Category: Upper School Traditions

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Upper School Traditions

New York State of Mind

By Mark Guerra
Performing Arts Teacher, Lakehill Preparatory School

This past weekend, 34 Upper School students traveled to New York City for the Winter Break. Over their three days in the city, they saw five shows and attended a musical theater workshop. The annual trip led by Tracy Herron and Mark Guerra has become an event to look forward to for performing arts students. It also allows those outside of performing arts to interact with Broadway performers and develop a greater appreciation for theater. The group was comprised of veteran New York travelers and some who had never flown on a plane before. Overall, the trip provided new experiences for all involved.

After their arrival Friday, students were able to explore Times Square before they attended a Valentine’s Day performance of Moulin Rouge. The musical is an update of the popular 2001 movie starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan MacGregor. While the plot stayed the same, the songs have been updated to more recent hits. “I loved how the musical used songs that we are familiar with. By the end, I was connected to the characters,” said Sydney Rutherford.

The next morning, students attended a Broadway Classroom workshop with a swing/ensemble member of Moulin Rouge. The students learned a section of the Finale Megamix song, “Hey Ya” by Outkast and then were taught the choreography that went with that section of the song. “We learned the job of a swing in theater. Learning the energy and emotion that goes into performing for an audience daily was a great experience,” said Sophia Ganson.”

Later that day, the students had tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This is a two-part show, about six hours long with a dinner break in the middle. Students were blown away by the special effects that were achieved onstage. “All the magic that the movies needed CGI to create was brought to life right before our eyes with some of the greatest acting and live special effects I have ever seen,” said Keegan Clendenin.

On Sunday morning, students attended a mass at the famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral. They were impressed by the sheer size of the church organ and its gorgeous rich sound.

That afternoon, students were given the choice to attend another musical or spend some time exploring the city. “Shopping in SoHo was one my favorite parts of the trip,” said Kira Willis. “All of the stores were beautiful inside.”

Some students selected Wicked, Mean Girls, or Dear Evan Hansen. Those who attended Hadestown were surprised by Mr. G with an opportunity to go backstage after the show to meet Patrick Page who stars as Hades.“Hadestown was fantastic,” said Spencer Neill. “Everything about it was amazing, but meeting Patrick Page was the most wonderful experience ever. Just standing on a Broadway stage was thrilling. The entire experience was almost overwhelming.”

The students’ final show Six: the Musical is an 80-minute pop rock concert about the six wives of Henry VIII, each singing songs about the trials and tribulations of being married to “Old Coppernose.” “The cast was energetic and I already knew the soundtrack by heart, which it made it all the more enjoyable,” said Lindsey Evans. “After the show, I waited by the stage door and the cast was lovely.”

Throughout the trip, students were able to not only see shows that interested them, but were also given free time to experience the city. This independence enabled students to pursue their interests and be engaged in every activity.

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Uncategorized Upper School Traditions

Hands-on Science

By Mark Guerra
Lakehill Preparatory School, Theater and Film teacher

Lakehill’s annual Biology Trip to the Galveston area was on the brink of cancellation because of Tropical Storm Imelda.  Jeremy Holman, who leads the charge on these trips, worked tirelessly to rearrange all of the travel plans just 24 hours before setting out.

Natural Bridge Caverns, just north of San Antonio, was the first stop. The group of nearly 50 teachers and students hiked 180 feet down into a crack in the Earth’s crust. We learned of the college students that discovered these underground caves in the 1960s, and we were able to see some of the stunning rock formations and bodies of water that have been preserved for all to experience. Breathtaking is an understatement.

The next day was an exploration of two San Antonio sites that were brimming with life. First was the San Antonio Aquarium.  We were first given a tour of the facilities by two of the knowledgeable staff.  The aquarium does not only house water animals, but land animals as well. After the tour, the students were able to explore the space and interact with the animals.  Stingrays and tortoises were fed and petted; everyone got to touch a starfish; and colorful birds adorned the heads and shoulders of the students as fluffy, silky chickens ran amuck at our feet. A few students were able to enter the lemur cages and interact with them as the lemurs ate grapes.

After lunch, we headed over to the San Antonio Zoo. Students got a chance to see some great animals and exhibits. Some crowd favorites were feeding the giraffes and watching the hippos swim.

We spent the final day of the trip at Sea World. Mr. Holman turned into a young boy again, eyes wide with excitement about what the students were going to get to experience that day. We saw a hilarious sea lion show and a fascinating land animal show Pets Ahoy.  Students roamed the park and enjoyed some of the rides and attractions. We reconvened to watch two whale shows, “One Ocean” featuring Orca whales and a separate, Beluga whale show. These massive beauties are a joy to watch as they glide through the water and perform acrobatics. Mr. Holman and some students sat in the Splash Zone. You could see the joy on his face as he stood there, soaking wet, with a grin from ear to ear.

As the Theater/Film teacher at Lakehill, going on the Biology trip was an excellent experience for me to get to know the students a bit better, but what I really learned on this trip is that we have a gem in Mr. Holman as our Biology teacher. His passion for the subject and for teaching meld him into an amazing instructor that I wish I would have had in my high school days. We are so lucky that our school allows us to take our students on excursions such as this one, and I truly believe that is a large part of what makes being a Lakehill Warrior so special.

Find out more at lakehillprep.org.

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Upper School Traditions

A Growing Community

By Bob Yttredahl
Upper School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School

The 2013-14 school year is one of tremendous growth and prosperity in Lakehill’s Upper School. We began the new year with a 30% increase in enrollment over the previous year. We have many new international students, representing countries around the world, who have chosen Lakehill for their high school education. Not surprisingly, this tremendous growth and increased diversity brought with it some unique challenges. However, with a proactive approach, we were able to address those challenges before the school year even started.

One change in our programming was to move beyond our traditional two-hour New Student Orientation and hold a day-long event. We had close to 40 new students involved in the orientation and an additional 15 returning students who helped with the event. By the end of the day, the new students were able to meet all of their teachers, take a tour of the building, meet some returning students, and have an in-depth conversation regarding the policies and procedures. The event helped ease some of the first-day anxieties and made for a smoother transition.

At our Opening Assembly on the first day of school, I shared with the entire Upper School what took place during the orientation. We discussed what we know to be the foundation of our Lakehill experience: “Community.” We agreed that this year offers all of us in our community the opportunity to grow and learn from these real-world experiences. We have created an environment where each member must respect each other and work side-by-side with people from all over the country and the world. In doing so, our community is not only growing, but growing stronger, with students who will develop the skills to succeed in college and beyond.

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Upper School Traditions

Mission Accomplished

By Bob Yttredahl
Lakehill Preparatory School, Upper School Coordinator

On the front page of the Lakehill Handbook you can find our Mission Statement:

“Lakehill Preparatory School challenges students to navigate a diverse and ever-changing world by providing them with the opportunity to develop robust academic skills and to cultivate unique talents.”

This time of year is always an appropriate time to reflect on our students’ accomplishments and evaluate how well we are fulfilling the mission of our school. We are able to evaluate by looking at the various universities to which our seniors have been accepted, the scholarships they have been awarded, and the end-of-year accolades our students are receiving.  As we prepare to send our soon-to-be graduates off to outstanding universities throughout the world, it is easy to assess the level of success.

However, another way to evaluate how well we are fulfilling our mission statement in developing well-rounded, college ready young adults is by looking at what the underclassmen are doing this time of year. Most likely, you would think they are set on cruise control as they finish up the school year and get ready for the summer. I am proud to say that is as far from the truth as it can be. Here is a glimpse of what our underclassmen are currently involved in:

The underclassmen participated in a very spirited Student Council election. Once the election is over, the newly elected officials will meet throughout the summer for planning sessions on next year’s activities.

Students are also working diligently on setting up summer study programs at various universities throughout the United States.

Some students are in the middle of spring football practices as they lay the groundwork for the program to participate in TAPPS 6-man football in the fall.

The track team claimed numerous medals in the State Meet that took place last weekend in Waco.

Some students are in the middle of preparing for their summer cheer practice and camp schedules as they raise the bar yet again for the program.

Others are working out in the gym in the afternoons as they get ready for their summer basketball league to begin in two weeks and their annual basketball camp trip to an out-of-state college in June.

Others are working in the choir room as they practice, practice, and practice some more to hone their talents for next year’s performances.

All students are preparing their study guides and finishing up their final projects in preparation for final exams.

The list goes on and on. Obviously, it doesn’t take long to realize our students are dedicated to working hard and being successful in all of the different areas in which they are involved. It truly is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for them to develop “robust academic skills” and to “cultivate unique talents” in an environment where they are cared for and pushed to their limits…Mission Accomplished.

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Upper School Traditions

Senior Moments

By Heather Dondis
Director of College Counseling, Lakehill Preparatory School

As I think about the next few weeks of school, my head spins—there are so many end-of-year activities in which to participate! Some of these are for seniors, and they hold special meaning for our school community.

On Senior Day, the seniors proudly stand before the entire K-12 student body and announce their college acceptances and reflect on favorite memories of their time at Lakehill.

The Junior-Senior Ring Luncheon recognizes the senior class for their accomplishments this year and gives them the oppotunity to pass the torch to the juniors.

Baccalaureate is a heart-felt ceremony where the seniors give thanks to their family, friends, and teachers for their support throughout their educational journey.

And finally, there is graduation, where seniors are recognized individually for their successes and accomplishments as they cross the stage.  What wonderful traditions to be a part of at Lakehill.