Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 Volume 31, number 9 From the Principal May T June – Laura Lasa, Principal Dear Parents and Guardians, he year is winding up before it winds down, with a large number of activities and events occurring in May and June. I am enjoying a variety of athletic contests, musical performances, and recognition ceremonies that remind me we have a large number of committed and talented students at the high school. Amid these late afternoon and evening events, there is the hustle of the school day where I also have the opportunity to observe and/or talk with students who quietly go about their business, also accomplishing great things that simply are not as public as scheduled games and performances. One experience or the other does not rise to the surface for me; each circumstance is an opportunity for me to connect with your children and learn about their interests and dreams. I deeply appreciate the honor of knowing and working with your children. This is the season of endings and beginnings. Each student is completing one grade level and moving on to another after the summer months. Please encourage your child to reflect on the year in a positive way: ask them what has gone well and what they hope will happen again. In doing so, you may learn something you did not know and your child will begin to focus on positive aspects of his or her life. In today’s fastpaced world, adolescents often feel as though they never do anything well, or they are not “good enough” for the standards of the world. Help them to slow down and reflect. There is always something that has gone well, even if it is a small, hidden nugget. If your child feels as though he or she did not have a positive experience, nudge them toward their counselor, Dean, Continued on page 2 Friday Saturday 29 30 Improv Troupe Show, Blackbox, 7:30pm Sophomore Cruise, 6-10:30pm Monday 1 Blue & Golden Globes French Film Festival, all day 1 Monday Recital-Senior Gala, 7:30 pm Tuesday2 9:30 am-2:25pm MCAS Biology Delayed Opening (9-11-12) 2 Senior Awards Night, aud, 6:30pm [Seniors being awarded local scholarships and their families will receive invitations to this end-of-year celebration.] Wednesday3 9:30 am-2:25pm MCAS Biology Delayed Opening (9-11-12) 3 Cap & Gown Distribution-Deans’ Offices, 9-10:15am and 1:30-3pm 3 ANGP ticket sales-Main Lobby, 9:30 10:30am 3 Mandatory Senior Graduation Rehearsal, 10:30-12pm 3 Senior BBQ-Quad, 12-1:30 pm; ANGP ticket for sale 3 Junior Book Awards, 6:30-9pm, Cms.II 3 LHS Film Festival, 6:30pm, The Venue Thursday 4 Senior Prom-Danversport Yacht Club Friday5 Swing Night, Fiske, 7:30pm, $10,$5 [see p.6] Saturday 6 SATs (at LHS) 6 Spring A Cappella Jamboree, aud, 7:30pm, $10 ($5 for students & seniors) Sunday7 LHS Graduation, Tsongas Arena, Lowell; concert at 12:30, ceremony at 2 pm 7 All-Night Graduation Party, Field House, 10pm-5am; tickets sold prior to event Monday 8 Portal open for Senior report cards-June 11 Wednesday 10 Fall Student Athlete & Parent mtg, 6-8pm, aud, Commons I & II 11 PTSA hosted 8th-grade parent step-up night. SciLecHall, 7-8:30pm Thursday 11 Improv Troupe Show, Blackbox, 7:30pm Mon-Tues 15-16 Review days Wednesday 17 am-Englilsh final; pm Social Studies final Thursday 18 am-Math final; pm-World Language Friday 19 am-Science final; pm-make up exams Monday 22 35-minute classes, 25 min.homeroom, 50 min.lunch. Tuesday 23 Final day of school;1/2 day for students. Full day for staff. 8 Continued on page 6 The calendar was compiled in late May and events are subject to change. Call the department involved for up-to-date information or go to <http://lps.lexingtonma. org/Page/10 >. Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 From the Principal continued from page 1 a teacher, or another adult at school who will be able to reinforce positive aspects of their experience with your child. Quite often, how we end an experience in life will determine how we will begin the next journey. I wish all of our students a restful summer. I know it is not always easy to ensure productivity and relaxation with adolescents––balance is the key. If your child’s year was a bit slow and motivation is lacking, keep him or her moving and busy; if your child’s year was packed with academics and extracurricular activities, scale back his or her urge to always be doing something. The need to recharge is real and important before returning to LHS or moving on to postgraduation life. I wish all parents/guardians time with your children to talk, be silly, have fun, or to just be in peaceful moments. Best Wishes, Laura Lasa Principal PHONE NUMBERS REFERENCE Principal Laura Lasa......861-2320, ext. 69103 Assoc. Principal John Murray.......................... .......................................861-2320, ext. 69102 Dean Nicole Canniff......861-2320, ext. 69332 Dean Kate Hermon........861-2320, ext. 69530 Dean Scott Kmack......... 861-2320, ext. 69111 Dean Jaffrie Perrotti.......861-2320, ext. 69720 For attendance, call the appropriate administrator for your child before 9:30 am on the day of the absence. LHS homepage: http://lps.lexingtonma.org/lexingtonhs a r! e e v m a H t sum grea PTSA website...http://lhsptsa.org/ School Committee email: [email protected] The Lexington High School Newsletter Editor Jean Cole email: [email protected] Newsletter Policy The Newsletter will print items directly related to the schools and their PTAs. This includes curricular, cocurricular, and extracurricular activities which are PTSA- or system-supported, and school-sanctioned projects. All articles are subject to editorial discretion. Next deadline: Friday, August 14, 2015 2 Lexington High School Newsletter PTSA News June 2015 Visit our website: www.LHSPTSA.org With Thanks and Gratitude from the Co-Presidents A s we wind down another exciting academic year at LHS, we would like to reflect back on the PTSAsponsored events and programs and thank the many people whose contributions helped make the year a huge success. The PTSA couldn’t operate without the help of so many parents. We extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your time and effort. No matter the amount of time donated, large or small, the LHS students, families and staff benefit. Know that your contributions continue to make the PTSA a strong and well-run organization. want to thank parents and students for attending these valuable meetings. Membership and Directory Team - Huge thanks to the team of Shirley Go and Jeanne Hobbs for once again navigating us through the membership and directory-building process. Both Shirley and Jeanne have been helping out for many years and we greatly appreciate the countless hours you spent behind the scenes each and every year. We will miss you in the fall! We’d like to recognize some individuals who had key roles in the PTSA this past year. Thank you to our fabulous Executive Board who worked diligently throughout the year to ensure that all the PTSA-sponsored events, programs and activities ran smoothly. Thank you to: Beth Briggs, Shubhra Chandra, Katie Cutler, Jenny Richlin, Deb Rourke, and Dawn Rusnak. We are sad to say “goodbye” to Dawn who is moving to North Carolina. We wish Dawn and her family all the best in this new chapter of their lives. We’ll miss you! Hospitality Co-Chairs - The teachers and staff look Communications Team - Communication is critical Nominating Committee - A huge thank you to our I also want to thank my amazing Co-President, Jennifer Vogelzang, for her incredible leadership, hardwork and commitment to the LHS community. It was my great pleasure to work with her and learn from her. We will miss her now that her seniors are graduating, but look forward to her return. to the success of the PTSA and we want to recognize the individuals responsible for making sure we are all aware of upcoming events and LHS news. Thanks to Dawn Rusnak, our Vice President of Communication, who ensured the most up-to-date information appeared in the weekly listserv announcements and maintained and updated the PTSA website. Thank you to Polly Kienle, our fabulous listserv administrator. And we want to recognize Jean Cole, our newsletter editor, who creates nine fantastic newsletters each year.Thank you, Jean. Forums Co-Chairs - Thank you to Laurie Buchta, Isabelle Feyfant, and Leslie Forg, our Forums Co-Chairs, for carefully planning the events, scheduling space, and recruiting speakers for the five PTSA-sponsored forums. We also appreciate the presenters and speakers who graciously donated their time to help make the forums a success and forward to the wonderful PTSA Staff Appreciation Lunch each fall and spring. Thank you to Co-Chairs Karen Kristin and Rima Pande for coordinating and executing the events and to all the parents who donated the delicious food and volunteered to set up and serve. The committee also organizes volunteers, food, drinks and decorations for the Sophomore Cruise Reception, the Junior and Senior Prom Receptions, the Junior Book Awards and the Senior Awards. Grant Review Committee - This year the PTSA was able to award over $6,000 in grant money to fund ten LHS staff and department projects. Thank you to those on the Grant Review Committee, including Co-Chairs Sarah Kaufman and Ellie Muter, and members Ilene Benghiat, June Hsiao and Deb Rourke for thoughtful deliberation and hard work. [see p.11] 2015 Nominating Committee members Shubhra Chandra, Jen Vogelzang and Ying Zhang who worked together this spring to ensure that we have an outstanding PTSA leadership team in place for the next school year. In addition to helping fill committee chair positions, the nominating team presented a full slate of officer candidates to the PTSA members who voted at the PTSA Meeting and Forum on May 20. Please see the results of the election elsewhere in this newsletter. [see p.8] Landscape Committee - Thanks to Pat Moyer and her energetic Landscape Committee who not only keep the LHS campus looking beautiful all year round but help with summer employment of LHS students. Have a great summer! – Jen Vogelzang & Kara Brandes LHS/PTSA Co-Presidents 3 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 PTSA News Congratulations to LHS/PTSA Officers for 2015-2016! Congratulations to the Executive Board voted in by the general membership at the PTSA meeting held on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. We are grateful to these individuals for volunteering their time on behalf of our children and the school community. 2015-2016 LHS PTSA Executive Board Co-Presidents: Kara Brandes and Kathleen Lenihan Vice-Presidents: S hubhra Chandra, Katie Cutler, Leslie Forg, and Deb Rourke Treasurer: Beth Briggs Secretary (Executive): Jenny Richlin Secretary (Recording): Kristin La Fond Economics Students Move On C ongratulations to David Wu, Raymond Gong, Megan Logan, Ilise Martel, and Soumya Ram on reaching the National Economics Challenge Final Round. The team will travel to NY City this weekend to compete against Carmel High School from Indiana, The Harker School from California, and Mounds View High School from Minnesota for the title of National Economics Champions. The competition is co-hosted by the National Council on Economic Education and the NY FED. There is a Facebook page for the competition <https://www.facebook.com/councilforeconed/ app_364132957030396> and the homepage for the competition is <http://www.councilforeconed.org/programs-2/ national-economics-challenge/>. Congratulations to these students on their accomplishments which they pursued and achieved completely through their own efforts. – Bill Cole, Rachel LeComte, Ed Unger Congratulations to the New LHS School Council Members Sharon Kendall and Elise Niiler Rowley! The LHS/PTSA recently held a vote for two new parent volunteers to serve on the LHS Site-based School Council, a group comprising LHS parents, faculty, principal, students and Lexington community members. The purpose of the Council is to work collaboratively to develop school improvement plans consistent with systemwide goals and student performance standards set by the Massachusetts Board of Education. Council members plan ways to meet the diverse learning needs of students, establish a school climate of tolerance and respect for every individual, involve parents in the life of the school, impact safety and discipline, enhance extracurricular activities and more. On behalf of the School Council, the LHS/PTSA Board is pleased to announce the new members of the Council, serving three-year terms, starting in the 2015-2016 school year are Sharon Kendall and Elise Niiler Rowley. The LHS PTSA Board and the School Council are grateful to each of the five candidates for their willingness to serve the LHS community and appreciate the parents who participated in the vote. The School Council looks forward to welcoming Sharon and Elise as Council members. Left: Raymond Gong, David Wu, Soumya Ram, Faculty Advisor Bill Cole, Ilise Martel. Megan Logan was on the team through the season but had to withdraw for the final round due to a time conflict so Ilise took her spot. 4 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 Performing Arts Department Jazz Ensemble Third in Essentially Ellington Festival Please join me in congratulating the Lexington High School Jazz Ensemble for their third-place finish at this year’s Essentially Ellington Festival in New York City! This is the highest finish in the school’s 18-year involvement in the program, and we were the only public high school to finish in the top three. We were also honored with the best rhythm section award, outstanding brass section, and six soloist awards. Please congratulate all of the band members when you seen them! (Solo award winners are marked with a *) Reeds Tevin Li* Hersh Gupta* Ben Martell Akshay Delity* Chris Morse Sam Schultz Trombones Jeff Buchanan Michelle Chong Ed Tomic Trumpets Dan Katz Arthru Abbate Derek Schneider Matt Khudari & Awards Bass/DiDomenico Scholarship......... Joseph Blumberg Donald J. Gillespie Award.............................Ryan Lee Ellalou Dimmock Award................... Sophia Campbell Lexington Symphony Award......................... David Tu Lexington Music Club.......................Noah Harrington Lexington Music Club....................................Brian Nam Lexington Music School............Charlotte Wong Labow Sahana Shrinivasan - vocals* Lexington Music School........................ Charlie Coburn Sean Kim - piano* Ji Min Ko - guitar Noah Harrington - bass* Brian Nam - drums Sandra L. Davies Unsung Hero Award......... Nicole Evans – Pat Donaher Jazz Instructor LHS Film Festival June 3 at 6:30 PM 3 June Annual Music Department Sandra L. Davies Unsung Hero Award..... Naomi Wharton Spring A Cappella Jamboree Saturday, June 6 7:30 pm in the Gillespie Auditorium $5 for Seniors and Students, $10 for Adults (at the Venue) Tickets may be purchased at the door. 5 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 Performing Arts Department Coming Soon Friday, May 29 Improv Troupe Blackbox at 7:30 pm 8 Monday, June 1 Monday Recital - Senior gala 7:30 pm 8 Wednesday, June 3 Film Festival - at The Venue 6:30 pm 8 Friday, June 5 Swing Night $10/$5 7:30 pm 8 Saturday, June 6 Spring A Cappella Jamboree $10/$5 LHS Auditorium at 7:30 pm Final Drama of Social Issues Performance for the Year Calendar Continued The fourth quarter Drama of Social Issues performance took place on Friday, May 22nd. There was one performance during G block and a second performance during H block. For this show, the DSI class chose to explore discrimination. The class created a frame for the show in which the main character, a company boss, discriminates against anyone he sees as different from himself. After showing the character discriminating against his employees, the performance follows the main character through a dream world that is switched or unconventional in terms of discrimination. For example, those with disabilities are seen as more skilled and powerful than those without At the end of the show, the main character has learned how absurd and cruel his behavior has been. He apologizes and makes amends. August Monday Thursday 24 Football starts 27All other sports start September Tuesday 1 Full day grade 9 students Wednesday 2 All students Thursday 3 Full day Friday 4 Schools Closed, offices open Monday 7 NO SCHOOL. Holiday _____________________ For Athletics schedules, visit http://lps.lexingtonma.org/domain/657 6 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 Visual Arts Department The third annual LHS Lexicon was held in Commons 2, and was very successful. We had over 100 attendees and over 30 student artists exhibiting and selling their work. We had a huge range of artwork on display, from traditional watercolor to digital art, origami to custom made stuffed animals and tesselations. Thanks go to Brittney Carbone, our long-term substitute who organized this years event in Cara Bean’s absence. Congratulations to Ms. Carbone and Illustration club students! –Sean Hagan, Visual Arts Coordinator 7 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 PTSA Forum - May 20, 2015 PTSA Meeting and Forum Minutes Motion to Elect PTSA Officers • Jen Vogelzang, PTSA Co-President, asked for a motion to elect the 2015-2016 PTSA officers. • The motion was granted. • The officers were elected by a voice vote with all in favor. • Jen explained that even though the PTSA is transitioning to a PTO for the 2015-2016 school year, it was necessary to elect the officers as PTSA officers in case the PTO articles of organization are delayed beyond the June 30 deadline. This will enable the organization to run seamlessly through the transition. Motion to Vote PTSA Budget for 2015-2016 School Year • Jen Vogelzang asked for a motion to vote the PTSA budget for next year. (Once the transition to a PTO has been made and the organization is declared tax exempt, the assets and budget will be moved to the PTO.) • The motion was granted. • Beth Briggs, treasurer, discussed the highlights of the 2015-2016 budget and how the increased funds that will result from not having to pay PTA national dues will be spent. • The budget was unanimously approved by a voice vote. been realized. Some teachers have opted to leave the grade book open throughout the semester instead of just the mid-point and end of semester, which is a positive trend. • The iPad pilot and technology infrastructure generated some questions. John explained that a lot of money has been dedicated in the budget for infrastructure upgrades. The iPad pilot for sophomores appears to be working well. Approximately 80 students were given iPads to use at school and at home for their core classes. The biology teachers have an online textbook. The ninth graders have six carts of iPads that are shared in the classroom. Students are being taught to use Google Drive and Google Apps for Education. Next year’s pilot will expand to include a blended learning model for English and history classes. Gifts/Acknowledgements • The PTSA recognized Laura and John for their hard work on behalf of the faculty and students throughout the year with gifts. • The PTSA recognized outgoing PTSA Co-President, Jen Vogelzang, for her commitment and contributions to the PTSA over the past several years. She will be greatly missed. Q & A with Laura Lasa and John Murray • Laura responded to questions about AP exam proctoring with information provided by the College Board. • Laura explained ‘Senior Opt.’ It is an option open only to seniors to opt-out of a cluster requirement in order to take an extra class in another subject. Typically only about 20 students take advantage of this option and it is used primarily by students who are taking classes at LHS and Minuteman in their senior year. • In response to a question about Debate, Laura explained that not all ninth graders will have the opportunity to take it. It depends on the number of sections offered as well as each student’s schedule. Novice debate is open to tenth graders, so if a ninth grader is not able to fit it in their schedule, they can take it the following year if they wish. For students who would like to learn debate in a less rigorous format, there is an after school debate club. • The open grade book appears to be well received. Fears that students and parents would overuse it have not 8 Lexington High School Newsletter Community Education In addition to our Children’s Program for Academic and Creative Enrichment, Lexplorations, Lexington Community Education offers several classes for high school students this summer. There is no residency requirement to attend a class this summer. Lexington Community Education is offering Summer SAT PREP in Writing, English and Math. Students can prepare for the SAT exams and review the critical components of the test. Each subject is taught by an experienced LHS teacher. Students receive individual attention as needed. Register early as enrollment is limited. Please purchase The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd Edition, before the first class date. For the English Preparation class please also purchase Word Power by Meg Schneider, ISBN 0-74324115-0. WRITING with Karen Mechem - 4 meetings, June 29, 30, July 1, 2 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., LHS Room 240, $195. ENGLISH with Karen Mechem - 5 meetings, July 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 from 9-11:30 a.m., LHS Room 240, $195. MATH with Laura Sheppard-Brick - 5 meetings, July 13,14, 15, 16, 17 from 9-11:30 a.m., LHS Room 240, $195. Pre-registration is required. Please call LC E (781-8628043) to register using a MasterCard or VISA. _______________ Lexington Community Education is pleased to offer Accelerated Driver Education this summer with CS Driving School of Waltham. The EARLY JULY INTENSIVE CLASS will meet from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Lexington High School in Room 244 on: Monday, July 6 Tuesday, July 7 Wednesday, July 8 Thursday, July 9 Friday, July 10 The cost of this class will be $550.00. The LATE JULY INTENSIVE CLASS will meet 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Lexington High School in Room 240 on: Monday, July 27 Tuesday, July 28 Wednesday, July 29 Thursday, July 30 Friday, July 31 The cost of this class will be $550.00. The cost of the Driver Ed program includes 30 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours behind-the-wheel instruction, six hours in-car observation, and the two hour parent class (to be held at the Driving School in Waltham). June 2015 Registration forms can be printed from the Lexington Community Education website:<http://lexingtoncommunityed. org/forms/CS_Driving_Enrollment_Form_20150505.pdf> Completed applications can be mailed, faxed or delivered to the Lexington Community Education office at 146 Maple St. _____________ FOUNDATIONAL CHEMISTRY Taught by Michael Horesh, LHS Chemistry Teacher This summer Lexplorations is delighted to offer a Foundational Chemistry course for students entering 11th grade in September 2015. This is a Lexplorations course and requires a Lexplorations registration form which can be downloaded from our website <www.lexingtoncommunityed.org>. This course is designed to assist juniors entering all levels of chemistry with applying mathematical principles in the context of chemistry, and equip them with skills and strategies to avoid common pitfalls. We will foster a strong foundation in applied algebra and principles of chemistry as well as strong inquiry and problem solving skills within the context of scientific understanding. Topics include dimensional analysis, atomic structure, periodic trends, chemical bonding, formula writing and chemical naming, chemical equilibria, stoichiometry, etc. Classes include daily laboratory activities to complement instruction, techniques for data collection and analysis and problem-solving activities based on experimental data. Two separate weeks are available. Content is the same both weeks: July 20-July 24 $285 To be held at LHS July 27-July 31 $285 To be held at LHS ____________________ Earn Community Service Credit with Lexington Community Education High School students, entering sophomore, junior or senior year in September, may earn COMMUNITY SERVICE CREDIT this summer as aides in the summer Lexplorations program. The program runs for five weeks from June 29 through July 31. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers must commit to a minimum of one full week. The majority of classes will be held at Harrington Elementary School and a small number of classes will be held at LHS. We especially need aides at the Harrington School location. If you are interested in volunteering, please stop by the Lexington Community Education office in Room 142 at LHS (after 4 p.m.) or download the application <www.lexingtoncommunityed. org>. Please note that the application is two pages. Questions? Please call LCE (781-862-8043). ______________ www.lexingtoncommunityed.org 781-862-8043. 9 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 Nursing Office “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” ~ Gandhi Senior Health Records Congratulations to all seniors! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors! Prior to graduation in June, seniors will receive their health records and their cumulative folders from their building administrator. The health record contains all medical documents received by the school nurse while the student was enrolled in the district. This original record will be in a manila envelope with the student’s name on it. Please keep the health record in a safe place after graduation as the district DOES NOT keep a copy of these records. To Parents of current 8th-Grade Students Welcome to the Class of 2019! What an exciting time of the year for you and your family as you “step up” to Lexington High School. We are looking forward to meeting you and your family. The Department of Public Health regulations recommend all children be seen by their primary care provider at least every three years. In Lexington, we meet this requirement by asking all incoming ninth-grade students to submit a current Physical Examination (PE). You may mail, fax, or drop the PE off at the nurse’s office at the High School. We are able to accept a physical dated no earlier than September 1, 2014. You do not need to provide a copy of the physical if you have already submitted it to the middle school nurse and it was dated September 1, 2014 or later. Please note that FALL SPORTS begin in late August. Your child will not be able to participate in after-school sports programs without a current physical. For sports, a current PE is good for 365 days plus a 30-day grace period. For example, if your child had a PE on 10-2-2014, it is valid until 11-2-2015. Your child’s physical must be dated no later than August 20, 2014 to participate in fall 2015 after-school sports or intramural programs. End-of-Year Medication News Please have your child pick up any medications he/she may have in the nurse’s office by Monday, June 22. All remaining medications, including over-the-counter medications, will be discarded after that date. Before school is out for the summer, all parents of returning students with life-threatening allergies will receive a packet in the mail that must be completed by the students’ health care provider. These packets must be completed and turned into the LHS nurse’s office during the first week of school in the fall. Medication Guidelines for Upcoming School Year 1. New medication permission forms and the medication in its prescription bottle must be turned in to the nurse’s office during the first week of the 2015-2016 school year. Students taking medications, other than acetaminophen and ibuprofen, must submit a medication permission form which has been completed and signed by the student’s health provider and parent/ guardian. The medication must be provided in its original prescription bottle or over-the-counter container. 2. For short-term medications such as antibiotics, the prescription bottle with the pharmacy label can be accepted as the provider’s medication permission form. A written signature approving the administration of the medication is, however, required from the student’s parent/guardian. 3. At the High School, acetaminophen and ibuprofen are available in the nurse’s office and can be given to a student on a one-time basis with verbal permission from the student’s parent/guardian. Subsequent administration of these medications, however, requires a signed parent/guardian permission form. These permission forms can be obtained from the LPS website under “schools” and then “forms and publications” or from the nurse’s office. 4. Students needing Epipens or asthma inhalers may carry them on their person, with the school nurse’s permission, as long as a written permission form signed by the student’s health provider and parent/guardian is on file in the nurse’s clinic. Summer Office Hours The nursing office will be closed for the summer and reopen for limited hours at the end of August. Should you have any questions about your student, please feel free to contact us at that time. All health forms, including medication permission forms, are available online at the LPS website. Have a fun, relaxing, and safe summer! Janet Foley, RN x69913 Susan Kaftan, RN x69919 Kristi Burns, RN x69918 Phone: 781-861-2320 Confidential Fax: 781-861-2611 10 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 PTSA News 2014-2015 PTSA Grant Awards E The Grants committee is pleased to announce that $6,077.47 was awarded this year for ten projects. For the 2014-2015 school year, the PTSA Grant Review Committee has awarded grants to the following LHS faculty members and Departments: handed down by siblings. The newer models handle large data sets and statistical programs that the older models don’t support. Students are able to analyze data and create quick visual representations of the data, allowing students to focus on interpreting results, rather than getting bogged down in a complicated calculation. • Laura Sheppard Brick: Funding was provided for the purchase of “Puzzles for Probability” project activity. The activity will encourage students to think about puzzle arrangement and probability while answering the question, “How many ways can you arrange this puzzle?” English Physical Education ach year, the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) awards Lexington High School educators grants to enhance the education of LHS students. These grants are funded by PTSA membership fees and directed parent donations. • Karen Russell: Funding was awarded for a third year Harvard Philosophy student and Harvard Fellow to teach three sophomore classes in argument construction for the purpose of improving students writing of analytic essays. • Chelsea Baum: Funding was awarded for the purchase of 25 bungee chairs that would offer students a change in seating within an innovative classroom setting. • Kristen Bellows: Funding was awarded for participation in summer course entitled, “Teaching the Text: Summer Institute by Teachers As Scholars.” The course will assist the teacher in the instruction of a variety of texts that connect to contemporary life’s issues. The teacher hopes to engage students in thinking while reading about connections of their lives to the texts they are reading. Mathematics • Chris Doucette, Veronica Solomon: Funding was awarded for the purchase of 12 of the latestmodel graphing calculators (TI84 Plus). Six will be used in the learning center for students needing academic support in mathematics. The other six will be used in statistics and math 3 classes by students who have older models • Eamonn Sheehan: Funding was awarded for the replacement of TV monitor and Blu-ray player for the physical education center at LHS. All six physical education teachers will use the equipment during class to enhance their teaching and student learning practice. The TV will be used for educational videos. Special Education • Eileen Hirsh, Christine Stueve: Funding was awarded for the purchase of resources of relevant materials for the Intensive Learning Program’s library. A number of teachers will have access to the resources for many students. • Kate Dobbins: Funding was awarded for the purchase of ten bungee chairs that would offer students a change in seating within an innovative classroom setting. World Languages • Lili Pan, JieyingYao: Funding was awarded for a Chinese Calligraphy Workshop for all the students taking Mandarin. The workshop serves to expand the cultural component of the class. 11 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 National Honor Society Congratulations Class of 2015 National Honor Society Members F rom donating their blood, to volunteering with Special Olympics, to performing in a schoolwide talent show in order to raise money for charity, the following seniors have gone above and beyond. Each National Honor Society member has contributed around 40 hours of community service, in addition to school-mandated hours, by participating in a variety of meaningful service projects to give back to their community. These students were chosen based on their excellence in scholarship, leadership qualities, dedication to community service, and character. The Lexington High School chapter of National Honor Society congratulates all the NHS members of the graduating class of 2015! Daniel Alessandro Kevin Antonevich Ashvin Antony George-Alexander Attia Adrian Ayala Julie Ballo Lisa Ben-Horin Caroline Berger Meredith Bernstein Vineetha Bheemarasetty Joseph Blumberg Lillian Bokun Tolga Bozkaya Paul Breitenfeld Noah Brown John Caples Caroline Carter Emma Caruso Meenakshi Chakraborty Katherine Chen Colin Chiakpo Emily Chuang Lyla Connolly Mark Cui Inuka De Silva Heather Decker Akshay Delity John Deschler Olivia Dickson Jessica Dimmock Shai Dinnar Muhammad Eltahir Ethan Embry Nicole Evans Jiayuan Fei Gideon Feifke Matthew Foley Caroline Forlenza Rachel Foster Teresa Gillis Noah Golowich Gillian Goolkasian Shinichi Gupta Sarah Hahn-Du Pont Serena Hajjar Gabriel Halperin-Goldstein Xianyi Han Elan Harris Tyler Healy Michael Heyang Michelle Heyang Kate Hogan Emma Houston Eric Hsu Samuel Huang Namika Igarashi Bridgit Ingwersen Claire Jackan Benjamin Jacobson Jessica Jameyson Woojin Kang Mayukha Karnam Daniel Katz Madison Keohane Jungwan Kim Daehyun Kim Jae Kim Daniel Kim Mia Kobs Nikhil Krishnan Isha Laad Rebecca Lane Anna Lang Lucy Lang Jackson Lang Jueun Lee Serena Lehman Marissa Lerner Charles Li Matthew Liberman Hannah Lienhard Cheng Guan Lim Amanda Lin Megan Logan Stephanie Lukez Serena Luo Shirley Ma Andrea Mael Sara Mael Anna Manevich Olivia Manickas-Hill Ilise Martel Benjamin Martell Zoe Meadow Jennifer Mitchell Samuel Monzillo Gideon Moore Amy Morrisett Abigail Mulligan Alexander Nehrbass Aleksandar Ojdrovic Carmelia Ong Tessa ORourke Alamor Ortiz Aylin Padir Chloe Phelps Jhansi Potluri Sneha Rao Hannah Redmon Matthew Reynolds Mei Rockwell-Postel Mark Rosenberg Sonia Rowley Vanessa Savage Helen Schmidt Timothy Schoch Jen Sebell Alexander Sekula Daniel Seong Jordan Silverman Lorena Sistig Jade Smith Rachel Sokolov Sahana Srinivasan Shohini Stout Claudia Sun Tyler Sym Emily Tan Samuel Tate Valerie Tomic Henry Troop Sylvia van der Weide Noah Virgile Grace Vogelzang Jayne Vogelzang Harvey Wang Owen Warren Naomi Wharton James Wheaton Daniel Wisner Charlotte Wong Labow David Wu Chris Yam Dominic Yared James Yu Yuan Yuan Victor Zhang Amy Zheng Kevin Zhu – Dr. Parul Kumar Advisor, Lexington Chapter of National Honor Society Lexington High School 12 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 Student Elections Results School Committee Representative Abby Schwartz School Council Representative Alex McLaughlin ’18 Board of Appeals Class of 2016 Mandy Quan Student-Faculty Senate Class of 2016 Andrew Wang Andy Quan Chao Zheng Li Elise Pfrommer Hayley Gambone Isaac Kase Isabel Royer Joshua Kim Robert Zedros Ryan Lee Class of 2017 Alfred Joseph Allen Xu Caleb Ng Christi Lee Courtney Zang Marertu Girma Sophia Zhang Vanessa Zhang Vivek Gopalakrishnan William Tang Class of 2018 Adam Winter Azalea Yunus Cynthia Chen Derik Kauffman Dimitri Psyhojos Emily Berman Jeongwook Yi Nikki Kim Richie McNamara Vivek Bhupatiraju Yooni Park Class of 2017 Colin Cantwell Class of 2018 TBD The Senate has elected its Executive Committee for next year: Moderator Ryan M. Lee, Class of 2016 Assistant Moderator Laura Sheppard-Brick, Math Dept. Secretary Andrew Wang, Class of 2016 Parliamentarian Joshua Kim, Class of 2016 Class Council Class of 2016 Aleesha Ye Andrea Michelson Ayaka Miyamoto Elise Madigan Grace Wu Isabel Royer Jack Yang Janaki Nair Jessie Foley Jocelyn Shiue Karina Wen Lauren Sacco Lilly Ryll Maddy Allen Megan Lepore Savannah Dziadzio Class of 2017 Alex Lerner Ally Aquilina-Piscitello Anthony Wong Audrey Zhu Brenda Makumbi Brooke Medley Charley Zhao Christina Berger Kassie Zavaliagkos Lily Arslanian Maggie Zhang Maia Boni Natalie DeCoste Ruth Zheng Stephanie Lan Zhou Whitney Hodge Class of 2018 Adi Geva Diya Antony Douglas Amirault Emily Lo Hanna Tuomi Irina Costache Jennifer Lo Michael Yang Mona Tavangar Nikki Reznichenko Olivia Kormos Raissa Li Sarah Zhitnik Stephanie Park Suhas Suddala Yooni Park Technology Board Class of 2016 Clifford Chen Andrew Quan Jocelyn Shiue Class of 2017 Evan McCarty Rory Schadler Class of 2018 Aditi Agarwal Alex Banks President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Class of 2016 Class of 2016 Class of 2016 Class of 2016 Class of 2017 Class of 2017 Class of 2017 Class of 2017 Class of 2018 Class of 2018 Class of 2018 Class of 2018 Rohen Sundaram Jongtae Jeon Devin Wells Lucy McNeil Emily Zhang Allen Cui Becca Xu Meaghan Scotti Logan Wells Emily Zitkovsky Eric Rubenstein Nicholas Newton-Cheh 13 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 Science Department Lexington Science Bowl Team Places 5th in the Nation T he Lexington High School Science Bowl team had another awesome showing at the 25th Department of Energy National Science Bowl this year. LHS students placed fifth in the country behind Mira Loma (first), Thomas Jefferson (second), EOS Smith (third) and Arcadia (fourth). In the past eight years, our LHS has finished first (2012), second (2009), third (2013), fifth (2015), and seventh (2008), ninth (2011) and 13th (2010), attaining the second highest average placement over that time period next to Mira Loma, the winner of four out of the past six bowls. The Science Bowl was founded in 1991 by the Department of Energy in an effort to encourage students to pursue Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. It is a jeopardy-like buzzer competition in which four students compete in two rounds of intense questions and answers in Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Physics, Mathematics and Energy. Sixty-nine regional winners from across the country converge on Washington, D.C. at the end of April every year to attend science seminars, tour the monuments, make friends, and ultimately test their wits and endurance in one of the most fast-paced, intense academic competitions in the country. The competition consists of a round robin in which each of the 69 teams is broken into eight divisions who then play each other once. The top two teams from each division then move on to a 16 team double elimination. We were 7-1 in the round robin competition before advancing to the double elimination bracket. We won the first two games in double elimination, and then we played Mira Loma, the team that has won the bowl every year since we did in 2012. We were close behind Mira Loma most of the match, Subscribing to the LHS/PTSA Listserv The listserv is simply the electronic mailing list of LHS parents who want to receive updates about school activities. Parents are not automatically included on the listserv. To sign up go to the LHS/PTSA website <www.LHSPTSA. org>. Click on the “LHS PTSA Listerv” tab located along the top header and follow the directions. We strongly encourage the parents of all LHS students to sign up for this communication service. It’s one of the best ways to keep informed about what is happening at LHS. but ended up falling to the one-loss bracket as they took the game. We then played our friends from the Northeast Regional Bowl, EOS Smith, and lost by one question being eliminated from the competition. In addition to doing well in the bowl, the students showed great sportsmanship, made lots of friends, and just had a ton of fun over the weekend. They organized practice rounds in the lounges with ten other teams from across the country Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, played pool and air hockey whenever possible and played and epic game of Ultimate with their friends from North Hollywood High School on the mall while touring the Smithsonian Museums. We think they probably added more friends to their facebook pages in three days that we have in the past three years! The team members are Henry Li (Senior), Eric Hsu (Senior), Jueun Lee (Senior), Alan Qiu (Senior) and Catherine Wang (Sophomore). Please congratulate them when you have a chance. The A team had lots of help from 20 other hardworking science bowl team members who are steadily improving their knowledge base as they build upon their passion for science in the coming years and work towards advancing to the national bowl. Specific thanks to Parul Kumar, who helped teach the team members Organic Chemistry. In addition, thanks to all Science Department members who taught any of these students during their time at LHS and inspired them to pursue their passion for science. No better lesson can be taught that this one. All the best, Nick Gould and Bob Pohlman LPS School Committee Information For information and updates on the LPS School Committee, please go to their website <http://lps.lexingtonma.org/ Page/463>. For copies of the LPS School Committee Minutes and Agendas, please go to: <http://lps.lexingtonma.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=1220>. And to view past School Committee meetings, please go to LexMedia <www.lexmedia.org>. 14 Lexington High School Newsletter June 2015 Science Department Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair On May 1 and 2 a group of LHS student scientists and engineers presented their research findings at the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair. Please join us in congratulating the following students for outstanding achievement in that setting: 1st PLACE............................... Emily Zhang................................ The Causation of Glitches in Pulsars 1st PLACE............................... Linnea Warburton........................ Measuring the Spread of Invasive Plants by Drone 1st PLACE............................... Pranav Gandham, Zahin Ahmed, B harat Srirangam.............The Prevention of Fluorosis through the Use of Metal Oxides 2nd PLACE.............................. Achal Srinivasan, Harrison Liu... Spreading: A Comprehensive Analysis of Speed Reading 2nd PLACE.............................. David Amirault............................ Facial Recognition Application for Alzheimer’s Patients 2nd PLACE.............................. Danny Lu, Michael Yang............. Applications of Robotic Manipulators with Novel Control Mechanisms 2nd PLACE.............................. Charles Li, Ashvin Antony.......... Malaria’s Potential Achilles Heel?: Wolbachia’s Transmission Tendencies 2nd PLACE.............................. Kevin Le and Manu Meel............ The Effects of Nematoda on Mycobacteria Smegmatis 3rd PLACE.............................. Aiyappa Kodendera..................... Autonomous Efficient Locomotion Over Rough Terrain HONORABLE MENTION..... Lalita Devadas............................. Modeling Gene Expression Using Chromatin Features HONORABLE MENTION..... Richard Huang, Devin Shang...... Phylogeny of the Current Outbreak of EBOV Ebolavirus in Western Africa – Jacalyn Crowe, Ph.D. Science Department Head The All-Night Graduation Party Needs You! W e’re down to the wire, and the All-Night Graduation Party (ANGP) needs your help. Plans for the event are set, now we need volunteers from the community to make it all happen. There are more than 80 spots left to fill beginning Thursday, June 4 through Monday, June 8. Grab some friends and check out <http://tinyurl.com/LHSANGP2015>. Parents of Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors––This is your chance to pay it forward. Senior parents are not allowed into the party, so we need you to chaperon, help with food and make sure the party is perfect. Jobs are fun and shifts are short. One day, in the not too distant future, your student will be able to enjoy their ANGP because of generous volunteers like you. 5 1 0 2 ne 7, Ju Parents of Seniors––Grab your friends and help us to set up the party; shifts are available Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Then on Monday morning, join us after your newest LHS alumni are safely home in bed, and celebrate by packing up the magic! This is an opportunity to socialize with this group of parents and pitch in at LHS one final time. Come by before you head off to work. Reminder to Seniors: Get your ANGP tickets on June 3 during cap and gown pick-up or the senior BBQ! If you haven’t pre-ordered one, tickets can still be purchased online for $35 through Sunday, May 31<www.tinyurl.com/ ANGP2015> or for $35 at cap and gown pick-up/Senior BBQ on June 3. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Thank you! 15 F 4 11 18 H25 Secondary Term Closes October 30 January 15 March 24 17 – Kindergarten Orientation 24 – Prof. Learning; Students – ½ day 25 – Holiday (Good Friday) 30, 31 – Elem. Conf.; Students – ½ day T 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 T Elementary Term Closes January 15 6, 7 – Elem. Conf.; Students – ½ day 18 – Holiday (Patriots’ Day) 19 to 22 – School Closed, Offices Open 4 11 H18 25 M F 1 8 15 22 29 E7 14 21 28 7 14 21 28 M E6 13 20 27 F C4 C11 18 H25 T DECEMBER T W T 1 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 17 22 23 24 29 30 31 F 7 14 21 28 APRIL W 7 14 21 28 M T 6 13 20 27 MARCH W T 2 3 9 10 16 17 23 P24 E30 E31 F 6 13 C20 H27 AUGUST W 5 12 19 26 4 – MS Conf.; – ½ day MS students ONLY 11 – MS Conf.; – ½ day MS students ONLY 24 – Schools Closed, Offices Open 25 – Holiday (Christmas) 28 to 31 – Schools Closed, Offices Open NOVEMBER T W T 3 E4 E5 12 10 H11 17 18 19 24 25 H26 T 4 11 18 25 31 – Teachers Only M 3 10 17 24 T31 4, 5 – Elem. Conf.; Students – ½ day 11 – Holiday (Veteran’s Day) 11 – Diwali 20 – MS Conf.; Students – NO school MS students only 25 – Students & Staff – ½ day 26, 27 – Holidays (Thanksgiving) 30 – LHS Conf.; Students – NO school LHS students ONLY M 2 9 16 23 C30 C = Middle School (MS) and/or LHS Conferences; See specific month for ½ day or no school E = Elem. Conferences, Students – ½ day H = Holiday, Schools and Offices closed * = Recognized Holiday, Schools and Offices Open P = Professional Learning 1 Approved 2 3 H4 5.27.14 7 8 9 10 11 NOTE: All Thursdays are half-day 14 15 16 17 18 dismissal at the Elementary Schools 21 22 23 24 25 30night31 B28 = Back29 to school LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS JULY 2015 – 2016 M T W T F SCHOOL CALENDAR SEPTEMBER T W T 1 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 P17 22 H23 B24 29 B30 F 4 11 18 25 T 3 10 17 24 31 MAY W 4 11 18 25 6 13 20 27 T 5 12 P19 26 7 P14 21 28 JANUARY W T F 6 13 20 27 F H1 8 15 22 29 Full-Day Schedule Grades K-5; 8:45 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. Grades 6-8; 8:00 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. Grades 9-12; 7:45 a.m. – 2:25 p.m. 3 – Clarke and Diamond Students ½ day for 5th grade orientation 19 – Prof. Learning; Students – ½ day 30 – Holiday (Memorial Day) M 2 9 16 23 H30 5 12 19 26 T 1 – Holiday (New Year’s Day) 14 – Prof. Learning; Students – ½ day 18 – Holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr.) 4 11 H18 25 M 1 – All K-5, All 6th grade, & All new students begin – ½ day 1 – Only Grade 9 students – full day 2 – All Kindergarten students – ½ day 2 – All Students Grades 1 – 12 – full day 3 – All Students Grades K – 5 – ½ day 3 – All Students Grades 6 – 12 – full day 4 – Schools Closed, Offices Open 7 – Holiday (Labor Day) 14 – Holiday (Rosh Hashanah) 17 – Prof. Learning.; Students – ½ day 23 – Holiday (Yom Kippur) 24 – Back-to-School Night – Elementary Schools 30 – Back-to-School Night – LHS H7 H14 21 28 M 1 5 OCTOBER W T B1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 E28 E29 T F 2 P9 16 23 30 FEBRUARY T W T 2 3 4 9 11 10 16 17 18 23 24 25 F 5 12 19 26 JUNE W 1 7 8 14 15 F21 22 29 28 T T 2 9 16 23 30 F 3 10 17 24 5.28.14 Half-Day Dismissal Elementary 12:15 p.m. Middle School 11:45 a.m. High School 11:15 a.m. 5 – LHS Graduation 21 – Final day for students and teachers if no weather related cancellations; Students – ½ day 22 to 28 – Planned Make-up Days (if needed) 6 13 20 27 M 8 – Lunar New Year 10 – LHS Curriculum Night (snow date – Feb. 11th) 15 – Holiday (Presidents’ Day) 16 to 19 – Schools Closed, Offices Open 21 – International Mother Language Day M 1 8* H15 22 29 1 – Back-to-School Night – Middle Schools 9 – All Day Professional Learning Students – NO school 12 – Holiday (Columbus Day) 28, 29 – Elem. Conf.; Students – ½ day 5 H12 19 26 M
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