Seniors celebrate at 100 Days Dinner

On February 28, the senior class gathered for the traditional 100 Days Dinner. After opening remarks by President Barbara Griffin, Senior Class President Nicole Seawright spoke about the significance of the event. Campus Minister Ann McGovern offered a blessing and a delicious buffet was enjoyed by all. As the seniors finished dinner, letters they had written to each other in freshman year were distributed, triggering both emotional and humorous reactions. The letters had been held in a “time capsule” for the past four years. After the traditional cutting of the cake by the class officers, master hypnotist Dan LaRosa performed his routine to the amazement of the guests.

 

Having passed the “100 days until graduation” milestone, Lauralton’s seniors are beginning to contemplate their bitter/sweet feelings about graduation and all the surrounding activities.

“The Lauralton” featured in Jostens design annual

Lauralton Hall is featured in the 2005 Jostens Gotcha Covered Look Book, a gallery of yearbook spreads and covers published annually by the leading yearbook company. The Lauralton was cited as one of the nation’s best yearbooks for its cover design.

The original artwork for the yearbook cover was designed in the 1980s by Art Department Chair Lucia Bloom of Orange, and the award winning cover design has been used on 95% of Lauralton Hall’s yearbooks since then. The Lauralton yearbook club is extremely popular at Lauralton Hall and currently has 22 members on its staff

Gymnastics Team places second in state tourney

Congratulations to the Lauralton Hall Gymnastics Team for their second place finish in the CIAC Class "S" Gymnastics Championship on February 26. The team was led by sophomores Amanda Mazza and Arielle Prete and freshmen Amie Fracker, Nikki Wocl and Kelsey DeCesare.

National Merit Scholar Finalists announced

The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) - a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.3 million entrants each year in addition to other academic standards.  Approximately 15,000 semifinalists are selected as finalists and 8,200 are selected for scholarships.  Winners of the National Merit Scholarships are announced beginning in March. 

LH students selected for All State Choir

Congratulations to Mary Albano, ’06 of Trumbull, Nina Demeter, ’07, of Trumbull and Emily Sanchez, ’06 of Easton for their selection as members of the 2006 All State Choir. Mary, Nina and Emily will attend the All State Festival in Hartford in March where they will be able to perform with other top singers from the state. Sponsored by the Connecticut Music Educators Association, the Festival includes three days of rehearsal which culminate in a concert on Saturday afternoon of the festival weekend.

Gymnastics Team wins SWC championship

The Lauralton Hall Gymnastics Team placed all five team members in the top eight to win its first ever South-West Conference Championship on February 10 at New Milford High School. Amanda Mazza, ’08 finished in second place in the All-Around, leading the Crusaders to the victory. Amie Fracker, ’09 (fourth place) Arielle Prete, ’08 (fifth place), Nikki Wocl, ’09 (sixth place) and Kelsey DeCesare, ’09 (eighth place) also had great performances. 

Congratulations for the Gymnastics Team!

 

 

Nina Demeter accepted to William H. Cosby Future Filmmakers Workshop at NYU

Nina Demeter, ’07, daughter of Ms. Anna Marie Demeter of Trumbull, has been accepted to The William H. Cosby Future Filmmaker Workshop at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. The Workshop, led by Carlos de Jesus, associate professor of film and television, identifies gifted students from traditionally underrepresented groups in the industry and provides them with an intensive 12-week training program during which all aspects of filmmaking are taught. Free to participants, over 150 applicants compete for 15 spaces in the program, which is held on Saturdays from February through May. Participants, typically in the middle of their junior year, hail from high schools in New York and Connecticut. Nina is the only Connecticut student selected this year. During the 12-week course she will gain hands-on experience in video production techniques, participate in screenings and discussions of important professional works and discussions with professional filmmakers and Tisch faculty.

Tory Pennick named CIAC Scholar Athlete

Tory Pennick, ’06, daughter of Loraine and Edward Pennick of Orange has been named Lauralton Hall’s CIAC Scholar Athlete for the 2005-2006 school year. Tory is a member of the National Honor Society and has maintained high honors while at Lauralton with a grade point average of 98.76. She is also a member of the Crusaders two-time state championship softball team and has received early admission to Boston College for the fall of 2006. The entire Lauralton Hall community congratulates Tory on her achievements.  

“The Value of Names,” presented by Square One Theatre Company

On February 8, the Square One Theatre Company of Stratford presented “The Value of Names” by Jeffery Sweet to Lauralton Hall juniors and seniors. This dramatic play concerns the aftermath that surrounds one artistic family as a result of the investigations of the House of Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy era and the effect of the infamous Hollywood blacklist. 

Scholarship awardees attend reception

Class of 2010 scholarship awardees and their parents were recently honored at a reception in the Claven Auditorium. Thirty-seven students were chosen to receive scholarship awards based on exceptional performance on the Lauralton Hall entrance test along with a past record of academic excellence. The scholarship awards will be distributed over the four-year period of attendance at Lauralton Hall.