(Photo courtesy Jonathan Law Key Club)

By Matthew Sanchez – Staff Reporter

The annual Jonathan Law Key Club Kickball Tournament to benefit Camp Sunshine will be held on Sunday, April 13.

The kickball tournament is a fun, competitive, and enjoyable event for all participants. Multiple teams will be competing for the honor of lifting a trophy and other prizes. The co-ed tournament is open to all Law students as well as anyone in the Milford community.

“I think everyone who participates in the tournament would have so much fun,” Key Club President Addison Barber said. “Whoever doesn’t play is missing out on a fun game with your friends, not to mention we have a trophy and prizes.” 

Sophomore Ethan Pannella said that he’ is excited to participate in the event. 

“I honestly can’t wait to go to the tournament,” Pannella said. “I’ll be able to have so much fun with my friends while also competing against others to win the whole thing.”

Freshman Marcos Tepetl loves the competitive aspect of the tournament.

“For me personally, the best part about the whole tournament is having the ability to create your own team with your friends,” Tepetl said. “While also being able to compete against others, all in the hopes to win the trophy.” 

This tournament allows Law students of all ages to play. Law staff members will be also in attendance to help the competition run smoothly.

“The Kickball Tournament really brings in the Jonathan Law community,” freshman Vincenzo Mannino said. “It allows groups of people to work together as one, and getting as far as they get together.” 

Freshman Adrian Vitale is looking forward to competing and helping a worthy cause.

“I think that the tournament will be a great activity to get the Law community together,” Vitale said. “We’re competing for a good cause and also to win the entire event.”

Mr. Ruzbarsky and Mrs. Francisco got pied in the face to celebrate Pi Day fundraising goals. (Photo courtesy youtube.com)

By Ella Hopkins-Gianotti – Staff Reporter

Law recently celebrated National Pi Day with its annual Pi-lympics.

On March 6th and 7th, students from the National Math Honors Society (NMHS) came to every math class to have classes compete in the Pi-lympics for the chance to win the Pi-lympics trophy and a breakfast party. Five events took place this year. 

“We celebrate Pi Day because it is one of the most fascinating math numbers there is in math,” NMHS Advisor Mr. Ruzbarsky said. “It’s an irrational number that cannot be written as a fraction and is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter. As an Honor Society, we also celebrate it because it’s fun to do math and everyone else can enjoy math like we do.”

Mrs. Hull’s period 4 class was the winner of this year’s competition for the second year in a row. Their win was rewarded with a pancake breakfast party and the Pi-lympics trophy.

“I am so excited and proud of my class for winning the Pi-lympics again this year,” Hull said, “My class worked hard to prepare by memorizing pi and drawing circles. Ruz and the NMHS did a great job, as always, organizing the event this year, and all of the math classes showed great spirit and effort.”

This year, the NMHS decided to donate to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Two donation goals were met, leading to Ruzbarsky and math teacher Mrs. Francisco getting pied in the face on an episode of The Morning Briefing.

“This year we raised $470 to go to the St. Jude’s Foundation,” said Ruzbarsky 

There were a variety of games like Drawing the Best Circle, Guess How Many Are In A Jar, Memorizing Digits Of Pi, and Math and Pi Word Challenges. Students could get bonus points by baking a pie, by making pi-related art, and by donating.

“We had to come up with a few new competitions, one of them being the math challenges,” Senior NMHS Officer Madelyn Baranowsky said. “The Pi-lympics helps get everyone more involved with math and creates friendly competition.”

There were even a couple of competitions in which records were broken.

“Most notably, this year we had the most digits of consecutive Pi remembered broken this year with 136 – the previous record was 105,” Ruzbarsky said.

The students in Mrs. Hull’s Period 4 class took lots of time in preparation to get ready for the Pi-lympics.

“I memorized 75 digits of Pi,” freshman Emma Bonanno said. “I used ASAPSCINCE’s pi song. I liked learning the song because it was catchy.” 

This year, the games were run a bit differently than in previous years.

“Two years ago, we ran the Pi-lympics in the New Gym, inviting groups of math classes to come to the room together and move around to try all the activities,” NMHS President Deepika Chitarala said. “With this style, classes didn’t have a set amount of time, and collecting points was a little more complicated, instead this year, we opted to bring the events to the classrooms instead, allowing us to create a more controlled environment and even the playing field for all the math classes at Law.”

Since the games were set up in classrooms, each student was trying to get a better score than their peers.

“I got a 93% on the perfect circle game,” freshman Dylan Gaillard said. “I found it more fun because it was competitive.”

A new way of having the players compete in the competitions meant lots of planning from the NMHS.

“The NMHS officers spent a lot of time talking with Ruz and figuring out how to get everyone excited over this infinite number we call pi,” NMHS Officer Fiorella Gargiulo said. “We brainstormed ideas and ways to market the two block days to get everyone ready for one of my favorite parts of the year.”

Students and teachers participated in the events and all had an amazing time.

“My favorite part of the Pi-lympics is watching teachers and their students get super excited and nerdy over math,” Gargiulo said. “When people are bringing in baked goods or memorizing the digits of pi, it makes the event so much more fun.”

(Photo courtesy Ms. Healy)

By Taylor Mola – Staff Reporter

The Model U.N. Club recently traveled to the National High School Model United Nations Conference which was held in New York City from March 12-15.

This U.N. conference was the largest in the world with over 3,500 students from over 70 countries attending. It was filled with many memorable experiences and learning opportunities for the students, and it taught them how to act as delegates from countries.

“This year we represented Indonesia, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago,” Co-Advisor Ms. Healy said.

To prepare for the trip, students spent the year writing research papers, learning about their assigned country and committee, and practicing their debate skills and public speaking. 

“Before the trip, we worked on preparing for the conference as best as possible,” President Senior Deepika Chitirala said. “This included each delegate writing a position paper on their assigned topic from their country’s perspective. We also studied parliamentary debate styles and learned the common vocabulary used by the chairs leading the sessions and by fellow delegates.”

One of he highlights of the trip was an in-person appearance from former President Joe Biden, who spoke about from him about his  journey through politics and public service. He also took questions from the audience.

Students gained many important skills from their time in New York.

“I got better at public speaking as I would have to regularly go in front of over 100 people and speak, as well as the opportunity to talk to people from all across the world,” junior Aryan Sikhinam said. “On this trip, I got to debate topics that affect the world and try to make a change in how legislation affects places around the world.”

At the conference, Law students spent 20 hours in their sessions with other students from all around the world. Every student was roleplaying as a delegate from a different country that they were assigned to, and had to work cooperatively to solve different international issues.

“The results of this trip are that all of our students’ committees passed resolutions to address these international issues,” Co-Advisor Mr. Evanko said. “Students also made friends from around the world and had fun expanding their debate and research skills.”

(Photo courtesy Courtney Russo)

By Abigail Merenda – Staff Reporter 

The Sophomore Ring Dance was held on March 7 at the Race Brook Country Club in Orange. 

The dance was filled with many memories and enjoyable experiences for the sophomore class.

“My favorite part of the night was when a lot of kids were in the lobby of the country club and we were playing the piano and singing songs,” sophomore Courtney Russo said. “I also enjoyed dancing with the class and just spending time together.”

The sophomore class officers took months to plan this dance in order for everyone to have a good time.

“Planning the dance was fun,” sophomore Talia Hagan said. “We just bounced ideas off of each other. What was more fun than planning it through was seeing it in person and everyone enjoying it.” 

The class officers loved to see everyone having a good time after a long year of planning. 

“My favorite part about planning the sophomore ring dance was definitely seeing everyone’s reaction to the dance,” sophomore Amilio Venditti said. “It took us all year to plan.”  

The sophomore class only had amazing things to say about the dance 

“I had a lot of fun,” sophomore Katherine Wong said. “I thought it was run well and was a good amount of time I liked the food and music and thought the whole dance was a really good time.”

Law Principal Mr. Darcy said it was evident that everyone was having a good time. 

“The feedback that I received from both students and staff was that it was a fun evening for all,” Darcy said. “I saw students having fun, singing, dancing and just overall having a great time all night.”

Law’s NEHS and Quill and Scroll recently held their induction ceremonies. (Photo courtesy Mrs. Lucia)

By Logan Mullarkey – Sports Editor

Jonathan Law’s National English Honor Society (NEHS) and Quill and Scroll Honor Society recently held their induction ceremonies.

NEHS and Quill and Scroll have provided students with opportunities to engage in reading, writing, and journalism. These organizations not only recognize academic achievement but also encourage students to use their skills to give back to the community.

NEHS, in its first year at Law, has already made an impact.

“This year, the NEHS organized a Book Drive in the fall,” English teacher and NEHS Advisor Mrs. Lucia said. “We donated a few boxes of books to the Beth El shelter as a result of the donations from people here at Law.”

In addition to the book drive, NEHS members will visit local elementary schools this spring as “Guest Readers” to promote literacy among younger students. The organization also encourages creative writing and participation in contests, with plans to expand its activities next year.

“This was our first year, and there is so much the organization offers that we needed this year to see what would fit with our community here at Law,” senior Julia Ryan added.

Quill and Scroll, an International Honor Society for high school journalists, continues to support student reporters at Law.

“Quill and Scroll provides opportunities for students to engage with journalism beyond the classroom by offering contests and scholarships,” Journalism teacher and Quill and Scroll Advisor Mr. Kulenych said. “It’s a platform that recognizes and supports young journalists, fostering their skills and passion for journalism.”

The society recognizes and fosters young journalists by providing them with resources, competitions, and networking opportunities. Students who have completed Journalism 1 and rank in the top 25% of their class are eligible for induction into Quill and Scroll, further motivating them to excel in journalism.

“Being part of Quill and Scroll gives us a chance to take journalism more seriously and get recognized for our work,” senior Cesar Mendez said. “It’s great to have a community that supports student writers and reporters.”

Both NEHS and Quill and Scroll offer students the chance to refine their writing skills while making a difference in their community. Whether through storytelling, reporting, or service projects, these organizations continue to strengthen literacy and journalism at Law.

(Photo courtesy @jlhsadvocate)

By Will Smith and Tim Firla – Entertainment Editors

The Class of 2029 has begun its transition from middle school into high school.

A group of incoming freshmen came to Law on February 25 to learn about the many different electives that are offered. After a presentation in the auditorium, students moved to the Old Gym where they visited booths for Food Service, Wood Tech, Choir, Journalism, Robotics, and many more.

The Food Service tent was one of the most popular. Students in the class gave out free samples of freshly-made pancakes and of several desserts that are made in the class.

“The simple pleasures of life such as food are an easy road to happiness and satisfaction,” senior Lucas Brotherton said. “And through us, they discovered they could build their high school career while also enjoying it.”

Law’s Journalism and Broadcast Journalism classes showed off articles they have written, FOX 61 Student News videos they created, and episode of the Morning Briefing.

Junior Advocate Editor-in-Chief Kayla Markowitz was excited to introduce incoming freshmen about Law’s Journalism program.

“Our goal was to reach out to incoming freshmen and show them what the Advocate has to offer,” Markowitz said. “I wanted to help recruit incoming students because I know how hard it is to get involved when starting something new and it always helps to have upperclassmen encourage you.”

Senior Nate Pacelli was part of the Wood Shop and Engineering table to showcase the opportunities students could have to learn in a different type of class environment.

“Having had the opportunity to take a Woodworking class and explain it to incoming freshmen was very fun,” Pacelli said. “It is a class that is very different from any other classes within the school. It is a very hands-on experience getting to use all different types of tools like saws, nails, and screws. You can learn all types of things from these classes, as well as an opportunity to see if it is a type of field you would want to pursue in the future.”

The Law Science Club competed in the UConn Olympiad on March 22. (Photo courtesy Mrs. Turcotte)

By Courtney Russo and Madi Black – News Editors

The Jonathan Law Science Club competed in its second Olympiad of the year at UConn on Saturday, March 22.

Law’s first Olympiad took place at Harvard University last month. The team is led by two science teachers, Ms. Turcotte and Mr. Stanton. Science teachers Mrs. Gagnon, Mrs. Bouchard, and Intern Mr. Lippert also joined the team on the trip.

“I enjoy the invitational events for many reasons,” Turcotte said. “The first reason is that we don’t have to run the events (at the state we work all day running and scoring events) which allows us to interact more with our students and watch them compete in the engineering events.”

At UConn, Law competed against 42 other teams. Their A team placed 11th overall and the B team placed 16th.

Many students on these teams won medals in their events. Two teams placed in the Write It, Do It category – senior Maddy Baranowsky and senior Sana Joshi took second place and senior Deepika Chitirala and junior Harshitha Kothapalli finished third. 

Two other teams placed in the Electric Vehicle category. Senior Matthew Berndt and sophomore Liam Snow finished second and junior David Guery and junior Aryan Sikhinam took fourth.

“In Electric Vehicle, you have to come up with a car that moves and brakes all by itself,”  Sikhinam said. “You don’t know where it needs to stop until the day of the event, so we have to test out a bunch of different distances.”

The club rotates between competing at Harvard, Brown, and MIT in the winter and competing at UConn in the spring. The Winter Invitational allows the team to improve for the spring Olympiad.

“I prepared by testing different scenarios so that my partner and I could compete with known problems, knowing we were prepared,” Guery said.

Some of the events requires students to take a test (Anatomy, Astronomy), while some require a test and lab (Chem Lab, Forensics, Materials Science), some involve a test that revolve around stations (Fossils, Rocks and Minerals) and others are engineering events where students must design, build and test something (Tower, Bungee, Helicopter, Electric Vehicle). 

“For Entomology, we had to identify real samples of bugs,” sophomore Sadie Timmeny said. “Once we identified them, we had to answer questions about them.”

Some additional highlights from the Olympiad included freshman Ziad Elsayed and junior Kayla Markowitz placing sixth in the Robot Tour event, sophomore Jeremiah Dos Santos and Elsayed placing seventh in the Helicopter event, senior Deepika Chitirala and Markowitz placing ninth in Geological Mapping, and Chitirala and junior Fiorella Gargiulo finishing ninth in Wind Power.

(Photo courtesy Law Choir)

By Anwita Puttam – Staff Reporter

Senior Sarah Gutierrez and junior Lexi Velez were both recently accepted into the CMEA All-State Honors Festival.

The Honors Festival is a large Choir social event where students audition to get into Regionals, but only a select few get accepted into States. Those lucky students get to participate in the CMEA States Choir.

“I am beyond thrilled that two of our amazing Law choir students got into the CMEA All State Honors Festival, particularly this year – it was highly competitive because they took fewer students,” Choir Director Ms. Jones said. “To know out of thousands of students in the state our students were chosen is quite an honor and accomplishment.”

This year is Gutierrez’s last year in the Jonathan Law Choir and was her final chance to get accepted into CMEA. Gutierrez had the highest score out of all the CMEA participants from the Law Choir this year.

“Experience with CMEA is definitely interesting and keeps you occupied, you get to meet fun people and collaborate with musicians across the Southern Region of Connecticut and you meet wonderful directors who are very nice and talented,” Gutierrez said. “For CMEA last and this year I got a 192/198 and for All-State I got a 193/198. I am definitely proud of these scores since I think that these types of scores are very challenging to achieve and it takes a lot to be able to be ranked this high so I’m very happy.”

Velez posted a score of 180/198 at her audition which qualified her for the festival. She was an All-State participant last year as well.

“I am very excited for States because it is an experience that I would never want to miss,” Velez said. “I love and enjoy singing, so for me this is a huge accomplishment. I’m so excited to be able to see everyone and to be able to do this experience again for my second time.”

Ella Franzman was named NESPA’s Connecticut High School Journalist of the Year. (Photo courtesy Kayla Markowitz)

By Harshitha Kothapalli – Editor-in-Chief

Senior Advocate Editor-in-Chief Ella Franzman was recently named the New England Scholastic Press Association’s 2025 Connecticut High School Journalist of the Year.

Franzman was one of 17 students named to NESPA’s All-New England Journalism Team. The goal of NESPA, which based out of Boston University’s College of Communications, is to promote all forms of student Journalism, such as student newspapers, broadcast programs, yearbooks, and magazines.

Franzman was chosen out of a group of other aspiring journalists across Connecticut and New England for this esteemed award. Franzman has been passionate about Journalism, especially Sports Journalism, for as long as she can remember. Her love for sports was nurtured through years of watching games with her family. 

“I think I’ve always kind of known that I wanted to work in sports for my future,” Franzman said. “When I was younger I was always watching sports with my dad or grandfather so it’s always been in my life. But, I really knew about my passion for Journalism after my freshman year, after taking Journalism 1.”

Taking Journalism 1 at Law allowed Franzman to explore the field in depth as she found a way to combine her love for sports with her newfound passion for Journalism. 

As Editor-in-Chief of The Advocate, Franzman has had a chance to develop her skills beyond writing. Her leadership within the newspaper has made a significant impact, always guiding fellow writers to strive for excellence. 

Franzman has utilized her time in high school to grow her Sports Broadcasting and Journalism career. She remembers some of her most exciting moments announcing school events. 

“Being able to announce the Thanksgiving Day football games have been an amazing part of my career so far,” Franzman said. 

When Franzman was recognized by by NESAP for her accomplishments, she was beyond thrilled. 

“I feel so, so, honored,” Franzman said. “I know that a lot of other amazing journalists from Connecticut applied so I am not only grateful to have been named Connecticut High School Journalist of the Year but also to be awarded as the only Connecticut Journalist on the All-New England Team is truly an incredible honor.”

The process of applying for the recognition she received was no small feat. Franzman poured hours of effort, working on her application with guidance from Law’s journalism teacher, Mr. Kulenych. The process required submitting transcript and letters of recommendation, writing a personalized essay, and creating an online portfolio showcasing her four years of work at Jonathan Law. 

Journalism teacher Mr. Kulenych praised Franzman for her hard work and dedication.

“Ella contributes to The Advocate not only with the content she creates but more importantly, with the leadership she shows in and out of class,” Kulenych said. “If something needs to get done, I know that Ella will get it done effectively and in a timely fashion.”

Franzman’s future in Journalism continues this fall. She will attend Syracuse University, where she will study Broadcast and Digital Journalism at the renowned Newhouse Communications School. 

“I’m super excited to be attending Syracuse – the program they have at the Newhouse Communications School is just so prestigious, so I’m super excited to get to campus in the fall,” she said.

Her ultimate goal is to become a sideline reporter for the NFL, and she is determined to make that dream a reality. 

As Franzman prepares to leave Jonathan Law and start the next chapter of her journey, her dedication to journalism and her future is unmistakable. She has already built a strong foundation and is eager to take her skills to college and beyond.

Whether she’s covering a football game or editing an article, Franzman’s enthusiasm for journalism continues to shine through in everything she does.

“Ella has excelled as a student journalist because of her work ethic and the dedication she puts into all of her content,” Kulenych said. “Whether she is writing an article, editing a video news story, managing a social media account, or creating graphics, she works so hard to make the final product look professional. She is always looking for new projects, always coming up with new ideas, and her enthusiasm for journalism is a great example for the other students in the class. Syracuse is getting a future journalism star and I can’t wait to see how her journalism journey continues.”

(Photo courtesy SAVE Promise Club)

By Aislyn McKernan – Social Media Editor 

Jonathan Law’s SAVE Promise Club participated in “Say Something Week” during the week of March 3-7.  

The club decided to participate in this week to encourage people to talk about mental health and speak up if they see someone who is struggling. 

“The club decided to do Say Something Week because it holds a very important message,” Junior Vice President Sarah McCann said. “We want everyone to learn the warning signs of someone who may be in danger of harming themselves or others and for people to know there are safe spaces around the school, that’s why we emphasize trusted adults.”

Members said the week was successful and that it created a safe space between teachers and students. On Trusted Adult Tuesday, many teachers wore Trusted Adult sunglasses and were awarded a Trusted Adult Award.

“My favorite part of this week was the Trusted Adult posters,” junior Ava Ambrusco said. “I think it was a great way to show your trusted adult, that they are your trusted adult.”

There were many activities for all classes to do throughout the week. Club Advisor Ms.Healy said the activities helped to spread a powerful message.

“I feel like the week went well,” Healy said. “Students really enjoyed the positive messages posted around the building, wearing their PJs to school, and everyone loves the fun glasses that get passed around.”

Sophomore August Oliveira participated in many activities throughout the week to show her support for SAVE and to spread awareness. 

“I really enjoyed the different activities I did and thought they were a good way to get everyone involved,”  Oliveira said. “I would definitely participate in this week again.”

(Photo courtesy Mrs. Drew)

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief and Haley Stroffolino – Social Media Editor-In-Chief

A group of students from Jonathan Law High School, including athletes, winter sports captains, and club leaders, went to Mathewson Elementary school on February 28 for National Read Across America Day. 

The Law students went to various classrooms where they had the opportunity to read to many different students. They were able to talk to the students, find out each other’s interests and enjoy reading. 

“I think my favorite part of Read Across America Day would be seeing the joy and excitement that reading brings to my students,” Mathewson second grade teacher Amy Bugge said. “It’s a day dedicated to celebrating books and stories, which is such a wonderful way to inspire imagination, learning, and curiosity in everyone. Having former students come back to read to my class has created such a meaningful connection between the past and present.” 

Many Law students attended Mathewson Elementary School, so many were looking forward to visiting their old school and seeing familiar faces. Others were excited to be able to see younger siblings. 

“I wanted to participate because I have a little sister at Mathewson and know how much it means to the kids when they see high schoolers come and read to them,” senior Aryanna Maldonado said. “I really wanted to bring a smile to their faces.”

Maldonado, who is a captain on the cheerleading team, was not only happy to see her sister, but was excited to go and read with her friends. 

“I was excited to go to Mathewson because I wanted to engage with the students and help them learn,” senior Tessa Piselli said. “I hoped the students had fun and potentially learned something from me.”

Many students at Mathewson were eager to be able to learn something new from the Law students. 

“Participating in the Read Across America day was rewarding because after seeing how much it impacted the kids and how excited they were interacting with the older athletes,” senior Chloe Konareski said. “It was so special to see and was a great opportunity to do something so small that will impact others so much.” 

Since 2018, students from Law and Joseph A. Foran High School have gone to Mathewson to read to the elementary students to celebrate RAM Day. 

“I believe RAM day is important because it celebrates literacy and brings awareness to the multitude of ways books create lifelong memories,” Law special education teacher Mrs. Drew said.

BSU members Sarah Ahmed (left) and Abigail Jenkins (right) appeared on The Morning Briefing for a Black History Month-themed Book Talk. (Photo courtesy The Morning Briefing)

By Matthew Sanchez – Staff Reporter 

Law’s Black Student Union is a club that unites all Black students and creates a safe space, while simultaneously showcasing the accomplishments of Black people over the course of history. 

In the Black Student Union, there are activities for members, educational school-wide events, and field trips. Throughout the month of February, members of the BSU appeared on the Morning Briefing, and on March 6, the BSU sponsored a school-wide Advisory activity about Black history.

“Students should join the Black Student Union for community within our school environment as well as community within Milford,” Junior Black Student Union President Abigail Jenkins said. “In BSU, we get to spend time together as a unified club, as well as organize school-wide events and panels. During our meetings, we like to plan for future events, enjoy snacks and food, and do activities that promote Black culture.”

Jenkins said her goal is that the club brings students together while promoting Black culture.

Senior Black Student Union Co-President Sarah Ahmed believes one of the main missions of the club is to provide students a place for discussion.

“The mission of the club is to give students a safe space,” Ahmed said. “One where we can discuss our struggles, our history, and educate others on what it’s like to walk in the shoes of someone who is constantly misrepresented not only in the media, but within our own school.”

Junior Kiara Tavarez explained why she joined the Black Student Union and why others should join too. 

“I joined the Black Student Union because it provided a safe space and community for people of color,” Tavarez said. “Other students should join for a space to talk with others about their experiences and build a community.”

Senior Maximilian Akuffo described the club as very welcoming and inviting.

“I think this is a friendly and inviting environment where students can be themselves and create meaningful connections with each other,” Akuffo said. “Everyone is good company and it is a safe space to bring up any views and perspectives you have regarding race in our community.”

Sophomore Jenesis Michel said one of the most important messages of the club is education.

“I believe that the message of the club is to share and educate people about Black culture,” said Michel.

(Photo collage courtesy Cora Aitkenhead)

(The following is a personal account of freshman Cora Aitkenhead’s recent trip to Costa Rica as a member of the Builders Beyond Borders service organization.)

By Cora Aitkenhead – Staff Reporter

Builders Beyond Borders (B3) is a service organization that works with students from middle school and high school to perform small community service, as well as annual large service projects in South & Central American countries. This year the organization has been taking highschool students to Costa Rica where we built community center’s for two different communities. 

The organization consists of 5 teams: Odyssey, Amanecer, Equipo Esperanza, Rock-It, and B3 Local (no traveling middle school team). I am a part of the Odyssey team. 

In Tarise, Costa Rica – a community so small the airport had never heard of it – the Odyssey team of 19 students began building a community center that would be used for adult education services. The trip was 8 days long and most importantly, cell phones are prohibited. Out of 19 students, I was the only one from Jonathan Law and the other 18 attend Weston High School and Staples High School. I was nervous that I wouldn’t get to know the team, but the lack of phones made me closer with these kids in one day than I am with most people I’ve known for years. 

Our typical day consisted of a 6:30 a.m. wake up, 7:00 a.m. breakfast, 8:00 a.m. worksite, 12:00 p.m. lunch, 4:30 p.m. leave worksite, followed by some type of community play/downtime/excursion, 7:00 p.m. dinner, and three hours of downtime. The work we did included: moving gravel and hand mixing cement; digging trenches to run electrical wire through; building rebar as the building support structures; carrying/laying cinder blocks; filling cement cracks between blocks; etc. 

Doing labor work and mixing cement for eight hours a day, in the blazing heat, while getting your limbs destroyed by bug bites, isn’t something that is supposed to be fun. But that is why this trip altered my perception of what it truly means to be happy. My happiness had always been derived from having things whether it be security, authority, or receiving items I had no need for. On this trip I had nothing but a team and some shovels, and I can’t think of a time I did have a smile on my face. Parts of me felt guilty that I hadn’t missed anything back at home. But when you are in a beautiful country having the time of your life with your new best friends, how could you possibly miss back home. 

Aside from our eight hour work days, we got to play soccer games with the local kids, we got to go to a beautiful beach where we fed oranges to wild capuchin monkeys, we got to visit a natural pool/waterfall, and even got to see coffee plantations and pineapple farms. Every insecurity or worry I ever had about doing something out of my comfort zone vanished at the thought of, “When will I ever have the chance to do this in Costa Rica again?”

While the experience of building this community center and being immersed in Costa Rican culture was unforgettable, the connections I made beyond language barriers and even just with my team are worth more than anything. There’s a famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that reads, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” But if I’ve learned anything from this trip, it’s that it’s not the destination, it’s not the journey, it’s the company. 

Like I said, when it’s written on paper this trip sounds more like a task than a fun time. But I’ve learned that you’ll learn more in one day of poverty and discomfort than you will in a lifetime of riches and power. This trip evokes one of those feelings you can’t understand until you have it, and then even when you have it you can’t quite understand it. 

Spanish teacher Mrs. Trombetta (Photo by Sebastian Beltran)

By Sebastian Beltran – Staff Reporter 

Spanish teacher Mrs. Trombetta is one of the most influential educators in the Jonathan Law community.

Trombetta is known for her passion for teaching and her ability to make learning a new language both fun and engaging for students.

What makes Trombetta stand out is her ability to build strong relationships with her students, and most importantly, she takes the time to get to know their individual learning styles and interests and uses creative methods to teach them.

“My approach to teaching Spanish includes practical, conversational skills rather than just solely focusing on grammar,” Trombetta said. “It incorporates immersive techniques, allowing students to engage with authentic materials like songs, movies, news clips, and social media in Spanish. Culture is also a focal point of my teaching. By encouraging real-life conversations and active participation, my goal is to foster an environment where language learning feels natural and relevant to daily life.”

Trombetta’s goal is to incorporates real-world scenarios and cultural experiences into her lessons.

“For example, students may engage in role-playing activities that simulate ordering food at a restaurant or traveling in a Spanish-speaking country,” Trombetta said. “We also learn, discuss and reflect upon real life events (from past and present), cultural celebrations and experiences.”

Trombetta’s love for the Spanish language dates back to when she was a student herself.

“I grew up speaking Italian, which helped me greatly in my study of Spanish because I was able to make linguistic comparisons between the two languages,” Trombetta said. “I studied Spanish for many years in school, including in college where I spent one year studying at La Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. This is where I truly learned the language and culture by becoming completely immersed in it. I also majored in Spanish at Quinnipiac. In addition, I spend time outside of class learning about the people and cultures of the many countries that make up the Spanish-speaking world. I keep up with my Spanish not only in class, but also outside of class by watching series, listening to songs, following Spanish-language social media accounts and reading Spanish news articles. 

Trombetta hopes she has a positive impact on students’ learning and appreciation of other cultures, as it is a primary focus in her class.

“In Spanish 4 we are reading about a teenager from the U.S. who visits Ecuador and experiences various cultural shocks and learns to appreciate another culture through his love for photography,” Trombetta said. “Before we started reading the mini novel, students researched Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in order to gain an understanding for the country and its people. In Spanish 5 we are learning about a real life event that took place in 1972 in which Uruguayan passengers from a rugby team were stranded in the Andes mountains for almost three months after their plane crashed. We are investigating and discussing the moral, cultural and social implications of the events.”

Another one of Trombetta’s goals every year is to make sure that every student feels supported and engaged in her classroom.

“It is important to create a safe and supportive classroom environment because sometimes students are shy or feel embarrassed to speak Spanish in front of their classmates,” Trombetta said. “This is why I like students to work in small groups to discuss questions or topics first and then share out.”

Trombetta’s students love her Spanish classes for a variety of reasons.

“She has helped me build confidence in speaking Spanish, and she always finds ways to make lessons feel exciting and relevant,” senior Jacen Brewster said. “She makes sure that we understand how language connects us with people all over the world.”

Through her passion for Spanish, Trombetta is shaping the future of her students, inspiring them to appreciate language.

“Mrs. Trombetta’s teaching style has really made me appreciate the process of learning a new language,” junior Jared Saludes said. “She focuses on making lessons interactive and fun, which helps me feel more comfortable speaking Spanish.”