Lexington High School - Lexington Public Schools

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
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PTSA website...http://lhsptsa.org/
School Committee email:
school-com@comet.ci.lexington.ma.us
The Lexington High School
Newsletter
Editor
Jean Cole
email: jeancole@sch.ci.lexington.ma.us
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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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