Lakehill Preparatory School
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The Warrior Weekly
Volume 10, Issue 24
March 1, 2018
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Middle School Earns Honors for State Debate
Lakehill's Middle School Debate team participated in the 71st Annual Junior Youth and Government State Conference, held February 23-25. The conference drew a record number of attendees to the State Capitol in Austin.
Eighth grade team members
Luke Williams
,
Sumner Born
,
Alex Dondis
,
Prahlad Pant
,
Cullen McCaleb
,
Harris Jones
, seventh grade team members
Katie Rich
,
Anna Knickel
,
James McKinney
, and sixth grade team members
Asa McCaleb
and
Vivek Patel
represented Lakehill.
Students compete as mock legislators using the actual State House and Senate Chambers as well as other conference rooms in the Capitol. Each student must draft a bill or proposal on a matter of state law and argue for its passage. To do this effectively, students must learn procedural rules and how to respond to questions and suggested amendments from delegates. They must also learn parliamentary procedure, how to question other delegates, and how to draft pro/con arguments and amendments.
All wrote and presented legislative bills which they practiced at the District Conference in December.
Most of the students' bills passed in committee, and, for the first time, two members’ bills were selected to be debated in joint session. Jones presented a bill to the Senate to raise the legal age for buying a gun to 25, which proved to be a timely topic in the wake of the Florida tragedy. Dondis's bill was to legalize lane-splitting on Texas roadways with a speed limit under 30 MPH, but due to time-constraints, his bill was not debated as it was too far down on the docket.
In addition, Jones served as the Chaplain of the Senate, giving the invocation. Lakehill also had a chair/ clerk team for the first time, Knickle and McKinney. They presided over one of the committees and directed debate on more than15 bills on Friday night, requiring them to carefully manage their time.
The Lakehill team was recognized as a Premier Delegation for the fourth consecutive year.
Lakehill teacher
Amanda Rasbury
and parent
Paula Gillman
provided excellent leadership as club sponsors this year. "It was a hugely successful year for our middle school debaters," said Gillman. "I can’t believe how much the club has grown in the last five years. It is really an honor to work with tomorrow’s leaders."
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Fourth Graders Engineer Invention Convention
On February 27, Lakehill fourth grade students gathered for the Invention Convention, a much anticipated event that tests students' abilities to link simple machines together in order to perform a task. The annual event is inspired by the works of cartoonist and engineer Rube Goldberg.
Goldberg was fascinated by how humans seemed determined to make the simplest tasks unnecessarily complicated, and that is exactly what the fourth graders did as they set out to create the ridiculous, often hilariously complex, machines.
After careful planning, students built their contraptions out of scavenged materials, such as school supplies, duct tape, and cardboard boxes. Many inventions solved common tasks, such as mixing Kool Aid, feeding a pet, popping a balloon, or launching a ball.
Inventions were judged on creativity, use of simple machines, and the ability to explain what steps in the invention required the most trial and error to perfect. If a particular mechanism failed to work as planned, students were given credit for the step if they could explain how they would adjust or replace the malfunctioning part in order to fix the machine. Students learned that plans and models must often be modified in order to achieve the desired result, and that inventors rarely get it right the first time.
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Constitutional Connections
To coincide with their study of American history, Lakehill's fourth grade students brought history to life as they performed the mini-musical,
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Carmino Ravosa on February 23, for Lower School students and parents.
The story focuses on the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and the trials and tribulations of the delegates as they worked to create an ordered system of government.
The cast featured the fourth grade students as delegates to the Convention, and included
Clio Byrd as George Washington,
Saul Rosen as James Madison,
Noah Kurian as Alexander Hamilton, and
Emma Bassmnan as Benjamin Franklin.
Andrew Knipp,
Ian Johnston, and
Kaylan Reddy rounded out the cast, while
Maximus Smith and
Grafton Robinson added flair as musicians. Soloists included
Alex Gardsbane,
Madeline Jones,
Jason Dickerson,
Arjun Ram,
Grace Horne,
Rowan Clendenin,
Sam Tiernan,
Natalia Murray,
Taylor Donahue,
Cece Degeyter,
Maya Patel,
Harley Glazer, and
Leonie Khan. The students were under the direction of
Jodi Wright.
"Shh...We're Writing The Constitution
is a delightful musical, and we had such fun getting it on its feet," said Wright. "The fourth graders worked like crazy on it and were truly excited to be a part of this tradition. After performing their best, they were ready to pass the torch along to our future lower school leaders."
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Suiting the Action to the Word: Serious About Shakespeare
On February 24, senior
Reese Brown
represented Lakehill at the English-Speaking Union (ESU) National Shakespeare Competition, competing against the top ten students from public, private, and magnet schools around the Metroplex. Her performance of Cleopatra from
Antony and Cleopatra
and Sonnet 85 earned the praise of the three judges from Shakespeare Dallas. Marco Salinas, Director of Education Tours, commended Brown during her critique for her poise, overall presentation, and professional appearance. While Brown did not place in the top three, Salinas and the other judges agreed that she was "strongly connected to Cleopatra."
Students read, analyze, perform, and recite Shakespearean monologues and sonnets in three qualifying stages: at the school, community, and national levels.
The ESU National Shakespeare Competition provides high school teachers across the country with a performance-based program for the study of English Language Arts and Shakespeare. Through the competition, students develop communication skills and an appreciation of the power of language and literature.
"It has been a pleasure working with Reese this year," said
Elizabeth Schmitt, Shakespeare Club sponsor. "She has been willing to test her boundaries and work through the subtleties of the language. I hope she has the opportunity to perform more Shakespeare in college."
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Spring Into Summer
Summer is a lot closer than you might think - especially when it comes to signing your kids up for summer camps!
Registration for Lakehill Summer Camps is open, and space is filling quickly. More than 500 registrations have already been received!
With 84 different camps for all grade levels in every area imaginable, this is one summer you don't want to miss!
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Auction Update
Join us at the 2018 Auction Gala,
Monte Carlo by Moonlight
, on Saturday, March 3, at 7:00 p.m. on the 42nd floor of the Tower at Cityplace.
The Silent Auction and Instabuy items are now live and open for bidding.
Register your phone and start your bidding
here.
Don't Forget to Buy Your Tickets
Registering for the event is not the same as buying event tickets to attend. If you plan to attend
Monte Carlo by Moonlight, please purchase your event tickets
here.
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Senior Spotlight
National Junior Honor Society Highlights Lakehill's Soon-to-be Graduates
In an effort to reveal the hidden talents, personalities, and accomplishments of Lakehill's most experienced students, the National Junior Honor Society presents:
NJHS Spotlight on Seniors
This week's senior:
Steven Murff
Senior Class President
Steven Murff has attended Lakehill Preparatory School since seventh grade. Along the way, he has participated in many school activities and classes. Throughout his years of high school, Steven has been a member of numerous organizations, including Lakehill Student Ambassadors, PASF, Science Club, NJHS, NHS, and Academic WorldQuest. Steven was also elected President of Student Ambassadors, Junior Class President, and has served as the manager of the Varsity Track team for two consecutive years. Steven is an active volunteer, dedicating his time to non-profit organizations such as Vogel Alcove, the Brady Center, and the North Texas Food Bank.
In addition to having a strong passion for crocheting, Steven’s other hobbies include listening to classic jazz and creating art for other people. When asked who inspires him the most, he responded, “My mom and my grandmother, obviously. They both raised me, and they are just incredibly tough, strong, and hard-working women. I couldn't appreciate them more.”
Steven enjoys his Spanish classes with Señora Mayo, as well as Ceramics and Fiber Arts with Ms. Huitt. “I feel like I can express myself through art, and it is always the most relaxing part of a hectic day.”
Steven also states, “All of my teachers inspire me, and that is why I want to become a teacher. For example, Señora Mayo is so passionate about what she teaches. Her spirit and kindness are infectious.” He also praised Head of Lower School and Summer Camps Director, John Trout. “He is an amazing man who has so much knowledge and patience. He is the kind of man I aspire to be.”
Steven has created many wonderful memories at Lakehill. One of his favorites was being elected Senior Class President. He clarifies, “It was validation for what I have worked toward. It felt good to know my class has confidence in me.”
Steven has applied and been accepted to Trinity University, Rhodes College, Sewanee: The University of the South, Millsaps College, Austin College, and Furman University. He plans to major in Biology and Spanish, and aspires to become a teacher.
Steven advice to young Warriors is “Be yourself. Life is not easy, and you are not always going to know who you are as a person, but that is okay. Own yourself, and don’t hide the unique person that you are behind someone who you are not.
“We all need friends, family, and support, and since you don’t know what other people are going
through, it’s important to be kind and patient. We all need a little more understanding and empathy in this world.”
By
Kathryn Mahan
, ninth grade
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What's Happening?
February 28-March 2
Reclamation Days
March 1
Parent-Teacher Conferences
March 1-3
PASF Convention (San Antonio)
March 2
Practice ACT - Sophomores
Middle School Musical All-School Performance, 8:45 a.m.
Middle School Musical,
Annie, Jr.
, 7:00 p.m.
March 3
Ferguson Road Initiative Operation Beautification
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Meet at the Walgreen's at Lakehill and Ferguson.
Everyone welcome!
Science Olympiad (Northlake College)
7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Lakehill Benefit Auction: Monte Carlo by Moonlight
March 5 - 8
Middle School Adventure Week
March 9
Middle School Holiday
Kindergarten Creature Teacher, 9:00 a.m.
Third Grade to Dallas Heritage Village, 9:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
March 10
Shoreline Spruce Up at White Rock Lake
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Don't forget: Lakehill benefits from your purchases on AmazonSmile!
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The mission of Lakehill Preparatory School is to guide motivated students to learn with curiosity,
lead with confidence, and serve with compassion. Our challenging and nurturing educational community inspires students to become collaborative problem-solvers who live with integrity.
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Lakehill Preparatory School
2720 Hillside Drive, Dallas, Texas 75214
Phone: (214) 826-2931
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