Lawrence High School News Wrap

Editor's Note: The following news briefs were contributed by .

Lawrence High School Theater Troupe to Roll Out “XANADU”

Dust off your roller skates and look back with us as you attend the Lawrence High School Theater Company’s production of the rock musical “XANADU” on March 8, 9, and 10 at 7 p.m. in the LHS auditorium.

“XANADU” is based on the 1980s film by the same name starring Olivia Newton-John with music by ELO. The musical version, which appeared on Broadway less than 10 years ago, features the same music and story as the movie. “XANADU” is the story of down-on-his-luck artist, Sonny Malone, who finds inspiration to open a roller disco with the help of his muse, Kira. In the course of opening the roller disco, he and Kira fall in love, which is a forbidden emotion for muses from Mount Olympus to have for their mortals.

Sonny Malone is played by senior Keith Costa, and Kira is played by senior Michelle Dzieminski. Senior Gavin Gronenthal plays Danny, the owner of the abandoned Xanadu Theater, and sophomore Natasha Vargas and senior Rachel Friedman play Kira’s evil sister muses, Melpomene and Calliope. The cast also features 65 students in Grades nine through 12 as assorted muses and roller disco babes and dudes.

Some of the songs included in the musical are “Evil Woman,” “I’m Alive,” “Suspended in Time,” “All Over the World” and, of course,“XANADU.” Tickets are available at the door the nights of the show. Tickets are $5 for students and senior citizens, and $8 for adults.

Class of 2012 and 2013 Fundraiser

Join the Class of 2012 and 2013 at Leonardo's on Tuesday, February 28 from 5-9PM and support their fundraiser. Last year it was a big success! See the flyer in the media box above.

Freshman Study Skills Workshop

The Lawrence High School Guidance and Counseling Department has teamed with Revolution Prep to offer an evening seminar/workshop for ninth-grade students and their parents on the topic of study skills. If interested in attending, parents are encouraged to contact Revolution Prep at 877-REV-PREP or register online at www.revolutionprep.com.

LHS Academy Happenings

Check out the latest on the Lawrence High School Freshman and Sophomore Academies. Joint projects include:

• Teens for Jeans — the academies competed against each other to help the Lindsey Myer Teen Institute collect gently used jeans for the needy. The collection ended February 10…the 10th grade Academy won!
• The Academies hold Spirit Days every few weeks. There was an Academy T-Shirt Day in February.
• With the help of the LHS Guidance Department, the Academies are planning a Volunteer Fair, scheduled for April 18, 2012. The fair’s goal is to promote service learning among freshmen and sophomores.

Freshman Academy led by Megan Cardwell

• They worked with the Middle School House Leaders to have three separate eighth-grade orientations. The orientations were roundtables in which two ninth-graders, a Peer Leader, and 10 eighth-graders discussed high school topics. The group played a promo video produced by Ms. Cardwell and a student before the discussion started.
• The three Middle School house leaders joined the Academy Meeting at the beginning of February to help ninth-grade teachers with web tools and technology ideas to be used with students in the 1:1 Netbook initiative which moves to the 9th grade next year. (This initiative started in the sixth-grade two years ago with the Talent21 grant when all sixth-graders received 1:1 devices. The grant called for the initiative to advance seventh-graders the second year. The district elected to also include the eighth-graders in that expansion. Beginning in the 2012-13 school year, 9th graders will receive the 1:1 devices.)

Sophomore Academy led by Stefanie Tziarri

• They collaborated with Guidance to provide a Mercer County Technical Schools Presentation on at the beginning of February to students who are interested in attending next year.
• They held a second Let Me Learn round of presentations, with a focus on career awareness, during the second half of February. .
• Career Academy leaders gave overviews of their academies in February to assist sophomores with their selections for next year.
• The 10th grade teacher team voted on the top 10 sophomore career day posters (created by students as a follow-up assignment to Career Day). Winners are displayed in the hallway next to the Academy’s bulletin board.
• The first annual 10th Grade Academy Picnic is tentatively scheduled for June 1, 2012, with a rain date of June 8.

LTPS Athletics—Winter Sports Spots:

Bobby Brackett scored his 1000th career basketball point Friday, Feb. 17, vs West Windsor South.

Boys and Girls Basketball teams will end their regular season tonight. Boy’s at home and girl’s on the road vs. Allentown HS. Both teams will play in the first round of the state playoffs on Monday, Feb. 27. Boys at home vs. Matawan Regional HS at 7 p.m. and Girls will be on the road vs. Monmouth Regional HS at 5 p.m.

Gordon Wolf won the District 17 113-pound wrestling tournament and also was named the outstanding wrestler of the tournament. He now advances to the regional quarter finals this weekend at Hunterdon Central HS.

Michael Jennings placed second in the District 17 wrestling tournament. He now advances to the regional quarter finals this weekend at Hunterdon Central HS.

Donovan Morris placed second in the District 17 wrestling tournament. He now advances to the regional quarter finals this weekend at Hunterdon Central HS.

Boys swim team won the Patriot division and advanced to the Central Jersey Group 2 Swim Championship.

Girls team Kate O’Rourke was named the Most Valuable Swimmer of the Mercer County Swim tournament.