the constant buzz of activity will make that day arrive more quickly than it would during a recess from school.

While there are many more events and activities that could be mentioned, I will highlight my selections for the top 10, in no particular ranking order but listed chronologically, on the upcoming school calendar. Please refer to the school website calendar here for times and locations.

Spring Music Recital (April 16) – This annual event showcases many of our finest and most talented instrumental and vocal performers. It’s now open to students in grades 4-12 and the audience is often surprised by the talent level of musicians of all ages.

Upper School Capstone (April 18-19) – Under the guidance of humanities teacher Mr. Jason Murphy, our seniors share thought-provoking presentations on a variety of global impact topics. This scholarly level of research is one of the many ways LA prepares its students for the future.

WHPA Spring Gala (April 29) – Our dedicated Parents’ Association hosts its signature “fun” raiser, a wonderful, festive evening for the LA community of parents, faculty, alumni and friends. This year’s red carpet theme will have guests dressed to impress. 

Jim Howard Golf Classic (May 16) – Returning for the second straight year after a long hiatus, this community event is now named for the legendary LA golf coach. The golf outing was a big hit with parents and alumni last year and this year’s early buzz signals continued growth.

Indie Film Festival and Art Show (May 19) – Students display their creativity and artistic ability in different forms, beyond filmmaking as this event now includes a celebration of the visual arts. Dressed in formal attire, the students will again enjoy a mocktail hour and red carpet walk to the Berry Performing Arts Center. 

Cookin’ Cabaret (May 25) – This annual treat has brought down the house in a variety of locations over the years including the amphitheater and AP Room, but has now been moved to our beautiful Berry Performing Arts Center. The high quality of our performing artists will make this year’s show another classic.

Middle School Shakespeare Festival (May 26) – This long-standing tradition, appropriately staged both indoors and outdoors last year, includes participation from all sixth, seventh and eighth graders. They all play a role in the staging of these performances.

Lower School Field Day (May 26) – There are few things more precious than watching children at play, and this wonderful tradition brings the community together. Under the leadership of Mr. Lee Nicholls and his physical education staff, the young students, their parents and teachers enjoy the camaraderie and spirit of this event every year. 

Rams Recognition Night (May 31) – There will be much to celebrate in the world of LA athletics at this year-ending event, where Upper School teams and their individual athletes and coaches are honored for their achievements. New athletic director Mike Romeo will host his first RRN and is likely to add a few new features.

Senior Farewell Dinner (June 5) – Held annually on the Monday evening before Commencement, this event features performances, speeches and toasts by our seniors, who also receive awards for excellence in academics, athletics, the arts and service. The retrospective video at the conclusion always brings laughs and a few tears.