Lakehill Preparatory School
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The Warrior Weekly
Volume 11, Issue 25
February 28, 2019
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Lakehill Robotics Team Takes on the World
On February 23, the Lakehill Bionicles #14904 competed in the North Texas First Tech Challenge Regional Championship, building successful strategic alliances and earning a coveted spot in the World Championships.
Fifty-two teams from around North Texas competed in the event at at Wylie East High School. Teams representing public schools in Plano, Fort Worth, Mansfield, Arlington, and Dallas--including their Science and Engineering Magnet, independent schools such as Greenhill, Coram Deo, and Reicher Catholic High School from Waco, as well as non-school affiliated community teams from around the North Texas region were in attendance.
The 52 teams were split into two 26-team Divisions: Sapphire and Ruby. Lakehill competed in six qualification rounds in the Ruby division.The Bionicles were a part of the winning alliance for each of their six rounds, putting them in second place overall and making them the second Alliance Captain for the semi-finals.
The Bionicles tried to align with other top five teams, but those teams had already formed alliances. They formed an underdog team with the sixth-ranked team #9386, Elmer & Elsie Robotics, a home-school team from Frisco, and with the eleventh-ranked team #14524, PESH Bots from Plano East Senior High School.
In the first round of the semi-finals, the Bionicles went against the fourth-seeded alliance. The Bionicles won their first and second rounds of the best-of-three match. Next, the Bionicles and their alliance partners faced the number-one seed in their division, team #8565 Technibots from the FLYSET organization in Plano. The Bionicles alliance won that match as well, qualifying the for the finals.
The Bionicles alliance faced the winner from the Sapphire Division in the finals. Their Alliance Captain was a familiar face, team #7172 Technical Difficulties from Plano, with whom the Bionicles were in the winning alliance at their last qualifying tournament. The Bionicles' teammates won the first round. In the second round, the Bionicles and their partner Elmer & Elsie had their own technical difficulties with both robots spontaneously disconnecting from their control systems, losing the round. Tied at one match, the Bionicles sent in their two teammates. Elmer & Elsie and the PESH Bots were victorious, securing a spot in the World Championship for all three teams.
The Bionicles will venture to the FIRST World Championships in Houston April 17-20, for the four-day tournament. All levels of FIRST including First Lego League Jr., First Lego League, First Tech Challenge, and First Robotics will be at the Championship. The Bionicles again would like to thank all coaches, mentors, and patrons of the Lakehill Bionicles team.
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Designated Delegates
It's July, 1787. It's hot. Delegates from thirteen states, most of whom can't agree on much, have huddled together in secrecy to write the Constitution of the United States.
On February 22, to coincide with their study of American history, Lakehill's fourth graders brought history to life with Jean Fritz's musical
Shh! We're Writing The Constitution.
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
Blakely Scruggs as George Washington,
Rygel Farr as James Madison,
Alexa Beidler as Alexander Hamilton, and
Adrian Chytil as Benjamin Franklin.
Anniston Barrett,
Dalia Ranen, and
Eli Ranen rounded out the cast, while
Declan Walker and
Connor Byrd added flair as musicians. Soloists included
Andres Vann,
Alisha Johnson,
Mary Greenwood,
Caroline Crum,
Mallory Booth,
Karly Davis,
Lily Greenwood, and
Alex Reed. The students were under the direction of
Jodi Wright.
"This musical is an incredible experience for these students," said Wright. "All students are assigned a delegate to portray. They research this delegate: learn his voting record, his past political and military record, and his contribution to the Constitution. They also work with professional director, Cheryl Denson, and perform
Shh! We're Writing The Constitution as a fully-staged and costumed show. It's an exciting event."
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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, which is exactly what the fourth graders did as they set out to create their 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 dispensing snacks, feeding a pet, or turning on a light.
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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Serious About Shakespeare
Alanna Stern earned second place in the 31st Annual Shakespeare Competition sponsored by the Dallas Branch of the English Speaking Union with her performance of Desdemona from
Othello and Sonnet 105. The competition, which featured the top seven students from public, private, and magnet schools around the Metroplex, was held February 23, at Highland Park High School. Stern, a junior, won the competition her freshman year.
The three judges from Shakespeare Dallas: Marco Salinas, Julie Osborne Watts, and Jenni Stewart, commended Stern during her critique for her poise, use of levels, connection to the text, and professional appearance. They noted Stern's "wonderful presence" which made them "want to watch her."
"Listening to the critiques," said Shakespeare Club sponsor
Elizabeth Schmitt, "it was evident that it was a close race between first and second place. It came down to tiny nuances and details of performance."
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. The society was founded in 1918 at the end of World War I with the goal of using the English language as an instrument of peace to foster global understanding and promote civil discourse.
"Alanna has been wonderful to work with this year," said Schmitt. "Her instincts are excellent, and she applies notes to the even the smallest details of her performance."
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Middle School Earns Honors for State Debate
Lakehill's Middle School Debate team participated in the 72nd Annual Junior Youth and Government State Conference, held February 22-24. The conference drew a record number of attendees to the State Capitol in Austin.
Eighth grade team members
Anna Knickel,
Katie Rich,
James McKinney,
Ethan Gaertner, seventh grade team members
Vivek Patel and
Jackson Cook, and sixth grade team members
Esther Neerman,
Ariana Singh,
Harper Kuhn,
Morgan Wright,
Paulette Maney,
Addie Tuttle, and
Allison Majors 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 had practiced at the District Conference in December.
The students worked hard on their bill proposals all year long and put their excellent debating skills to work at the State conference, earning the Lakehill team recognition as a Premier Delegation for the fifth consecutive year.
Lakehill teacher
Amanda Rasbury provided excellent leadership as club sponsor this year. "It was incredible to watch their hard work and determination all year," said Rasbury. "It is a great honor to get to work with such dedicated and insightful future leaders."
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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 89 different camps for all grade levels in every area imaginable, this is one summer you don't want to miss!
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Get in the Games
The White Rock Spring Games return on Saturday, April 13, for another year of fun and fundraising! The Games bring together students in kindergarten through fifth grade from dozens of East Dallas schools to compete in five fun-filled events while enjoying plenty of great food and other activities. Students in kindergarten through grade 2 will compete from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. Those in grades 3 - 5 will compete from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Registration opens on March 1. The fee for each 4-member team is $100, every dollar of which goes directly back to each participant’s school.
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Lakehill PFC Denim & Diamonds
2019 Spring Gala & Benefit Auction
Saturday, March 23, 2019
7:00 p.m. at The Statler Dallas
Early Bird Auction Tickets are available until March 9, 2019.
There will be a price increase after that date.
Auction Sneak Peek:
Memories in the Making with Teacher Gifts of Time
Would your child like to head to a drive-in and watch a movie under the stars? Does your child dream about camping out at the ESC? How about visiting the Dallas Museum of Art with the best guide ever...their Lakehill Art Teacher?! This year, we have some amazing offerings...For the Foodie - enjoy a fun-filled Pizza Crawl. For the Competitor - try to beat the Coaches at Top Golf (Better bring your best swing). For the puzzle lovers - try your luck at an escape room. These special times with Lakehill teachers and staff will certainly make memories that will last a lifetime!
Preview the complete “Teacher Gifts of Time” here.
Keep the Fun Going with Sign-Up Parties
There is a fresh line-up this year as well as the return of some of our best classic parties: from a relaxing poolside brunch to the sure-to-be-legendary Taco Bowl! Perhaps you would like to try your luck at an epic Amazing Race around Big D or a flight-themed party that will surely be first class? This is just a sampling of what we have in store. What a fun way to make memories with your fellow Lakehill parents!
These and many more Sign-Up Parties and Teacher Gifts of Time will be available in the Silent Auction. Limited spots are available, so don't miss out! These events are sure to sell out quickly when the Silent Auction site goes live on March 19 at 3:30 p.m. Preview the complete Sign-Up Parties list next week at
lakehillauction2019.com.
Stay tuned to
The Warrior Weekly for more sneak peeks of some amazing auction items and updates!
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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: Luke Jerome
Luke Jerome has attended Lakehill since fourth grade. At Lakehill, he has participated in many sports, including Varsity Basketball, Track and Field, and Tennis, where he was a member of the state-qualifying doubles team. He has also participated in Ultimate Frisbee Club an Computer Club. Luke is a member of Lakehill's award-winning Robotics team, where he serves as a co-captain and the driver of the robot. He is looking forward to the World Competition in Houston in April. Luke is dedicated to his community, and has earned the gold level of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Outside of school, he enjoys watching Netflix and playing video games.
Luke’s favorite class is AP Physics with Mr. Musselman, because he enjoys the building challenges. With his interest in physics and computers, it is no surprise that Luke plans to study engineering in college. He has been accepted to Colorado State University, Bradley University, and the University of the Pacific, and is waiting to hear from several other schools. Luke’s favorite aspect of Lakehill is "getting to know everyone, and teachers who will spend their time to help you." His advice to young Warriors is, "Be sure to study."
By Blake Perry, ninth grade
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Sports Snippets
Middle School Players Selected for All-Star Teams
Two Middle School boys and two girls were selected for their respective IAA All-Star basketball teams. Congratulations to
Jon Paul Maney,
Hayden Bauer,
Taylor Lewis, and
Taylor Allen who played in the All-Star games on February 25.
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Show Your Warrior Spirit!
The Spirit Shop is open for business, with great new styles and classic favorites so you can show your Warrior spirit! The Spirit Shop is open on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 7:45-8:45 a.m. and Monday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons from 2:45-3:45 p.m.
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February 28
Box Tops Due
Don’t forget to turn in Box Tops to your child's teacher or to Ms. Drake at the front desk by February 28. The Lower School class with the most Box Tops this semester will win a class party!
Parent-Teacher Conferences
No Classes
March 1
Middle School Musical, Mary Poppins, Jr., 7:00 p.m.
March 1-3
Upper School PASF Convention (San Antonio)
March 2
Ferguson Road Initiative Community Clean-up with Mr. Perry, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Everyone Invited!
Meet at the Walgreen's at 2301 Lakeland at Ferguson Road
Upper School Regional Science Olympiad, 7:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
March 4-7
Middle School Adventure Week
March 8
Middle School Holiday
3rd Grade to Dallas Heritage Museum
March 11-15
Spring Break
March 23 - Save the Date!
Lakehill Benefit Auction: Denim & Diamonds
Preliminary 2019-20 Calendar
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Lakehill Preparatory School
A Small Place to Do Big Things.
2720 Hillside Drive, Dallas, Texas 75214-3428
Phone: (214) 826-2931
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