A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING |
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| Sarah Honan, Director of College Counseling, addresses her Dear Class of 2024 in her May blog post. Below is an excerpt:
May is always a time for reflection in the College Counseling Office. We sit with the seniors as they make their final college decisions, reflect back on the highs and lows of the year’s application cycle and look ahead to next year’s class and curriculum. Do we bring in more speakers? Should we spend more time on college research? Did our families prefer virtual events to in person? The list goes on. For seniors, however, it’s a little bit more. It’s looking back on the last four years, on a tremendous rite of passage in their young lives: graduating high school.
The Class of 2024 is a special one for me because it is the first class that I have walked with all the way from ninth grade onward. We entered Upper School together in the fall of 2020 amidst an international pandemic. We struggled through Zoom waiting rooms, learning PCR and Canvas, and understanding our class schedules together. Over the past four years, I have watched them grow from uncertain, self-conscious ninth graders to confident, purposeful 12th graders with so much passion – for what they do, for the future they will build, and for the friendships and relationships they have fostered here at LA.
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Thursday, May 9 5:30 p.m. - Lower School Art Show in PAC Lobby, LS Hallways, Lower Snowdon
7 p.m. - Lower School Concert in Berry Performing Arts Center Friday, May 10
Advanced Placement Exams 6:30 p.m. - Middle School Spring Dance in AP Room
Monday-Friday, May 13-17 Advanced Placement Exams
Wednesday, May 15 3 p.m. - Ram Run on Back Fields (see details below)
Thursday, May 16 6 p.m. - Middle School Art Show in Lower Snowdon, 1882, PAC Hallway
7 p.m. - Middle School Spring Concert in Berry Performing Arts Center Friday, May 17
Last Day of School for Seniors Saturday, May 18
11 a.m. - WHPA Food Truck and Vendor Event (see details below) Sunday, May 19
9 a.m. - RoboCupJunior USA Competition in Plumeri Gym (see details below)
NOTE: All concerts will be live streamed HERE SCHOOL CALENDAR
2023-2024 ONE-PAGE SCHOOL CALENDAR
2024-2025 ONE-PAGE SCHOOL CALENDAR |
NOTE: Due to the length of this week's edition, readers may be prompted to "View Entire Message" or "Download Entire Message" while scrolling through the newsletter. |
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| Calendar of Events packed in May |
The month of May began with Upper School Capstone presentations and the eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. but includes many activities and events beyond the classroom. Below is a snapshot of major events remaining in May: May 6-10 – Teacher Appreciation Week May 6-17 – Advanced Placement Exams
May 9 – Lower School Art Show – 5:30 p.m. May 9 – Lower School (Grades 2-5) Spring Concert – 7 p.m. May 15 – Ram Run Fun Run/Walk – 3 p.m. May 16 – Middle School Art Show – 6 p.m. May 16 – Middle School Spring Concert – 7 p.m.
May 18 – WHPA Food Truck and Vendor Event – 11 a.m. May 19 – RoboCup Junior USA Tournament – 9 a.m. May 23 – Cookin’ Cabaret – 6 p.m. May 24 – Lower School Field Day – 9 a.m. May 24 – Middle School Shakespeare Festival – 9 a.m.
May 27 – Memorial Day – SCHOOL CLOSED |
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| Join us for the Ram Run - May 15 |
The WardlaLAartridge Board of Trustees is proud to announce the fifth annual LA Ram Run on Wednesday, May 15. All students and parents are invited and encouraged to participate in this Fun Run/Walk. It is a chance to have fun, gather afterwards in the AP Room for a reception and raise some funds to help our students and the school. The funds raised by this event will help to provide scholarships and grants, purchase new equipment and technology for academics, support athletics, and service learning opportunities and community outreach for our students.
Click here more information, including FAQs by division and a sponsorship form. |
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| LA to host national robotics competition |
From California to New York, more than 40 teams from across the United States will converge on The Lena Archuleta School campus on Sunday, May 19 to take part in the annual RoboCupJunior USA Tournament.
The RoboCupJunior USA competition challenges students up to 19 years old to work collaboratively as a team to design, create and code robots to solve problems. The competition is divided into three leagues – Soccer, Rescue, and OnStage. The robots are fully autonomous, using sensors to explore the world around them and make decisions without human intervention. The competition is open to students with any level of experience, and teams can use any tool or technology they want, from modifying preexisting robotics kits to building everything from scratch.
Winning teams may be eligible to participate in the RoboCupJunior International Competition, which is a part of RoboCup, the largest robotics and artificial intelligence competition in the world. RoboCup is organized by RoboCup Federation each summer and will be held July 18-21 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Last year, 36 countries from around the world were represented at the RoboCupJunior International Competition. |
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| Students deliver Capstone presentations |
Twelve seniors shared their research and findings on a variety of important topics in Capstone presentations last week in the Oakwood Room. This project, a requirement to graduate with the Global Scholars Program diploma, involves many components including a written paper, action research and a presentation in front of students and a panel of teachers.
The Capstone Research Seminar supported 12 young scholars through their first original research projects, a journey which takes students through many sophisticated research techniques. They create research questions on issues of their choosing, they form their own definitions of key concepts based on the current knowledge in their fields, and they answer their questions with original data collected through interviews, observations, and primary source analyses. It’s high-quality scholarship akin to what their future college and university professors do day-in and day-out.
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| Eighth graders visit Washington, D.C. |
From April 30 to May 3, eighth-grade students embarked on a four-day educational trip to Washington, D.C. to explore American politics, history, and culture. Accompanied by eighth-grade coordinator Noreen Jafri and chaperones Dina Congregane, Dorri Ramati, Lee Nicholls, and Henna Tailor, the students enhanced their educational experience by visiting significant landmarks.
On Tuesday afternoon after a delicious pre-ordered, take-out lunch on the Mall from Little Beet, the itinerary kicked off with visits to the popular American Museum of African American History and Culture and the Spy Museum. The group soaked in the vibe of the nation’s capital at the Washington Monument and WWII Memorial, and enjoyed fresh choices at District Taco before arriving at the SpringHill Suites. |
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Upper School students shine at spring concert |
Students in grades 9-12 provided a wonderful evening of musical entertainment at the Upper School Spring Concert on May 2 in the Berry Performing Arts Center.
The Concert Band, with Dr. Dana Mandell conducting her first LA concert, kicked off the show with Blue Ridge Saga and St. Thomas. MadJazz, under the direction of Mrs. Sharon Byrne, followed with four selections including The Nearness of You featuring a solo by Jessie Grimes ’25, and Freddy Mercury’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love with Luke Tan ’24 on drums.
Instrumental soloists provided impressive solos during the Jazz Band’s Misty and Midnight Buffet – Vinay Karthik ’25 (alto saxophone), Joanne Ding ’24 (flute), Kimberly Zhang ’27 (flute), Cameron Williams ’27 (piano) and Luke Tan ’24 (drum set). The Concert Choir’s five selections also featured several talented solo performers: Kartina Chen ’27 (soprano), Aarya Patel ’25 (alto), Luke Tan ’24 (djembe, drum set), Charlie Silver ’24 (guitar), Kate Clemetson ’25 (soprano), Sarah Alves ’24 (soprano) and Hamilton Ji Dressel ’29 (violin).
All senior performers and stage crew members received roses to commemorate their final LA concert.
UPPER SCHOOL SPRING CONCERT PHOTO GALLERY |
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Community enjoys Howard Golf Classic |
The LA community enjoyed perfect weather and wonderful course conditions at the second annual Jim Howard Golf Classic on May 7 at Colonia Country Club. Eleven foursomes from the LA community of parents, alumni and friends enjoyed a day of golf and good times together, capped by an afternoon reception. The day began with a welcome from Dr. Corinna Crafton, Head of School, and opening remarks and instructions from Head Pro Kevin Maciorowski, parent of LA students Ryan ’26 and Gabby ’29.
Tom Grant, Pete Aloisio, Karen Rosa and Wendy Roccamonte, grandmother of Nyah Roccamonte-Clark ’27, won the team foursome scramble for the second consecutive year with an impressive 10-under-par round of 62. Alumni Robert VanBuren ’77, Kris Solt ’77 and his son, Troy Solt, finished second with a 6-under-par round of 64. Geoffrey Gonzales, parent of LA students Reva ’32 and Niva ’35, won the long drive contest for men, while Karen Rosa prevailed in the women’s competition. Bob Lessner and Wendy Roccamonte won the Closest to the Pin holes for men and women, respectively. Alumnus James “Buzz” Reynolds ’73 prevailed in the putting contest. |
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| Students perform with Honors Band |
Six young LA musicians were selected to participate in the CJMEA Elementary Honors Band Festival at Hillsborough High School on April 28. The CJMEA Elementary Honors Band provides an exciting opportunity for advanced music students in grades 4-6 to perform with a large ensemble of other students from around the Central Jersey area. LA students Jeremiah Simeonidis ’30 (trombone), Gavin Tobin-Montanez ’30 (trumpet), Grace Gonnella ’31 (clarinet) and Alex Lu ’31 (trombone) are pictured with their instruments. Lexington Donahue ’30 (flute) and Alizeh Nazir ’31 (trumpet) also performed with the Honors Band.
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| Young performers deliver key message |
The audience of parents, siblings, faculty and friends left Tuesday morning’s Early Childhood Spring Concert with a clear message – We’re All the Same on the Inside. The concert finale, performed by students in PreK(3) through Grade 1, echoed the school’s Core Values of Diversity and Community, the focus of this year’s curriculum and concert repertoire selection in Lower School music.
The other musical selections, many accompanied by beautiful ukulele strumming by Lower School music teacher Shannon Sari, reflected the theme. All performers welcomed the audience with Say Hello in the opening song, followed by different grade levels joining together to sing. Other tunes included The More We Get Together, We Are a Family, I Love My Body, So Many Colors, So Many Shapes, and So Much Alike. EARLY CHILDHOOD SPRING CONCERT PHOTO GALLERY |
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| Sarah Alves '24 competes for Team Brazil |
Sarah Alves ’24 has experienced softball on many levels, growing up playing on recreation, travel and club teams in addition to leading her LA team during an outstanding career that recently featured a rare high school milestone with her 100th career hit. The LA senior softball standout, who has committed to play at Fairleigh Dickinson University in the fall, recently took her talents to the international level as a member of the Brazilian U-18 national team. Team Brazil competed in the Pan Am U-18 Softball Championships in Colombia earlier this spring and finished fourth in an 11-team field with a 5-4 record. Although Sarah recently sustained an ACL injury that will keep her sidelined for six months, she’s grateful for the experience and looks forward to the future with optimism. “It is such an honor and blessing to be able to represent Team Brazil,” Sarah said. “Words cannot explain how amazing the whole experience has been on and off the field.” |
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| Affinity group leaders named for 2024-25 |
Congratulations to Upper School students who were named co-leaders of the eight affinity groups for the 2024-2025 school year. The students were recognized at the Upper School meeting and gathered for a group photo outside the Berry Performing Arts Center. Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) – Natalie Chen ’26, Kayla Le ’25, Briana Li ’25, Amelie Leu ’25 Black Student Alliance (BSA) – Naomi Craig ’25, Hope Nasulme ’25 Gender & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) – Nia Clark ’25, Arya Gaur ’25, Oliver Laskow ’25 Hispanic Latinx Alliance (HLA) – Luca DiGirolamo ’25, Liany Maldonado ’25. Giselle Rodriguez ’25
International Students at LA (ISAWH) – Angel Lei ’26, Xingyu Wang ’25 Jewish Student Alliance (JSA) – Samuel Cohen ’25, Adam Eisdorfer ’25, Kate Wolff ’25 Muslim Student Alliance – Anousheh Nazir ’27. Saif Zaidi ’27
South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) – Dharren Culver ’26, Aarya Patel ’25, Tanisha Ramachandran ’26, Rajwans Sindhar ’25 |
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| LS students share cultural presentations |
Kindergarten students were joined by third grader Mackenzie Belford ’33 and fourth grader Zoya Raza ’32 in leading last Friday’s Early Childhood Assembly in Lower Snowdon. They danced “El baile de la Oruga - The Caterpillar's Dance,” sang “¡Qué llueva - Let it rain!” and recited the poem "Oruguita Pequeñita - Little Caterpillar” in a wonderful presentation for the young students. Mackenzie and Zoya also shared slides from their Cultural Alphabet with our Early Childhood students. The questions Mackenzie asked about each slide kept her audience captivated and totally engaged. Zoya brought smiles to many of our students who related to the cultural information she shared with her heartfelt descriptions. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to hear them embrace their culture and share it with us,” said Sra. Maria Hinestroza, Lower School Spanish teacher. |
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| Seniors excited to share college decisions |
Congratulations to several seniors in the Class of 2024 who have made their college plans official after accepting admission offers. The WHEN will continue its weekly spotlight on seniors who have made their college decisions throughout the remainder of the school year.
Meet Sydney Geissler ’24, a WardlaLAartridge lifer who is looking forward to beginning an exciting new chapter of her life at Sacred Heart University, where she will major in nursing.
“When I first stepped foot on Sacred Heart’s campus, I instantly had this gut feeling that I belonged there,” Sydney said. “This was such an important decision for me as I have been at WardlaLAartridge for the past 15 years of my life.”
Click here to read more about Sydney and view other early decision college acceptance features |
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| Middle School Athletes of the Week |
Kirstin Rogers, Middle School Head, announced the Middle School Athletes of the Week at the divisional community meeting. Congratulations to track athlete Kemi Kolawole ’29 and baseball player Hamilton Ji Dressel ’29.
Kemi is one of the many talented girls on the distance squad. She is almost never absent and works hard at each practice to become a better runner. After two meets where the weather was cold and unpleasant, Kemi welcomed the warm weather at Perth Amboy last week and improved her 2024 times by 14 seconds by running a career best of 3:21 in the 800-meter run.
Hamilton has been fantastic this year, both in the field and at the plate. He is always working hard at developing his skills on the mound as a pitcher, and put together a few nice innings recently at Winfield Park. Hamilton leads by example and does a great job of putting what we learn in practice out onto the field. |
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| Explore our LA Summer Programs |
Now that spring has arrived, it’s the perfect time to register for our 2024 Summer Adventures and get ready for a summer of fun!
Visit WHschool.org/summer to view all of our offerings for the summer of 2024. We have programs for students of all ages that are sure to excite and engage campers to provide an enriching and memorable experience. |
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FROM THE LA PARENTS' ASSOCIATION |
Food Truck/Vendor Event - Saturday, May 18
The Food Truck and Vendor Event will be held on Saturday, May 18 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. There will be fabulous cuisines and sweets to choose from, lots of vendors for shopping, free entertainment for the kids including a bounce house, face painting, balloon art, a DJ for music and games and so much more. You will also have the opportunity to take part in the Annual Silent Auction for a chance to win many amazing prizes! Entry is only $5.00 and the event is open to all so make sure to invite your family and friends.
If you know someone who has a food truck and may be interested (space is extremely limited), please have them email deepaj@jdlawoffices.com. If you or someone you know would like to be a vendor, please email kiera.dukes@icloud.com. If you would like to donate an item for the silent auction or have any questions, please email us at parents@whschool.org. |
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Giving Thanks for our LA Parent Donors
The Development Office would like to thank the LA community for supporting The WardlaLAartridge Fund. Click here to view a list of LA parents who have contributed to The 2022-2023 LA Fund between July 1, 2023 and May 8, 2024. Click here to make a gift to The WardlaLAartridge Fund! Clarity Financial Aid Information
The Lena Archuleta School will continue to work with Clarity as its financial aid independent, third-party application partner. The school has found that Clarity makes the financial aid application process smooth and secure for your family.
Clarity offers a streamlined and user-friendly financial aid application process that can take as little as 20 minutes to complete. It is mobile-friendly, so you can complete your application on your phone or tablet! Furthermore, your 1040 and W2 documents from 2022 will be automatically transferred from the IRS when you complete the verification step, so you will no longer need to upload those documents manually. These are just a few ways in which Clarity enhances the financial aid application process.
If you need support during the process of completing your application, there is in-app support available as well as email support at support@claritytuition.com in both English and Spanish. You may also call Clarity directly at (206) 210-3752 for support. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO CLARITY For more information, including videos and a Clarity tutorial, please visit www.WHschool.org/financialaid Attention Parents - Check Your Contact Information
Each trimester it is a good habit to double check the information in the school database (PCR) to make sure it is up-to-date and accurate. In doing so, you ensure that the school has the best contact to reach you in the event of an emergency or school closure. The process is simple and quick.
PCR is the platform that we will use to contact you in the event of a snow day or any other school closure. Once you follow the steps below to log in (SEE INSTRUCTIONS HERE), please check that ALL of the following information is correct and up to date.
- All Parent / Guardian Email Addresses and Phone Numbers
- Your Home Address
- Your preferred Salutation and Identifier (Name, Title, Relationship to Student)
It is our continued effort to ensure that our student and family contact information is accurate, so we thank you for your help. Follow LA on Social Media, Share with Community WardlaLAartridge has a vibrant, active presence on social media with daily content posts highlighting our academics, athletics, arts and extracurricular programs.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and check out our Vimeo page! You can assist us in promoting the school by sharing our content within your network and posting it on your local town pages and feeds. |
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This publication is produced by The Communications Office at The Lena Archuleta School. |
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