More high school students taking UConn courses

By Frank Juliano, Photos by Autumn Driscoll
©2010CONNECTICUT POST reprint - September 19, 2010

Students at many area high schools are doing more than looking ahead to college; they are taking actual college courses for credit.

Recent graduates selected for Senior Spotlight

Yale University sponsors The New Haven Register’s popular Senior Spotlight series highlighting the accomplishments of area high school students who have demonstrated excellence in both the classroom and the community. The New Haven Register and Yale University proudly salute students for their civic commitment, intellectual curiosity, and outstanding scholarship.  

Class of 2014 welcomed at Matriculation Ceremony

The Class of 2014, composed of 126 young women from throughout the state, was officially and formally welcomed into the Lauralton Hall community at the school’s second annual Matriculation Ceremony on September 2. Opening with a ceremonial procession complete with bagpipers and an address by school President Antoinette Iadarola, Ph.D., the ceremony welcomed the freshmen in a celebratory manner while introducing them to the six core values central to a Mercy education:  compassion and service; educational excellence; concern for women and women’s issues; global vision and responsibility; spiritual growth and development; and collaboration. These values are derived from the charism of the Sisters of Mercy and the Catholic educational tradition. Each new student pledged her affirmation to adhere to these values both in and outside the classroom. The students acknowledged their understanding that these values will serve to guide them in their daily work and interactions with one another.

Freshmen participate in orientation activities

Members of the Class of 2014 began their high school experience on September 1 and 2 with two days of orientation activities. The first event, Project Adventure, included team building activities to introduce and help acclimate the incoming freshmen to each other and their student mentors. The second day focused on making the freshmen feel at home on the school campus.

Lauralton welcomes more new personnel

Lauralton Hall is pleased to welcome new personnel who came aboard in September.

Coaching legend mourned

Jairus Gilbert, beloved Lauralton cross country and track coach for well over twenty years, passed away in Vermont on August 24, 2010. A true coaching legend, Coach Gilbert received the prestigious Reverend Cornelius J. Doherty Distinguished Service Award in 2002 for his outstanding service to the school. He will be missed by the Lauralton community and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Click the link that follows for more information: http://www.hullfuneralservice.com/index.cfm

Students attend MADD Power Camp

Four Lauralton students recently attended the MADD POWER CAMP at Southern Connecticut State University.  Student participants were Vincenza Bartholomew, '12; Casey DelBasso, '11; Sarah Macone, '10; and Jillian O'Neil, '11.

Summer Academy completes seventh summer

Summer Academy--a partnership between Lauralton Hall and St. Martin de Porres Academy, the New Haven Jesuit model middle school for girls and boys--recently completed its seventh summer. The two-week experience for the middle school girls featured Language Arts, Spanish and Math, along with a variety of activities. The students enjoyed a presentation by the “Slant of Light” theater troupe, a group of young women who talked with the girls about creating, directing, and performing a play.  The students were also given the opportunity to perform in a play for the teachers. 

Cast selected for fall musical

It may be summer, but the cast of Lauralton Hall’s fall musical production of “Annie” is already in place. Some of the principal cast members include:
* Dominique Bonessi, ’11 of Milford as Miss Hannigan
* Victoria Conaway, ’12 of Trumbull as Grace
* Jeff Sargent of Trumbull as Warbucks

New staff members welcomed

Lauralton Hall is pleased to introduce our new staff members for the 2010-2011 school year:

Alice Thomas is the new Dean of Students. She started her career in education as an English teacher, eventually moving on to administration. Her most recent position was as Dean of Students at Elgin High School in Elgin Illinois where she served from 2005 to 2008 before relocating to Connecticut. She holds a BA in English Education from Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago, IL), MEd from National Louis University (Evanston, Illinois) and Educational Leadership Administration and Supervisory Program Certification from National Louis University.