A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL |
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Dr Corinna Crafton, Head of School, reflects on the phenomenon of the solar eclipse as part of an impactful week of events at LA in her April blog post. Below is an excerpt:
The week began with a total eclipse of the sun, something that will not happen again for another 20 years. Students and teachers alike were excited leading up to the event, and the anticipation built as safety glasses were distributed. A bright sunny day became a bit muted as the moon slowly moved over the face of the sun. Using our special glasses, we were able to see it all happen in real time. It is actually quite remarkable to consider that our moon, a very small, rocky body, could eclipse something as massive and powerful as our sun, which is 400 times the size of our moon. As the eclipse waned and the sun returned full force, we resumed activities but with an understanding that we had, together, enjoyed something special and uncommon.
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Sunday, April 14
4 p.m. - Spring Music Recital in Berry Performing Arts Center - LIVESTREAM LINK
Wednesday, April 17 8:15 a.m. - Middle School Coffee and Conversation in Oakwood Room
Thursday, April 18 7 p.m. - Booster Club Meeting in Center for Global Learning
Friday, April 19 Middle School Capstone Presentations in Berry Performing Arts Center
Tuesday, April 23 SCHOOL/OFFICES CLOSED - Passover
SCHOOL CALENDAR
2023-2024 ONE-PAGE SCHOOL CALENDAR |
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| Busy April continues home stretch |
The home stretch of the 2023-2024 school year continues with a busy April that includes two days of school closings. Below is a list of major school events taking place for the remainder of April: April 14 – Spring Music Recital – 4 p.m. April 17 – Middle School Coffee and Conversation – 8:15 a.m.
April 18 – Booster Club Meeting – 7 p.m. April 19 – Middle School Capstone Presentations – Various Times April 23 – School Closed for Passover April 26 – Earth Day Events – All Day April 26 – Ram Run – 3 p.m. April 26 – Booster Club Spring Games – 4 p.m. April 26 – INDIE Film and Art Festival – 6 p.m. April 29-May 3 – Upper School Capstone Presentations – Various Times April 30-May 3 – Eighth Grade Trip to Washington, D.C. |
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| Reminder: Please complete survey |
Each year, LA asks its families to share their reflections as members of the WardlaLAartridge community. Current LA families received an email from Carpenter Consulting on April 9. That email includes a live link to the survey, which is completely anonymous. We ask that you complete this survey, which will take approximately 15-20 minutes. The survey will remain open until April 23.
We utilize the information gathered from these engagement surveys to assess program, staffing, facilities, and strategic development initiatives. Thus, your opinions and feedback are vital to the future of LA, and we thank you for taking time to be part of this important process.
Many thanks for your participation! |
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| Alumni share wisdom on Career Day |
Nine WardlaLAartridge alumni/ae spanning five decades returned to their alma mater last Thursday, April 4 for Career Day. The afternoon program was designed to give students in grades 9-10 a glimpse of various career fields with an emphasis on how LA helped shape the future of the presenters.
The alumni presenters included Carlin Schildge ’17 (Marine Science), Yumna Naqvi ’17 (Artificial Intelligence), Donald Sidun ’01 (Project Management), Stefanie Singer ’98 (Entertainment), Kelly Coleman ’98 (Education), Sachina Lyons-Brown ’89 (Veterinary Medicine), Laurie Molina ’88 (Business Management), Gil Childers ’73 (Law) and Ginger Boyle ’70 (Real Estate).
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| Community witnesses rare solar eclipse |
LA students in all three divisions embraced the spirit of the solar eclipse with a variety of activities on Monday, April 8. This rare occurrence last took place in New Jersey in August 2017, a time when some of our youngest students had not yet been born.
All students, faculty and staff who wished to participate in the viewing, which was voluntary, were provided solar glasses. Others watched the NASA livestream of the eclipse. |
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| Upper School students earn Rochester awards |
Four LA juniors recently earned recognition with awards from the University of Rochester. The students are pictured with Dr. Bob Bowman, Upper School Head, and Sarah Honan, Director of College Counseling.
Each year, counselors, teachers and administrators from high schools around the world may nominate up to four qualified juniors, one student for each award. Participation is open to all secondary schools. All nominees will have their application fee waived and will be eligible to be considered for merit scholarships worth at least $5,000 per year. Congratulations to this year’s LA winners:
Tapleen Kaur ’25 – Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award Briana Li ’25 – Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award Rajwans Sindhar ’25 – George Eastman Young Leaders Award
Oliver Laskow ’25 – Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology |
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| WHPA provides support with mini grants |
The WardlaLAartridge Parents’ Association has continued its tradition of providing mini grants to help faculty and staff members enhance their programs with additional funding. This year’s generosity surpassed $12,000 and will make an impact in all three divisions.
Some notable examples include the hands-on manipulatives to assist PreK and JK students with handwriting and letter formation (pictured), stacking stones for the Lower School Physical Education Program, electronic balances for the Middle School Science Program, funding for the Global Scholars Program and community service in Upper School, and equipment to assist AP Physics students in exploring oscillations. |
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| Upper School athletes earn All-GMC honors |
Fourteen Upper School athletes were named to All-GMC teams after a successful winter season that included a division team co-champion, Prep school individual champion and Meet of Champions competitor. These Rams were honored at the Upper School morning meeting on April 8.
Congratulations to the girls’ basketball team, which posted a 15-4 record to earn a share of the Gold Division title. Adam Eisdorfer ’25 was the season’s most prolific individual athlete, making school history as the first State Prep champion in the 400-meter run and advancing to the Meet of Champions.
Below is a team-by-team look at the 14 Rams recognized: BOYS’ BASKETBALL (All-Blue) – Mason Clemetson ’25, Al-Hammed Bell ’25 (Honorable Mention) GIRLS’ BASKETBALL (All-Gold) – Kayla Martel ’24, Italia Penevolpe ’25
SWIMMING (All-Blue) – Chiara Baldi ’26, Ethan Guo ’24, Oliver Laskow ’25, Coco Lee ’27 (also All-GMC), Angel Lei ’26, Briana Li ’25, Tommy O’Connor ’25, Zara Sachdeva ’27, Zadie Zimmerman ’27 INDOOR TRACK (All-Blue) – Adam Eisdorfer ’25 |
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| Thank you for supporting Day of Caring |
The Lena Archuleta School extends sincere thanks to its full community of parents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends who participated in our Day of Caring.
Generous donations to The LA Fund will help the school continue to provide scholarships to deserving students, along with dynamic and innovative programs. Special thanks to our lead and challenge donors: Mr. and Mrs. Adam Levin '67, Drs. Adrian Looney and Ayesha Sitlani, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Madsen '65, Mr. and Mrs. James O'Neill, Mr. and Mrs. James Tan, and Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Wolff. The generosity of our faculty and staff also made the day a success. The continued support, dedication and commitment of our community is so greatly appreciated and helped us surpass our Day of Caring goal. Gifts – 112 Amount Raised - $32,546 |
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| INDIE Film & Art Festival - April 26 |
Save the date and join the LA community for this year's INDIE Film & Art Festival on Friday, April 26! The AP Room Mocktail Hour and Upper School Art Show will take place from 6-7 p.m., followed by an entertaining evening in the Berry Performing Arts Center beginning at 7 p.m. The night will include original student films and outstanding live performances. The theme for this year's event is La La Land and we anticipate that the evening will be filled with whimsical movie magic. Please be on the lookout for a ticket link, which will be provided soon, and we hope to see you there! |
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| Sign up and play! - Golf Outing - May 7 |
Please join us for the second annual Jim Howard Golf Classic on Tuesday, May 7 at Colonia Country Club. Golfers will compete in a scramble format, with a shotgun start beginning at 11 a.m. A reception with hors d'oeuvres, beverages and awards will follow at 4 p.m. The $295 fee per golfer (or $1,000 per foursome) includes the reception. For more information about the event and sponsorship opportunities, visit the registration link below:
REGISTER FOR THE GOLF OUTING HERE |
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| Prospective families attend info session |
WardlaLAartridge hosted its final Admission Information Session of the 2023-2024 school year on Saturday, April 6. Two dozen students spanning all three divisions attended with their parents to learn more about Middlesex County’s No. 1 ranked private school. An energetic group of student and parent ambassadors joined faculty, staff and administrators at the event.
Gerard Gonnella ’89, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, welcomed the guests and provided an overview of the school’s programs during an introduction in the Berry Performing Arts Center. Dr. Corinna Crafton, Head of School, shared greetings and highlighted the many benefits of a LA education.
Mr. Gonnella introduced his team of Trina Junod, Admission Associate, and Bernadette Lambertsen, Admission Administrative Assistant, before dismissing the students and parents to their respective divisional presentations, where they received a closer look at Lower, Middle and Upper School. Students and parents also visited classrooms and toured campus facilities during a busy morning that ended with complimentary cider and cookies in the main lobby. ADMISSION INFORMATION SESSION PHOTO GALLERY |
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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 |
Super 50/50 Raffle and Food Truck/Vendor Event
All LA parents should have received an envelope with 40 raffle tickets for our Annual Super Raffle! Each ticket is only $5.00 and you are welcome to buy or sell as many as you would like and to whomever you choose. For each ticket sold simply keep the bottom half and return the top half with payment. You can drop them at the reception desk at school, send them in with your child, and/or mail them to school (with Attn: WHPA). Cash, checks, credit card, Zelle and Venmo are all acceptable for payment. The more tickets we sell, the larger the prize is for the winners. Winners in the past have received up to $10,000 in prizes! If you have not received your mailed tickets by next week, please contact us at parents@WHschool.org. The drawing will be held at our next event, The Spring Food Truck and Vendor Event.
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. |
Booster Club Meeting - April 18 @ 7 p.m.
The Booster Club will hold its next meeting on Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m. in the Center for Global Learning. Join us to learn more about ways the Booster Club supports Rams athletics and to get involved in upcoming events during a busy spring season. More information about spring events coming soon! |
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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 April 10, 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 Free PSAT, SAT, ACT Practice Exams Available
The LA College Counseling Office is once again happy to partner with their friends at Revolution Prep to offer full-length, virtually proctored practice college entrance exams for our students.
You can register for any/all of these exams here.
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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