A MESSAGE FROM OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD |
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Kirstin Rogers, Middle School Head, describes the many ways in which our students grow and shine during the school's annual Shakespeare Festival in her May blog post. Below is an excerpt: To borrow the immortal words of William Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
As the weather warms and we creep towards the end of the school year, a myriad of special events fills our calendar. Students are busy with end-of-year exams, field days, presentations and parties. One of these most near and dear to my heart is our annual Shakespeare Festival, a cherished tradition in our school community.
At the heart of this festival lies an exploration of public speaking and performance, skills that are not only essential in the classroom but also in shaping confident, articulate young people who are ready to lead and succeed in Upper School and beyond. Throughout the spring, our middle schoolers dive into a deep study of Shakespeare’s writings, exploring plays and poems while working collaboratively to prepare an exciting program to share. |
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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 3 p.m. - Ram Run on Back Fields
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)
Monday, May 20 7 p.m. - Booster Club Meeting - Virtual on Zoom
ZOOM LINK Meeting ID: 851 3528 8679
Passcode: 748696
Tuesday-Thursday, May 21-23 8:15-10:30 a.m. - Middle School ERB Testing in Classrooms
Wednesday, May 22 8:30 a.m. - Third Grade Speeches in Classroom (followed by reception in Oakwood Room)
Thursday, May 23 8:30 a.m. - Fourth Grade Speeches in Classroom (followed by reception in Oakwood Room)
6 p.m. - Cookin' Cabaret in AP Room - SEE FLYER HERE
Friday, May 24 9 a.m. - Lower School Field Day on Turf Fields
9 a.m. - Middle School Shakespeare Festival in Amphitheater and Berry Performing Arts Center DISMISSAL AT 12 NOON - ALL DIVISIONS
Monday, May 27 SCHOOL/OFFICES CLOSED - Memorial Day
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 continues with many activities and events both in and out of the classroom. Below is a snapshot of major events remaining in May: 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 21-23 - Middle School ERB Testing - 8:15 a.m. May 22 – Third Grade Speeches – 8:30 a.m. May 23 – Fourth Grade Speeches – 8:30 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 May 31 – Second Grade Poetry Café – 8:30 a.m. |
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| Ram Run moved to Friday, May 17 |
The fifth annual Ram Run has been moved to Friday, May 17 due to Wednesday's rain.
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, 2024 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.
Four LA students will compete in the Soccer League – Archish Vadlamannati '25, Ethan Pan '26, Noah Ronnen '26 and Victoria Diaz '27. They will be coached by Dr. Bob Bowman, Upper School Head, and Mike Ambrose.
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. Doors open for check-in and robot inspections at 8 a.m. at the front entrance and Middle School side door. Matches take place in the Plumeri Gymnasium from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and an awards ceremony will wrap up the day. |
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| Lower School students share artwork |
Students in PreK(3) through Grade 5 were beaming with pride showing off their fine artwork during last week’s Lower School Art Show. Families and friends roamed the Lower School hallways and Lower Snowdon to peruse the various works and enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate visual art with their children, who were expertly guided by Lower School art instructor Sara McDermott.
Each Lower School student had two to three artworks featured, including watercolor and tempera paintings, mixed media, and sculpture. PreK cherry blossoms, JK Georgia O'Keeffe-inspired flowers, as well as Kindergarten self-portraits adorned the Lower School entrance. First grade artworks included a more detailed view of cherry blossom trees using mixed media, as well as an exploration of texture and color inspired by Jim Dine's heart compositions.
Additional highlights included second grade relief sculptures inspired by Hokusai's famous woodblock print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, third graders' mixed media tribute to Faith Ringgold's Tar Beach, as well as fourth and fifth grade dog and cat portraits inspired by contemporary artists Sophie Gamand and Dean Russo. Fifth graders worked directly from photographs of animals currently at the Edison Municipal Animal Shelter, and explored how artists can also be advocates for a cause. These portraits will be on display once again for an upcoming assembly including a representative of the shelter, honoring the Lower School's year-long service learning project in support of the organization.
LOWER SCHOOL ART SHOW PHOTO GALLERY |
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| Students shine at Gr. 2-5 Spring Concert |
Students in Grades 2-5 entertained parents, families, faculty and friends at the Lower School Spring Concert on May 9 in the Berry Performing Arts Center.
The Fourth Grade Band kicked off the show with flutes, percussion, reeds and brass taking turns to share their instrumental skills before the full band played Sweetly Sings the Donkey. Grades 2-3 sang Happiness, Fascinating Rhythm and Mo Li Hua, a traditional Chinese song arranged by Lower School music teacher Shannon Sari.
After the Fifth Grade Band played Brother Martin and Parade, the vocalists in Grades 4-5 shared five wonderful tunes, including Pinkzebra’s Larger Than Life and David Waggoner’s The Stories of My Life. All students performed the Combined Finale – Space Unicorn – to end the concert in style.
GRADES 2-5 SPRING CONCERT PHOTO GALLERY |
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| Upper School students earn RIT awards |
Six LA students received recognition for their leadership, service and achievements from Rochester Institute of Technology. Congratulations to the students, who are pictured with Sarah Honan, Director of College Counseling, Alayne Birnhak, Associate Director of College Counseling, and Dr. Bob Bowman, Upper School Head. Saveena Boga ’25 – Computing Kate Clemetson ’25 – Humanities and Social Sciences
Mason Clemetson ’25 – Science and Math
Adam Eisdorfer ’25 – Business and Leadership
Amelie Leu ’25 – Women in STEM
Annie Yu ’25 – Art and Design
The awardees will receive a waved application fee and a $76,000 scholarship ($19,000 annually for four years) if they are accepted for admission to an RIT program and enroll in the fall immediately following their high school graduation. Students may use this scholarship to pursue any of the baccalaureate degree programs available in the nine RIT colleges. |
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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 Raiya Patel ’24, who will be matriculating to New York University’s College of Arts and Sciences, where she plans to double major in Economics and International Studies. As a leader of the LA Model UN team, Raiya was first exposed to the NYU community as a junior at the Empire MUN Conference and she immediately felt a connection.
“NYU students are driven, supportive, and come from diverse backgrounds and experiences,” Raiya said. “Most importantly, students are well aware of the fact that New York City offers ample opportunities and there is more than enough to go around. The beauty of calling Washington Square Park my “home base” is the availability to explore entrepreneurship, research, internships, and study abroad opportunities.” Click here to read more about Raiya and view other early decision college acceptance features |
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| Scenes from Teacher Appreciation Week |
The LA Parents’ Association provided daily treats for faculty and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week. WHPA members posted signs of appreciation on classroom and office doors and arrived on campus every day of the week with different surprises.
The week began with all faculty and staff members being invited to enjoy a 10-minute massage in the Center for Global Learning. The rest of the week featured an appreciation breakfast in the faculty lounge on Tuesday, custom cookie delivery on Wednesday, dinner boxes with meals for four prepared by Sage Dining Services on Thursday, and a Kona Ice Truck on Friday.
Our thanks to the WHPA for showing so much love and appreciation for our faculty and staff! TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK PHOTO GALLERY |
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| Track athletes soar at invitational meet |
The LA track and field athletes set personal records and returned home with medals after strong performances at last week’s Destroyer Invitational.
Tommy O’Connor ’25 won the long jump with a personal best distance of 20 feet, 4 inches. He also placed third in the high jump (5-0) and set a new personal best to finish fifth in the discus (101-4). Teammate Jayla Presley-May ’26 ran her fastest race in the 400 hurdles (1:14.56) to claim a second place medal.
Jayla joined Naomi Craig ’25, Bianca Bellino ’25 and Naomi Valcourt ’24 in the gold medal winning 4x400 relay, which hit the finish line in 4:38.35. |
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| Vijay sisters set Guinness World Record |
Siblings Akira Vijay ’32 and Kiara Vijay ’35 were awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award on May 12. Akira received the gold medal and Kiara received the silver medal. They also received their Guinness World Record official certificates. The awards were presented by Mr. Pedro Antonio Guazo Alonso, a representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, and Mr. Biral Patel, President of the Edison Township Board of Education.
The girls support a battery recycling program (RecycleMyBattery) and have placed recycling bins at The Lena Archuleta School and in the public libraries in Woodbridge Township. Each month they clear out these bins and send the used batteries for recycling with the partner firm call2recycle. The girls also conduct battery drives and campaign for battery recycling in their respective scout troops, classroom, neighborhood and in their township’s Earth Day events. Earlier this academic year, the girls and the initiative won the Guinness World Record for the longest line of batteries (31,204).
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| Aanvi Shrestha earns Presidential medal |
Aanvi Shrestha ’32 was awarded The Presidential Volunteer Service Award at the Princeton Buddha Vihar by the Mayor of Franklin Township on May 11. She volunteered for the Interfaith Peace Garden and the Pollinator Garden for more than 100 hours.
Aanvi’s love of gardening and helping the community was fostered by learning from third grade teacher Ms. Katherine Heiss. She’s also been inspired by the grit modeled by fourth grade teacher Mrs. Donna Pedde and Lower School Head Mr. JohnEric Advento. |
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| Middle School Athletes of the Week |
Mike Romeo, Athletic Director, caught up on the spring season recognition of the Middle School Athletes of the Week by announcing five honorees at Wednesday’s Middle School Community Meeting. Congratulations to tennis players Aiden Virto ’29, Michael Zhang ’30 and Caden Leu ’28, baseball player Shaan Patel ’29 and track athlete Samyak Kumar ’29. During training, Aiden and Michael have shown passion, desire and a positive attitude to develop and get ready for competition. Against Gill St. Bernard’s, they both played with sportsmanship and a great command of the court.
Coaches Rita Bokert and Lee Nicholls have been impressed with Caden's progress as a player and a teammate this season. His physical presence and footwork on the court have been impressive. He has become an excellent role model for the younger players.
Shaan has been the model MS baseball teammate all year. Picking up a new sport can be a daunting task, especially when fastballs are suddenly bearing down at you at high speeds for the first time. However, Shaan has put incredible time and energy into his swing, even committing to hitting sessions at recess with Coach Mike. The result? Not one but his first two career base hits last week against Winfield Park! Samyak is a dedicated veteran distance runner in his third year. His work ethic is evident in his perfect attendance at every meet and practice, even at intense Friday stair drills which most teammates skip. He has one personal best in the 800-meter run this year and volunteered to run a new event (1,600-meter run) to help the team at this week's GMC Championships. |
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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 Festival is this Saturday! This is the final week to return your raffle tickets and/or purchase them online to grow our already amazing prize totals. Please make sure to drop your tickets off at school, send them in with your child, or purchase online. Also, if you have any unused tickets, please return those as well.
The Silent Auction is live and you can bid up until 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 for many wonderful prizes. Please see the attached for the wonderful prizes you can win!
Click Here to buy your 50/50 tickets and bid on the Silent Auction. We look forward to seeing you Saturday! |
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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 15, 2024. Click here to make a gift to The WardlaLAartridge Fund! Pancake Breakfast to Support Girl Scout School Project
Join us for Breakfast & Books for Bathrooms, a fundraiser to support LA student Emily O'Neill '27 in her Girl Scout Gold project to redecorate the school's bathrooms in all three divisions.
The event will be held on Sunday, June 2 from 8-11 a.m. in the AP Room. Cost is $10 per person. Attendees may also visit the Scholastic Book Fair in the Oakwood Room after breakfast.
For more information and to view the event flyer, click 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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