THE FALCON

May 26, 2024

PRINCIPAL'S PARAGRAPH

Dear AHS Community,

I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend. As we approach Memorial Day, it’s important for us to pause and reflect on the purpose of this significant holiday. Memorial Day was set aside to honor the members of of our armed forces who have sacrificed their lives in service to our nation. It is because of their bravery that are able to enjoy the freedoms we have today. For many, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer and a time for family gatherings. As we bask in these moments, let us keep in mind the profound sacrifices made by our servicemen and women. Consider taking a moment of silence or participating in local events that pay tribute to our fallen heroes. Your strength and dedication are deeply valued.

You all know that I can't end this Falcon without at least highlighting a few of our tremendous students. Earlier this month, our AHS Science club participated in the Physics Bowl Competition. We were placed in Division 01 and ranked third in our region, which included the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Students competed individually by completing the Physics Bowl Exam, and then the top five scores from the team were combined to calculate the team score. Our top five scoring students were Jingrui Hu, Musab Hasan, Dvimidh Kacha, Michael Chen and Vibhu Gangina. Congratulations to our budding physicists! Additionally, kudos are do to ninth grader Emily Bai, who won an honorable mention in the statewide Connecticut Foundation for Open Government essay contest. This is an annual contest that focuses on First Amendment issues. As usual, our students continue to impress with their hardwork and dedication. In just two and half short weeks, this school year will be over and they will all have a chance to rest and rejuvenate.

Here is the upcoming exam schedule:

June 4th
- - 7:40-9:40- Seniors take Period 5 Exam in the Library
  - 10:00-12:00- Seniors take Period 6 Exam in the Library
June 5th
- - 7:40-9:40- Seniors take Period 7 Exam in the Library
  - 10:00-12:00- Seniors take Period 8 Exam in the Library
June 6th
- - 7:40-9:40- All students take Period 1 exam
  - 10:00-12:00- All students take Period 2 exam
  - 12:15- 2:15 pm- Makeup exams
June 7th
- - 7:40-9:40- All students take Period 3 exam
  - 10:00-12:00- All students take Period 4 exam
  - 12:15- 2:15 pm- Makeup exams
June 10th
- - 7:40-9:40- Grades 9-11 take Period 5 exam
  - 10:00-12:00- Grades 9-11 take Period 6 exam
  - 12:15- 2:15 pm- Makeup exams
June 11th
- - 7:40-9:40- Grades 9-11 take Period 7 exam
  - 10:00-12:00- Grades 9-11 take Period 8 exam
  - 12:15- 2:15 pm- Makeup exams

For Seniors:

9:00- 10:30 am- Grad rehearsal

10:45-12:00- Senior Walk

12:00 - 1:30 Chalking/ Pizza

June 12th - Official Last Day of School
- - 7:40- 10:30 Makeup Exams for those who need it.
  - 5:30pm- Graduation @ the Bushnell

Students do not have to come to AHS if they do not have an exam scheduled.

Wishing you all a reflective and peaceful Memorial Day weekend.

Dr. Lockhart

ANNOUNCEMENTS

GENERAL

Falcon First Needs You! - We are seeking student volunteers to help out with running our first day of school celebration next year. It will be an all-school afternoon of games, food, music, and fun. If you're interested, please see or email Mr. Tinker at sntinker@avon.k12.ct.us.
Attention Seniors - if you are pursuing military options, such as enrolling in a ROTC Unit, Enlisting, or attending a Military Academy next fall, please notify Mrs. Tinker by May 24. Please include which branch/ROTC Unit/Academy.

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

Avon Voices for Equity is hosting an event called Empowering Avon on May 30th. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and listen to activists discuss their work. Potluck food will be served so feel free to bring some in.
The Yearbook Club will be holding a meeting on Thursday, May 30th at 7:15 AM in room W224. Students from any grade interested in helping out with the 2025 yearbook are welcome to attend. If you are interested in photography or graphic design we hope to see you there! No prior experience with the yearbook is needed, and anyone interested is encouraged to attend.

ATHLETICS

Spiritwear will be sold on May 29th during lunch waves.
Please pick up your Senior Posters from the Athletic Department. Thank you.
Fall 2024-2025 Sport Registration will open on June 1, 2024. Here is the link. Thank you.

INTERNSHIP OFFICE & OTHER STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

Click here for Enrichment and Scholarship Opportunities.

Enrichment Opportunities, Internships & Scholarships!

-Click here and email Mrs. Mascoli for questions and information.

Biomedical Engineering Discovery Saturday Program for students 13-16 interested in STEM. June 8, 9 -2 p.m. at UConn Health in Farmington Topic: Building a Prosthetic Leg. Space is limited so register ASAP. For more information is available at h.uconn.edu/bme. Questions, email Mrs. Mascoli.

The Athena Fellowship (July 8th to August 2nd), is a virtual summer fellowship for rising 9th-12th grade students designed to empower future female leaders in STEM. Created by young women from Stanford, MIT, and Harvard, the fellowship seeks to identify top female students across the country. Students will learn about different opportunities in STEM, career pathways, and life skills for high school, college, and beyond. Applications are due June 12th. (See link above)

The Achieve Internship Program is growing, growing, growing and looking for new mentors. Please contact Internship Coordinator, Maria Mascoli, if your company/organization might be interested in hosting a 60 hour internship opportunity for a junior or senior. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve as a career exploration mentor.

PICTURES

AHS World Language National Exam winners and National Language Honor Society Inductees.

Our Best Buddies club attended the Unified Prom at Bloomfield High School.

Students in Intro to Ceramics practicing their Subtractive Technique.

Students in Intro to Digital Photography learning how to utilize the panning technique.

AHS Spring choir concert.

Falcon Day 2024

Boys Varsity 1 Eight: Bronze medalists: Aiden Spencer, Sean Kollar, Connor Whelan, Gokalp Gokcen, Coach Kostal, Emily Weldon, Nate Standish, Bryce Edge, Tanush Raju, Wesley Evans

Girls Novice Eight: Silver Medalists: Ava Vaifanua, Julia Olander, Aarika Bhave, Nicolet Edge, Coach Colleen, Aarika Biswas, Nishitha Arunraj, Shria Kumar, Clara Feyerharm, Anna Buzzeo

Boys Novice Four: Bronze Medalists: Coldyn O’Curran, Rishi Kumar, Chimade, Jackson Shultz, Connor Wolfe

Avon Crew ended their season strong at the Connecticut Public Schools Rowing Association Championships last Sunday. Congratulations on a great season!

Students display their learning at our Spring Internship Showcase. Thank you to our local Avon Schools, APS's Business Office, St. Francis Hospital, Town of Simsbury Engineering Dept., Hoffman Auto, and the Avon Clean Energy Commission.

At the May Board Meeting, several students were recognized for acquiring some phenomenal accolades. Talin Jindal and Abigail Chiu were celebrated as our Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Juniors Zaeda Reid and Leah Cuyler were selected to receive the CABE Leadership Award, and Senior Lillian Peng was recognized for her outstanding service as the student board rep. for the past 2 years.