Category Archives: News

NEWS: Law’s National English Honor Society Holds Holiday Book Drive

(Photo by Kishal Shah)

By Kishal Shah – Staff Reporter   

Jonathan Law’s National English Honor Society held its first meeting of the year in October and is currently running a Holiday Book Drive.

NEHS is a national philanthropic organization which aims to give back to the community by cultivating a vibrant environment where high school students and teachers can immerse themselves in experiences of promoting literacy and serving society. 

Law plans to contribute to NEHS’s values by organizing events and fundraisers that help spread the importance and prominence of  books and reading in a learning  environment. NEHS Advisor Mrs. Lucia believes members must think about the society’s impact on a larger scale than just within Law, and expand its influence throughout the city of Milford.  

“I hope that we continue to do charity projects outside of the book drive, and one of my goals is to get students into elementary schools for reading, whether it’s to just read with kids to help provide support or just take a story time off of a teacher’s plate and entertain the kids for a little while,” Lucia said. “That would be another way to involve students in the elementary school community that will eventually be coming to Law.”

NEHS Treasurer Alexandra Fino is collaborating with fellow officers to organize the society’s ongoing Holiday Book Drive, which they hope will achieve their shared goal of donating books to make reading more accessible for the citizens of Milford.

“One thing we are doing currently is a Book Drive, where students from the school can donate old books they are no longer using, so those books can be recycled to new people who can read and use them more,” Fino said. “Not only does this repurpose books, but it allows people who may not regularly have access to books to be able to read them.”

Apart from contributing to community fundraisers and events such as the Book Drive and reading in elementary schools, another requirement for members of the society includes required English Tutoring in the TLC after school during the Extended Learning Program (ELP) hours. 

Senior NEHS member Brianna Madelung is enthusiastic about helping other peers through peer tutoring as she finds it to be a personable way of giving back to the Law community. 

“I look forward to helping out during tutoring the most,” Madelung said. 

Senior Olivia Pisacane also believes peer tutoring helps build relations with peers and helps foster a positive literary learning environment in the Law community.

“I’m looking forward to fundraising more and helping others in the Support Center,” Pisacane said. 

This practice of tutoring during ELP hours is vital to the society’s mission and values because it is an obligation as a society member to spread the learning of literary knowledge, and helps other peers build their foundations in English to improve in their language skills in their respective courses.

NEWS: Law Hosts First Pep Rally Of The School Year

(Photo by Aislyn McKernan)

By Aislyn McKernan and Madi Black – Social Media Editors

Law held its first Pep Rally of the year on November 22 to celebrate fall sports and the Thanksgiving Week  football games.

The Pep Rally was held during Spirit Week, specifically on Color Wars Day. All students showed support by wearing the colors assigned to their class. There were many different activities during the rally, including a school-wide game of musical chairs – with a twist.

The winner of the game was sophomore Jackie Rivera.

“I volunteered to participate because it looked like a lot of fun,” said Rivera. “It was the main part of the rally and I didn’t want to miss out.”

The rally was hosted by a group of Law seniors including Cam Upchurch.  

“Hosting the Pep Rally was fun and I definitely would like to do it again,” Upchurch said.

The Law Band began the Pep Rally with a fun performance of the song “Hey, Baby.” Senior Riley Lapham was one of the lead drummers for the performance.

“I think the Band did really well,” Lapham said. “Playing at the rallies is a great way to show off what we learn and work hard on in class.”

The Law Choir sang the National Anthem.

“I was excited but a little nervous to sing, but overall I wouldn’t change anything,” junior Lexi Velez said. “I think the Pep Rally was a success and would take the opportunity again.”

The Law cheerleaders performed along with the Powderpuff boy cheerleaders. 

“I think the Pep Rally went well, we hit all our stunts and the crowd seemed to like it,” sophomore Maddie Nash said. “Training with the Powderpuff boys was fun. It was fun to see the boys try to do the stunts we cheerleaders do.” 

NEWS: Law’s National Honor Society Helps Those In Need With Annual Giving Tree

(Photo courtesy Tim Firla)

By Will Smith & Tim Firla – Entertainment Editors

It’s the season of giving and Law’s National Honor Society is helping those in need with the annual Giving Tree.

The Giving Tree is located in the lobby and members of the Law community can take a tag from the tree which lists an age and gift idea for the child in need.

“Each year the National Honor Society sponsors the Giving Tree,” National Honor Society Advisor Mrs. Goldbeck said. “We work with a non-profit in our community to receive gift ideas for children who may not receive gifts during the holiday. We place the ideas on the tree and the Law community does the rest. Staff and students take a tag, buy a gift and return it to the tree. The staff of the non-profit then comes to Law to pick up the gifts and distribute them to their clients.”

Senior National Honor Society President Maddie Baranowskiy is grateful to give back to the community during the holiday season.

“It feels great to help the community during the holiday season,” Baranowsky said. “Giving back is always super rewarding and brings the Law and the Milford community together.”

Senior Brayden Hancock, a member of the National Honor Society, enjoys the sense of community and helping others with the Giving Tree. 

“I like how the Giving Tree fosters a sense of community due to the communal aspect of helping others,” Hancock said.

Senior Katherine Cepetelli has made more than five donations to the Giving Tree this year.

“I donated because I feel that everyone should be able to experience the Christmas joy of getting gifts no matter their income or living situation,” Cepetelli said. “I believe that as someone who is more fortunate than others, it is my job to give back to the community and do my part in giving to people in need.”

NEWS: Law Drama Club Prepares For Upcoming “Hollywood Showcase” Production

(Photo by Taylor Mola)

By Taylor Mola and Morgan Cappock – Staff Reporters

The Jonathan Law Drama Club is making final preparations for its Hollywood Showcase on December 13 and 14.

This showcase is a fun way for the members to show off all of their talents and their love for what they do. The Drama Club has been working hard and is excited to invite everyone to come and watch.

We have been meeting up every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 3-6:30 p.m. which is such a short amount of time,” Junior President Chris Serrano said. “The club has been extremely dedicated to making a great production. Starting early this week, we have entered Tech Week, going from 5-9 p.m.”

This club has delivered a well-thought out showcase for this weekend and is thrilled to present it to the students and families of Law. The production will showcase scenes from “Barbie,” “Grease,” “The Breakfast Club,” and more.

“I came up with the idea of a Hollywood Showcase because I wanted to do something that would appeal to a wide range of people and I wanted to stay away from Broadway musicals,” Director Olivia Rivera said. “I also didn’t want to do a specific holiday or season like we did last year with the Spooky Showcase and because families are already attending so many winter and holiday concerts this month.”

Rivera wanted to include movies and plays that all audience members would love and relate to in some way.

“We are able to choose songs from the classics like ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ songs from movies that parents and grandparents grew up loving like ‘Dirty Dancing,’ and songs from newer movies like ‘Barbie,’” Rivera said. “There’s something for everyone in the showcase.”

Club members all had such a fun time learning and working together leading up to the showcase. Some members have been in Drama Club since they were freshmen and are excited to show off their talents in their last showcase before their spring musical.

“It’s definitely sad because I like working with all of the underclassmen that have been with me since the start,” senior Sarah Gutierrez said. “But at the same time as all of this, it is cool to see all of the growth and also I get to leave something to the people after me and I’m excited to see what the program turns into.”

Senior Tori DePoto said she is excited for the show but not ready for her Drama Club career to end.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” senior Tori DePoto said. “I’m excited to get out and graduate but this is the one thing I’ve been doing since freshman year. I’m excited for it to actually be a show.”

“TODAY AT SCHOOL WE…”: The Advocate Staff Reports On Their Favorite Daily Learning Experiences

Most of the articles written by The Advocate staff each month focus on Law’s extracurricular activities, sports teams, and student achievements outside of the classroom. But what about the lessons that students are learning in the classroom from 7:20 a.m.-1:58 p.m. every day? This special series – compiled by the Journalism 1, 2, 3, and 4 classes – takes our readers inside the classroom and answers the age-old dinner table question: “What did you do at school today?”

Thank you to all of the teachers who participated.


(Photo by Madison Krauss)

GLOBAL HUMAN GEOGRAPHY WITH MR. BEARDSLEY

By Madison Krauss – Staff Reporter

Mr. Beardsley’s Global Human Geography class has been exploring global cultures through a combination of in-class interviews and research projects.

Students were assigned with creating 20 questions about culture and religion. After they created their questions, they then asked the questions they created to their classmates. 

I was hoping that students learned a little bit about each other’s culture, and realized that although we are all different and come from different backgrounds, we share so many similarities with each other,” Beardsley said. 

The goal of this assignment was to gain insights into a variety of cultures and religious practices from the backgrounds of their peers. 

“My favorite thing about that assignment was getting to learn new things about my classmates’ cultures and religions,” junior Emma Johnson said. “It taught me a lot about other people’s backgrounds and it was interesting.” 

By interviewing each other, students gained valuable insights into many different backgrounds within the classroom, allowing students to expand a deeper understanding and notice similarities within different cultures and religions in real-time.

“Getting to know more about my classmates’ backgrounds was my favorite part of the assignment,” junior Lexi Kirby said. 

Students were not only tasked with interviewing their classmates but also had the opportunity to be interviewed themselves. 

I think by coming up with their own questions and being able to ask them to a classmate, students were able to find out things about their peers that they never knew before,” Beardsley said. 


(Photo by Christian Galligan)

CHEMISTRY AND THE EARTH SYSTEM WITH MS. TURCOTTE 

By Amilio Venditti – Staff Reporter

Students in Ms. Turcotte’s Chemistry class recently conducted a lab on Spectral Analysis.

With the use of handheld spectrometers, students observed the wavelengths of the unknown gas spectrum tubes and the wavelengths of the natural light from the sun.

“Students used spectroscopes to separate light into its individual wavelengths and used the data (the corresponding colors and wavelengths) to identify three elements,” Turcotte said. “First, they looked at white light from the sun which separated into what is a continuous spectrum (full rainbow), then they observed the light emitted from three different gas tubes (light bulbs filled with different elements in their gas form), to observe the line emission spectrum that resulted (specific individual lines of color).”

The goal of the lab was to learn about the wave properties of light, interactions of light and matter, and ultimately to identify the gases in the gas tubes by their line emission spectrum. 

“I personally enjoyed trying to discover which element I was looking at based on the spectrograph, I found the process of elimination and comparing different graphs and charts to be pretty fun,” sophomore Elizabeth Ramsauer said. “Then again, I could barely see the spectral lines due to a faulty spectrometer, so no wonder the part that required the least use of that to be the most enjoyable.”

This lab helped a lot of students understand how light is emitted, and showed that there is more than one way that elements can be distinguished from each other. In an environment where one would not be able to procure a scale that can measure the mass of an atom, using spectral lines could be a very helpful way for scientists to differentiate different elements.

“My favorite part was coloring the graphs of the spectral lines,” sophomore Harkaran Sekhon said. “I also understood that we only see a small part of the frequency table which is visible light.”


(Photo by Cora Aitkenhead)

ALGEBRA II WITH MS. LOCH

By Cora Aitkenhead – Staff Reporter

Ms. Loch’s Algebra II class has been exploring effective learning strategies by doing fun problem solving in class. 

Each day the class works through a Math Medic, a worksheet designed to use math material, problems, and equations in real world scenarios. Loch finds that the Math Medic worksheets give students a better understanding of what they are learning, and helps bring the learning to life. 

“Students can better understand the value of collaboration, technology, and persistence in tackling mathematical challenges,” Loch said. “By working through these types of problems, students not only improve their technical math skills but also gain a deeper understanding of how to apply those skills in various contexts.”

These worksheets however are clearly delivering messages to students of how to best budget money, all the way to the most efficient architectural structures and patterns. 

“Math Medic is very helpful, because it shows me why what I’m learning is actually important,” junior Jared Saludes said. “Especially when it comes to money, Math Medic is teaching me the most effective ways to use and account for it, which you can’t learn in many other classes.”

While learning is the most important thing, an occasional break for a game never hurts and is a great way to bring up a class’s energy. This is why Loch began implementing an occasional 2-5 minute break to play a round of Family Feud, encouraging thinking and problem solving skills during a break. 

“The competitive and interactive nature of the game helps students stay energized and motivated,” Loch said. “Students enjoy a moment of fun, helping to alleviate stress and creating a more positive classroom environment.”

This combination of a class where students learn and still get to include some high-competition fun has been immediately effective. Students have expressed enjoyment and appreciation for this teaching approach. 

“As a student, getting a break like this during class, even just for two minutes, is extremely helpful,” sophomore Sam Matist said. “We learn a lot, so the occasional break is pretty fun, and very important.”


(Photo by Dani Kotansky)

MARKETING 1 WITH MR. BELER

By Dani Kotansky – Staff Reporter

In Marketing 1, Mr. Beler’s students engage in fun activities to learn the fundamentals of marketing, especially the 4 P’s – Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. 

Students recently were assigned a slideshow to fill in about the three biggest marketing days of the year coming up, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Students filled in the blanks on the slides and used different websites to learn more about the history of these days and how they tie in to marketing, specifically price and promotion, 2 of the 4  P’s. 

“For marketing, these are the biggest sales of the entire year,” Beler said. “From Black Friday, to Small Business Saturday, to Cyber Monday, these are some of the top selling days in the entire year.”

Students found this activity interesting, and were able to have insights as to how market research and promotions make these shopping days big for people in the marketing field. 

Freshman Norah Fedigan felt the project was interesting to get insight into these holidays where all people do is shop. 

“I learned about how these days originated and when they were founded,” Fedigan said. “I can’t wait to go shopping on these days with deals coming up.”

Freshman Ella Aoki also found this project unique, as students don’t typically think about all the history behind holidays like Black Friday. 

“I love how we got to learn about these special shopping holidays, especially their history,” Aoki said. 

Beler felt this project was impactful for Marketing students, and they could learn a lot about these holidays that students don’t view as particularly important. 

“Students learn the importance of the marketing that takes place to make this a big event,” Beler said. “Now students understand how businesses come at consumers.”


(Photo by Aaryan Doshi)

ENGLISH 1 WITH MRS. ANDERSON

By Aaryan Doshi – Staff Reporter

Mrs. Anderson’s English 1 class recently learned about different causes that led up to the Civil Rights Movement. 

Students in Anderson’s class had to make a slideshow presentation about an event that led up to the Civil Rights Movement. 

“I hope students gain a deeper understanding of the struggles and achievements of individuals who fought for equality,” Anderson said. “I also want them to develop critical thinking and empathy by connecting historical events to current issues of fairness in their own lives.”

The presentations needed to be three to five minutes long and include interesting and important facts about the student’s topic. To keep the audience involved, the students needed to come up with some fun and thoughtful questions for the audience to answer. 

“In English, we are learning about the Civil Rights Movement, and we are working on a project about an event that caused the Civil Rights Movement,” freshman Logan Thomas said. “I learned a lot about the Civil Rights Movement and I am glad we did a project on it because it helped me learn about the Civil Rights Movement.” 

Students shared that this unit helped them better understand the Civil Rights Movement and its causes. The students especially enjoyed the creative challenge of designing a project with an interactive element, which made the learning experience more engaging. Overall, students found the unit both educational and enjoyable.

“In English, we worked on a project about the Civil Rights Movement and important events during it,” freshman Dylan O’Neil said. “I am doing my project on Jackie Robinson and about him breaking the color barrier and being the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball.”


(Photo by Ella Franzman)

BROADCAST JOURNALISM WITH MS. KELLY

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief & Editorial Editor

Ms. Kelly’s Broadcast Journalism class has been working hard on producing winter sports content and the Class of 2025 Senior Video. 

The students’ assignments have been to create either winter sports “hype’”videos, captain and senior interviews, and interviews with coaches. Another big task has been the Senior Video, which includes the traditional segments, “Where Will You Be In 10 Years?” or “What Is Your Favorite High School Memory?”

“We’re getting ready to start our Lawliday Season and Lawmas videos right now,” Kelly said. “I’m super excited to unveil this year’s Santa, and work with the students to create another great Lawmas video.” 

The Lawmas video has been a great tradition in the Jonathan Law community and they look forward to producing the video once again. 

“During Broadcast my group had been mostly working on filming and editing our podcast, but another main focus for our group has been to film for the Senior Video,” senior Addy Barber said. “We have been going around school during any free periods we have to make sure we can get as many members of the senior class as possible.”

Other assignments the students have been working on are recording episodes of their podcasts and working on producing The Morning Briefing each morning. 


(Photo by Taylor Coretti)

AP PSYCHOLOGY WITH MS. BURNS

By Taylor Coretti – Staff Reporter

Law’s AP Psychology classes are engaging in hands-on activities to help them learn more about different areas of the brain and body.

Students got to work in groups to create an endocrine amusement park where they pick a ride or element of an amusement park to represent the elements of the endocrine system. AP Psychology teacher Ms. Burns likes to create hands-on tasks for her students to create a fun and effective learning system.

“By designing an amusement park where each attraction corresponded to a specific structure, gland or hormone, students were required to research the functions of the structures and translate that information into an interactive and memorable format,” Burns said. This process reinforced understanding of the endocrine system’s components and their roles within the body.”

The goal of doing interactive activities is to help understand the topic better. Senior Maddy Baranowsky felt this assignment was effective in being able to remember the information learned about the endocrine system.

“Something I took away from the endocrine amusement park assignment was creative ways to remember the different parts of the system,” Baranowsky said. 

Everyone in each class got to pick their own group to work with. Senior Julia Ryan found that working with the people you want to work with makes the activity more enjoyable. 

“I enjoyed doing this project with my friends,” Ryan said. “It gave us an opportunity to do school work in a fun way as we all worked together and made the project creative and fun for us.”


(Photo by Kishal Shah)

AP LITERATURE WITH MRS. ROUMELES

By Kishal Shah – Staff Reporter

Mrs. Roumeles’s AP Literature class recently examined the prevalence of science and history in gothic literary works such as “Frankenstein.”

The class recently finished reading the novel “Frankenstein “by Romantic author Mary Shelley – previously known as Mary Wolfstowncraft – and is now dissecting the prevalence of topics such as science, religion, and history in this radical and gothic novel.

“Even though ‘Frankenstein’ is a fictional tale, what’s important is to not only learn about how it reflects the romantic ideals, but also its themes of human nature and that duality between good and evil,” Roumeles said. “We can kind of look at our own behavior and see what the catalyst is for behaving in a moral or amoral way, and how we can relate a fictional tale to how the themes play out in real life.” 

The class concluded after the lecture the relevance of other subjects and real world connections when discussing literary works such as “Frankenstein” because it helps students draw connections between famous themes in literature, and how those ideals are presented in sciences, history, and religion in the real world. 

“I liked this lesson because it allowed me to gain a further understanding on the background of the author’s life, and why she came to write such a radical and gothic novel in the 18th century,” senior Carol Jiang said.

The class observed how Mary Wolfstonecraft – who was a renowned feminist icon of the age – wrote the novel Frankenstein, which included romantic and gothic perspectives in her novel, which was considered a radical and progressive practice. 

Through a class discussion and observing a powerpoint presentation, the class comprehended how the overarching theme of Shelley’s novel was the separation of religion in the journey to acquire scientific knowledge. 

Moreover the class concluded through a lecture about how pursuit for knowledge for the sake of pursuit may sometimes be unethical, as represented in examples in history of unethical psychological experiments performed in society. 

“This lesson was like a continuation of previous lessons where we learned to think about perspectives you would gravitate to otherwise,” senior Naina Khan said. “In this case, the historical background and scientific and ethical questions were raised about the theme and concept of ‘Frankenstein.’” 


(Photo by Courtney Russo)

SPANISH 3 WITH MR. RODRIGUEZ

By Courtney Russo – News Editor

Mr. Rodriguez’s Spanish 3 classes for sophomores and juniors recently worked on a project entitled “Un Dia Inolvidable.”

Students were given first half of the story and were expected to write the second half. 

“The purpose of the project was to have students use the irregular preterite tense verbs and vocabulary about camping in sentences that simulate real-world situations,” Rodriguez said. “Having students use the grammar in sentences helps them to be able to put sentences together and form original thoughts, not just remember the conjugations of verbs.”

This was the class’s final assignment before having a test on irregular preterite verbs.

“This project helped me apply our vocabulary and grammar to real-world scenarios, boosting my speaking and writing skills,” sophomore Arnav Saxena said. “It also improved my understanding of harder sentence structures, making me more confident for the test.” 

Students had a great time being creative and using the Spanish that they learned in class. Rodriguez showed an example project and students created their work based on what they saw.

“I enjoyed incorporating the Spanish we learned in class on our project,” sophomore Kristia Gonza said. “I enjoyed working with all of my group members.”

After completing this project, Rodriguez hopes his students build a better understanding of irregular preterite tense verbs.

By the end of the project, the students were expected to recognize the irregular preterite verbs, conjugate them correctly, use them in a story that makes sense as well as pronounce the Spanish vocabulary during the recording portion of the project,” Rodriguez said.


(Photo by Tim Firla)

JOURNALISM 2/3/4 WITH MR. KULENYCH

By Tim Firla – Entertainment Editor

Thanksgiving Week was a busy one for Law’s Journalism 2/3/4 class and students posted numerous videos, articles and podcasts about the week’s festivities. 

Journalism teacher Mr. Kulenych was proud of the effort put forth by the Advocate editors. Journalism students posted serveral Thanksgiving articles and produced the annual “What Are You Thankful For?” video.

“The Thanksgiving season is always a busy time for The Advocate staff,” Kulenych said. “Our reporters and editors have to cover all of the Thanksgiving Week games plus all of the other school events and fundraisers that occur in November. On top of that, we’ve worked to put out our traditional Thanksgiving videos. We have so many fun Thanksgiving season traditions here at Law and it’s our staff’s job to keep the school community informed about all of them.”

Senior Entertainment Editor Will Smith has taken Journalism for four years and has been involved with many Thanksgiving Week posts.

“The month of November is a big month for The Advocate,” Smith said. “During this month, there are countless activities that are going on and its our job to report and get coverage on it.”

Each piece of Advocate content, whether it is an article, podcast, video, or social media post needs to meet a certain criteria before it can be published online.

“Our class is a little different because all of our assignments are posted for other people to read or watch so it’s important to keep up the quality of what we’re producing,” Junior Editor-In-Chief Kayla Markowitz said. “Our articles need to be reviewed and videos have to be edited before posted to ensure that what we’re putting on social media is not only entertaining, but also accurate  and informative.”


(Photo by Molly Lynch)

INTERIOR DESIGN WITH MS. CRISTANTE

By Molly Lynch – News Editor

Ms. Cristante’s Interior Design course gives students an overview on everything they need to know about the world of interior design. 

The course is split up into five units that provide all of the information necessary to pursue a career in interior design. 

As students are finishing up Unit 5 of the course, Cristante had pairs of 2-3 students go into the halls to locate and take pictures of various things they saw around the school that show examples of elements and principles of design. Students then had to submit those photos to a Google Doc and explain how each picture shows the principles of design. 

“Students previously had several opportunities to create visuals of the elements and principles of design,” Cristante said. “This assignment taught them how to identify them within already existing designs and challenged them to think differently (creatively) about a place they spend time in everyday.”

This course teaches students the deeper meaning of things they see everyday. 

“I find it beneficial to recognize that elements and principles of design are everywhere and to see how it is used in our lives everyday,” junior Jordyn Torres said.

Students engage in fun assignments that also help them understand the curriculum at the same time.

“I definitely had fun with this assignment,” junior Charlotte Baldieri said. “It was different than just sitting in a classroom doing online work.”


(Photo by Harshitha Kothapalli)

AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY WITH MR. ROUMELES

By Harshitha Kothapalli – Editor-in-Chief 

Students in Mr. Roumeles’ AP Human Geography class have recently completed their Family Migration Map.

Using Google My Maps, students were tasked with utilizing their new learnings about migration to create a map of the roots of their family. They were asked to pay special attention to dates, locations, and reasons for movement. 

“In Human Geography we very often look at human activity on a global scale, and sometimes forget our personal place within the big topics,” Roumeles said. “I assigned this project so students could interact with the concepts of human migration by applying them to their own family history. I really feel that the more personal and relatable a topic is, the easier it is to learn and understand; and that was the overall goal of the project.”

The project allowed students to discover new understandings about their own past and connect it with the ideas they were learning in class. 

“It gave me a new perspective on the way I see my background,” junior Kayla Markowitz said. “Being able to see my own history laid out on a map and also being able to understand the concepts behind it was so compelling.”

Not only did this project resonate with students on an educational and personal level, but it also let them get creative.

“I was able to talk to my parents and grandparents about where I came from and have conversations I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to have,” junior Santina Scarpa said. 


(Photo by Ava Grippo)

CREATIVE WRITING WITH MS. SMUNIEWSKI

By Ava Grippo – Entertainment Editor 

Students in Ms. Smuniewski’s Creative Writing class are wrapping up the first drafts of their short stories. 

Creative Writing, an English elective, is currently in their short story unit, working on their own stories. 

“My goal is that students write a short story that they are proud of,” Smuniewski said. “I enjoy this unit because I find that students are usually invested in their work and want to craft a story that is engaging and meaningful.”

The students are able to use their imagination on this assignment and create something unique. 

“I am writing a short story about a cowboy by the name of Fargis Santiago III who goes on a life changing journey to save the world from a gang called the Renegade who want to take over the world,” senior Izzy Vancho said. 

Students are learning how to better write and use their skills. 

“I hope to learn to better write things like dialogue and descriptions in order to properly convey the emotion or image I’m trying to create,” senior Brady Funk said. 

Smuniewski has high hopes for this assignment and is excited to see what the students come up with. 

“I’m hoping to see interesting, creative storylines that showcase the many skills and concepts we’ve studied throughout the semester,” Smuniewski said. “This unit is important because it allows students to write something that is entirely a creation of their imagination, which is an opportunity that doesn’t often come by.”


(Photo by Ella Hopkins-Gianotti)

WORLD HISTORY WITH MR. ROUMELES

By Ella Hopkins-Gianotti – Staff Reporter

In Mr. Roumeles’ World History class, students attended the Enlightenment Convention.

Over three classes, Mr. Roumeles’s students have been given one Enlightenment thinker to research and several others to lightly discuss for a debate on the following topics: government, religion, education, rights, and property.

“I wanted students to understand the big ideas about society that were challenged during the Enlightenment,” Roumeles said. “By representing an Enlightenment thinker, I ultimately wanted students to become aware of their thinker’s positions, but also scrutinize that of their contemporaries.”

The students learned about the different ways of thinking of each Enlightenment thinker. 

“I learned about philosophers’ different political points of view during the Enlightenment and how even though they were all trying to change the mindset of people around them,” freshman Anwita Puttam said. “I learned that their points of view are very different and very similar on different topics of religion, government, education, etc.”

All of the students were easily able to provide information on their Enlightenment thinkers during the convention.

“My favorite part of the Enlightenment Convention was how all of my classmates contributed to the conversation,” freshman Layla De La Cruz said. “Everyone did their part and were able to successfully talk about their Enlightenment thinker.”

Other students enjoyed this assignment for different reasons.

“It was kind of stress-free because I knew that I had enough time to do it, the research was easy, and the environment is good there,” freshman Isabelle Phelan-Clark said.


(Photo by Abigail Merenda)

JOURNALISM 1 WITH MR. KULENYCH

By Abigail Merenda – Staff Reporter

Mr. Kulenych’s Journalism 1 classes reviewed a band called “Almost Monday” and their album “DIVE.” 

Each class listened to two songs from the album – “Is It To Late?” and “Can’t Slow Down.” After listening to each of the songs the students had to write a review about their opinion. 

“The purpose of the album review lesson was to give students a real-world, real-time experience of being an entertainment reporter,” Kulenych said. “Students were given background information about the band, lyrics to two songs, and we listened to the album in real time in class together. Working collaboratively on writing a review of the album gave students the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other and make sure each review was detailed and complete.”

Students had mixed feelings about the band Almost Monday and their album. 

“Personally, I didn’t enjoy the band that much,” senior Taylor Coretti said. “This is because I wasn’t able to understand the lyrics and their music style is not something I usually listen to.” 

Senior Kishal Shah shared her opinion about the band and the themes of their songs. 

“I think the band’s music is definitely loud and energetic, and might sometimes only resonate with a specific target audience,” Shah said. “Although the general ‘summer vibe’ theme comes across, the songs themselves can be a little overwhelming and might only make sense in certain settings. Personally, I don’t love the songs I’ve listened to, but everyone of course forms their own opinions and has their own taste.”

Kulenych said that regardless of students’ opinion of the band, he was pleased to see them work through all stages of the review writing process.

“It’s always a fun lesson to do each year, regardless of whether students enjoyed the album or not, because they get to put themselves in the shoes of an actual reporter through all steps of the writing process,” Kulenych said.


(Photo by Logan Thomas)

HEALTH AND SAFETY 1 WITH MR. SWEENEY

By Logan Thomas – Staff Reporter

Health teacher Mr. Sweeney recently went over a lesson about good decision making and about how students can prevent themselves from making bad choices.

Students used what they learned about decision-making to answer questions and make slideshows about the topic. They also learned how to avoid bad decisions and how to prevent them from happening.

“You cannot make progress without making decisions,” Sweeney said.

During the lesson, students learned about different scenarios to prevent making bad decisions. They also worked on a project that made them create a character that was able to make a good decision or was able to make a bad decision. 

Students either chose their character to go home and study or they weren’t out to party. There are many different ways students could have made their character.

“In class, we are learning about decision making,” freshman Dylan Gaillard said. “The projects and what we do in class will help a lot when something happens in the future so we can make the right decision.”

Sweeney explained how students also have to make good decisions based on their self-values. Self-values are very important when making decisions. Self-values are what people focus on in their lives that change how they act or live around people.

“In health, we are learning about decision-making,” freshman Aaryan Doshi said. “We are working on a project right now and it’s a comic strip of characters making a good decision. This unit is all about making the right decision.”


(Photo by Dylan Gaillard)

ENGLISH 1 WITH MRS. EVANS

By Dylan Gaillard – Staff Reporter 

English teacher Mrs. Evans recently had her freshman students start their Social Justice Issue Project.

Students were tasked with choosing a topic they were interested in – income inequality, peaceful protests, and the #MeTooMovement were among some choices. They had to create a brief informative presentation that made their classmates aware of the issue while simultaneously engaging their audience with questions or interesting facts.

“I wanted to be sure my students have a clear understanding of social justice and what constitutes a social justice issue,” Evans said. “As I also believe in choice in learning, I’ve asked that we complete a mini research presentation on a social justice issue”

This project helped students learn more about Social Justice issues, and it was fun for the students because it is a topic that affects them and their lives. 

“At first, I was only slightly interested in researching the topic of Animal Welfare, but once I began researching I started learning a lot and it is a great topic to be educated on,” freshman Cora Aitkenhead said. “Through this project I got to learn a lot more about my own topic, but also learned a lot from everyone else’s presentations.”

Since not many classes at school regularly discuss Social Justice issues, students were excited at the opportunity to address the topics.

“I was very interested in the different things going on around the world,” freshman Patrick Mulligan said. “We never really learn about this topic in other classes so it was very cool to learn about Social Justice Issues.”


(Photo by Carly Ranilla)

CHEMISTRY LEVEL II WITH MS. TURCOTTE

By Carly Ranilla – Staff Reporter

Miss Doolan’s Chemistry Level II class focuses on the properties, composition, and the structure of elements and compounds and how they change. 

Students were recently put into groups and were all asked to watch a water-dropping experiment in the back of the classroom. After observing the system, students talked in their groups about what they saw and how the dropper had any relation to lightning. 

This exercise was a helpful way for students to witness examples of energy being transferred to create a lightning strike.

“I showed the Chemistry class the water dropper experiment as a way to simulate lightning in a safe way in a classroom,” Doolan said. “It was supposed to show them the process happening in a cloud and what produces lightning.”

Sophomore Joeliez Gonzalez was surprised by the results of the experiment.

“I noticed there was a spark in between the copper coins that were on top of the bucket,” Gonzalez said. “But it only happened because the water dripped into cups that connected to some wires that connected back to the coins.”

While making it an educational investigation for the students, Doolan also managed to make it a fun and memorable learning experience.

“My favorite part of watching the water dropper experiment was not only witnessing the spark between the copper coins, but also understanding the neutrons and particles that caused it to happen,” senior Kylee DelMedico said.


(Photo by Aiden Ramos)

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY WITH MS. DOOLAN 

By Aiden Ramos – Staff Reporter

Ms. Doolan recently assigned her Human Anatomy & Physiology students musculoskeletal posters.

Students were grouped and tasked with tracing a classmate’s outline. Once completed, they divided the outline down the center, illustrating the muscular system on one side and the skeletal system on the other.

“The musculoskeletal project has my students create life-sized posters to show the major muscles and bones in the human body,” Doolan said. “I add in an opportunity for extra credit for the most creative poster so this adds a little bit of competition to the assignment. The project provides an opportunity for my students to work collaboratively together and be creative and engaged when learning the names and locations of the major muscles and bones.” 

Students work in groups and each group chose a different theme to base their skeleton and poster on. 

“I enjoyed getting to be creative and come up with my own ideas, and colors, but doing it while learning about science and the human body,” senior Christian Galligan said.

Doolan adds an opportunity for extra credit for the most creative poster which adds a little bit of competition to the assignment. 

“The most challenging part of the project was putting all of the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the correct places, and making sure that everything was the right size,” senior Cesar Mendez said.


(Photo by Henry Smith)

INTRO TO PHOTOGRAPHY WITH MRS. ROMANOWSKI

By Henry Smith – Staff Reporter 

Photography teacher Mrs. Romanowski recently had her students take pictures using a dynamic perspective, shallow depth of field, and rule of thirds.

Students were able to go around the building to capture images. Once students had taken their final images they turned them in on Google Classroom.

“I hope that students got a better understanding and level of control within their camera throughout this assignment,” Romanowski said.

The activity had the students focus on the aperture and manual focus challenging students to find the perfect settings. The students’ photos had to clearly capture a defined subject with the background completely out of focus.

“It was challenging but really fun,” senior Nick Morales said. “It took a while to get the right image, but it was all a part of the process.” 

It took the class three periods for students to complete the assignment. Each student took their time to create a creative and correct photo.

“It was fun going around the school and taking photos,” freshman Lukas Saraco said. “Changing the setting on the camera was difficult but with help I was able to use the correct settings and take a good photo.”


(Photo by Chloe Edmonds)

ENGLISH II WITH MR. HEALY

By Chloe Edmonds – Social Media Editor

Students in Mr. Healy’s English II class are reading “Catcher in The Rye” by J.D Salinger and  recently completed a reflection on Holden’s character. 

The lesson had several purposes: practicing skills students have been working on, encouraging collaboration, and helping students recognize key moments in the novel.

“We’ve been using notice and note moments pretty much every day trying to get reps in, so noticing those key moments, like ‘aha’ moments or words of the wiser, becomes automatic when you read,” Healy said. “Once you notice and note them, you can begin the work of deeper analysis by asking questions about their meaning, what the author’s purpose in including them, and what they reveal about characters.”

Students enjoyed the lesson and found it insightful to discuss Holden’s character. 

“Dealing with real world issues made me feel more connected to Holden’s character and made the message Mr. Healy was trying to get across much easier to understand,” sophomore Aiden Ramos said. 

The lesson was very in character for Healy’s teaching style as he finds assigning collaborative work better since students can feed off of each other. 

“The lesson has contributed to what we’ve already been learning in this unit,” sophomore Alivia Kaplanka said. “Reading the chapter as a smaller group of four people makes for deep discussions with my peers since it’s a lot more grounded when we read in class.” 

For this lesson, Healy wanted his students to ask meaningful questions about the text and record deeper thoughts about it. 

“Instead of me saying, ‘Holden keeps asking this same question. Why?’ and pointing it out to you, I wanted to see what you thought was important or meaningful,” Healy said. “And more often than not, you all both cover things I would have covered anyway, or bring up new and interesting ideas about the text that I never would have.” 


(Photo by Kayla Markowitz)

AP MACROECONOMICS WITH MS. HEALY

By Kayla Markowitz – Editor-In-Chief

Students in Ms. Healy’s AP Macroeconomics class created personal circular flow models to demonstrate how their very own factors of production impact their contribution to the economy. 

To combat the difficulty of understanding how the circular flow of an economy works, AP Macro students were asked to create a model showing how they contribute to the economy through providing labor, earring income, and putting that money back into the economy by spending it. 

“We started to do the Circular Flow Model project to give students a more real world idea of how money and goods flow in our economy on a more personal level,” AP Macroeconomics teacher Ms. Healy said. “Students create the model centered around themselves or a family member if they don’t have a job. Students get to take a much closer look at how they provide resources to the “factor market” through the hours they work each week, they get to see how their labor, and other resources like rent and materials, are purchased and utilized by businesses to then create products they then spend money on in an endless loop.”

By going through the process of finding out how much they work and their weekly income, learning how much money it costs for the businesses they work at to operate, and then estimating how much of their income they put back into the economy, students were able to grasp a deeper understanding of how money flows in the economy.

“Making my own circular flow model helped me understand how the economy flows because it gave me a visual to connect back to my own life,” senior Sana Joshi said. “By physically making a model of how the economy affects me, it allowed me to understand how the economy affected the general population”

The project encouraged students to be innovative because all of the information came from their own life experiences. 

“My favorite part about the project was how creative I could be with it, and overall I feel it deepened my understanding of this unit and the economy as a whole and how money and labor flows in their own life,” senior Basel Chwiki said. “The model is a representation of how students contribute to the economy with their labor and how they choose to spend their income.”


(Photo courtesy espn.com)

HONORS HUMANITIES WITH MR. KULENYCH AND MR. ZURAW

By Christian Galligan – Staff Reporter

In Honors Humanities, students are given the opportunity to learn about history, literature, and society.  

To begin their unit on Subcultures and Countercultures, teachers Mr. Zuraw and Mr. Kulenych gave students the opportunity to watch the ESPN documentary “The Fab Five,” based on five freshmen who played basketball at the University of Michigan in the early 1990s.  

“The Fab Five” introduced students to a famous counterculture in society and provided them with a sample documentary that they could use as a template for their upcoming Subculture Documentary Project.

“The documentary showed students the impact a counterculture group can have on society,” Kulenych said.  “Students also had to evaluate the director’s decisions in terms of who was interviewed, what B-roll footage was used, how certain shots were filmed, and how the story was told.”

The “Fab Five” documentary not only helped students understand the concept of countercultures but also allowed them to brainstorm ideas for the documentaries that they will produce on their own.

For the ‘Fab Five’ assignment we are learning about how to make a good documentary and learning more about subcultures in documentaries,” senior Ella Franzman said.  “The documentary is teaching us good angles and what types of shots we should have when we make our documentary for Humanities.”

The documentary was able to teach students about what cultural impacts look like and also helped them understand the background of the “Fab Five.”

“I learned they created a significant cultural impact through multiple perspectives, such as sports and fashion,” senior Ivan Galicinao said.  “They changed how people saw the game of basketball and what it represented, as they would wear baggy shorts and trash talk, which was never done before them.”

The documentary was viewed as a great start for students, as they are expected to have their own documentaries completed by the end of the quarter.  

“Watching this documentary gave students a template for how to film their own upcoming documentary projects,” Kulenych said.  “Humanities students will have to make all of the same producing decisions themselves when they produce their own documentaries on subcultures here at Law or in the Milford community.”


(Photo by Reid Moulton)

SPANISH II WITH MR. MCPARTLAND

By Reid Moulton – Staff Reporter

Mr. McPartland’s Spanish II class has just started a project for “hay que” and “se prohibe” vocabulary and how to use it.

The project is to help students understand how other countries around the world speak and how you can advance your knowledge with other languages. Students were able to work in pairs and had two and a half class periods to work on this. 

This project is supposed to give rules and things that incoming freshmen should do to be successful next year.

“I hope students learn how to effectively communicate rules and advice in Spanish beyond the language itself,” McPartland said. “The project also encourages them to think critically about what it takes to succeed in high school and how to express those ideas in a clear and concise way. Students are developing their ability to express things that should and should not be done in Spanish, which is an essential skill for practical communication.”

This project helped expand students’ knowledge of Hispanic culture, and helps students prepare for their future with languages. 

“The project helps me understand the unit better, and I think it will really make things easier to come,” freshman Daniel Rascoll said. “Being able to elaborate with other students really makes an impact with my learning.”

Students not only wrote about rules for incoming freshmen, they also got artistic by making drawings.

“It helps sharing ideas with other students and getting their perspective on what they think about the assignment,” freshman Arthur Rossi said. “The project allows me to get creative with my work, and lets me show my thinking outside of the Spanish.”


(Photo by Anwita Puttam)

FRENCH II WITH DR. EVANS

By Anwita Puttam – Staff Reporter

Dr. Evans’ French II Level 1 class recently had a group quiz focusing around the city Brittany in France.

The quiz was set up so that on the first day, students would have to answer 50 questions with just their general knowledge. Then they were given reading packets in French that broadened their information on Brittany. On the second day, students would work in pairs to compare each other’s answers, getting a new viewpoint on the questions while also negotiating with each other to prove which answers were right.

“My goal was to have you finish a quiz with more knowledge about the French region of Brittany than you started with; in essence, you were learning and processing new information while being assessed on previously learned material,” Evans said.

The goal of this style of taking quizzes was to expand the information of the students, while also seeing how far they had come with their knowledge on Brittany.

“Here it would have been nice to study everything that was on the quiz, yet we didn’t know all of the answers and even so, completing the quiz was still achievable with the ready, and even with the help of a fellow classmate,” freshman Breana Aquino said. “Breaking it down and comparing with somebody else was honestly beneficial, and helped us understand the questions and our answers better.”

This style of quiz taking allowed students to understand what they already knew, but also helped them gain new knowledge.

“This kind of style for quizzes is very unique and intelligent,” freshman Yara Saim said. “This style of taking quizzes would benefit students who might have trouble with the lesson. The given article can also teach students more about the topic at hand, showing them more than what they studied in the classroom.”


(Photo by Taylor Mola)

CHOIR WITH MS. JONES

By Taylor Mola – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Choir is working hard, rehearsing, and doing activities to prepare for their upcoming Winter Concert.

Choir Director Ms. Jones starts every day with different engaging warm-ups to prepare the students for class. The warm-up is followed by announcements so students know important dates and other information.

“We are working on so much in class,” Jones said. “I send out recordings for kids to work on at home, so by the time we get all back together the next day we are ready to work. We have a lot of part and section work that we do that needs to all be put together, so students need an idea so they are learning how it works all together.”

In class, students all gather together in their sections – Soprano, Alto, Tenor, or Bass – to work on the song or skill for that day. The Choir is consistently working on getting better day by day.

“I think everything is going really well,” senior Joshua Valentine said. “I know Concert Choir is the best it has been and Advanced Vocal Ensemble is going great. We all have most of everything down, and our class time is getting used very well. I’m just excited as this is my last Winter Concert and my last year of high school Choir.”

The Winter Concert is made up of six to eight songs that are all structured and performed differently. These songs help students to understand different kinds of music and learn how to be able to sing all types of music.

“We have a lot of great songs that are done very well and are going to be great,” sophomore Lexi Localzo said.


(Photo by Madi Black)

INTRODUCTION TO CULINARY WITH MRS. LOPEZ

By Madi Black – Social Media Editor

Mrs. Lopez’s Introduction to Culinary classes recently made cinnamon rolls. 

Students loved this assignment and Lopez enjoyed helping students to expand their horizons by making new food that they can easily make at home. 

“My favorite part of this activity is to see the satisfaction in my student’s that they gave it their all,” Lopez said. “Even though it wasn’t perfect, they tried and learned and that is what this is all about. Mistakes in the kitchen are guaranteed and should be looked at as a part of the learning process. I would absolutely do this activity and recipe again and again.”

Even though this was a complex activity, many students enjoyed making the food and later eating it. Sophomore Maddie Nash loved making the food and being able to remake the food when she made a mistake. 

“My favorite part about making the cinnamon rolls would be messing up and redoing it,” Nash said. “I like how Mrs. Lopez does not rush us and lets us take our time.”

Senior Cameron Upchurch said that the rolls were one of his favorite foods and it was interesting to be able to learn what went into making the food. 

“I love getting the cinnamon rolls from the mall,” Upchurch said. “When I found out we were going to be making them I was so excited.”


(Photo by Vaughn Kraynak)

ROBOTICS 1 WITH MR. BARCELLO

By Vaughn Kraynak – Staff Reporter

Robotics teacher Mr. Barcello recently presented his Robotics 1 class with a new challenge: to pull as much weight as possible using their robots with the addition of gears. 

Depending on the size and order of their gears, students could build their robot to gain speed or strength based on the challenge they are given. The students’ goal was to attach a bucket of weights to their robot and be able to pull the weight. 

“The purpose of this assignment is to discuss the idea of gear ratios,” Barcello said. “Combining the different gears affects the torque and power as well as the speed.”

Attaching a smaller gear to the motor and adding additional larger gears can cause the robot to increase it’s power and pulling speed. On the other hand, attaching a larger gear to the motor and adding additional smaller gears can lead to an increase in the robots speed. 

“My favorite part about the gear activity is figuring out how the gears work with each other to produce power and speed,” sophomore Abdulla Faial said. “I like being able to experiment with different combinations.”

To make things more exciting, Barcello has turned the challenge into a competition amongst his students. Sophomore Justin DeGregorio currently is at the top of class, with his robot successfully pulling 15 pounds. 

“I’m really proud that I was able to pull 15 pounds,” DeGregorio said. “It took a lot of changes to my robot and a lot of fails to make everything work right.” 


(Photo by Connor Ryan)

THE LIVING EARTH WITH MRS. MERCALDI

By Connor Ryan – Staff Reporter

Mrs. Mercaldi’s Living Earth Level 1 classes had some fun last week as they worked on an earthworm dissection.

Students had to cut open the earthworm using tools given by Mercaldi. They were assigned to write down measurements and identify the body parts.

“I enjoyed doing this dissection – I liked how I was able to work with my friends and classmates,” freshman Lia Veteri said. “I also was very unfamiliar with the tools and then after and during the dissection I understood how to use them.”

The students did not have to finish the dissection; this activity was just to have them learn how to dissect and if they enjoyed it. The students were partnered into groups of three, with two people being the experimenters and one being the note-taker.

“The experiment was meant for the kids to learn about how earthworms work and I really saw improvement in this experiment in the kids with the tools,” Mercaldi said

Students enjoyed the experiment and many said it was the most fun they have had this year.

“I really liked this experiment for multiple reasons,” freshman Ryan Woods said. “One, being able to work with my friends; two, being able to learn how to use new tools; and lastly, seeing my other classmates work hard and same with my friends.”


(Photo by Matthew Sanchez)

ORCHESTRA WITH MR. PELAGGI

By Matthew Sanchez – Staff Reporter

Band Director Mr. Pelaggi recently rehearsed songs with his Orchestra students to prepare for the upcoming Winter Concert on December 18.

The pieces that the Strings Orchestra will be performing during the upcoming Winter Concert are “Burst,” “Allegro Molto,” and “Swan Lake.” At the start of class, Mr. Pelaggi makes his students tune together so that they are ready for playing. During class, he works with the Orchestra for all parts: violins, violas, and cellos. 

“I usually start class with a warm up or exercise, then move into the repertoire we play at concerts,” Pelaggi said. “When it gets closer to the concerts, we spend more time on repertoire than exercises, and vice versa when we have more instructional time.”

Pelaggi works with all members of the ensemble right up until the concert. The entire Orchestra listens to each other before playing for tuning. Junior violinist Jared Saludes is excited to play the Winter Concert selections.

“I think they’re super cool, especially Swan Lake because it’s a well known piece,” Saludes said. “‘Allegro Molto’ is my personal favorite because of its changing dynamics.” 

Members of the ensemble enjoy playing their parts. They all work as a group and improve with every practice. 

Freshman violinist Erik Borowski said that Pelaggi has helped him improve throughout the year. 

“Mr. Pelaggi has helped me improve greatly,” Borowski said. “I wasn’t confident with my violin skills until I had his class. He helps me with bowing, fingering, reading the music, and lots more.”


(Photo by Logan Mullarkey)

AP U.S. HISTORY WITH MR. LUI

By Logan Mullarkey – Sports Editor

Mr. Lui’s AP United States History class recently worked on DBQ skills, focusing on reform movements from the early 1830s, like abolitionism, temperance, and women’s rights. 

The class was assigned a DBQ with seven documents where students had to describe each one, connect it to the topic, and create a HIPP statement (Historical Context, Intended Audience, Purpose, and Point of View).

“I was hoping that students could really hone their skills in analyzing primary sources and connecting them back to larger historical themes,” Lui said.

Students split into small groups to write responses for the three categories, then presented their work on the board for the class to review.

“I thought this activity was helpful because it gave us a chance to see what other groups came up with and how they approached the assignment,” junior David Guery said.

Afterward, the class participated in a gallery walk where students gave feedback on each other’s responses, providing new perspectives on the assignment.

“My favorite part was walking around during the gallery walk and seeing how others interpreted the documents,” sophomore Elizabeth Ramsauer said.

By the end, students not only improved their DBQ writing skills but also gained a deeper understanding of reform movements in American history.


(Photo by Brady O’Neil)

AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS WITH MR. ZURAW

By Brady O’Neil – Staff Reporter

Mr. Zuraw’s AP Government and Politics class offers students the opportunity to get college level information on different topics of the U.S government, including political institutions, public policy, and civil rights.

In order for his students to understand the different roles of government in the U.S, especially in individual states during massive catastrophes, Zuraw constructed a lesson using Hurricane Katrina to demonstrate the different levels of government and their individual involvement. Students were split into groups, and were given three separate levels of government – state, federal, and local.

The point of that lesson is to bring some of the content vocabulary from the unit to life,” Zuraw said. “The concept of cooperative federalism is much easier to understand when you are actively acting it out. So by having the students each take on the role of a level of government and discuss different solutions to issues that arose during the hurricane, it really highlights the need for the cooperation of the levels of government (and also highlights the difficulties).”

This lesson helped students strengthen their understanding of government and their involvement in the states. 

“I had trouble understanding the difference between the federal government’s involvement and the state government,” junior Cooper Pietrowski said. “This lesson really made it clear to me how the federal government has power over the other factions, but the lower levels try to keep the federal government from interfering with their work.”

Not only was this a great way for students to learn about government, but it was a very collaborative assignment that required students to talk to one another in order for full comprehension to take place.

“It allowed me to collaborate with people I usually wouldn’t talk to,” Pietrowski said. “I think it allowed me to be a lot more receptive to other peoples opinions because I usually don’t talk to those people, and it took bias out of the equation.”


(Photo by Sebastian Beltran)

MARINE SCIENCE WITH MR. MORAZZINI

By Sebastian Beltran – Staff Reporter

Students in Mr. Morazzini’s Marine Science class recently studied the chemical properties of water and its impact on marine ecosystems.

The assignment, “Water Polarity,” is essential for Marine Science students, as it allows them to understand many more ocean processes, from nutrient transport to climate regulation. By exploring how water interacts with itself and other molecules, students want to better understand the fundamental workings of the marine environment.

“The polarity of water leads to its high heat capacity which makes water resist changes in temperature, therefore moderating the temperature of the ocean making it suitable for marine life. Also because of this, living on the coastline of Long Island Sound we tend to have slightly warmer winter and cooler summer conditions than inland areas (due to water’s heat capacity),” Morazzini said. “Water’s polarity also affects its density which causes layering in the ocean and affects the way marine life interacts at different ocean layers. Sometimes you can find large schools of fish hanging out on a thermocline which is where water temperature changes drastically due to density differences.”

Water molecules have a slight positive charge on the hydrogen atoms and a negative charge on the oxygen atom, which creates a dipole moment. These properties, resulting from polarity, are the reason why water sticks to itself and other surfaces, influencing ocean currents and wave dynamics. Water’s ability to dissolve salts and gases is key to maintaining marine biodiversity and supporting food chains.

“It’s fascinating how such a small molecule can have an impact on the world,” junior Yeiden Nieves said. “Learning about the polarity of water and understanding why the oceans are so dynamic.”

The high thermal capacity of water moderates global temperatures, avoiding extreme fluctuations. This property allows small organisms to move across water surfaces and influences gas exchange in marine environments.

“Now I see why scientists say water is the lifeblood of our planet,” senior Evan Nash said. “It’s amazing how something so simple is connected to everything.”

Morazzini teaches the importance of the polar nature of water and helps students delve deeper into the science that shapes the oceans.


(Photo by Morgan Cappock)

THE LIVING EARTH WITH MR. MORAZZINI

By Morgan Cappock – Staff Reporter

Mr. Morazzini’s Living Earth class recently inspected the digestive system of earthworms in a lab. 

This lab took place during a block period and showed students how a real earthworm digestive system works. This hands-on activity engaged students in what the class had previously discussed in past lessons.

“Having the patience to go through the process of actually dissecting the earthworm engages the students,” Morazzini said.

Students were partnered up into groups of two and three and took turns dissecting the earthworm and writing data on their worksheets.

“It was new,”freshman Emilia Wojnarowicz said. “It’s something that is more fun to do than it sounds. And I feel like it’s a really good way to understand the earth better.”

The earthworms were preserved in formaldehyde and students cut along the middle of the skin just above the large intestine and over organs while pinning the skin to the base to open it.

“The experience of dissecting a once living creature is unlike any activity I have ever participated in,” freshman Malachy Conlon said. “The unexpected excitement was unique in every way. Not only learning, but seeing the digestive structure of an earthworm is fascinating.”


(Photo by Aislyn McKernan)

ADVANCED CULINARY WITH MS. RYAN

By Aislyn McKernan – Social Media Editor 

Students in Ms. Ryan’s Advanced Culinary class recently planned, prepped, and cooked their own personalized beef stew.

The students planned out a beef stew that they could customize to their own tastes. They had several days for meal planning and prep, and then on a block day, students cooked their stew. 

“Various lessons lead up to each person making their own version of the beef stew. They learned about the different cuts of beef, explored different spices and blends, searing and braising, and time management,” Ryan said. “Students were able to customize their stews, choosing seasonings, carbohydrates, and vegetables. The vegetarians in the class learned the same searing and braising methods using dense vegetables.”

The students in the class liked that they could customize their stew and thought it was a good learning experience. They got to experiment with different seasonings and food. 

“The only thing I would do differently is change the cooking time of the beef,” sophomore Eden Jordan said. “I was happy with all my other customization to my stew.”

This activity shows each student’s tastes in food and seasoning.

I like this lesson because since it is an individual cooking activity, I get to see each student put these lessons into practice,” Ryan said.

Students who prepared this meal had a very positive experience.

“I enjoyed the meal; it was a good combination of spices and ingredients,” sophomore Nicoletta Pacific said. “I would definitely make this meal again.” 


(Photo by Haley Stroffolino)

CIVICS & AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WITH MR. LUI

By Haley Stroffolino – Social Media Editor-In-Chief

Students in Mr. Lui’s Civics class are learning about how a bill becomes a law in a fun, interesting way.

Instead of just reading or writing about it, they’re creating skits, songs, and board games to show what they’ve learned.

Students benefit from this because it challenges them to think outside the box and collaborate with their classmates,” Lui said. “It also introduces some new vocabulary that students might not be familiar with which means they’ll need to ask questions and do research.”

The project is an opportunity to connect what students learn in class to the real world. 

“This is a good way to learn because it makes a boring topic more fun and engaging,” junior Emily Roos said.

For many students, the creative approach made the topic more interesting.

“I think this project was important because every student should know how the government works,” sophomore Natalie Rendon said. “I liked it because Mr. Lui lets us be creative and express ourselves while showing what we learned.”

At the end of the project, the students get the opportunity to play the board games they’ve designed and listen to the songs they’ve created.

“It’s awesome because they get to showcase and celebrate the hard work they’ve put into their projects,” Lui said. 


(Photo by Matthew Sanchez)

INTRO TO BUSINESS WITH MRS. ISRAELITE

By Adrian Vitale – Staff Reporter

Students in Mrs. Israelite’s Intro To Business class recently completed an assignment on the differences between McDonald’s franchises and other fast food franchises around the world.

The assignment showed students the differences in food menus in restaurants in different countries around the world.

The purpose of the project was for students to explore how different countries and cultures impact the menu offerings at McDonald’s locations around the world as part of our unit on global business,” Israelite said.

The assignment was originally done on a Google Doc, though students were given the opportunity to make the assignment into a Google Slides project and present it to the class for extra credit.

The project was fun and it was really cool learning about the different foods other countries McDonald’s had,” freshman Aaryan Doshi said.

Students learned about cultures in different countries through the lens of the McDonald’s menu.

“It was great, and learning about different cultures around the world was fun,” freshman Yusuf Genc said.


(Photo by Cesar Mendez)

SPORTS MARKETING WITH MR. BELER

By Cesar Mendez – Sports Editor

Students in Mr. Beler’s Sports Marketing class are starting to create their own sports franchises while taking into consideration cost and best location for the team.

Students picked a city to place their team and created logos and merchandise. They did everything necessary to create a fun and sustainable franchise.

”The purpose of this assignment is to show all of the different fascist of creating a professional sports franchise,” Beler said. “The research about the city of choice and does it have the capacity of supporting a team. The marketing behind all of the decisions of why you chose the team and the psychology of color schemes when selecting team colors. Once defined, creating a team and all of the marketing responsibilities such as team ticket sales, drafting players to define the organization, and creating a team website to keep fans updated in this social media world.”

The main goal of the assignment was to understand all the marketing and promotion that occurs for every sports team. 

“I had fun creating a team because it was cool to make a website and logos for everything,” junior Yeiden Nieves said. “It was also cool taking players of real teams and putting them onto mine.”

Students were able to take any players in the real word and put them onto their team to createthe best team available. 

“Putting good players on my hockey team made it fun to create the best new team in the NHL,” junior Jack Lefevre said.

NEWS: Law’s AP/ECE French Class Visits UConn For French Immersion Day

(Photo courtesy Dr. Evans)

By Kayla Markowitz – Editor-in-Chief 

The Jonathan Law AP/ECE French class made its way to UConn-Storrs on November 14. 

French class professors from UConn put together fun activities, games, workshops, and French trivia to help immerse high school students from all over Connecticut in the French-speaking world. Students got to participate in different programs to improve their French speaking skills and dive deeper into French culture. 

I planned this trip hoping that my ECE French class would feel motivated by the experience of seeing other students from around the state who are also working hard to become proficient in French,” French Teacher Dr. Evans said. “I knew that my students would enjoy and be inspired by all of the French speakers they would meet throughout the day.”

Students from different schools were put into different conversation scenarios and expected to converse throughout the day completely in French. These conversation groups were designed to introduce students to each other and encourage them to demonstrate their french speaking skills. 

“I was able to meet people and have interesting conversations in French while learning lots of new vocabulary and learned a lot about French culture,” junior Siya Patil said. 

The class also participated in a trivia competition against other Connecticut schools to test their knowledge on different French topics. 

“We got to participate in the Quiz Bowl which was basically a series of trivia questions aimed to not only encourage students to learn more about french culture but also sharpened our grammar and vocabulary knowledge,” junior Harshitha Kothapalli said.

After an unfortunate loss of the Quiz Bowl, the AP/ECE class went to enjoy some ice cream at UConn’s local Dairy Bar Ice Cream shop, and share about their experiences throughout the day.

“My personal favorite part was seeing my students’ smiles throughout the day and later hearing about the interesting ‘mini-classes’ they attended,” Evans said. “I also really enjoyed dreaming about winning the huge French Quiz Bowl trophy next year and enjoying ice cream from the Dairy Bar on the UConn campus.”

NEWS: English Teacher Mr. Healy Inspires Students Through Literature

Mr. Healy (Photo by Sebastian Marino Beltran)

By Sebastian Marino Beltran – Staff Reporter

At Jonathan Law, Mr. Healy has established himself as an English teacher who is dedicated to exploring literature and critical thinking among his students. 

With over 11 years of experience, Healy has become a beloved figure at Law, known for his unique teaching style.

Healy’s approach to teaching English goes beyond simple text analysis – he strives to make literature a better, relatable experience for his students. By encouraging students to connect themes and characters to real life situations, Healy helps them see literature as a tool to better understand the world.

“I try, as much as possible, to look at literature as a real-life case study,” Healy said. “Even fantasy or science fiction books deal with characters experiencing human emotions and problems. I also try as much as possible to show students how the themes in the novels can be applied to real life. I don’t know to what extent this is unique, but I think it’s the best approach.”

Healy’s students often describe her classroom as a space where to explore literature in a way that is relevant to their own lives.

“I design low-stakes, hands-on activities that students can succeed at so they don’t get discouraged,“ Healy said. ”I also ask students to ask questions about the things we read to see what they want and need to know, rather than me being the only person asking the questions in class.”

Known for his engaging lessons, he frequently incorporates group discussions and interactive activities that help students connect with the material on a personal level.

Students appreciate Healy’s engaging methods. Junior Brian Gonzalez said Healy makes literature enjoyable. 

“He encourages us to think critically and not just accept what’s on the page, with ” Gonzalez said. “His enthusiasm for teaching is contagious, making even complex texts accessible and easy to understand.” 

Healy often incorporates multimedia resources and creative projects, ensuring that lessons remain dynamic and interesting. 

“My goal is to help students not only excel academically, but also develop skills that will benefit them in the long run,” Healy said.

At Law, Healy continues to make a lasting impact on the next generation of thinkers, and his dedication to literature and education ensures students will carry the lessons learned in his classroom long into the future.

“How can we use literature to inspire change? What role does storytelling play in our understanding of ourselves,” Healy said. “These are questions I ask myself to help make my classes more engaging.” 

Healy’s commitment goes beyond academic teaching. He is a mentor who takes the time to understand each student’s strengths and challenges, to grow both personally and intellectually through thought and appreciation for literature and lifelong learning.

NEWS: National Art Honor Society Returns To Law For Another Year

(Photo courtesy mcpsmt.org)

By Adrian Vitale – Staff Reporter

The National Art Honor Society is back for another year at Jonathan Law.

The club had its first meeting of the year in September and plans on having two meetings per month – on Mondays – during the school year.

“I can’t wait to see how they use their passion for art and culture to create an artists community of their own here at Jonathan Law High School,” NAHS Advisor Mrs. Murphy said.

To join NAHS, students need to have been in an art class for at least one year. Students must also have at least an A or higher in their art classes, and B’s or higher in their other academic classes in order to join or participate in NAHS.

“This year we have already begun making plans on how to incorporate art into more lives in our community,” Senior Officer Quinn Shane. “We started the year off with a fun meeting to all get to know one another and spend some time together. Now, we have begun our meetings to create something to give back to the community with art.”

NAHS is also excited to add new members this year.

“I hope to be able to learn more about the club this year, and be able to learn some of the people involved in the club,” freshman Fiad Rahman said. “To have a better understanding of it for next year.”

Freshman Vincenzo Mannino is interested in getting involved with NAHS as well.

“Hopefully there will be chances for not only just members, but people soon hoping to join the club to be able to join meetings,” Mannino said. 

NAHS is currently planning activities and events for the year and encourages all members to participate in their activities.

NEWS: Jonathan Law Students Prepare For Annual Homecoming Dance

(Photo courtesy Taylor Mola)

By Taylor Mola – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law students are very excited as they prepare for the much-anticipated Homecoming dance on Friday, November 22.

The dance will be held in the new gym and will take place from 7-10 p.m. 

Students of all grades are welcome to attend this dance as there will be many fun-filled activities for the night and a great experience for everyone

“I’m excited to go to Homecoming for the first time and have a great time with my friends,” Junior Aden Esposito said. “I’m also excited to go with my girlfriend and just have a great experience.”

For this dance, the Senior Student Council has put together some activities to help make this night a fun one for students.

“There will be concessions being sold, a backdrop for pictures, and a lot of dancing and fun,” Senior Class President Sarah Ahmed said. 

This year’s Homecoming is going to be similar to last year’s. Last year, so many students had such a great time and they are hoping that this year will be just as memorable and exciting. 

“I had a great time and a lot of fun last year,” junior Nick Cosmas said. “The music was awesome and I got to dance.”

To get into this dance, students will need a ticket. Students can buy tickets from the QR code outside Mrs. Francisco’s room or from the link in Mr. Darcy’s Homecoming e-mail. Tickets will be available to purchase until November 15 and cost $20.

Just like last year, every student who buys a ticket will have their name recorded for when they check into the dance. Once students enter this dance, they are not allowed to leave until it is over.

Students are excited to be able to find the perfect outfit and go with friends and others to this dance. 

“I’m excited to see all of my friends dressed up and it is something to look forward to,” sophomore Delaney Adkins said.

Homecoming brings everyone together and lets everyone have a memorable time.

“My Homecoming experience was very fun – a lot of my friends showed up and we had a great time,” junior Roman Belbita said. “It was simple and it was nice to have a nice break in the year.”

NEWS: Law’s Natural Helpers Club Hosts Halloween Bingo Night

(Photo courtesy @JLHSHelpers)

By Ella Hopkins-Gianotti – Staff Reporter

The Natural Helpers Club hosted a Bingo Night on October 28.

About 40 students attended the event, many coming with friends or showing up to meet new people. The night started off with an icebreaker where they got to learn a new fact about each other. Then they played Bingo and won some awesome prizes.

“We chose Bingo because it was something easy that could bring people in our community together,” Senior Natural Helpers Club President Sarah Ahmed said. “There were candy and prizes, so people got to take treats home.”

Some of the prizes consisted of different kinds of stress toys.

“I liked the candy and prizes because everyone was having fun,” sophomore Kamaya Mittoo said. “Even though I didn’t win anything, I had a great time.”

Before the club began the first round to kick off the game, they started with an icebreaker to make students feel more welcomed and comfortable with being around new people. 

“My favorite part was the icebreaker at the beginning where everyone was able to learn a new fact about each other,” Senior Vice President Carol Jiang said.

Students liked that they got to engage in a bit of friendly competition against each other.

“I got very close to winning and I did have a good time playing as it was friendly competition and although I didn’t when I still enjoyed playing,” freshman Sabrina Ilama Arango said.

Even club members participated in a couple of games.

“I, along with Sarah, started and led the event, making sure it ran as smoothly as possible,” Jiang said. “I started off with calling out the Bingo cards and eventually playing a few rounds near the end.”

Many of the students who came had an amazing time.

“A couple of my favorite things that happened at the Bingo Night were the icebreakers because it made the whole vibe and environment more casual and welcoming, the actual Bingo because it was a lot of fun and there was a variety of prizes, and lastly the candy because it made the energy more relaxed,” sophomore Cassandra Smith said. “Plus, who doesn’t love candy?”

The Bingo cards were Halloween-themed because Halloween was just in a couple of days.

“Overall I thought it was really fun and successful,” Jiang said. “This is an event we’ll probably keep doing in the future.“

Ahmed said the club hope to do another Bingo Night next Halloween season.

“Maybe next year we’ll do it again,” Ahmed said.

NEWS: Law’s Friends Forever Club Looks To Give Students Lasting Memories

(Photo courtesy teepublic.com)

By Madison Krauss – Staff Reporter

The Friends Forever Club, advised by Mrs. Blude, connects special education students and regular education for various activities. 

Friends Forever is a club opened to all students that participates in fun activities collaboratively with some of the special education students at law.

“Friends Forever is a club after school where our regular education and special education students come together for conversation, crafts, food and fun,” Blude said.

The Friends Forever Club is open to all students. Anyone interested in joining this club should contact Blude for more information about the upcoming events.

The club meets once a month to get together to take part in themed activities that correspond with the upcoming holiday season. 

“Usually each month we have a holiday theme and we do an activity that pertains to the upcoming holiday season,” Blude said. “We play games and have food.” 

Many members of the club are looking forward to enjoying the activities they do each meeting. 

“I am most looking forward to having fun and making my peers feel safe and happy,” junior Ava Ambrusco said.

Friends Forever meetings feature engaging and relevant events that unite all types of students. 

Senior Riley Lapham is especially looking forward to the holiday themed activities during Friends Forever meetings.

“I am most looking forward to the Holiday party where we take part in various holiday themed activities,” Lapham said. 

While many members cherish the themed activities, senior Parker Michels is excited about the opportunity to help the club grow.

I’m most looking forward to bringing in more helpers to join Friends Forever,” Michels said. 

Even if students are unable to stay the full hour after school, Blude encourages people to stop in and say hello whenever they can. 

The Friends Forever Club aims to create a positive and lasting impact on the Jonathan Law community.

“It is a really great time for the incredible students at law to spread their love and compassion to their peers,” Blude said. 

Friends Forever is a welcoming space where students can build new connections within the Law community while enjoying a variety of fun activities.

“I am also excited to strengthen relationships with students involved,” Michels said. 

The Friends Forever Club is a community where students uplift and support one another.

“Friends Forever is so generous and always there for a helping hand,” Ambrusco said. “What I like most about this club is firstly our advisors, and secondly, everyone in it.” 

NEWS: Law’s Keyettes Club Hosts Successful Red Cross Blood Drive

(Photo courtesy Aislyn McKernan)

By Aislyn McKernan – Social Media Editor 

Jonathan Law’s Keyettes Club partnered with the Red Cross to host a fall Blood Drive on October 26. 

The Keyettes Club teamed up with the Red Cross and anyone 16 or older could donate blood. There was a successful turnout and each donation of blood saved three lives. 

“It went really well; it was very successful,” Junior Co-President Lexi Velez said. “We reached the maximum number of people we could accept for the drive.” 

The Keyettes worked very hard to make this blood drive happen. The members were very excited to volunteer and the students and staff at Law were also eager to donate. 

“I chose to do the Blood Drive because it’s such a good thing to do for people,” Library Media Specialist Ms. Mundy said. “I know how important donating blood is to help people recover from life-threatening conditions. It feels good to know that I could save a life by giving up a little of my time.” 

Many students and staff members said they were glad they got to participate and to make a difference with their donation. 

“I would gladly do the blood drive again,” History teacher Mr. Evanko said. “I like how many people my donation can help.” 

Many Keyettes members volunteered at the Blood Drive throughout the day,

“My experience with the Red Cross workers and helpers was great,” junior Harshitha Kothapalli said, “They were so friendly and helpful, especially for my first time donating blood.”

The Keyettes are very hopeful that this Blood Drive will continue on in future years. They love working with the Red Cross and advocating for the need for donated blood. 

“Keyettes chose to do a Blood Drive because it was a way to bring awareness of how much donating blood could impact others,” said co-club president Nicole Naula. “Not only that but it enhances the idea that the Red Cross is always in need of blood.” 

NEWS: Jonathan Law Ski & Snowboard Club Hits The Slopes For Another Season

(Photo courtesy Ski and Snowboard Club)

By Haley Stroffolino – Social Media Editor in Chief 

As winter approaches, the Ski and Snowboard Club at Jonathan Law High School is preparing for another season.

The advisors for the club are Mr. Turcotte and Mr. Koorejian and the club welcomes students of all experience levels to join. Turcotte said she is eager about the upcoming season.

“I’m hoping for snow and good conditions this year,” Turcotte said. “I love watching the kids have fun, and the views are absolutely amazing.”

To keep members and their families informed about upcoming events and trips, the club uses Google Classroom as its primary communication. Students can stay updated by joining with the class code: eote7hm

The Ski and Snowboard Club organizes several trips throughout the ski season. Including night skiing at Mohawk Mountain.

One of the highlights from last season was a two-night weekend trip to Smugglers’ Notch in Vermont. Students stayed in condos right next to the slopes, making it easy to ski/snowboard all day.

Senior Ellie Coddington is new to the Ski and Snowboard club and is very excited. 

“I joined because it’s my senior year, and I want to get involved in every way that I can,” Coddington said. “Plus, a lot of my friends are part of it and say it’s really fun.”

Senior Quinn Shane is also looking forward to the season, especially the opportunity to ski with friends.

“One of my favorite mountains to ski is Smugglers’ Notch,” Shane said. “We usually go there for an overnight trip. Staying in rooms together is a lot of fun.”

This year, the club looks forward to planning similar trips and more. A parent meeting will be scheduled this month to discuss plans for the season.

NEWS: Law’s Spanish Honor Society Promotes Study, Appreciation Of Spanish Culture

(Photo courtesy dhschools.org)

By Chloe Edmonds and Logan Mullarkey – Advocate Editors

The Jonathan Law Spanish Honor Society is an academic club promoting the study and appreciation of Spanish culture. 

The club was founded this year and many students have already joined. 

“I decided to join the Spanish Honor Society because I am Hispanic and wanted to be a part of a community that represents my heritage,” senior Caesar Mendez said. 

The club’s advisors, Mrs. Trombetta and Mr. McPartland, are excited about the student interest in the club. 

“We are very excited about the induction ceremony in December,” Trombetta said. “We have over 50 members.”

The club was proposed two years ago and students are happy it finally came to life.

“The Spanish Honor Society has grown a lot since it was founded,” senior Sarah Ahmed said. “Myself, along with a student who graduated last year, went to Ms. Trombetta came up with the idea two years ago, and now it’s officially an honor society here at Law.”

As part of the club, members discuss their goals for the future and how they can contribute to the Jonathan Law community during meetings.

“At the meetings, we talk about how we can help our community, our goals, and what we want to accomplish in the future,” senior Christian Mead said.

The Spanish Honor Society helps students learn more about Spanish language and culture and promote them to the Law community.

“I like that we make Spanish more visible in the Law community,” senior Yeiden Nieves said. “It’s important for everyone to learn about different cultures, and our club helps to do that through fun activities and events.”

Mendez said he loves the community aspect of the club.

“Being a part of the Spanish Honor Society is a great experience,” Mendez said. “Its about immersing yourself in the culture and being part of a community.” 

NEWS: Law’s National Math Honor Society Prepares To Induct New Members

(Photo courtesy fortbendisd.com)

By Cesar Mendez and Yeiden Nieves – Sports Editors

The Mu Alpha Theta National Math Honor Society is back for another year at Jonathan Law.

Mr. Ruzbarsky returns again as the Advisor for the NMHS. Ruzbarsky founded the society at Law in 2019.

“Being part of Mu Alpha Theta math honor society provides several benefits, including recognition for mathematical excellence, access to scholarships and awards, opportunities to participate in math competitions, networking with other math-focused students,” Ruzbarsky said. “Also the chance to attend national conventions focused on mathematics, all while enhancing your college applications by showcasing your dedication to the subject.”

The board for this year’s NMHS are Senior President Deepika Chitirala, Senior Vice President Gavin Nett, Senior Secretary Maddy Baranowsky, and Junior Treasurer Fiorella Gargiulo.

“My favorite part of the society is being able to give the members a place to explore their love for math in unique ways outside of school,” Chitirala said. “I like seeing how they approach challenging and out-of-the-box problems we give them.” 

Students were accepted to the NMHS after an application process and an induction ceremony will be held next month. The NMHS officers are excited for new members to join.

“The Math Honor Society is great for spreading math to Law’s community as well as growing as a mathematician,’” Gargiulo said. “It’s a great way to get math help from peers and get everyone excited about math.”

The NMHS has lots of fun activities planned for the year, including the annual Pi Day celebration.

“I’m most excited for Pi Day,” junior Jackson Judge said. “Trying all the activities and trying to win the prize is the best part of the whole year.”

NMHS is a great program to join if students have a passion for math and helping others out. 

“The overall goal of the NMHS is to make math fun by getting the school involved in math activities,“ Baranowsky said. 

NEWS: Choir Director Jones Named ACDA’s Conductor Of The Year

(Photo courtesy milforded.org)

By Kayla Markowitz – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law Choir Director Ms. Jones has recently been awarded the Choral Conductor of the Year recognition from the American Choral Director Association of Connecticut.

Jones has been teaching music in the Milford District for 14 years and has been at Law for eight years where she teaches Piano, Guitar, Choir, Concert Choir, Peer-Assisted Music, and Advanced Vocal Ensemble.

“Being honored with this award is not about personal achievement; it reflects the incredible dedication and talent of my students,” Jones said. “Their drive, commitment, energy and passion for music pushes me to be my best every day, and this recognition is as much theirs as it is mine.”

According to the ACDA, Jones shows exponential dedication and tirelessly serves her students, community, colleagues, and the art of choral music. She sets herself apart from average choir teachers by connecting students at Law through music. 

Jonathan Law Chorus members are excited to go to Ms. Jones’ class each day, knowing that Jones is there to support, encourage, and mentor them. 

“Ms. Jones isn’t as standard as a lot of teachers. “She is so dedicated to getting us excited and focused on choir,” junior Mars Thomas said. “She feels the music we learn so deeply and really treats all choir members like her kids.”

Faculty members said that Jones is an admirable teacher at Law because of the sense of unity she invokes amongst her colleagues and students.

“The ability of Ms. Jones to create a family atmosphere, support all students and push students to be their best, is something all educators can be proud of,” Law Principal Mr. Darcy said. 

Jones helps all of her students feel a part of a community that doesn’t end when the bell rings. Through her teaching style and personal connection she creates with her students, she makes herself known as a mentor for all students at Law.

“In all my years of school, I have never seen or had a teacher who has been so passionate and dedicated; not only in the subject, but to her students as well,” junior Christopher Serrano said. “She goes above and beyond every day to make sure choir is a fun and inviting environment for everyone who joins. Her unique teaching style makes her class the highlight of my day, every day.”

Jones has had a passion for music since she was young and wants to inspire her students the same way she was once inspired. 

“It was the impact of my Band Director, who convinced me to join band when I was ready to quit after unfavorable experiences in elementary school, who made me realize his passion made a lasting impact on my whole future and I hope to instill that same passion with all of my students,” Jones said.

NEWS: Science National Honor Society Give Students Opportunity To Explore STEM Interests

(Photo courtesy Science National Honor Society)

By Molly Lynch and Ava Grippo – News Editors

Law’s Science National Honor Society is starting back up for the 2024-2025 school year.

Meetings are held after school on the second Tuesday of every month in Ms. Doolan’s room. All current members are juniors and seniors but invitations are being sent out to sophomores, juniors, and seniors after Quarter 1 grades are released.

SNHS allows students who are interested or want to pursue a career in science to further expand their learning with peers of the same interests. 

“We try to have several fun science activities throughout the year,” Advisor Ms. Doolan said. “For example, last year we made slime and learned about the science behind it.”

The SNHS has many benefits to joining like exploring the area of science and meeting people of the same interests. 

“The biggest benefit of joining SNHS is being able to have time to explore an area of science that you are interested in outside of the classroom, and to meet others who have similar interests in science,” Advisor Ms. Doolan said. 

Senior President Deepika Chitirala explains why she started SNHS and what inspired her to do so. 

“I wanted to start a chapter of the SNHS at law so that I could spread the love of science within the school,” Chitirala said. “I was inspired by how the NMHS and NHS highlighted their subjects and felt that an honor society focused on science would be a great chance for students to be recognized for their hard work but also further explore their scientific interests.”

Senior Secretary Ellie Coddington explains the goals the SNHS wants to achieve this year.

“Our goal for this year is to host a presentation night for families as well as Jonathan Law students and staff to attend and see the hard work our members put into their projects,” Coddington said. 

Senior Treasurer Madelyn Baronowsky explains what made her interested in joining the SNHS.

“I wanted to join the Science National Honor Society because I have always had a passion for science, and I wanted to help share that with the rest of the school,” Baronowsky said. 

Doolan and her officers highly encourage students to come to meetings and become a part of the SNHS because it provides educational and social opportunities that are only offered for members of the society.

NEWS: Law’s Courage Club Hosts Powerful Domestic Violence Prevention Assembly

Members of the Courage Club meet guest speaker Alexis Ruhlen (Photo courtesy @JLHS Principal)

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

Members of the junior and senior classes at Jonathan Law High School had an informational assembly in the auditorium on October 23 in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

The assembly focused on domestic violence and its impacts on teenagers. Alexis Ruhlen, who is a domestic violence survivor and works with the Office of Violence Prevention, met with members of the junior and senior classes to share her story of both physical and mental abuse, the lessons she learned, and how she uses that trauma to empower young men and women nationwide.

Ruhlen grew up in Bergen County, New Jersey, where she played softball and volleyball, and was also a captain of the cheer team. She is also currently a senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey. 

“I feel that my story is important to share because I never want anyone to feel as alone as I did,” Ruhlen said. “After sharing my story, a lot of people came forward with their own stories of domestic violence. It made me realize that it is more common than we think, and using my strength is a way to inspire other victims or survivors to reclaim their own strength.”

Ruhlen worked alongside Jonathan Law’s Courage Club, a nationally recognized club whose mission is to end teen dating violence before it begins. The club scheduled this event for October so it coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

“It was important to have the assembly because the topic needed to be discussed,” Senior Courage Club President and Founder Lily Baird said. The club wanted to see people talk about an issue that is often overlooked, with more discussion involving domestic violence and youth relationship abuse awareness, a big impact can be made. We felt it was best to center the assembly around our Alexis Ruhlen’s story. Her story is very moving and being the advocate that she is, we believe students were definitely able to receive her message and understand that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

The hope is that students were able to walk out of the assembly knowing they have resources and an understanding of who and where they can go in the event they are in a bad relationship. 

“I think it’s important to have discussions with students that can have a positive impact on them,” Law Principal Mr. Darcy said. “I also hope the students can feel empowered to speak up for a friend or themselves if they need to.”

The club is pleased with how the assembly turned out and is hoping that students learned how truly important the topic is and how relevant it is in the world today. 

“I am really hoping that students were impacted by my story,” Ruhlen said. “I hope that they are aware of the warning signs and can recognize any if present in their or their friends’ relationships. I also hope that it makes them more mindful about the normalization of toxic behaviors that have been common in relationships, and how to bring them to an end.” 

The statistics about the prevalence of domestic violence are always staggering, but hearing a firsthand account of a young woman’s story seemed like a great way to raise awareness about the issue. 

“As I have been an English teacher for twenty-two years, I’ve learned that students listen more intently – and often learn more – from their peers,” Courage Club Advisor Ms. Evans said. “Once Lily Baird came across Alexis’s story, Mr. Darcy and I agreed that having students learn about teen domestic violence from a young woman would be resonating.”

Evans emphasized how impressed she was with students’ engagement and behavior during the assembly and hoped students felt compassion for Ruhlen and any other abuse victims they may know.

NEWS: Jonathan Law Key Club Gives Students Opportunities To Earn Volunteer Hours

(Photo courtesy seeklogo.com)

By Matthew Sanchez – Staff Reporter

Key Club is one of the biggest clubs at Jonathan Law High School. 

Key Club is a community service-based club where there are various activities to help the high school and local communities. Students in Key Club earn community service hours, graduate with distinction, and work with their peers. 

“A big goal of mine this year for Key Club is keeping members excited and coming back all year,” Senior Key Club President Addison Barber said. “We have plans for a bunch of fun meetings throughout the year to keep members engaged.”

Junior Vice President Kayla Markowitz said the club has many goals for the 2024-2025 school year. 

“Our goals for Key Club is to encourage students at Law to participate in community service around Law and help raise money for some of our leading causes like the Salvation Army, Camp Sunshine, and UNICEF,” Markowitz said. “We also hope to get more awards for our school at DECON in the spring.” 

Barber said the club has several events already planned for the next few months.

“We will have Cupcake Wars, cookie decorating contests, as well as our annual projects like Salvation Army and Poinsettias,” Barber said.

Junior Jared Saludes said that he enjoys earning volunteer hours and helping the less fortunate through Key Club. 

“I need the hours to graduate with distinction,” Saludes said. “I really enjoyed doing it my freshman year because there was this one thing during Thanksgiving where myself and others were collecting food for the less fortunate.”

Saludes enjoys how Key Club can help him get the community hours. Freshman Yusuf Genc also said that he’s excited to go to community-related events. 

“I really like how engaged we are with the community already, and how we’re already doing stuff like the Walk for Water Marathon,” Genc said. “We have an event where we’ll be going to Maine and I can’t wait to go there.” 

Freshman Adrian Vitale said that he’s happy that he gets to work with peers and help the city.

“I am glad to be able to work with my peers while also being about to get my community hours done and support the city,” Vitale said.

NEWS: Environmental Club Looks To Spread Awareness To Law Community

(Photo courtesy Law Environmental Club)

By Noah Oquendo – Staff Reporter

At Jonathan Law, a group of passionate students is making waves with their Environmental Club, dedicated to fostering sustainability and awareness within their community. 

With innovative projects ranging from recycling initiatives to local clean-up days, the club aims to inspire fellow students and residents to take actionable steps toward a greener future. Driven by their love for the planet, these young advocates are not just dreaming of change, they’re creating it.

“The Environmental Club takes care of the native pollinator garden around the flagpole and raises vegetables and native perennials for an annual sale to faculty and staff in late spring,” Advisor Mrs. Bouchard said. “We’ve also run cleanups around the school campus, and are currently trying to figure out how to begin a school composting program”  

To educate members about environmental issues, they first decide what they want to learn about. In the past, they’ve had visitors attend meetings to teach them about topics like recycling and eliminating styrofoam.

“I guess we’ve been thinking about making flowers,“ Senior Treasurer Deepika Chitirala said. “We’ve also maintained a garden.”

The club is currently focused on learning about composting of food waste.

“The Environmental Club at this school currently often focuses on composting,” Senior Task Manager Xiomara Esquiuel said.

The club has designated leadership roles with their current officers, but any student in the club is encouraged to take the lead on a project if they’re interested.

“If you join this year, you’ll have more opportunities next year,” Senior Secretary Sakshi Mehta said.

Previously, the club collaborated with the city’s natural resources director on various projects, including the native perennial flower garden around the flagpole, which was funded by a grant from the Milford Environmental Protection Initiative.

“Okay so with our school community we’ve maintained the flagpole and the gardens around our school,”  Senior President Sana Joshi said. “And for Milford in itself, we go for Earth Day and we were just at the Milford Green and talked to a bunch of people for a socializing event.”

NEWS: Law Spanish Club Looks To Celebrate Culture, Volunteer Time

(Photo courtesy Spanish Club)

By Henry Smith – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law Spanish Club held its first meeting on September 19.

The club’s goal is to educate more students about Spanish culture and Language. Meetings will be held every other Monday after school in Room 219.

“Students should join the Spanish Club to create awareness of the Spanish language and culture, and to help promote multiculturalism within the school and community,” Co-Advisor Mrs. Trombetta said.

This year, the Spanish Club is planning a few different events. They will be “spotlighting” local Hispanic-owned businesses or restaurants on The Morning Briefing, planning a Movie Night, and will be participating in the “Pulsera Project” once again.

“I enjoy bringing a group of like-minded students together to bring awareness to a culture that is so vibrant and alive in our community, more people just need to be informed about it,” senior President Sarah Ahmed said. “Our advisors are a huge help with planning events, and coming up with ideas for the members of the club and the entire school.”

Co-Advisor Mr. McPartland is excited for Spanish Club to be back this year.

“I’m most excited about two things: the opportunity to work with organizations to give back to the local and not so local Latino communities and the opportunity to have informal conversations with students in Spanish to boost our confidence when speaking,” Co-Advisor Mr. McPartland said.

The club has just under 20 members, and new members are always welcome. Anyone can join the Spanish club, even if they are not taking a Spanish class.

“It feels good to know that students will walk away feeling more confident using the Spanish language to communicate,” McPartland said.

At club meetings, students brainstorm ideas on how to bring out the Spanish language, and the culture of Spanish speaking countries in the Law community. Meetings usually last 30 to 45 minutes.

Other than fundraising, the club aims to be an open space for students from Spanish speaking countries to have a community at Law. 

“I enjoy the Spanish Club because I get to learn about the Spanish culture and become more fluent in the language,” sophomore Alex Konlian said. 

The Spanish Club offers students opportunities to give back to their community.

“My favorite thing about the Spanish Club is the volunteer work and spending time with friends,” sophomore Ayaan Ahmed said. “I also like learning the Spanish language and culture.”

NEWS: Mellow Mindset Club Creates Relaxing Space For Law Students

(Photo courtesy the Mellow Mindset Club)

By Carly Ranilla – Staff Reporter

There is a new club at Jonathan Law this year – the Mellow Mindset Club.

The club, which was founded by senior Alexa Rosati, will provide time, space, and materials to help students unwind and manage stress in their lives.

“If you’re dealing with stress or you just want someplace to relax, then it’s definitely going to be a good club for you,” Rosati said. 

Some crafts are pre-arranged, such as slime-making and bracelet-making, along with meditation and info sessions on other useful ways to deal with stress.

“The hope for this club is that it’s a low-commitment spot for students to come and unwind alone or with friends through creative opportunities,” Advisor Mrs. Lucia said.

Vice President Lily Baird said she is excited for the potential of the club.

“There’s a lot of fun things to do in this club and its a great way to get to know people,” Baird said.

Rosati said that during her time in high school, she has dealt with a lot of stress, which led to the idea of the Mellow Mindset Club. 

Rosati and Baird were sitting in the back of class one day and realized how stressed out everyone was – seniors especially. The two students then created the club together.

There are no upcoming events planned yet for this school year, however there will be regular meetings with members of the club during Advisory every other F Day in Room 234.  It will offer a break in school to get students’ minds off of things. 

“We wanted to do something that’s just like a fun break from our classes that’ll offer meditation, some music, and just fun stuff,” Baird said. 

NEWS: Keyettes Club Helps Law Community, Gives Students Volunteer Opportunities

(Photo courtesy JLHS Keyettes)

By Tay Mola – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Keyettes Club is up and running again this year.

Keyettes Club is similar to Key Club but is predominantly female. This club helps the Law community and gives students great volunteering opportunities.

“This club really brings people together, especially girls, and it is just a great way to meet new people and get more involved in our school community,” junior Co-President Lexi Velez said.

This club is open to everyone and returning members would love new people to join. Being in the club will bring students many opportunities to meet new people.

“I’m excited for the new members and the exciting events that are going to come up,” junior Co-President Nicole Naula said. “My job as the president is to make sure the club is a student-run club and make sure everyone’s ideas are taken into place while providing the best I can to make the club successful and better than it is.”

Many students join Keyettes for the volunteer opportunities.

“If they want volunteer opportunities this is a great way to get them,” Keyettes Club Advisor Mr. Kelly said. “If they get 200 volunteer hours, they will graduate with Honors of Distinction.”

The Keyettes had their first meeting on September 19 where they discussed some of their plans for the future. 

“This year, we plan to hold two bi-annual blood drives in October and April to donate it to the Red Cross,” Kelly said. “We will also be going to and helping out elementary school PTO meetings.”

Returning and new members are excited for this club to kick off this year.

“I’m excited for all the volunteer hours and that the Keyettes Club is giving me so many great opportunities I would have never been able to do,” freshman Ella Hopkins-Gianotti said.

NEWS: Jonathan Law FBLA Club Helps Students Learn Business, Leadership Skills

(Photo courtesy fbla-pbl.org)

By Vaughn Kraynak – Staff Reporter

The Future Business Leaders of America is an after-school club that students at Jonathan Law can attend to learn more about business, public speaking, and leadership. 

FBLA meetings take place every other Tuesday in Room 26. Students can join by meeting with Advisor Ms. Israelite in Room 26 or joining the Google Classroom with code: tvpv4fc.

“FBLA offers students an opportunity to network and compete with other business students from across the state,” Israelite said.

Israelite has led the club since its founding four years ago and the club has grown to have over 50 members 

“Being an officer of FBLA is important to me because I get to interact with the Law and Milford community as a leader,” Senior Officer Maddy Baranowsky said. 

Besides focusing on how to pursue business as a young adult, the club provides many fun events and field trips. Among these include the annual “Winter Wonderland,” a holiday-themed event that includes arts and crafts and a surprise visit from Santa. 

“My favorite moment from FBLA is the Winter Wonderland,” Baranowsky said. “It is always so much fun doing holiday activities with the kids and volunteering with other Law students.”

Last school year, members of the FBLA visited the Federal Reserve in New York City. 

“My favorite part of the field trip to New York was seeing Times Square,” Sophomore Karan Sekhon said. 

Joining FBLA has also helped students improve themselves both academically and socially. 

“I became more business minded and got better at interacting with people,” Sophomore Rithvik Muthyapu said. 

The idea of joining a new club can be scary to some students, but Israelite welcomes all who are interested and up for the challenge. 

“I joined FBLA because I was curious to see what the club was about and now that I have joined it, I am glad I am part of an amazing club,” Sophomore Arnav Saxena said. 

After working on projects and presenting them to an audience, members can earn awards for their presentations. 

“I joined FBLA because I liked the idea of winning awards,” Sekhon said. 

Israelite is always ready to help members of the club succeed to the best of their ability.

“Ms. Israelite has helped me grow as a member of FBLA because of the support and help she gives me and my peers when we are confused and need help for our projects and presentations,” Saxena said.

NEWS: Law’s Model U.N. Begins Planning For Annual Trip To New York

(Photo courtesy @JLHSMUN)

By Anwita Puttam – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Model U.N. had its first meeting on September 13 where they discussed all the events that will be happening for this school year.

The club had held their meeting in Co-Advisor Ms. Healy’s room. Model U.N’s goal for the next few months is to raise enough money for their four-day NHSMUN conference in New York City in March.

“So our goal is to fundraise for, and attend, a conference in New York City, in March-to-mid March,” Model U.N. Co-Advisor Mr. Evanko said. “So a lot of our efforts during the year are fundraising, money for that, and preparing our research, and like learning our debate skills before we go to our conference.”

In Model U.N., students are assigned a country, where they will have to research and have a debate while representing their country.

“There’s something like 30 committees that run during the conference and each committee has its own topic,” Evanko said. “So students will be debating everything from world health to international security to technology.”

During the New York trip, schools from all over the world will be attending the conference.

“My advice for new members is to come to every meeting, participate, and fundraise,” junior Conference Representative Harshitha Kothapalli said. “Being in New York City and attending the NHSMUN Conference is such a privileged experience so it’s important that we take advantage of the opportunities we are given.”

The best chance for new members to be able to go on the trip is being an active member of the club.

“This year I’m most excited for the conference in NY,” returning member and sophomore Anushka Vajrala said “I’m also excited to do volunteering to get more money with friends for the field trip.”

The Model U.N. will be doing lots of volunteer work to raise money for their club’s expenses.

They will be doing events like Shake the Can, and other fundraisers, to reduce the amount of money required for each person to pay when they are attending the conference.

“We do like some Shake the Cans at nearby supermarkets, we are looking into other avenues of fundraising as well,” Evanko said.

This year, Model U.N. has many new members, who are all excited to participate in the four-day trip to New York City.

“I’m excited for the experience and the opportunities I’ll be going to see and have,” new member and freshman Tenzin Gakhang said. “I’m extremely excited for the New York trip as well, it’s going to be really fun hanging out with friends.”

NEWS: Natural Helpers Club Looks To Bring Law’s Students Together

(Photo courtesy @JLHSHelpers)

By Ella Hopkins-Gianotti – Staff Reporter

The Natural Helpers Club has started the year off strong after having its first meeting on September 24. 

Natural Helpers, which meets in Room 231 at 2:00 every other Tuesday, is a student-run club that encourages students to get out of their comfort zone by doing activities planned by the club. The activities are based on student preference and not the teachers.

“We try to come up with activities and events that cater to a variety of student interests with the hope that with anything we do, students walk away with a smile and a sense of belonging,” Club Advisor Ms. Smuniewski said.

The club is excited to be bringing back some of its favorite events.

“We plan to repeat some of our favorite events from years past, including after-school bonding opportunities like Halloween Bingo, kindness-themed activities like creating/giving kindness rocks, passing positive notes to peers, our annual DeStress Fest before final exams, and little activities along the way designed to bring a smile to peoples faces,” Smuniewski said, “Whatever we do, our goals are to try to bring students together in a way that ensures all students feel safe and connected in our school.”

The Natural Helpers Club’s goal this year is to focus on the student’s well-being.

“My goal is to just create a safe space for everyone. I just want the club to be an open welcoming space,” senior President Sarah Ahmed said. “ You could just join the club in general especially if you want somewhere to have fun.”

The Natural Helpers don’t just plan events, they make the school environment more welcoming.

“We help many people who don’t necessarily have a lot of friends, that are shy or quiet, that don’t normally reach out to different people,” senior Vice President Carol Jiang said. “It helps students be willing to connect with others.”

The events are not just for the other students to enjoy but also for the club members themselves.

“My favorite part about the club is going to the events, and talking to all the different people who show up. I love seeing if people are enjoying the different things we set up,” sophomore Secretary Elina Nett said.

The Natural Helpers Club is still looking for members.

“We want more people in our club because there’s already a good amount of people, but we want to have a bunch more,” junior Natural Helper Molly Lynch said. “I think it’s great to participate in our school community. We do these events to get kids more involved with the school and to get to know each other.”

NEWS: Jonathan Law’s Jewish Student Union Back For Second Year

(Photo courtesy Law Jewish Student Union)

By Amilio Venditti –  Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law’s Jewish Student Union has returned for its second year and held its first meeting on September 20.

Their first meeting took place in the TLC after school, where members learned about the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and celebrated by making candy apples. Senior President Quinn Willet and Junior Vice President Kayla Markowitz are excited to start the club back up this year.

“The meeting was super successful,” Markowitz said. “We had a lot of new faces there which was nice to see and had a lot of fun eating snacks, getting to know each other, and learning.”

Last year, Markowitz and Willett started the JSU with hopes that it would be a safe place and source of community for anyone in the school. 

They created JSU as a club for anyone and everyone, no matter their religious background. It is a place for people at Jonathan Law to come together and have fun. 

“My favorite part of JSU is the fact that I know I have a community at Jonathan Law who supports me,” Willett said. ” JSU brings me a sense of hope that we can stick together and be united even with all of the hate in the world.”

JSU meets every other week on Friday, and each week they have a new activity. Each activity relates to a topic of the meeting whether it’s a holiday, Jewish customs, or Jewish history. 

The advisor of the Jewish Student Union is English teacher Ms. Kelly, who also is the Advisor for The Morning Briefing, Black Student Union, Keyettes Club, and the Freshman Class.

“I do not have a family background in Jewish culture, but I love to support students as they advocate for their communities,” Kelly said. “People should join just to enjoy Friday afternoons with some snacks, learn a little bit about JSU, meet new people, and have a calm entry into the weekend.”

Kelly has been Advisor for the JSU since the club’s inception in 2023. 

The JSU will be bringing back its popular event from last year, “Latte N’ Learn.” This bi-monthly event was held after school where students would get together to talk about different topics of Judaism and get free Starbucks for attending. 

“We are planning on bringing back our Latte n’ Learns that we hosted last year,” Markowitz said. “It was super well-liked last year especially if you like free Starbucks.”

NEWS: Law Band Looking Forward To Performance-Filled School Year

(Photo courtesy @shotbyben)

By Aiden Ramos – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law Band, led by Director Mr. Pelaggi, is back and ready for the new 2024-2025 school year. 

The band has been working tirelessly to prepare for halftime shows at the football games and for their upcoming concerts. They have their Winter Concert scheduled for December 18 and their Spring Concert set for May 6.

The band has many events planned, but Pelaggi has one that he is looking forward to the most.

“I would say it would have to be the night that we have the 8th graders with us at the football game on October 10,”  Pelaggi said. “Both sets of 8th graders from West Shore and Harborside come in to work with us and perform in the football game, it is always a really fun performance for those kids and good for the older kids to be able to reach out and help some of the younger kids and start to shepherd them into the program.”

 Band members spent the last week of the summer training for its fall performances.

“During the last week of summer, the band had band camp from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday,” senior trumpet player Peter Gill said.  “It was a real commitment but it helped us prepare for football games, learn our music, learn our marching techniques and just come together and build our friendships as a community.” `

With many returning members and highly anticipated concert music, band members have a lot to look forward to. 

Sophomore tuba player Henry Conroy is excited to play with the band again this year but with a different role. Conroy recently switched from tenor sax to tuba.

“I wanted to switch to tuba because our other tuba player graduated last year, it took a lot of hard work but it was worth it,” Conroy said. ”the band didn’t sound as complete without him and I wanted to make the baseline sound more full.”  

The Jonathan Law band offers a concert band, marching band, and jazz band which is a 9th-period class after school.

“I like concert band the most; it is the most simple,” sophomore drummer Ethan Panella said. “There is a much wider variety of songs that we play.”

The band has a new lineup of spectacular songs that they will be performing this year.

“My favorite song that we are playing has to be ´Havana,’” sophomore clarinet player Chris Rivera said. “it is catchy, popular, and easy to play for the clarinet section.”

NEWS: Jonathan Law Fishing Club Looks For New Members This Fall

(Photo courtesy Mr. Morazzinj)

By Madison Krauss – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Fishing Club, advised by Science teacher Mr. Morazzini, is looking for new members this fall. 

The Fishing Club is a club focused on gaining an appreciation and understanding for the sport of fishing along with the outdoors. Members will gain experience through participation in off-campus fishing excursions as well as on-campus meetings covering a wide range of techniques and topics.

Some of our activities may include: knot tying, tackle maintenance, casting, rig making, catching bait, species identification and conservation,” Morazzini said.

The club hopes to be able to fish at Walnut Beach this fall as one of their off-campus fishing trips.

The club’s first meeting of the year took place on September 17. In this meeting they welcomed all new and returning members. 

Many members in the club are looking forward to the trips this year due to being unable to go on many trips last year.

“I am most looking forward to getting out there and fishing,” Senior Brady Funk said. “Last year we were only able to go on one trip because there weren’t enough people to go, but this year we will hopefully go on a lot more trips because of the large number of new students joining.”

Junior Aryan Sikhinam agrees with Funk about what they are most looking forward to this year in the Fishing Club.

“I’m most excited to go on trips and get some fish this season,” Sikhinam said. 

While many members are looking forward to the trips the club will go on throughout the year, sophomore Owen Greggis is looking forward to learning about fishing techniques.

“I am most looking forward to learning how to fish in many different ways and learning how to tie fishing knots and just being able to have fun with friends while learning a new hobby,” Greggis said.  

First year club member Dylan O’Neil explains he is looking forward to learning more about the fish aspect of the club. 

“I am most looking forward to catching fish and learning more about the fish I catch,” O’Neil said.

All members interested in joining the Fishing Club are welcome. The club is able to provide equipment if students do not yet have their own. 

NEWS: National English Honor Society Makes Its Law Debut

(Photo courtesy nehs.us)

By Morgan Cappock – Staff Reporter 

The National English Honor Society is starting up for the first time in Law history. 

Applications will open for all juniors and seniors interested on the last week of September. Beginning on October 15, NEHS will meet after school every Tuesday in Advisor Mrs. Lucia’s room (234). 

”The NEHS is an honor society for students who love everything related to English language and literature,” Lucia said. “The society not only promotes discussion about reading and writing, but it also supports charity efforts and provides scholarship opportunities for students.“ 

There will be snacks provided for club members on the first day.

“I am hoping to have a holiday book drive and possibly a writing collection, but ultimately we will figure that out at our first meeting with members,”  Senior President Addison Barber said. “I am looking forward to having a club that everyone can enjoy how hard they’ve worked in English!”

Even though the first meeting hasn’t occurred yet, students can look forward to many activities in this club. These may include a book drive, reaching out to the community to provide literary support, entering essay contests, and publishing pieces written by club members.

“I am most looking forward to getting other english students involved with one another based off of there previous/current english classes,” Senior Vice President Julia Ryan said. “I hope that we are able to get together some creative writing and small book clubs where new members could share what they are interested in within the realm of English.”

Students are excited to be involved in this new club for many different reasons.

“I look forward to getting involved with other students who are also interested in English,” Senior Treasurer Alexandra Fino said. “I hope that we can do book clubs and activities surrounding books we are interested in reading.”

NEWS: Jonathan Law Choir Ready For School Year Filled With Performances

(Photo courtesy Choir Director Ms. Jones)

By Abigail Merenda – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law Choir is excited for the busy year ahead of them. 

This year, the Choir is excited to participate in several upcoming events. Choir Director Ms. Jones hopes to build a sense of community between all members.

“My goal this year is truly about fun,” Jones said. “I want us to make sure that at the root of everything we are remembering why we come together and how we enjoy each other’s company – that only makes us stronger performers.”  

So far this year, the Choir has traveled to UConn for the Young Conductors Symposium Day. At the symposium, they engaged in workshops, lessons, conducting, and singing, and got to listen to UConn’s Chamber Choir sing.  

The Choir has also had weekly breakfasts and has started weekly CMEA rehearsals for auditions that are coming up in November. They also attended a Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Music Booster Club where they performed for the guests. 

Members of the Choir have enjoyed the year so far. Senior Manager Sara Gutierrez said she has loved her time being in Choir. 

“Choir class is one of the classes I like to come into during the day,” Gutierrez said. “It’s very chill and I really like the environment that we set for every single student because even though it can be really competitive. It is a stress-free environment as we all get together so well and act like a really big family.” 

Junior Lexi Velez is excited for her new role as the Choir’s Assistant Manager.

“My job as Assistant Manager is that I’m Ms. Jones’ little helper or right hand man,” Velez said. “We make sure everything is aligned and to be two steps ahead of any changes that need to be made and corrected. If members aren’t able to get a hold of Ms. Jones they will come to me. I pretty much make sure everything is the way it needs to be.” 

In October, the Choir will host its annual get-together where they have a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt. In December, they will perform at the annual concert with Choir, Band, Orchestra, and Jazz Band. 

These activities help create the bonds and friendships between the members of the Choir. 

“I have made a lot of friendships throughout the way,”  sophomore Analiyah Velez said. “We are definitely a big community even though we are not all the same, we come from different backgrounds and join together to make music.”   

Members of Choir describe their group as a large community.

“I enjoy being in Choir because I get to meet a lot of new people that have become really good friends of mine,” senior Laila DiRienzo said. “I really enjoy singing and performing with all of the members and Ms. Jones makes it pretty fun. The trips are also really fun and enjoyable and a great experience overall.”

NEWS: Law, Foran Soccer Teams Raise Money For Avery’s Little Army

(Photos courtesy Lexi Lafferty)

By Cora Aitkenhead – Staff Reporter

Law and Foran came together on September 3 at their annual girls and boys soccer doubleheader to fundraise for the Avery’s Little Army Foundation.  

Avery Marie Lafferty, a dedicated soccer player and inspiration of Avery’s Little Army. Avery was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer in December of 2021. After a two-year fight, Avery passed away at age 12 on July 12, 2024. 

“On and off the field she was a great teammate,” Avery’s older sister, Lexi Lafferty said. “Avery was the bravest girl I knew.”

The mission of Avery’s Little Army is to help support those in similar situations to Avery, and to raise money in order to advance pediatric cancer research. 

“I hope that with this event people realize the impact pediatric cancer has on children,” Lexi Lafferty said. “We also want them to realize that one person can make an impact in our community.”

This event also marked the beginning of Lexi Lafferty’s Foran soccer career as a freshman on varsity, where she got to spread her and her sister’s passion for soccer. 

This game kicked off Law’s season with a 4-0 win for the girls varsity team and 3-1 win for the boys varsity team.

While the wins meant a lot to Law, what meant more was how this event united the two town rivalry schools, and raised awareness for pediatric cancer.

“We are honored to have been part of the Avery’s Little Army game to raise money and awareness for pediatric brain cancer,” Law girls soccer coach Mrs. Francisco said. “When it comes to helping one another, we really are ‘One Milford’.”

Law boys soccer coach Mr. Gruber also found the event impactful, displaying a valuable lesson to him and his team.

“We will always remember Avery and help that family whenever they are in need and no matter what a game is only a game but life and doing the right things on and off the field is most important for student athletes at Law and in the Milford Community,” Gruber said.

By the end of the event, it became clear that Avery’s legacy not only had the power to support those in situations like her’s, but it had the power to influence a once divided community to unite and share their passion for the beautiful game. 

“I loved to see how two separate schools could come together to support Avery,” Lexi Lafftery said. “This helps us honor her and improve awareness around pediatric cancer.”

This game was also senior Taylor Coretti’s first game as a Law girls soccer captain.

Coretti felt it was important to put aside town rivalry, and to unite as one team for this important event. 

“Even though we are very competitive when it comes to Foran, we put that behind us to honor Avery because this is a very important cause to bring awareness to,” Coretti said. “It was really great to know that both schools were able to come together to raise money and support this cause.”

To get involved with and/or donate to the Avery’s Little Army Foundation, go to the Avery’s Little Army website at www.averyslittlearmy.org/.

NEWS: SAVE Promise Club Kicks Off Year With “Start With Hello” Week

(Photo courtesy SAVE Promise Club)

By Taylor Coretti – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s SAVE Promise Club is excited to return for the upcoming school year.

The SAVE Promise Club is a club at Jonathan Law that brings awareness to violence in schools and mental health. An event that has started off the school year was “Start with Hello” week. 

“We just had a really successful “Start with Hello” week here at Law where the club had a bunch of great activities going on all week,” SAVE Promise Club Advisor Ms. Healy said. “We had name tags passed out on Monday to encourage people to say hi to someone new, flyers were put around school for people to pull tabs from to take what they needed (peace, confidence, joy, etc.), and we had a visit from Milford PD’s therapy dog Winston, and hot cocoa in the morning for students just to name a few.” 

Senior President Natalia Gagliardi has many goals for the club this year including the attendance and participation throughout the club meetings and events.

“A main goal for SAVE Promise Club this year is to get our meeting attendance higher,” Gagliardi said. “This is a goal of ours because the more people we have in our club, the more people that are helping to make an impact on our community.” 

The officers have many plans for the future of the club to get people involved and to spread awareness throughout the school and community. 

“We all work together with Ms. Healy to come up with Start with Hello Week, National Safe Schools Week, Say Something Week, and other important events we promote for SAVE,” Senior Vice President of Operations Ella Franzman said. 

Sophomore Vice President of Operations Sarah McCann was selected to join the National Youth Advisory Board with SAVE Promise, one of nine in the country.

“I originally heard about the National Youth Advisory Board from a friend in the club who told me I should apply,” McCann said. “I decided I would because I am super passionate about gun violence prevention and mental health.”

Sophomore Club member Melissa Servas is looking forward to being in the club this year.

“This year I am most looking forward to planning new events to get people in school involved,” Servas said. “I am excited to help educate people on how to identify warning signs so that our schools can be filled with more people who know the importance of mental health.”

NEWS: Law Science Club Returns To Lab, Prepares For Upcoming Olympiads

(Photo courtesy @tpturcotte)

By Kishal Shah – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Science Club had its first meeting on September 16 to discuss plans regarding an upcoming Invitational and the State Olympiad competitions this year. 

Science Club focuses on advancing students’ understanding and applications of science in nationwide competitions every year.

Co-Advisors Ms. Turcotte and Mr. Stanton helped oversee the first meeting as the officers welcomed new and returning members and discussed events the club will participate in this year. 

“Mr. Stanton and I are Co-Advisors and our responsibilities are to generate interest, hold meetings, work with officers to assign events and build teams, to plan the trips, and assist with fundraising,” Turcotte said. 

Turcotte said the club has several goals for the year.

“I think our goals are the same every year, which are to build teams of students who are serious about science, to help them learn and watch them have fun competing in Science Olympiads at various universities,” Turcotte said. “We hope that our teams take the feedback given at the first competition and use it to improve for the second competition.”

Stanton is excited to watch students compete and to see their love of science grow.

“The shirts say ‘Going for the Gold,’ so that’s definitely on my mind at the end of the day,” Stanton said. “Beyond that, though, my goal is to help make this year a good experience for the teams. They work really hard and they grow in a lot of ways beyond just what they learn from the events they enter. “

Part of what makes the Olympiads a memorable experience is the exploration of each town prior to competition day. 

“Going to an event at Brown in Providence, at MIT or at Harvard in Boston, even at Yale here in New Haven always excites me,” Stanton said. “To see the things that [the students] discover, the people they make friends with, and the opportunities they find at these places. That’s really important.”

Senior President Deepika Chitirala aims for the team to be well prepared for their events, and have a fun experience this year.

“I’m hoping that both of Law’s teams can place at the state competition, but also I hope everyone just has fun with all their events,” Chitirala said. 

Senior Treasurer Madelyn Baranowsky has been an active member of Science Club over the past two years, where she has placed in several events.

“My favorite events to participate in are Forensics and Write It, Do It, which I have been doing since sophomore year,” Baranowsky said. “I hope to get them again this year.”

Junior returning member Aryan Sikhinam also anticipates a successful year after learning from previous competitions.

“I’m hoping to use previous experience from last year’s competitions and improve on my events to try and win some medals this year,” Sikhinam said. 

NEWS: The Morning Briefing Back On The Air For New School Year

(Photo courtesy The Morning Briefing)

By Logan Mullarkey – Sports Editor

The Morning Briefing, Law’s daily live morning new show, is back on the air for the 2024-2025 school year.

By delivering timely and relevant updates, the Morning Briefing continues to serve as a vital tool for building the Law community. The news crew’s first episode for the new year aired on Monday, September 9.

“The Morning Briefing is very important because it lets students know when events are occurring around the school, like sporting events, club meetings, and more,” senior Michael Smith said.

The goal is to offer more engaging and informative content that helps students stay up-to-date with school news and events.

“The Morning Briefing gives something for the people to look forward to,” senior Cesar Mendez said. “It gives people a good insight on what’s going on in our Law community.

Each day, the Morning Briefing shares essential information on upcoming events, important announcements, and reminders that help everyone stay connected. From club meetings and sports schedules to special achievements, the news covers it all.

“The most valuable thing about the morning briefing is that it keeps students and staff aware of what’s going on around the school,” senior Matt Fehmel said.

The news crew has a goal of continue to innovate this year, including adding new elements to the show each morning.

“We might add more student input and quick interactive parts, like polls or highlights,” senior Jack Distassio said.

Broadcast Journalism teacher and Morning Briefing Advisor Ms. Kelly said the news crew will also be recording more podcast this year with newly-purchased podcast studio equipment.

“We hope to make more podcasts and more content we can share with the school this year,” Kelly said. 

NEWS: Law’s Vice Principals Ready For Another Successful School Year

(Photo by Kayla Markowitz)

By Kayla Markowitz – Editor-in-Chief

Vice Principals Mrs. Farotti and Mrs. Sulzycki are ready to take on their second year at Law and continue the work they started last school year. 

This year, Farotti will overlook grades 9 and 11 while Sulzycki will be in charge of grades 10 and 12. They are excited to be back to welcome new students and work with the Law staff to have another great year. 

“I am still in awe at how welcoming everyone was to me and how quickly I felt like I was part of the Law Family,” Farotti said. “We are truly a team here and everyone is here to support students.”

Sulzycki enjoyed getting to know students, teams, and clubs around Law and is excited for another year with familiar faces.

“I enjoyed spending time with students and really getting to know the ins and outs of Jonathan Law and I can’t wait to see more this year,” Sulzycki said. “It was exciting to come back this year and see familiar faces instead of having to learn all new names.”

One goal Farotti has is to visit teachers and students more during class hours and take a look at the learning environments here at Law.

“The teaching that occurs at Jonathan Law is exceptional,” Farotti said. “I love watching the students discover new content through carefully planned lessons that are engaging and foster growth.”

Law Principal Mr. Darcy enjoyed his first year working with Farotti and Sulzycki. 

Both Mrs. Farotti and Mrs. Sulzycki has been building positive relationships with students, staff and families,” Darcy said. “They have done a nice job becoming part of our school community.”

The vice principals are both looking forward to making more appearances on the news and plan to record more student podcasts.

“One thing I would do differently is do more podcasts,” Farotti said.  

NEWS: New FCS Teacher Ms. Cristante Excited To Join Law Community

(Photo by Molly Lynch)

By Molly Lynch – News Editor

Ms. Cristante joins the Jonathan Law community this year as the new Interior Design and Human/Child Growth teacher.

Cristante has been working with kids ever since she got out of high school. 

“Before Law, I worked in the early childhood field, teaching little ones ages 1-5 for the past 11 years,” Cristante said.

Cristante’s transition to Law has been smooth after attending the New Teacher Academy, which she feels was a great opportunity to familiarize herself with the Milford community early on. 

“The transition to Law has been smooth and exciting,” Cristante said. “Attending New Teacher Academy was an opportunity to feel like part of the Milford community before I even began working.”

Cristante is adapting to the Law environment with ease. 

“Ms. Cristante is someone who fits in at Law because of her understanding of our culture and climate,”  Principal Mr. Darcy said. “We are a ‘Law Family’ where everyone is heard, valued, and respected and she has those same beliefs.”

Cristante feels the sense of community in both students and staff. 

“I love that Law prioritizes that sense of community,” Cristante said. “I feel it amongst both the staff and the students, and with the way the staff seems to truly know and value the students.”

Darcy said that Cristante’s passion and enthusiasm is what makes her so special. 

“I’ve only known Ms. Cristante for a short period of time, but I have witnessed her passion and enthusiasm in the interview process and in the classroom,” Darcy said. 

NEWS: Students, Staff Return To Law For New School Year

(Photo by Tim Firla)

By Tim Firla – Entertainment Editor

Students and teachers are back at Law for another exciting school year. 

Sports and clubs have resumed and Law’s students have been encouraged to try new activities and meet new people.

Senior Tucker Donegan is excited for classes starting back up with friends. 

“It is always hard going back to school from summer,” Donegan said. “But I am happy to be back with friends and people I haven’t been able to see in awhile.” 

Principal Mr. Darcy in his fourth year at Law is very happy to see everything running smoothly and people getting back into the swing of things.

‘“We are off to a great start this year because of our awesome students and staff,” Darcy said. “I know everyone loves the summer but I am so happy to have students back in our halls.” 

Spanish teacher Mr. Rodriguez is one of many teachers that are thrilled to be back in classes as well. 

“I’d been looking forward to the first day of school for the past couple of weeks,” Rodriguez said. “I am super thrilled to be back. It’s nice having some familiar faces back in my class as well as some new ones.”  

School being back in session also means fall sports are in full swing. Yeiden Nieves is a junior on the football team at Law who is excited for the season – and excited to be back in school in general.

“I enjoy the fall feeling of classes being back and everything going on outside of the classroom as well,” Nieves said.

Junior Kayla Markowitz said she is ready for Law’s many clubs to start back up.

“I am really excited to jump right back into extracurricular activities and all the out of school activities Law has to offer,” Markowitz said. “One of my favorite parts about school is seeing all of my friends at clubs or sports and having a way to give my brain a break from classes.”

NEWS: Mushinski Joins Jonathan Law Faculty As New Math Teacher 

(Photo by Madi Black)

By Madi Black – Social Media Editor 

Jonathan Law welcomes new math teacher Ms. Mushinski.

Mushinski just finished student teaching at Sheehan High School in Wallingford and is loving the change to Law. She is enjoying her first couple weeks at Law and can’t wait for the rest of the school year.  

“I am adjusting extremely well,” Mushinski said. “When they say that Jonathan Law is a family, they truly mean it. All of my students are amazing and the staff is so supportive and welcoming.”  

Mushinski teaches four classes throughout the day – two Algebra 1 Level 2 classes and two Geometry Level 3 classes.

Jonathan Law Principal Mr. Darcy is excited to have Mushinski on staff. 

“During the interview process it became clear that Ms. Mushinski is an intelligent and passionate educator,” Darcy said. “I’m looking forward to seeing her career take off here at JLHS.” 

The Jonathan Law staff is excited to have Mushinski as a new coworker and can’t wait to get to know her even more. Mushinski wants her kids to like math and learn more about it. 

My goals for this year are to be positive, have gratitude, get my students to love math, and have fun,” Mushinski said. 

Ms. Russell and the other Law math teachers are so excited to have her in the department this year. 

“Ms. Mushinski came from student teaching at Sheehan High School and there are some instructional practices that she learned during her time there that she has brought to our department that have been very helpful,” Russell said. “She is a young professional that is willing to learn and has many fresh ideas to bring to not only math, but the entire Law community.” 

NEWS: Law’s Class Of 2028 Excited For High School Experience

(Photo by Aislyn McKernan)

By Ava Grippo – Entertainment Editor

A new wave of freshmen have recently started their first year at Jonathan Law.

The members of the Class of 2028 are learning their way around and getting to know the school. Law Principal Mr. Darcy had some advice for the the freshmen as they navigate their first year of high school.

“My advice for freshmen is get involved in as many clubs and activities as possible during their time at Jonathan Law High School,” Darcy said. “We have so much to offer students. The research shows that when students are involved in school activities, they do better academically as well.” 

Science teacher Mrs. Mercaldi agreed with Darcy that joining extracurricular activities is important.

“My advice for the new ninth graders is to get involved,” Mercaldi said. “Extracurriculars, clubs, sports- whatever that looks like for them. We have a wonderful community that grows stronger when our new community members join in.”

Many freshmen are definitely taking that advice, as they are quite excited about the clubs and activities offered. 

“I’m most excited for the different activities at high school that I didn’t have in middle school like more clubs, sports, and sports games,” freshman Anwita Puttam said. 

Freshman Jolyne Saludas said she has enjoyed meeting her teachers and learning about the Law community.

“I’m mostly excited for the community and challenges I’ll face in the high school community,” Saludas said. “Since watching high schoolers as a middle schooler, they were so much nicer and each other compared to middle school. That always intrigued me. Law is great. Classes are easy to settle into and the teachers have great personalities.”

Freshman Tenzin Gakhang is excited to start high school as well. 

“The school is pretty good,” Gakhang said. “I look forward to getting good grades and enjoying the school year.”

NEWS: Students, Faculty Welcome Science Teacher Mrs. Spicer To Law Community 

(Photo by Haley Stroffolino)

By Haley Stroffolino – Social Media Editor-In-Chief 

Jonathan Law is happy to welcome Mrs. Spicer to the science department. 

Spicer said her first two weeks at Law have been great.

“My favorite part is the fantastic students,” Spicer said. “It’s also clear that all the adults here at Law care a lot about students’ success.” 

Spicer has been impressed by the welcoming community and how much everyone – students and staff alike – cares about learning and growth. As the year begins, she is most excited about challenging her students and watching them grow.

“I am looking forward to my students finding fulfillment in being challenged,” she said. 

Spicer wants her classroom to be a place where students feel good about taking on tough subjects and pushing themselves further. She chose to teach physics, astronomy, and meteorology because of her lifelong passion for science.

“I have always loved science,” Spicer said. “I enjoy being challenged and guiding others through learning difficult ideas. Science is our way of trying to understand the world, and I love that it is based on facts and stays true over time.” 

Principal Mr. Darcy is also excited to have Spicer join the Jonathan Law community.

“Mrs. Spicer has taught for several years,” Darcy said. “She has high standards and expectations for all of her students. I’m excited about her joining our staff. She showed a lot of positivity and passion for science during the interview process, and I know she will share that with her students.”

Spicer’s involvement doesn’t stop in the classroom; she is also eager to be part of school life beyond teaching. She is planning to attend many school sports events like soccer games, gymnastics meets, swimming competitions, and football games.

“I will absolutely make a football game to see both the game and the cheerleaders,” Spicer said.

Outside of teaching, Spicer is a busy mom of two daughters, ages six and three.

“They are awesome,” Spicer said.

Spicer loves spending time with her kids, and loves cooking, baking, gardening, and enjoying the outdoors.

Senior Brayden Dollar is in Spicer’s Astronomy class. 

“I’m really excited for this year and for her teaching,” Dollar said. “I can’t wait to learn more about Astronomy.” 

NEWS: Law Welcomes New Office Secretary Mrs. Jackson 

(Photo courtesy Mrs. Jackson)

By Aislyn McKernan – Social Media Editor 

Jonathan Law has a new addition to the Main Office this year – secretary Mrs. Jackson.

Jackson is the secretary to Assistant Principal Mrs. Sulzycki. She has enjoyed her first few weeks at Law and is excited to get to know the community more.

“I’m very excited to get to know the students and to learn more about Law,” Jackson said. “The people here at Law are so welcoming and I love meeting everyone.”

Jackson said she loves interacting with her new co-workers. Secretaries Mrs. Heenan and Mrs. Silver are excited to work with Jackson and to have a new member in the office.

“Mrs. Jackson is so positive, a hard worker, and very easy to teach,” Heenan said.

Silver agreed.

“She is a very hard worker and a team player,” Silver said. “She is very friendly and willing to help students.”

Law Principal Mr. Darcy said that Jackson is definitely the right fit for the Law community.

“It has been great to get to know Mrs. Jackson,” Darcy said. “Early in the interviewing process, I could see that she was the best candidate for the job. She has fit in great and it feels like she’s worked here for years.” 

NEWS: Darcy Excited To Kick Off 2024-2025 School Year

(Photo by Addy Barber)

By Addy Barber – Social Media Editor in Chief

Jonathan Law Principal Mr. Darcy is excited about his third year at Law. Social Media Editor-in-Chief Addy Barber interviewed Darcy about the 2024-2025 school year.

Addy Barber: What are you looking forward to most about this school year?

Mr. Darcy: I’m looking forward to supporting every student who attends JLHS to the best of my abilities. 

AB:  What are your thoughts on the new teachers this school year?

MD: We had some great educators retire last year after serving Milford Public Schools, but I’m really excited about our new staff as well. They are wonderful educators and people.

AB: Any advice for the incoming freshmen this year?

MD: My advice to the 9th graders is to get involved in all the clubs, activities and events we have to offer our students. Don’t wait until Junior or Senior year, get involved now. 

AB: Any advice for this year’s seniors?

MD: My advice to the senior class is to take time throughout the year to connect with each other and staff who’ve had a positive impact on your life during your time here at Law because sadly, it’s only months away from ending. 

AB: What does it mean to you to be a Lawman?

MD: Being a Lawman means that you are here to support each and every person who you come across. You are kind and supportive to all.

AB: Are there any changes you are hoping to see this year?

MD: I wouldn’t necessarily say changes, but I’m just looking for every student to feel valued, heard and respected each day.

AB: What are some special events you are excited about this year?

MD: All of them! I love seeing our students at athletic events, musicals, plays, dances….. you name it, I love it!

AB: How did your first couple years as principal go and are you looking to change anything personally this year?

MD: I believe they went very well and we are in a good place. Our school is well run and our staff is second to none. I’d like to continue to make positive connections with students and the Milford Community so we can increase our internship programs and other community-based groups/events. 

AB: What is your favorite part of the beginning of the school year?

MD: Honestly, my favorite part has been catching up with students. I love just sitting with students and talking about their summers, their hopes for the year and their futures. 

AB: How was your summer?

MD: My summer was great. I was able to go to our house in Narragansett for two weeks. We spend every summer there. I also went to Jamaica with my wife and a few friends. 

NEWS: Jonathan Law Students Show Off Talents At Annual District Art Show

(Photo courtesy Quinn Willett)

By Quinn Willett – Social Media Editor

The Milford Public School District held its annual Art Show the week of May 7 at the Parsons Complex.

Many students from across all schools in Milford put lots of hard work and dedication into this art show. Jonathan Law Art teacher Mrs. Murphy and her class have been planning for the show all year. 

“It was a great success with so many students and their work represented and a major variety of media was shown,” Murphy said. 

Works of art including oil paintings, drawings, pottery, paintings, and photography were showcased. 

Junior Sofia Brienza said she was excited to get the opportunity to show off her artwork.

“We’ve been working all year for this show and I’m really glad I got to have my work be put on display,”  Brienza said.

Several Jonathan Law students showcased perspective pieces and work that has never been seen before. 

“There was a lot of unique pieces that were shown,” junior Erin Jones said. “I had a 2D drawing that mainly focused on perspective and it was something I’ve never drawn before.”

Students were able to show their work throughout the year and show how much they have improved.

“I’m proud of my progress throughout the year and how I’ve grown as an artist,” junior Sage Sonsini said. 

Sonsini said she will continue to add to her art portfolio next year,

“Next year, I hope that I can use the skills I learned this year to create a strong portfolio that I can be proud of,” Sonsini said. 

NEWS: Law’s Class Of 2024 Enjoys Ocean Views At Annual Senior Prom

(Photo courtesy Isabella Gecaj)

By Quinn Willett – Social Media Editor

The Class of 2024 Senior Prom and Post Prom took place on Saturday, May 11.

The Prom was held at Amarante’s Sea Cliff in New Haven and Post Prom was held at The Sports Center in Shelton. 

“My favorite part of Prom was the environment and music,” senior Lana Hanania said. “The beach venue was gorgeous and we got great photos.”

Students at Prom danced, sang, and enjoyed the food choices.

“I had a really good time at Prom but my favorite part was Post Prom,” senior Max Campbell said. “My friends and I spent most of our time at the arcade and played a “Walking Dead” game for over 45 minutes.”

According to Senior Class Advisor Ms. Russell, this was one of the biggest Proms that Law has had in a long time.

“Not just Law students came – we had 262 students attend Prom,” Russell said. “Our senior class is so great that everyone wanted to join.”

Russell and Co-Senior Class Advisor Mrs. Francisco, along with many students and teachers, put months of planning and hard work into having a successful Prom. 

“I cannot wait for Prom next year, especially if it was as successful as previous years,” Russell said. 

NEWS: Ms. McCoy Retiring After 12 Years Of Teaching At Law

(Photo courtesy Kayla Markowitz)

By Ella Franzman and Kayla Markowitz – Advocate Editors  

Ms. McCoy is retiring after 12 years at Jonathan Law.

McCoy, who teaches Child Development, Interior Design, along with other classes, has been a staple of the Law community and will definitely be missed. She has helped many students with not only their college process, but with life.

She has a great sense of humor that you only see when you get to know her a bit,” Law Principal Mr. Darcy said. “I’ve learned a lot from her and have enjoyed getting to know her over the past few years.”

McCoy taught at four different school districts but is glad she is ending her career with what she called the “best district.”

“I am so glad to be ending my time teaching at Law,” McCoy said. “I think I saved the best for last between the support, camaraderie and students. I feel I am ending on a great note.”

During retirement, McCoy plans to travel, improve her golf game, and visit her friends and family who live across the country. 

“I will miss her presence, her presence makes a difference in my day, she always has a smile on her face and is always willing to help out in any way with my assignments for her class,” junior Avery Granger said.

In her time at Law, McCoy says she has learned to appreciate everyone and to take time for yourself. She also learned to keep humor in everything she does. 

“I will miss the amazing supportive faculty and all the amazing students,” McCoy said.

McCoy has dedicated their professional lives to working with kids at Law and left such a huge impact on other educators in the building and in the district. 

“Some of my favorite things I like about teaching at Law are how I am able to try new things with the students, being creative in how to approach different subjects and topics and the support I get when doing them,” McCoy said. 

NEWS: Law Students Enjoy Dancing, Food At Annual Unified Prom

(Photo courtesy Mrs. Williams)

By Haley Stroffolino – Social Media Editor 

The Unified Prom was held at Jonathan Law High School on May 8 with students from Law, Foran, Stratford, Amity, and Aspire coming together for an afternoon of fun. 

Special Education teacher Mrs. Williams is in charge of the Milford Unified program and spearheaded the United Prom.  

“The Prom was a wonderful experience for everyone,” Williams said. “It is really a time to celebrate all the athletes’ hard work all year long and just have some fun dancing.”

Senior Chris Pinto said he had a great time at the Prom.

“The best part of prom was dancing,” he said, “I also really liked the pizza.”

Junior Zach McWatters also had a great time, especially with the food and dancing.

“I loved dancing and the cotton candy,” McWatters said. “The pizza was great too. I danced with Marcus and Alina and Bella. It was fun.”

Jonathan Law Paraprofessional Ms. Michels said the Prom was enjoyed by all.

“The Unified Prom is one of those events everyone looks forward to,” Michels said. “It’s such a magical night for our students. They get dressed up, dance, and have the best time.” 

Everyone involved worked hard to make the evening a success. There was a DJ, a cotton candy machine, an ice machine, and pizza, making sure there was something for everyone to enjoy.

“The Unified Prom is a wonderful event that shows the dedication and community spirit of the students and teachers,” Williams said.

NEWS: Law Principal Mr. Darcy Reflects On The 2023-2024 School Year

(Photo by Addy Barber)

By Addy Barber – Staff Reporter 

With the end of the school year approaching, Advocate Staff Reporter Addy Barber interviewed Law Principal Mr. Darcy to reflect on the 2023-2024 school year. 

Addy Barber: What are some of your favorite memories from this year?

Mr. Darcy: Some of my favorite memories are all the events we had including; athletic events, Powder Puff, games, musical performances and of course prom and post prom that was just held. 

AB: What are your goals for next year?

MD: My goals have never changed. Each year my goal is to work with all stakeholders groups so that ultimately every student in our school feels valued, heard and respected at all times. They know that we are here for them and will challenge them to be the best version of themselves every day. 

AB: How was this school year compared to last year?

MD:  In my opinion, this year has run pretty smoothly (knock on wood). We were able to provide a high quality education, social/emotional support, and fun activities for all students. 

AB: What is your advice to the incoming Class of 2028?

MD: My advice to the incoming class is to get involved in something! We have so many clubs, sports, and other activities here at JLHS. Students who are more connected to their school community have higher levels of success during and after their high school years. 

AB: What is your advice to the graduating Class of 2024?

MD: My advice is to continue to be kind to others and give your time to others that deserve it. The class of 2024 is an incredibly kind class who comes to school each day with a smile and helps each other when needed. Continue those efforts when you leave us on June 11th. 

AB: What was your biggest victory and/or challenge this year?

MD: I think the biggest challenge was implementation of the e-hall pass system. There were several students (and staff) who had a lot of questions about how the system would work. We now have data that shows the system has worked and it has become a norm here at Law that everyone uses. When you make a change like that in November of a school year, it can be challenging, but it was totally worth it and has helped our school get better. 

AB: Any last messages to the Class of 2024?

MD: As I get older, I’ve been focusing on the concept of time. Time is something that you have to give to people and yourself. It’s something that is not renewable, so you shouldn’t waste it on people or things that don’t have a positive impact on your life or the lives of others. We also never know when our time is up. So, use your time wisely and share it with the people you love. 

AB: What changes are you looking forward to implementing next year?

MD: This will depend on a lot of what students and staff want for next year. One thing we’ve been discussing is how to expand and improve the support center and a concept of credit recovery for students that fall behind. This is something I’m very passionate about and hope we can make some changes for next year and beyond. 

AB: What was your favorite part of this school year?

MD: This is tough to answer because there are so many. The one that I’m thinking about the most right now is the Post Prom because it just happened this past weekend. It was an evening when parents/guardians, students and staff all came together to celebrate each other as a community. The decorations were beautiful, kids had a lot of fun and there were some great raffle prizes as well!

AB: What are your summer plans?

MD: As a Principal, I do work for a few weeks over the summer prepping the building for the fall. When I’m not here, I’ll be spending two weeks in Narragansett with my family. We have gone there for the past 11 years and purchased a summer beach house two years ago. It’s something my family looks forward to each year. My girls love it there! My wife and I are going to Jamaica with two other couples on our street in late July. We are looking forward to that trip as well. We spent our Honeymoon at the same resort and we are looking forward to going back again this summer.

NEWS: Law Science Club Wins Several Medals At Annual UConn Olympiad

(Photo courtesy Law Science Club)

By Harshitha Kothapalli – News Editor

Jonathan Law’s Science Olympiad team returned from the recent UConn State Competition with medals and smiles. 

The two teams from Law placed second and third in the “Write it, Do it” event, third and fourth place for “Tower,” fourth place for “Chem Lab,” and second place for “Flight.”

“It was really great to see all our hard work pay off through medals,” senior Science Club President Srivarsh Gudlavalleti said. “All of us put in so many late nights and I’m proud of us for the accomplishments we’ve reached.”

The teams placed 11th and 14th overall. Second place winner and junior Sana Joshi said her Science Club experience was a rewarding one.

“My experience participating in Science Olympiad has been one of the best experiences in my high school career as it has taught me the value of being a part of something so big and unique,” Joshi said. “Winning a medal with my partner brought so much joy to our team and especially to our advisor, Ms. Turcotte.”

Senior Science Club Vice President Moulika Sivalenka explained the knowledge and fulfillment the competition brought to the teams. 

“As a participant, it was really informative and helpful as I was able to see where I stood while taking the test and what I prepared for it,” Sivalenka said. “Seeing our advisors being so proud was so nice and always motivates us to do better.”

The Science Club is always recruiting new team members in hopes of building the team for future years. 

“I recommend people join science club because it allows you to be a part of a team and teaches you the importance of enjoying extracurricular activities outside of school,” Joshi said. “A ton of hard work definitely has to be put in before the competition but as soon as we compete the adrenaline makes you soar through it because the competition makes it 100% worth the effort.”

Gudlavalleti said the Olympiad was a perfect ending to the senior class’ Science Club careers.

“It was a good way to wrap up the four years of hard work,” Gudlavalleti said. “This graduating class went through COVID with the club and so many other hardships and it’s cool to see us coming out with a bang.”

NEWS: Sivalenka Earns Jonathan Law Class Of 2024 Salutatorian Honors

(Photo courtesy Moulika Sivalenka)

By Gemard Guery – Editor-In-Chief and Editorial Editor

Jonathan Law senior Moulika Sivalenka has officially been named Jonathan Law’s Class of 2024 Salutatorian.

Sivalenka will be attending Northeastern University and plans on majoring in Computer Science and Business Administration.

“It felt really good when I was announced Salutatorian because it felt like all the hard work paid off in the end and I was able to take a break for a minute,” Sivalenka said. “I’m really grateful for all the wishes and encouragement from my friends and family after it was announced. For a minute I felt like a campus celebrity and that was really cute.”

Sivalenka took 12 AP classes during her time at Jonathan Law while also juggling various other extracurricular activities.  

Some AP classes Sivalenka took were: United States Government and Politics, United States History, Computer Science Principles, Chemistry, English Language, and Calculus. She is currently taking English Literature, Statistics, Human Geography, Macroeconomics, and Psychology.

“Moulika is so deserving of this honor,” Computer Science teacher Ms. Corriveau said. “She is one of the most dedicated students I have ever had the honor of teaching – she’s not only dedicated to her studies, but she also always finds ways to build up her community, create lasting friendships, and live her life to the fullest. For the past four years she has been such a cheerleader for females in STEM courses and I’ve been so incredibly lucky to have her in my classes. To say that I’m going to miss her would be an understatement.”

Over the course of the past four years, Moulika has  served as President of NMHS, President of Keyettes, Co-President of Model UN, Vice President of Science Club, Treasurer of SNHS, Fall Stage Manager of the Drama Club, and Co-Captain of the girls tennis team at Law.

“Moulika is an incredible person who will have a positive impact on many lives when she leaves our school in June,” Law Principal Mr. Darcy said. “I’m incredibly proud of her achievements and I look forward to her leadership when she goes out into the real world.”

In addition to being named Salutatorian, Sivalenka has earned many accolades while at Jonathan Law. She is a recipient of the Harvard Book Award, University of Rochester Award for Innovative and Information Technology, and was admitted to Northeastern’s honors college.

“I find it really admiring to see how she puts herself into everything she does from school to sports to her personal relationships,” junior Deepika Chitirala said. “She’s an incredibly reliable friend who you can always count on to support you.”

While Sivalenka has worked incredibly hard over the past few years in order to become Salutatorian, she still recognizes the importance of relaxation and taking care of yourself. Sivalenka encourages other students to remember to take a step back and prioritize sleep and mental health.

She is also so grateful to her loved ones for their support over the past few years. 

“I would like to thank my loved ones, especially my parents, who’ve been a constant motivation and continuously support me and push me to do my best! I couldn’t have done this without their love and support,” said Sivalenka.

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