A MESSAGE FROM OUR LOWER SCHOOL HEAD |
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JohnEric Advento, Lower School Head, looks back fondly on his three years working with LA students, colleagues and parents in his May blog post. Below is an excerpt:
It is an honor writing to you in my final blog as Head of the Lower School at WardlaLAartridge. These last three years have flown by, and at times I think it was just yesterday that we were coming out of a global pandemic, reimagining school and implementing strategies to be both present and safe. I have enjoyed my time here at WardlaLAartridge.
Have you heard the parenting statistics that say 75% of all the time you will ever spend with a child is complete by the time they reach 12 years old? Further to this end, by the time your child turns 18 years old, they say that 90% of your parent-child time together is already spent. In other words, 90% of all the time you will ever get with your son and/or daughter will be before he or she is 18 years old. |
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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 - DISMISSAL AT 12 NOON - ALL DIVISIONS 9 a.m. - Lower School Field Day on Turf Fields
9 a.m. - Middle School Shakespeare Festival in Amphitheater and Berry Performing Arts Center Monday, May 27
SCHOOL/OFFICES CLOSED - Memorial Day Wednesday, May 29
10 a.m. - Middle School Spring Sports Awards in Berry Performing Arts Center
Thursday, May 30 10 a.m. - Lower School Assembly in Berry Performing Arts Center Friday, May 31 8:30 a.m. - Second Grade Poetry Cafe in Berry Performing Arts Center
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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| LA excels in RoboCup nationals |
By Marci Bowman
Imagine an autonomous robot that can translate sign language into music, one that can compete on the soccer pitch or another that can make its way through a complex maze. These robots, and dozens of others, were conceived of, built and operated by teens from across the country. Their passion, focus and ingenuity were on full display in Plumeri Gym on Sunday, May 19 when RoboCupJunior USA held their national tournament on the LA campus with more than 50 teams from California to Washington, D.C. competing.
LA fielded two teams in the Soccer League portion of the tournament. Victoria Diaz ‘27, Ethan Pan ‘26, Noah Ronnen ‘26 and Archish Vadlamannati ‘25 comprised one team and Oliver Laskow ‘25, Aron Zhong ‘27 and Lewis Peng ‘27 the other. The Rams finished third and fourth in the Open Division, nearly clenching a trophy. While going up against teams who have competed for years, they came within fractions of a point of earning a spot in the international tournament in Europe this summer.
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GMC title caps big golf tournament week |
The LA girls’ golf team competed in three tournaments in a busy one-week span that included amazing individual and team accomplishments.
Most recently, the Rams captured the GMC team championship on May 20, prevailing by 32 shots over runner-up East Brunswick. The dynamic duo of Sarah Shao ’24 and Claire Lu ’24 led the way with impressive under-par rounds of 67 and 69, respectively. Sarah and Claire finished second and third in the individual standings.
Teammates Tanya Chowdary ’24 and Ava Choi ’25 placed sixth and ninth, respectively, with solid rounds of 77 and 79. Nyah Roccamonte-Clark ’27 (85) and Nitya Sahni ’26 (98) also competed for the GMC champions.
Sarah won the overall Prep Tournament champion when the LA girls captured the Prep B title at Peddie on May 17. Sarah fired a two-over-par round of 74 to lead the Rams. Tanya and Nyah finished second and third to give the Rams a 1-2-3 sweep of the top three places. |
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| Luke Tan '24 honored at state banquet |
Congratulations to Luke Tan ’24, who represented WardlaLAartridge at the 31st annual New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association banquet at the Pines Manor in Edison on May 19.
Luke, a captain and four-year member of the varsity baseball team, joined the finest scholar-athletes from the state at the event. All of the honorees were awarded $500 scholarships. Luke was accompanied by his parents and LA athletic director Mike Romeo. |
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| Middle School students display fine artwork |
Students in Grades 6-8 proudly showcased their year of work in the visual arts at the Middle School Art Show on May 16. Parents and families browsed the works in 1882 and Lower Snowdon with great appreciation prior to the Middle School Concert. On their way to the concert, they enjoyed a glimpse of Monet inspired art on display in the Berry Performing Arts Center lobby. This year’s art show was particularly special for Miss Tanda Tucker because it marks her 25th year as the Middle School art teacher at WardlaLAartridge.
“Even after so many years, I still get excited to interact and talk with parents about their child's creativity!” Miss Tucker said.
This year, the eighth graders showed off their drawing and sculpting skills with the ribbon project and clay heroes. All year the students and Miss Tucker discuss how art can be used to communicate a message and these two projects specifically did just that: the word selected and the individual they choose as their hero are a reflection of what each eighth grade artist values.
The seventh graders studied artists Jasper Johns, Marc Chagall, Wayne Thielbald, Pablo Picasso, and Claude Monet and used their work to inspire their own creations. The sixth grade projects are all about who they are as individuals. Everything they make shares part of their personal story from the four adjectives they use to describe themselves to what they might look like if they were a fish. MIDDLE SCHOOL ART SHOW PHOTO GALLERY |
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| Middle School musicians put on a show |
Nine ensembles combined to perform nearly 90 minutes of wonderful music at last week’s Middle School Spring Concert in the Berry Performing Arts Center. The students sang and played under the direction of Mrs. Sharon Byrne, Choir Director and Performing Arts Chair, and Dr. Dana Mandell, Lower, Middle and Upper School Band Director.
Early highlights of the show included the Cantores singing Elton John’s I’m Still Standing with a piano solo by Raj Gandhi '29, the Symphonic Band’s Dragon Slayer and the Sixth Grade Choir’s rendition of You’ve Got a Friend in Me from the movie Toy Story. Other notable numbers included the Wind Ensemble’s Tambora!, the Chorale’s Pura Vida and the Jazz Band’s Blue Bossa, featuring solos by Jordan Barker ’28 (baritone saxophone), Angel Lu ’28 (trombone) and Veer Kansal ’28 (tenor saxophone).
The Vocal Ensemble performed three songs, capped by Rewrite the Stars that featured solos by Arika Shah ’29 (alto) and Aanya Chaturvedi ’29 (soprano). The Combined Choirs filled the risers for a rousing finale of Sing! Soloist Talia Levy ’29 (soprano) and rappers Jordan Barker ’28 Sofia Vidal ’29, Raymond Han ’28 and Geeta Kumar ’29 were featured in the finale. MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING CONCERT PHOTO GALLERY |
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| Seniors celebrate final day of classes |
The seniors in the Class of 2024 took another step toward their LA graduation by celebrating their final day of classes on Friday, May 17.
Student Council President Gbemi Olarewaju ’24 hosted her final Upper School meeting in the Berry Performing Arts Center. After running the meeting and offering some parting words of thanks to the Upper School student body, Gbemi transferred the power of her leadership position to incoming president Adam Eisdorfer ’25.
Moments after the meeting, seniors participated in a paper release at the Middle School stairwell. The seniors gathered old tests and assignments and dropped them from the steps in unison in a symbolic reflection of being finished with their Upper School academics. They cleaned up the mess quickly and moved on with the rest of their final day of classes.
SENIORS LAST DAY OF CLASSES PHOTO GALLERY |
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Third graders share US states projects |
States from all over our great nation were on display at last week’s Third Grade States Presentations, held in Lower Snowdon. Faculty, staff, parents and students visited the displays and learned more about many states and their customs and traditions from expert guides who were dressed to represent their state.
The assignment included a variety of components. The students were asked to construct a model depicting either a map of their state or a landmark found there in addition to completing a packet of fascinating facts about that state. Each state expert also dressed up as a famous person from his or her state, while others represented an occupation from their area. The activity was designed to enrich the class social studies unit about the United States. THIRD GRADE STATES PROJECTS PHOTO GALLERY |
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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 Joanne Ding ’24, who is excited to continue her academic journey at Brown University. Although she plans to concentrate on Applied Mathematics, Joanne will be exploring her options as the university’s Open Curriculum allows for change in the future.
“I really enjoyed the vibrant social life and the beautiful campus in Providence during my visit,” Joanne said. “They also introduced us to the Open Curriculum, which will allow me to explore my interests without being limited to a set of structured classes.”
Since joining LA as an international student in sixth grade, Joanne has gained many new friends and been introduced to diverse people, teachers and cultures, which have exposed her to different perspectives. She’s grateful for the many opportunities the school has provided.
Click here to read more about Joanne and view other college acceptance features |
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Community supports annual Ram Run |
The fifth annual Ram Run included participation from students in all three divisions on a beautiful spring afternoon on May 17. Parents joined their children in the Early Childhood and Lower School runs, while Middle and Upper School students ran on their own. Health and physical education teacher Lee Nicholls, cross country coach Rick Riepl and athletic director Mike Romeo assisted in organizing the races. Alumnus Luke Burroughs ’99 motivated and ran with the eager Lower and Middle School runners.
Participants received a Ram Run plastic water bottle from volunteers at the reception tent. Our thanks to event sponsor AE2 Learning, volunteers Shakti Jha, Kevin Kornecki, Dawn Cancryn, Saurav Sarkan, Saran Subramanian, Kristin Lambertsen, Bernadette Lambertsen, Emma Herko ’25, Taylor Green ’26 and Jayla Presley-May ’26, and to Sage Dining Services for providing snacks and beverages for the runners. RAM RUN PHOTO GALLERY |
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| Community enjoys Food Truck Festival |
The first LA Food Truck and Vendor Event started out cloudy and ended in a steady rain, but in between there were a ton of smiling faces and happy attendees. Outside the food trucks offered more than 100 different options of wonderful cuisines, delicacies and fabulous desserts. From falafel to funnel cakes and pasta to pitas, everyone left with a full stomach. Inside, more than 40 vendors displayed a wonderful array of items for purchase and offered many interactive experiences. Other highlights included a bounce house, axe throwing, face painting, balloon art, glitter tattoos and wonderful music only interrupted by the amazing talent and voices of more than 20 LA students performing karaoke.
Many alumni joined us for the day and potential new families complimented LA on hosting a “great feel good community event.” The annual 50/50 raised almost $12,000.00, while the Silent Auction added another near $12,000 to round out the evening. Congratulations to our three 50/50 Raffle winners: Cody Quaife ($4,110.75), Linda Nieporent ($1,174.50) and Rosanne Amato-Mulcahv ($587.75).
The LA Parents’ Association expressed its gratitude:
“We would like to thank all who joined us, donated their time, monetarily donated, or volunteered for the event. Without all of you, none of this would be possible. A very special thank you goes to our Event Sponsors: Chick-fil-A, the Terrell Family, and the Soni Family. Thank you also to or attraction sponsors: AE2 Learning, The LA Board of Trustees, and The Dukes Family.
FOOD TRUCK AND VENDOR EVENT PHOTO GALLERY |
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| Shiloh Sharma '28 earns NLE recognition |
Eighth-grade student Shiloh Sharma ’28 was recognized for her performance on the National Latin Exam at the Middle School Community Meeting on May 15 in the Berry Performing Arts Center. Shiloh, pictured with Mrs. Kirstin Rogers, Middle School Head, earned a certificate for Magna Cum Laude on the Beginning Latin - Latin I Exam.
According to the NLE website, “The philosophy of the National Latin Exam is predicated on providing every Latin student the opportunity to experience a sense of personal accomplishment and success in his or her study of the Latin language and culture. This opportunity exists for all students since, in the National Latin Exam, they are not competing with their fellow students on a comparative basis, but are evaluated solely on their own performance on the exam. The basic purposes of the NLE are to promote the study of Latin and to encourage the individual student.”
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| Middle School Athletes of the Week |
Mike Romeo, Athletic Director, announced the Middle School Athletes of the Week. Congratulations to track athletes Andrew Andrews ’29, Angel Chun ’28, Jaxon Diaz ’28 and Siddharth Selvaraj ’29.
Andrew ran in the final (top 6 runners) of the 100-meter dash at the Silver Spike Invitational meet with a time of 13.2 seconds. Angel has been particularly dedicated this season, attending every practice and working hard. At the GMCs last Thursday, he was the team’s fastest 100-meter runner with a time of 13.17, and came in 17th out of 50 runners.
The coaches have begun combing through old data to collect times for a record board for Middle School track and based on the research so far, it is looking like Jaxon may have the MS boys' record for the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:03.06, which he ran against Perth Amboy on April 25. Siddharth won the gold medal in the 200-meter dash at Silver Spike on May 1 with a time of 26.4 seconds.
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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 |
WHPA Appreciation Luncheon - June 6 @ 12 p.m. The LA Parents' Association invites all LA parents to the annual Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday, June 6 at 12 p.m. in the Oakwood Room.
Please RSVP via email to parents@WHschool.org by June 1.
We hope to see you there! |
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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 22, 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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