Young Rams Back in Action |
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD |
|
|
|
Kirstin Rogers, Interim Middle School Head, explains many ways in which LA students have embraced that The Time is Always Right to Do What is Right in her January blog post. Below is an excerpt:
January is a deceptively long month. It’s cold, the weather is often dreary, and rebuilding the routine of early wakeups and full days of schoolwork can be a challenge after a luxurious two weeks of winter vacation. Often, the first few weeks of January feel like a sprint to the next day off and the next opportunity to unwind as we reacclimate to normal life. The first holiday of each new year, however, is a unique one. Though we don’t attend school on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, it isn’t intended to be a day of rest and relaxation. Beginning in 1994, Americans across the country have been called to participate in a National Day of Service in recognition of Dr. King’s mission of service in the name of building a more just, equitable and inclusive society.
|
|
|
Saturday, January 27 9 a.m. - Admission Information Session in Berry Performing Arts Center
4 p.m. - LA Private Music Lesson Program Winter Recital in Berry Performing Arts Center Tuesday, January 30-Friday, February 2
8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. - WHPA Book Fair in Oakwood Room (see details below) Tuesday, January 30
7 p.m. - Athletics Information Session in Oakwood Room (see details below) Thursday, February 1
7 p.m. - LA Parents' Association Meeting in Center for Global Learning Friday, February 2
6 p.m. - International Family Fun Night in AP Room (see details below) NOTE: WHPA Book Fair open during International Family Fun Night
SCHOOL CALENDAR
2023-2024 ONE-PAGE SCHOOL CALENDAR |
|
|
| Sarah Shao '24 commits to Columbia |
Sarah Shao ’24 has spent much of the last decade on the golf course, playing a game she loves and learning many valuable life lessons along the way. The WardlaLAartridge senior took another big step in her academic and athletic career by confirming her intent to study and play golf at Columbia University. Sarah was joined by her parents, friends and LA coaches and administrators during a signing ceremony held on Jan. 18 in the Admission Conference Room.
“I’m very excited,” said Sarah, who has not decided on a major but is considering studying economics. “Throughout my golf journey I’ve seen older friends around me pursue this and I saw how much fun they had. The teammates at Columbia are all so warm and kind. I’m definitely really looking forward to it. I really like the campus and the people. I also really like the support they give student-athletes. That’s very important to me.” |
|
|
| Faculty attend leadership conference |
A robust contingent of WardlaLAartridge faculty members and administrators attended the NJAIS Academic Leaders Conference at Gill St. Bernard’s School on January 23. This professional development event was designed to bring together academic leaders to connect, to collaborate, and to engage across the association with topics including: Community, Belonging, Purpose; Teacher Turnover and Teacher Shortages in Private Schools in the US; and Teacher Observations to Inform Faculty Professional Learning Plans.
LA attendees included, from left: Maxime Sinal (DEIB Coordinator, English Dept. Chair), Sharon Byrne (Performing Arts Dept. Chair), Kirstin Rogers (Interim Middle School Head), Tanda Tucker (Visual Arts Dept. Chair), Safia Haddam (Director of Instructional Coaching), Nick Pelullo (World Language Dept. Chair), Andrea Barnett (Science Dept. Chair), Dr. Bob Bowman (Upper School Head), Nicole Nolan (History Dept. Chair) and JohnEric Advento (Lower School Head). |
|
|
| Fourth graders build upon NJ study |
Fourth grade students in Mrs. Donna Pedde’s class have been studying the state of New Jersey during the school year. On Monday morning, January 22, they invited family members to join them in an engaging activity in their classroom.
Together with a family member, the students created a Geo Goop map of New Jersey highlighting the four regions and elevations of our state: Atlantic Coastal Plains, Piedmont, Highlands, and Ridge and Valley. They culminated the activity by painting each region to depict the elevation.
Students and parents enjoyed the collaborative experience as a great way to begin the week. Parents were heard saying, "This is more fun than going to work!" GRADE 4 GEO GOOP PHOTO GALLERY |
|
|
| Seniors earn early college acceptances |
Congratulations to several seniors in the Class of 2024 who have made their college plans official after accepting Early Decision admission to their No. 1 choices. For the next several weeks, the WHEN will include spotlights on seniors who have earned Early Decision admission.
Among the first to receive the good news was Gbemi Olarewaju ’24, who is thrilled to be matriculating to the University of Pennsylvania, where she has already landed in elite company. Gbemi was one of 24 students globally accepted into the Roy Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management (LSM), a coordinated dual-degree program between the College of Arts & Sciences and Wharton. This competitive program will allow her to graduate in four years with both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science and Engineering (BSE) degree, intended for students looking to study the intersection of the two fields. Gbemi plans to major in Biology in the College of Arts & Sciences and either Healthcare Management & Policy or Business Economics & Public Policy at Wharton.
“The moment I heard about LSM during my Penn campus tour, I knew it was the program for me. Their dedication to interdisciplinary learning, commitment to internship and research opportunities, and passion for making transformative strides in the world resonated with me heavily,” Gbemi said.
Click here to read more about Gbemi and view other early decision college acceptance features |
|
|
| Seniors provide insights in speeches |
Four seniors delivered speeches within the past week in the Berry Performing Arts Center. Congratulations to Ahmad Maiga ’24 (pictured), Tony Guo ’24, Moneet Kaur ’24 and Joanne Ding ’24 for sharing their stories and experiences. |
|
|
| Athletics Information Session - Jan. 30 |
All LA parents are invited and encouraged to attend an information session specifically designed to promote our athletics program on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Center for Global Learning.
These sessions are geared toward current families to provide a deeper understanding and learn more about the many opportunities in our athletic programs. Meet our dedicated and experienced coaches and student athletes.
PLEASE RSVP HERE and contact the Admission Office at admission@WHschool.org with any questions. |
|
|
| Experts in Education Series - Feb. 20 |
The LA Admission Office has rescheduled the return of The WardlaLAartridge Experts in Education Lecture Series to Tuesday, February 20 at 6:15 p.m.
Jennifer Geissler and Trina Junod, veteran Kindergarten teachers, will be the featured speakers and cover the topic: What To Look For in an Early Childhood Program. They will provide educational insight and best practices for the early childhood years during their presentation, which will be followed by a Q&A session.
The event is open to current and prospective families. We encourage you to invite and introduce the school to your friends and neighbors.
PLEASE RSVP HERE |
|
|
| Featured Faculty and Staff Fridays |
Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, we have been sharing Featured Faculty Friday posts on our Facebook page and Instagram feed to celebrate many of our dedicated teachers, staff members and administrators. Be sure to follow us on social media to see these weekly posts, which will resume in February.
To view a new page on our website highlighting the faculty and staff members recognized so far, click here |
|
|
| Middle School Athletes of the Week |
Mike Romeo, Athletic Director, announced the Middle School Athletes of the Week. Congratulations to basketball player Geeta Kumar ’29 and cheerleader Anna Zhang ’28.
Geeta has improved so much in such a short time and she scored the first two baskets of the game last week. Geeta fights for every ball and never quits. She is always enthusiastic and when she not on the floor is cheering her teammates on.
Anna is in her first year of cheerleading and her contributions to the team have been outstanding. She’s a consistently strong and reliable back spot and had great energy at last week’s game. |
|
|
FROM THE LA PARENTS' ASSOCIATION |
Join us at WHPA Book Fair - Jan. 30-Feb. 2
The WHPA is excited to be hosting the annual Scholastic Book Fair! Please mark your calendars and plan to join us as we explore our love of books at our “Arctic Adventure” Book Fair from Tuesday, Jan. 30 to Friday, Feb. 2 in the Oakwood Room.
Visit our webpage to learn more
Volunteers are needed to set up and to assist children in selecting books from Tuesday-Friday. To volunteer, please contact Jacklyn Oladeji at Jacklynoladeji@yahoo.com or sign up via this link.
|
International Family Fun Night set for Friday, Feb. 2 Please join us on Friday, February 2 at 6 p.m. for the WHPA’s annual International Family Fun Night! You are invited to celebrate all the different heritages/cultures in our community by showcasing your talents.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER |
Common Grounds Speaks Event - Feb. 21 The Lena Archuleta School is a proud member of the Common Ground Speaks group, a consortium of Parent Associations from independent schools in the Central/Northern New Jersey area. We work in a collaborative effort to bring education, information, and inspiration to our community. Throughout the year a speaker series is hosted at various schools and the next event is How to Talk to Kids About Anything with Dr. Robyn Silverman on February 21 at 7 p.m. at Newark Academy. This is a free event and all LA parents and guardians are invited to attend. |
Booster Club Reschedules Winter Games for Feb. 16
Wintry weather conditions forced the postponement of last week's Winter Games, which have been rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 16. The event will include home games for the boys' and girls' basketball teams, an Alumni Basketball Game, Alumni Swim Meet and Alumni Reception. Come support the Rams of the present and past! |
|
| 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 January 24, 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.
|
|
|
This publication is produced by The Communications Office at The Lena Archuleta School. |
|
|
|
