Lawrence High Student Selected for Governor's School of Engineering and Technology

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Liu Headed to Governor's School of Engineering and Technology This Summer

Richard Liu, a Lawrence High School junior, has been selected from a talented pool of statewide applicants to participate in this summer's Governor's School of Engineering and Technology at the Rutgers University School of Engineering.

The Governor's School of Engineering and Technology is a residential program at Rutgers School of Engineering. Its purpose is to develop, create and implement a comprehensive summer residential enrichment program of study.

Emphasis will be placed on Engineering and Technology for high school juniors who possess outstanding skills and display unusual abilities and interests in the field. A photo of Richard Liu with guidance counselor Doreen Welsh can be found in the media box above.

Alumna Brings Brain Injury Awareness Message to LMS

On two March occasions, two groups of eighth-grade students welcomed Lawrence High School alumna Kelli Hawthorne to their school. Two years ago, Ms. Hawthorne sustained a traumatic brain injury while in Oregon for her brother's wedding. She misjudged the steps near a cliff with tragic results. The fall resulted in a two-hour rescue, multiple surgeries to rebuild her face and body, and an on-going struggle to rebuild her life.

The focus of Ms. Hawthorne's message was one of hope and of caution. Ms. Hawthorne stressed that she feels fortunate to be alive, and is extremely grateful to everyone in the community who supported her and her family. She also reminded the students that March was National Brain Injury Awareness Month, and they need to be careful to avoid a brain injury by wearing their bicycle helmets and car seatbelts.

For more information about brain injury, visit the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey. A photo of Kelli Hawthorne can also be found in the media box above.

Lawrence High Students' Work Published in Aspirations

Thirteen writers and two artists from Lawrence High School will have their work published in this year’s Aspirations, the literary/visual arts magazine of Mercer County Community College. Each year the college invites local high schools to participate in a competition from which the very best in original art and writing is chosen for publication. The college then hosts a recognition program to acknowledge the contributors when the magazine is published.

The writers and artists are: Michael Adamczyk, Gabby Bieniasz, Amirah Brown, Hayley Gronenthal, Thomas Ikeda, Gabija Kertenyte, Stephen Kim, Aviva Lyon, Rebecca Masih, Christopher Muzi, Breianna Pettis, Darius Teng, Natasha Vargas, Adam DeMura, and Gwen Price

Heller and Taylor Lead Building Bridges Workshop at NJ Conference

Towards the beginning of March, Jessica Heller (Lawrence Intermediate School), and Priscilla Taylor (Lawrence Middle School), gifted & talented specialists for the district, presented a workshop in Somerset at the 21st annual conference of the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children.

This year’s conference theme was “STEM: Reaching Gifted Students Through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” Heller and Taylor’s workshop, “Building Bridges: Yes! You Can Teach Engineering” was enthusiastically received by an audience of 40 teachers from various NJ districts. Several bridge examples made by Lawrence students were shared with the audience. Heller and Taylor collaborated to create the enrichment unit about engineering and bridges that continues to be a student favorite at LIS. See the photo in the media box above.

Brandeis Book Award

Eleventh-grader Jeanette Cibelli received the Brandeis Book Award for Social Action and Civic Engagement. This award recognizes Jeanette's academic excellence and service to the community and is awarded annually to a deserving 11th-grader.  See the photo in the media box above.

Ninth- and 10th-Grade Academies Offer Volunteer Fair

The ninth and 10th-grade academies at Lawrence High School, along with the Guidance Department, are sponsoring a Volunteer Fair to provide service learning opportunities for ninth- and 10th-grade students. Through this and other character-building events, academy leaders hope to instill in freshmen and sophomores some awareness of the world around them, and to stimulate a desire to help others.

• Date and time: April 18, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Location: Lawrence High School Commons (cafeteria)
• Participants: All 9th and 10th grade students
• Format: Tables will be set up for all agencies. Students will be invited in groups to visit the Commons and interact with agency representatives. Representatives will share information about their organizations and discuss ways in which students can participate as volunteers.