THE FALCON

February 2025

PRINCIPAL'S PARAGRAPH

Dear Avon High School Community,

As we move through the winter months, with spring just beginning to peek its head around the corner, our students continue to shine in academics, athletics, and the arts. I am excited to share just a few of the many accomplishments and celebrations that make Avon High School such a phenomenal place.

Our winter sports teams have been showcasing their hard work and dedication. Our track and field athletes have been setting personal bests and representing AHS with pride at both the State and New England Championships. The wrestling team has had a fantastic season, delivering strong performances on the mat and advancing into the postseason. The girls’ basketball team continues to impress with their teamwork and determination, also securing a well-earned spot in the postseason. I am also thrilled to recognize our field hockey players who have been named to the 2024 National Field Hockey Coaches Association High School National Academic Squad. This honor is awarded to junior and senior student-athletes who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher through the first semester of the current academic year. A special distinction is reserved for those who have achieved an unweighted GPA of 3.9 or higher. The following Avon athletes have earned this recognition and will receive a certificate from the NFHCA:

Lillian Anderson
Ayles Bishop
Hannah Chiu (Scholar of Distinction)
Leah Cuyler
Cassidy Hazel (Scholar of Distinction)
Kathryn Martin
Brynn McCracken (Scholar of Distinction)
Kaylie Murphy (Scholar of Distinction)
Morgan Neamtz
Saanika Tipnis (Scholar of Distinction)

Please join me in congratulating these remarkable student-athletes! I also want to extend a special congratulations to Leah Cuyler and Aki Bhabad, who have been named CAS 2025 Scholar-Athletes, representing Avon with excellence in both academics and sports.

Beyond athletics, our students continue to excel in the arts and academics, demonstrating the Portrait of a Graduate skill of critical and creative thinking. Seniors Evan Keane and Drea Cusano have been recognized with the CAS Art Award for their outstanding artistic talents, and we are incredibly proud of their creative accomplishments. Zachary Lin’s feature on a Hartford Asian fusion restaurant has been highlighted on Fox 61 Student News and will air this Friday at 7 AM, 5 PM, and 10 PM. You can also watch it here. It is always inspiring to see our students applying their skills to real-world storytelling and journalism. In another exciting recognition, Avon has once again been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education, a testament to the dedication of our talented musicians and the educators who support them.

Our students are also making an impact beyond the classroom. Veeravel Gurusamy, a ninth grader, recently represented AHS at the Harvard Model Congress, engaging in policy-making and debate with students from across the country. He shared that attending the congress was a transformative experience that deepened his understanding of governance, leadership, and collaboration with peers from as far west as Utah and as far south as Florida. In his words, "It not only sharpened my political awareness but also instilled in me the confidence to advocate for meaningful change." Meanwhile, our Education Diversity Outreach Club successfully organized a book drive, collecting 156 books for donation—an incredible act of service that will benefit many.

In addition to showcasing their critical and creative thinking skills, students at AHS also seek opportunities to increase their cultural competence. February was a month of meaningful celebration as our school honored Black History Month. Each day, our morning announcements highlighted key figures in Black history, and students participated in a spirit week celebrating Black culture. As we enter March, we continue to recognize the diverse cultures and traditions that shape our school community. This includes celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, as well as acknowledging Lent, National Irish American Heritage Month, and World Down Syndrome Day. We also recognize that Ramadan has begun this week, and we are committed to supporting our students who will be fasting during this time. Our teachers are here to provide any accommodations needed to ensure they feel supported.

Looking ahead, our students have some incredible opportunities on the horizon. On March 13 and 20, our seniors will present their Capstone projects, showcasing their inquiry, research, writing, and presentation skills in front of peers, families, and faculty. On March 26, juniors will take the SAT, which serves as a state benchmark for college readiness, while our ninth and tenth graders will participate in our Career Expo, where professionals from a variety of fields will share insights into potential career pathways. These experiences are invaluable in helping our students prepare for their futures.

I am always eager to share the incredible achievements of our community, and I am grateful to be part of such a dynamic school. Thank you for making Avon High School a place of excellence, pride, and belonging. I look forward to celebrating even more successes in the months ahead!

With pride,

Dr. Lockhart

ANNOUNCEMENTS

GENERAL

Diversity Week is coming this March 10 - 14th presented by Avon Voices for Equity. Be alert for flyers detailing our presentation schedule in the near future. Please plan on attending and showing support for your classmates as they share the uniqueness that makes them and us who we are.
Join the Falcon Success Nest to learn, grow, and achieve. The AHS Library will be open to students Tuesday and Thursdays from 2:30-4:00 to help students work on capstone, Edgenuity, VHS, AP Prep, research, writing, or homework assignments.

COUNSELING

March 26th- Career Expo during the first two periods of the day. The Juniors will participate in SAT School Day. Seniors will begin the day at 10:45 am.

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

Great Books Summer Program is available to all rising 9-12 graders. Join a warm community of bright and curious thinkers. The free info session will discuss 9 campuses, 5 travel programs, and more. RSVP to get the link.
If you want one of the Relay For Life brochures and didn’t get one yesterday there are some in the office. If you are going to be a Relay For Life team captain click on the QR code in the center of the brochure, complete it and send it in soon so we can provide you with information about the meeting on March 6. If you are going to be a team member you do not have to do anything now.
The USA Forensics March And April Open Debate Tournament is open for registration and is being held from March 15-16. This is a National tournament that is a part of the USA Forensics Olympiad(USAFO) 2024-25 Series. The early bird registration closes on March 1 and it is completely online. Join to debate against other candidates and gain bids to the national USAFO tournament. Contact: Genevieve Brand, Mridhulaa Rajagopal, or Anaya Sukhera for more information.
AHS Student Council is hosting a drive for used, but good condition, baseball and softball equipment. You can drop off the equipment outside of room C103 in the Gallery. See the attachment for more details

ATHLETICS

All girls interested in playing golf this spring should fill out this FORM .More information about pre-season meetings to follow!
Spring Sports Registration is now open. Use this link to register.
Daily Sport schedule.

CAREER RELATED OPPORTUNITIES and ACHIEVE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

There are lots of exciting career exploration opportunities for our students! Below are some of the current career exploration opportunities for our students. For a full listing, click here. The list changes frequently, so be sure to check the list weekly and email Mrs. Mascoli with any questions

AHS ACHIEVE INTERNSHIPS

Juniors and Seniors! -Have you considered enrolling in the AHS Achieve Internship program? Please contact Mrs. Mascoli if you are interested in gaining hands-on experience, developing skills, and exploring career fields through the Achieve Internship Program.

PICTURES

Cassidy Hazel and Tommy Mango were recognized at the VFW Dinner for winning the Patriot's Pen Essay Contest.

Achieve Internship Program welcomed our newest mentor, Hartford Athletic.

Interact Club volunteering at River Ridge

AHS Delegation at the 62nd Annual CT Junior Humanities and Science Symposium

AHS Falconbots Robotics team at the VEX V5 championships. This was the Falconbot's first season as a VEX V5 competitive team. At the end of the season, three of the four teams qualified to compete in the state competition held at the Total Mortgage Center in Bridgeport, CT. All three teams performed well, and after two days of matches, one of the teams was able to compete in the finals.

Emily Bai, Krisha Sinha, Jahnavi Varma from the Education Diversity Outreach Club. They recently finished a book drive at AHS that collected 156 books, all of which went to the Lucy Robbins Welles Library.

AHS Students with their Kindergarten mentees in the Bridges program in February.

Mrs. Gambardella's photography class practicing both their creative thinking and critical thinking skills by reviewing one another’s self portraits.

Avon Public Schools was awarded the designation of being one of the Best Communities for Music Education in CT by the National Organization for Music Education (NAfME). Here are our 3 music tecahers being acknowledged by the Board of Education on Tuesday night.

Winter NHS Induction

This week, students in our Mechanical Engineering course went on a field trip to the NASA HUNCH (High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware) Critical Design Review (CDR) at Rutgers University. It was a great opportunity for the students to showcase their designs and have them evaluated by NASA members.

On February 8th, AHS students competed in the 12th annual Yale University Science Olympiad (YUSO) against 51 other high school teams. YUSO is highly competitive, with teams traveling from New York, New Jersey, and even Florida to participate. AHS was well represented by the team, and placed second in two events! Lidia Kapylova and Mridhulaa Rajagopal earned second place in Bungee Drop, while Suhayl Ahmed and William Zheng earned second place in Material Science. Congratulations to our medalists and all members of the AHS Science Olympiad team!

First Semester Achieve Interns sharing their new learning at the Internship showcase on Tuesday.

Creative Thinking on display in Mrs. Glick's painting class.

AHS JV Mock Trial Team (Sabria Ahmed, Shadan Gadkarim, Samhith Bhyravavajhala, Katie Antonio, Shaunak Chimade, Jaxon Ford, Jinglu Hu, Ariana Khan, Kaitlyn LaMonika, Aidan McLaughlin, Hridyesha Palsikar, and Zaeda Reid) participating in the Second Round of Mock Trial competition on February 6th.

2025 CAS Scholar Athlete award recipients Leah Cuyler and Aki Bhabad. CAS Scholar-athletes must possess at least a 3.5 GPA, must exhibit outstanding school and community service, and must possess high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage with personal standards which serve as a model to others.

Kayla Jette after signing her letter of intent to play softball at Eastern CT State University this Fall.

Signing day for senior Ren Barton as she declared her intention to play tennis at Middlebury college this Fall.

Kate Loparco on her signing day declaring her intention to play Soccer at Tufts University this Fall.

On February 23, AHS varsity runners competed at the CIAC State Open Championships at Hillhouse, delivering standout performances. The Girls' 4x200m relay team (Julia Freeman, Lauren Edge, Ziya Hudson, and Kathryn Martin) placed 4th, breaking their own school record and qualifying for both the New England Championships and Nationals! The Girls' 4x800m team (Abby Van Hoof, Laura Funderburk, Miriae Ek, and Ying Cheng) exceeded expectations, finishing 11th despite being seeded 14th. The Boys' 4x800m team (Brahm Bulow, Chris Campbell, Andrew Kessler, and Aidan McLaughlin) ran a good race, with Brahm also edging out some competition in the 3200m. Lauren Edge had a respectable finish in the 55m Hurdles. The Girls' SMR team (Ziya, Lauren, Kathryn, and Ying) placed 4th—just missing New England qualification but securing a Nationals spot. Yasmin Rensch delivered the top Avon performance, clearing 5'0" in the High Jump to place 3rd and qualify for New Englands. Next stop: the New England Championships on 3/1, followed by Nationals!