A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION |
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| Gerard Gonnella '89, explains why the tagline "now more than ever" is still relevant to the benefits of a LA education in his May blog post. Below is an excerpt:
We used the phrase “now more than ever” during the pandemic to emphasize the importance of an independent school education and the many ways in which The Lena Archuleta School was best equipped to educate children. After many recent discussions with prospective parents, I have learned that the lingering effects of COVID-19 have continued the validity of that tagline. Many students are still struggling to catch up after the pandemic and our school is uniquely qualified to deliver an educational experience that will put them back on track. Small class sizes and individual attention continue to be among the hallmarks of a LA education.
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Thursday, May 4 7 p.m. - LA Parents' Association Meeting in Oakwood Room Join Zoom Meeting Here
Meeting ID: 836 8657 7230 Passcode: 924075
Friday, May 5 Advanced Placement Exams in Plumeri Gym, Oakwood Room Sunday, May 7 5 p.m. - Piano Masterclass Performance in Berry Performing Arts Center - see details below Monday, May 8-Friday, May 12 Advanced Placement Exams in Plumeri Gym, Oakwood Room Monday, May 8 4 p.m. - Booster Club Spring Fest - see details below Wednesday, May 10 1:40 p.m. - 140th Day Celebration on Turf Fields - see details below 7 p.m. - Middle School Coffee and Conversation on Zoom
ZOOM LINK Password: WHMS1882 Thursday, May 11 7 p.m. - Middle School Spring Concert in Berry Performing Arts Center LIVESTREAM LINK
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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| Busy May filled with major events |
The month of May began with two weeks of Advanced Placement testing for Upper School students but includes many activities and events beyond the classroom. Below is a snapshot of major events on tap for May: May 8 – Booster Club Spring Fest – 4 p.m. May 10 – 140th Day of School Celebration – 1:40 p.m. May 10 – Middle School Coffee and Conversation – 7 p.m. May 11 – Middle School Spring Concert – 7 p.m. May 16 – Early Childhood Spring Concert – 8:30 a.m. May 16 – Jim Howard Golf Classic – 11 a.m. May 18 – Lower School (Grades 2-5) Spring Concert – 7 p.m. May 18 – Lower School Art Show – 7 p.m. May 19 – Indie Film Festival and Art Show – 6 p.m. May 25 – Cookin’ Cabaret – 6 p.m. May 26 – Lower School Field Day – 9 a.m. May 26 – Middle School Shakespeare Festival – 9 a.m. May 29 – Memorial Day – SCHOOL CLOSED May 31 – Rams Recognition Night – 6 p.m. |
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| 140th Day Celebration - May 10 |
Join us to celebrate the 140th day of school in our 140th year! All members of the LA community are invited to this outdoor event, which will be held on the turf fields at the back of campus on May 10 at 1:40 p.m. There will be limited seating so parents, families, alumni and friends are encouraged to bring chairs.
The afternoon will include remarks from Dr. Corinna Crafton, our Acting Head of School, Edison Mayor Sam Joshi and Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp, along with student performances and a massive group photo with all students creating the number 140 on the turf. There also will be sweet treats compliments of Sage Dining Services for guests to enjoy after the event.
For more information about our 140-year history, visit https://www.whschool.org/about-wh/140 |
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| Spring Concert season continues |
Students in all three divisions will perform in spring concerts in the upcoming weeks in the Berry Performing Arts Center. All LA spring concerts will be live streamed at https://www.whschool.org/livestream Below is the schedule: Thursday, April 27 @ 7:30 p.m. – Upper School Thursday, May 11 @ 7 p.m. – Middle School Tuesday, May 16 @ 8:30 a.m. – Early Childhood (PreK-Grade 1) Thursday, May 18 @ 7 p.m. – Lower School (Grades 2-5) |
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| Students inducted to Cum Laude Society |
The Lena Archuleta School inducted 12 new members into the Cum Laude Society in a ceremony held on April 27 in the Berry Performing Arts Center. Dr. Corinna Crafton, Acting Head of School, Dr. Bob Bowman, Upper School Head, Christine Cerminaro, Dean of Students, and Upper School faculty members Nicole Nolan, Don Kluizenaar and Maggie Reiter led the presentation as faculty and staff who are Cum Laude members. Senior members Annie Gu ’23, Chiupong Huang ’23, Sanah Menon ’23, Naischa Puri ’23, Nandini Shah ’23 and Loveleen Sindhar ’23 welcomed the new members and joined them on stage.
Congratulations to the new LA inductees: seniors Aydin Aziz ’23, Christian Bacalhau ’23, Phyllis Liu ’23, Gurshan Sidhu ’23 , Nicholas Vargas ’23 and Andrew Wolff ’23, and juniors Siddharth Bharadwaj ’24, Zehan (Joanne) Ding ’24, Gbemi Olarewaju ’24, Diya Patel ’24, Aadithya Srinivasan ’24 and Luke Tan ’24.
CUM LAUDE CEREMONY PHOTO GALLERY |
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Upper School students shine at concert |
Upper School students provided an hour of beautiful music at last Thursday night’s Spring Concert in the Berry Performing Arts Center.
Highlights of the show included Blinding Lights by the Concert Band, This Day by MadJazz, Peg by the Jazz Band and the finale September by the Concert Choir. Several students performed vocal and instrumental solos: Aarya Patel ’24 (alto), Jessie Grimes ’25 (alto), Raiya Patel ’24 (alto), Luke Tan ’24 (drum set), David Flatau-Jones ’23 (tenor saxophone), Rithvik Nandhyala ’23 (alto saxophone), Tiger Huang ’24 (piano), Vinay Karthik ’25 (alto saxophone), Sophia Fontaine ’26 (valve trombone), Chiara Baldi ’26 (cello), Julia Machado ’25 (soprano) and Mohisha Jha ’26 (alto).
Congratulations to Sharon Byrne, Performing Arts Department Chair and Choir Director, and Rick Fontaine, Upper School Band Director, for guiding the students to a spectacular performance.
UPPER SCHOOL SPRING CONCERT PHOTO GALERY |
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Lower School assembly celebrates art |
Ms. Sara McDermott, Lower School art teacher, shared a presentation promoting the love and importance of art during last Friday’s Lower School assembly. She began by showing a video of Lily Yeh, artist and community activist, titled “Broken Pieces Are My Canvas” and continued by emphasizing the message that “your art comes from the heart” and that it brings people joy.
With an eye toward the upcoming Lower School Art Show on May 18, Ms. McDermott promoted the creation of an origami installation, which will represent work by students throughout PreK(3) through Grade 5. The fifth grade has already folded 323 cranes to begin the process. Students may contribute hearts and butterflies to the overall goal of 1,000 pieces for one giant masterpiece. Fifth grade students distributed samples to their school mates after the assembly. LOWER SCHOOL EARTH DAY PHOTO GALLERY |
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Eighth grade trip to Washington, DC |
From April 25-28, 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, and Samantha St. Victor, the students had a great time visiting significant landmarks, and their respectful behavior was often noted and appreciated by other visitors.
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| Seventh grade trip to Philadelphia |
The seventh graders enjoyed a fantastic – and BUSY! – three-day trip to Philadelphia, PA. Over the course of three days of touring, seventh graders deepened their understanding of their study of American history with visits to the Museum of the American Revolution, the National Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell and the Benjamin Franklin Museum. For the first time, WardlaLAartridge students were invited to participate in the National Constitution Center's Constitutional Ambassadors Program, which pairs students with both museum educators and with a working federal judge to dive deeply into the implications of the US Constitution on history and on their own lives.
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| Sixth grade trip to Duke Farms |
On Friday April 28, the sixth grade (Class of 2029) took off for a day of Geocaching at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ. Before leaving they reviewed some background information on the history of Duke Farms and what it has to offer. The students also learned about the meaning of geocaching, how navigation coordinates are created and how to use a hand-held GPS device. Armed with that knowledge, they were off on the bus to find hidden treasures in the vast park. |
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| Chemistry students create pH indicators |
Upper School chemistry students in Dr. Brent Giles’ classes have been exploring pH standards and citric acid concentrations in recent lab experiments. The students made their own pH indicators at home using various garden flowers, turmeric, blueberries, blackberries, and red onions, then tested their indicators on a series of pH standards in the lab. They also tested the concentration of citric acid in orange juice, sports drinks, and lemonade using a titration with a strong base. The students calculated the concentration based on how much base was needed to bring a sample of the drink to the endpoint, when the indicator turned from clear to pink. US CHEMISTRY LABS PHOTO GALLERY |
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Juniors honor Earth Day with service |
On April 20, the juniors in the Class of 2024 celebrated Earth Day early while visiting Branch Brook Park in Newark to do some spring cleaning and weed management. Branch Brook Park is the nation’s oldest county park. At 360 acres, it is the largest developed park in the country and is home to 18 varieties of cherry blossoms.
The trip was organized by Mrs. Nicole Nolan, Director of Global Scholars and Community Outreach, supported by chaperones Mr. Tony Diaz, Mr. Tim Head, Sra. Claudia Gonzalez, Mr. Don Kluizenaar, and Mr. Andrew Sullivan. Students spent the day weeding and pruning wooded border areas and collecting trash. It was a successful day thanks to the hard work and focus of the students. JUNIOR CLASS EARTH DAY SERVICE PHOTO GALLERY |
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Upper School Athletes of the Week |
Mike Romeo, Athletic Director, announced the Upper School Athletes of the Week at the division meeting. Congratulations to softball player Sarah Alves ’24 and baseball player Mackias Ysaac ’26.
Sarah threw two no-hitters in back-to-back games and her third and fourth of no-hitters of the year. At the plate, Sarah hit safely in all four games, batting over .600 in that stretch of games.
Mackias made his high school pitching debut and stepped up at a time when the team really needed him. Mackias has been rapidly developing into a varsity hitter, hitting safely in all three games last week. |
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| Sign up and play! - Golf Outing - May 16 |
Please join us for the Jim Howard Golf Classic on Tuesday, May 16 at Colonia Country Club. Coach Howard, the reigning NJ Coach of the Year, will play a par-3 with all foursomes at the Closest to the Pin hole.
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 $250 fee per golfer includes the reception.
Event sponsorships will support student scholarships and athletic department enhancements funded by the Booster Club. Our thanks to lead sponsors the D'Amore family and Dunkin' for supporting this year's event!
SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION REGISTER FOR THE GOLF OUTING HERE
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| Check out our LA Summer Programs |
The Lena Archuleta School will offer a robust array of summer programs in 2023! The year’s offerings include Camp Funshine, Adventure Camp, Brain Boosters Junior Academics, Summer Scholars, Pulse Sports Camps and Summer Sparks Enrichment. Other special camps including Dungeons & Dragons and For the Love of Theater will also be held. New this year: we are offering a Performing Arts and Audio/Visual Camp for the serious performers ages 13-18. To register and learn more, visit WHschool.org/summer |
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Summer camp for singers, A/V students |
The WardlaLAartridge Performing Arts and Audio-Visual Summer Camp is a three-week program designed to offer professional-level training to students aged 12-18 in performance of musical theater repertoire and in audio-visual production skills. Students can choose to focus on performance (singing, acting, dancing), on audio-visual production (e.g. filmmaking, audio engineering, video editing), or on a mixture of both. No matter the prior experience level, or whether they plan to pursue the arts in college and beyond, we encourage any interested students to apply.
APPLICATION LINK - DUE MAY 30 (DEADLINE EXTENDED) https://forms.gle/hPCvdsTuRyF9eC9S6 CAMP FLYER |
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Piano Masterclass Performance - May 7 |
The LA Performing Arts Department is proud to announce a unique opportunity for our community. Celebrated pianists and pedagogues Dr. Elvin and Linette Rodriguez will be visiting our school to offer a free masterclass for pianists on Sunday, May 7 at 5:00 p.m. A masterclass is an open, interactive mini lesson for multiple performers, which can be attended by any member of the community.
The following students have been selected to perform at the masterclass: Mia Larmony ’29, Grace Gonnella ’31, Samay Jain ’31, Akira Vijay ’32, Sebastian Lawson ’29, Shiloh Sharma ’28 and Cameron Williams ’27.
Admission to attend this event is free and open to all in our community who would like to attend. Questions? Please email Mr. Julian Jenson at jensonjmusical@gmail.com |
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FROM THE LA PARENTS' ASSOCIATION |
Join us for the WHPA Meeting - Tonight, May 4 at 7 p.m.
We invite all parents in the LA community to join us for the Parents' Association meeting tonight, Thursday, May 4 at 7 p.m. in the Oakwood Room. The meeting will include updates from administrators and division VPs, as well as information about the end-of-year events. You may also join us virtually on Zoom at the link below: Join Zoom Meeting Here
Meeting ID: 836 8657 7230 Passcode: 924075 |
Booster Club Spring Fest - Monday, May 8 The LA Booster Club will be hosting a Spring Fest and celebration of all senior athletes on Monday, May 8. Join us after school to cheer on our home teams and salute our seniors. The Booster Club is providing each athlete with a water, ticket for an Italian ice, and their choice of either a hamburger, veggie burger or hot dog.
Additional items will be available for sale to support the LA Booster Club. While there, don’t forget to purchase your raffle ticket for the Red Bulls giveaway. The package includes four Red Bulls tickets with a parking pass to the game against Atlanta United FC on Saturday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. Included with the tickets is a catered buffet with soft drinks that can be enjoyed one hour prior to game time and at halftime. The value of the tickets is approximately $750.
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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, 2022 and May 3, 2023. Click here to make a gift to The WardlaLAartridge Fund! Re-Enrollment Contracts Due to Admission Office
Dear Parents - This is a friendly reminder that if you have not already done so, please submit your child's re-enrollment contract and non-refundable deposit for the 2023-2024 school year. Please contact the Admission Office at 908-754-1882, Ext. 155 or email us at admission@WHschool.org if you would like us to re-send your parent portal authentication code and enrollment contract link. We are here to help you complete the enrollment process and answer any questions you may have.
- Your LA Admission and Business Office Teams
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 the 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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