By Juanjo Vazquez
In AP Spanish class, while studying Influences of Beauty and Art, students analyzed different sources and different points of view on whether graffiti is a form of art or vandalism.  Students were asked for homework to think about their favorite Spanish word and to create graffiti.  Students had to present in Spanish to the class in a circle the meaning of the graffiti and why they chose that word.  It was interesting to find how the words were connected with past sensory experiences; for example, students described smells, sounds, feelings, sports, family, past events, etc.

​Students were designing a roller coaster and sketching their design and labeling potential and kinetic energies as well as velocity at key places. 

Six Lyme-Old Lyme High School students were recognized at this year’s Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards. Senior Janna Graves deserves special mention for receiving a Gold Key for her portfolio, “The Experience of the Mundane,” which earned her a scholarship offer from the University of Hartford. Janna also received a Gold Key and the “CAEA Best in Mixed Media” award for “Boston Market” and a Gold Key in Painting for her gouache, “Giant Shells or Tiny Bucket?” All of Janna’s work will go on to be juried at the national level.
 
Senior Gloria Conley was awarded a Silver Key for her painting “Choke,” while Senior Nola Slubowski earned a Silver Key in Drawing for “On the Edge of the Rim.” Another Silver Key in Drawing was taken by Junior Andrew Taylor for “Weston.”
 
Senior Oliver Avelange was recognized in the Portfolio category with an Honorable Mention, and Junior Max Bartlett earned an Honorable Mention in Drawing
 
Listed works will hang at the Silpe Gallery at the University of Hartford from January 13 through January 31, with an awards celebration scheduled for Sunday, January 26. Congratulations to all who participated!

Olivia Kelly and Simon Karpinski were recognized at Wednesday evening's BOE meeting for being selected as the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents’ (CAPSS) Superintendent/Student Recognition Award for leadership service to the school, academic prowess relative to ability, and service to others in the community. ​

Here are the remarks that were shared at the BOE meeting explaining these students' qualities and accomplishments:

Simon Karpinski is exceptionally intelligent and adapts swiftly and effectively to the demanding schedules he faces each year. Simon is a leader.  He serves as Vice President of his class and has captained the Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track teams. A key member of our two-time state champion Mock Trial team, Simon also earns accolades while competing with the Math Team. He provides tutoring at the MAC center and volunteers at middle school track meets and charity races. Perhaps his most distinctive service, however, is the time he dedicates each summer to maintaining grave sites for the preservation and dignity of those who have passed. Simon is a young man of great kindness, hard work, and dedication.  As a gifted student and individual, Simon consistently makes a positive impact on the world, just as he does every day in our school and in this community.
 
Olivia Kelly consistently strives to be her best, backed by an incredible work ethic. A strong student with even stronger grit and perseverance, she maintains a demanding schedule and ranks near the top of her class. As a three-sport athlete, her days often stretch from early morning to well into the evening, yet she always delivers. Her determination has earned her numerous accolades, including 2023 Shoreline Conference Player of the Year and Goalie of the Year. Olivia represents the Shoreline Conference on the state’s CIAC sportsmanship Committee. Even outside of her formal leadership roles, such as Soccer Captain, Student Leader, and National Honor Society member, Olivia is a go-to source of inspiration for her peers. She motivates and supports others with unwavering commitment to her responsibilities. Olivia never gives up; she consistently gives her best, pushing through challenges until she turns success into reality.

By: Carter Mc Glinchey
This holiday season, the Spanish Honor Society at the high school, along with the help of Lyme's Youth Service Bureau, organized a toy drive this winter to support a local family in need. Members of the club worked together to collect items for a family in need, including clothes, toys, and games, ensuring they have a brighter Christmas. With donations from the students of the high school, the club was able to deliver all sorts of presents, spreading holiday cheer and helping others in busy times such as now. Not only did the Spanish Honor Society make this a more special season for one family, but they were also able to spread an important sense of community throughout our town. The community is very grateful to everyone involved, including LYSB, Señor Vazquez, and the members of the Spanish Honor Society. Thank you to all who helped!

By: Juanjo Vazquez
 It’s the Three Kings, or Reyes Magos (Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar), who bring children their gifts in Spain, not Santa Claus (although he is becoming more popular now, too) on January 6, not Christmas Day. On the night of January 5, the Kings parade through the towns across the country with their entourage of helpers, animals and elaborate floats, throwing sweets out for the children. When the kids return home, they leave out their shoes for the Kings to fill with presents overnight.
At the National Spanish Honor Society, in 2021-22 we created a new tradition in which students leave their shoes and if they were good members, they will receive candies (if they didn’t participate over the year, they will get coal). We are also aware of the Secret Santa so students brought a secret present for a friend. It was a nice way to finish the year and to keep this tradition.

On December 12 and December 18, the Music Department held their respective winter concerts.  Both are staple holiday events in our LOLHS community and are such a  wonderful way to spread some joy and peace. The students performed amazingly. If you missed the concerts, the links below will bring to the recordings or every piece.

On Wednesday during our extended homeroom block, the class officers of each class prepared various holiday activities for students to enjoy. So, for about 35 minutes, students selected whatever activity they wanted and mingled from one to the next. Activities included:

• Watch Prep & Landing Holiday movie in the auditorium 
• Play some Holiday bingo in room 110 (Dr. Hedwall)
• Decorate an Ornament in room 121 (Mr. Fisler)
• Sing some holiday music and decorate cookies in the Commons 
• Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate in the Commons 
• Play Family Feud Fun in the Library
• Participate in some fun with  pin the nose on the snowman & candy cane catch in the  Gym 

It was a wonderful way for students to have a bit of time to enjoy some holiday cheer with thier friends.

By Mrs. Laura Nelson
The Mock Trial team began our defense of our state championship title this month, winning both first round trials. The prosecution beat Kingswood-Oxford School and the defense won against Mercy High School. Both prosecution and defense got high marks from the judges, earning praise for their courtroom presence and presentation. The team advances to the 2nd round on February 7th, when both sides will try the case again in hopes of advancing to the semifinal round. The Mock Trial team began our defense of our state championship title this month, winning both first round trials. The prosecution beat Kingswood-Oxford School and the defense won against Mercy High School. Both prosecution and defense got high marks from the judges, earning praise for their courtroom presence and presentation. The team advances to the 2nd round on February 7th, when both sides will try the case again in hopes of advancing to the semifinal round.

On Monday, LOLHS students were fortunate to have Kendrick Moore, the Assistant Director of Equity and Leadership for CAS-CIAC, speak to them about KINDNESS! It was a really wonderful message of how we need to consider the way we treat people. Following the assembly, Kendrick met with a group of students selected from their respective organizations to discuss what the observe in school and their role in making an impact. Kendrick will be joining our school community again in the spring to follow up.

​The past couple of weeks the Personal Finance classes have had three guest speakers. Jennifer Coffey from Webster Bank spoke to the Personal Finance classes about various banking topics with the main emphasis on fraud. Cody Baumgartner from Grossman Nissan spoke about the car buying and leasing processes. He explained how to read a CarFax, what a VIN number is, and depreciation. Officer Hackett had the students draw a person selecting a career, car, and a mini budget. He then gave students various avoidable traffic violations and how they would impact their budget financially. Thank you Jennifer, Cody, and Officer Hackett for your time and informative presentations!