This Friday concluded our fall spirit week at LOLHS sponsored by our newly merged Student Council. Along with the themed dress up days that they planned,  during lunches, the Student Council Members along with Ms. Mercaldi and Ms Rahr orchestrated  some fun 'spirited' activities for any and all students to participate in. On Monday was the Hoola Hoop and Limbo, Tuesday - Kahoot, a Spike Ball Competition was on Wednesday, Thursday was a Cookie/  Donut Eating Competition, and Friday finished off the week with table Bingo. Students who participated checked in on the Wildcat App to receive participation points and winners for each competition received extra bonus points. Wednesday's class meetings also contributed to the fun. Each class with a different holiday theme had lots of fun - Seniors enjoyed a New Years Eve party with Shirley Temples, karaoke, and resolution writing, Juniors had an ice cream social, Sophomores competed in a Dodgeball Tournament and the Freshman had a 4th of July yard game event. It was a fun week showing off a lot of Wildcat Pride!

On Friday evening, in spite of all the terrible traffic and tremendous rain, we had yet another very successful homecoming dance. There were great tunes, dancing, snacks and just a wonderful way to enjoy each other's company.

Here are some important resources from that our
LOLHS Counseling Department would like to share:

Mobile Crisis Intervention Services (MCIS) is for children and teens experiencing a mental health crisis. The program has a team of trained mental health professionals, which includes licensed clinicians, social workers, and psychiatric nurses, who can respond immediately by phone or face-to-face when a child is experiencing an emotional or behavioral crisis. The program aims to reduce hospital emergency room visits by serving kids in their homes and/or communities. Some of the core services provided include:

• Rapid Response: MCIS teams are typically available 24/7 and can respond quickly to crises in the community. They are often dispatched to where the crisis occurs, whether it's a home, school, workplace, or public space.
• Assessment and Triage: When responding to a crisis, MCIS professionals thoroughly assess the individual's mental and emotional state. They triage the situation to determine the level of care needed, which may include referrals to outpatient services, crisis stabilization units, or hospitalization if required.
• De-Escalation: MCIS teams are skilled in de-escalating crisis situations. They use communication and de-escalation techniques to help individuals regain a sense of control and safety while avoiding the use of force or coercion.
• Safety Planning: Professionals working on MCIS teams help individuals develop safety plans to prevent future crises. These plans often involve identifying triggers, coping strategies, and sources of support.
• Referrals and Coordination: MCIS teams have access to a network of mental health resources and can make referrals to appropriate services, including outpatient therapy, substance abuse treatment, or crisis stabilization programs. They also coordinate with existing mental health providers.

When to Call:
If a child is in crisis, dial 211 and select option 1. You should call when:

• Having a behavioral crisis that’s too much to handle on your own.
• Uncommunicative to you.
• Out of control or destroying property.
• At risk of acting violently or dangerously.
• At risk of threatening to hurt him/herself or others.

If a person is in imminent danger, call 911 first.
What Will Happen:

• You will be connected to a trained Mobile Crisis counselor.
• Mobile Crisis will help resolve the crisis immediately over the phone or will come immediately to your location.
• Mobile Crisis responds 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Services are confidential, and there is no cost to the family.

Other Local Resources:
Kids In Crisis
24-hour Helpline – 203-661-1911
Families, children and community providers may call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and speak to a live counselor.

By: Juanjo Vazquez 
Señora Brown’s presentation was very engaging and educational for the members of the Spanish Honor Society. She shared her experiences living in four different countries.  She talked about living, studying, and working in a different environment than the USA. This presentation showed how Señora Brown is not only a teacher, but also a global citizen and a wonderful role model. One big takeaway from the presentation was how Señora Brown participated in the Fulbright program that allows students in college to travel around to Spanish-speaking countries and teach. Another key part of her presentation was when she shared the graph called the Cultural Adjustment Curve.  She explained how one person adapts over time to a different culture. It was described in five stages: excitement, frustration, adjustment, confrontation, and adaptation & assimilation. Many thanks to Señora Brown for sharing her experiences. It was a valuable presentation for our students.

BE A SUPERFAN
GET THE WILDCAT APP AND
BE PART OF THE 
WILDCAT NATION 
​The Athletic department and Administration has teamed up to foster a stronger, more involved community both in sports and in co-curricular activities. We will be sharing various different ways for people to get involved... BUT... be sure to download the app and stay tuned for various events to earn your points.
GET THE APP BY SCANNING THE QR CODE ON THE LEFT

At Wednesday's Parent Advisory Board meeting, I shared all the events that we have scheduled at this point through to the end of January. For a shortened list, I also post on the right margin of this blog post for easy access. Parents can find these events  on the district website - LOLHS calendar or on the Canvas calendar is you are an observer to your student.
​Additionally, I shared various systems of communications with links to show how to access these systems. Please review and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Tammy Noyes @ [email protected].

Below we have this years first two episodes of WLYM - LOLHS' source for "ALL THINGS WILDCAT".

Student Leaders and Student Advisory Council have teamed up this year. They are now LOLHS' STUDENT COUNCIL under the advisor-ship of Ms. Rahr and Ms. Mercaldi. The group is in planning mode for Spirit Week - which is the last week of September. The week will culminate with our Annual Homecoming Dance! Check out the slides below to get all the details of spirit week dress code as well as the Homecoming dance.

During both lunches on Friday, Student Council members sponsored the second Newcomers Pizza Lunch. Students in Study Hall joined in as well to enjoy some pizza and conversation with our newcomers and Kona we even had a visit from Kona! 

​The Model UN Club is already off to an exciting start. They had their second meeting and are beginning the plans to attend the UCONN conference in November. Ella Halsey and Will Coppola will be leading the group as Co-Presidents. The club meets on Tuesday mornings at 7:10 in room 119. Anyone interested, please attend or see Mr. Lillie.

On Thursday afternoon, Ms. Corah brought the Unified Sports Team to Bluff Point in Groton to go crabbing.Lots of crabs were caught and fun was had by all!

One of the first Physics labs in Mr. Fisler's classes was... "The Marshmallow Challenge." This is a simple design exercise and team-building activity for small groups. The groups have to build the tallest free-standing structure from some spaghetti sticks, tape, and string and place one whole marshmallow on the top. Running the challenge requires about 1 hour and some simple household items. The exercise teaches essential lessons about the creative product development process and the nature of collaboration. 

Mr. Andrew Carroll comes to us from Mercy High School as a new member of our World Language Department as the new Latin Teacher. Prior to moving back east, he called Colorado home for a while.  He is still learning a lot about CT and says that L-OL is one of the prettiest places he has gotten to know. When asked about his first impressions of LOLHS, he says: "LOLHS is an amazing community that really cares about the students and staff. It really does feel like some of the private schools I've worked at but in a public setting. I wish more students had a school like LOLHS in their district. " 

​Mrs. Karen Taylor comes to LOLHS after working at Lyme Consolidated School last year. Karen joins The Academic Success Center (TASC) as a Tutor. She is really excited to be here and has been enjoying getting to know the routines and faces of LOLHS. Karen's brings a wealth of experience to LOLHS with her first career being in Food Science. She has a passion for the environment and sustainability in our community and has agreed to take up the charge by leading our Environmental Club.