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PRINCIPAL'S PARAGRAPH
PRINCIPAL'S PARAGRAPH
Dear AHS Families,
November is a time to reflect on gratitude, and I’m so thankful for the dedication and drive of our students, staff, and families. From academic milestones to artistic triumphs, there is so much to celebrate in our AHS community this month.
Seniors’ College Application Success
Seniors’ College Application Success
We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2025 for their ambition and commitment during this college application season. Their impressive accomplishments reflect their hard work, as well as the guidance and support they’ve received from our talented counselors and staff. Here’s a glimpse into their achievements:
From our 237 Seniors, a total of 2,200 applications to 342 colleges and universities were submitted
878 Early Action applications will allow students to receive decisions early without committing to a school.
52 Early Decision applications (binding, committing students to attend if accepted) were submitted by 22% of the senior class, nearly double the national average of 13%.
Our students applied to a diverse range of schools, with popular choices including UCONN, UMASS, Penn State, Northeastern, URI, CCSU, SCSU, ECSU, Boston University, Boston College, Quinnipiac, University of Michigan, Purdue, Syracuse, UHART, NYU, Ohio State, Cornell, Tufts, RPI, Trinity, and USC.
Several students also set their sights on unique, specialized programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States Coast Guard Academy, Savannah College of Art and Design, Berklee College of Music, University of Glasgow, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).
Most impressively, our seniors have applied to nearly every institution on the “Top 10 Hardest Colleges to Get Into” list. These schools include Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Stanford, Yale, Vanderbilt, Duke, Dartmouth, Brown, Johns Hopkins, MIT, and Swarthmore—with CalTech being the only exception. This incredible range of applications highlights not only our students’ ambition and confidence but also the unwavering support from our counselors and teachers who work tirelessly to help them achieve their goals. A heartfelt thank you to our knowledgeable and dedicated counselors for guiding our seniors through this rigorous process. Their efforts make a world of difference, and the success of the Class of 2025 is a testament to their commitment.
A Few Outstanding Seniors
We are thrilled to recognize the exceptional achievements of three outstanding members of the Class of 2025: Norah Buzzeo, Tanush Raju, and Harshmit Verman. Their dedication to leadership, scholarship, and service exemplifies the values we strive to nurture in our AHS students. Norah, Tanush, and Harshmit were selected to advance to the interview stage of the prestigious Hearst Foundation United States Senate Youth Program at the Connecticut State Department of Education. This competitive program offers a week-long intensive educational experience in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the U.S. Senate, and provides a $10,000 college scholarship to each delegate (104 total students across the country.) The program is open to students with outstanding leadership skills and academic excellence in government, history, and politics. Applicants must hold or have held student body office or a similar appointed position. The rigorous selection process includes essays and personal interviews and delegates typically rank in the top 1% of students in their state. We are incredibly proud of Norah, Tanush, and Harshmit for representing AHS so well and wish them the best as they continue in this prestigious competition.
In addition to advancing in the USSYP, Harshmit was named a Semifinalist in the 2024-2025 Coca-Cola Scholars Program. Out of over 105,000 applicants, Harshmit is one of only 1,336 semifinalists—a remarkable accomplishment, as this represents just 1.27% of applicants nationwide! This honor recognizes Harshmit’s outstanding leadership, academic achievements, and dedication to community service.
Performing Arts Student Achievements
Performing Arts Student Achievements
Earlier this month, AHS hosted the CMEA Northern Region Music Auditions, showcasing incredible talent. The Music Service Society and FAME Music Boosters were a huge support during this event. I am thrilled to announce that the students listed below have earned spots in the festival in January and are eligible to audition for the CT All State Music Festival. Congratulations to all—your hard work and talent make us so proud.
Choir:
Holly Freeman (Alto)
Anna Hofheimer (Alto)
Kaylee Kornbrekke (Alto)
Ananya Rudra (Alto)
Vera Srinivasan (Alto)
Julia Steremberg (Alto)
Gabriel Carvalho (Bass)
Sebastian Lawton (Bass)
Naveen Natchiappan (Bass)
Cosette Champeau (Soprano)
Victoria D'Amato (Soprano)
Shriya Dharan (Soprano)
Ilakiya Prabhu (Soprano)
Ramona Robbin (Soprano)
Thomas McGlone (Tenor)
Orchestra and Band:
Jayden Han (Violin)
Jinglu Hu (Violin)
Vladimir Merinov (Violin)
Jai Vermin (Flute)
Sarah Chung (Clarinet)
Eli Spiro (Jazz Bari Sax)
Natalie Melnik (Bassoon)
As we approach this season of gratitude, I am reminded of how thankful I am for our incredible school community. The strength, spirit, and collective effort here at AHS create a place where growth, connection, and opportunity thrive. From the dedication of our staff to the remarkable accomplishments of our students, every day is a reflection of what we can achieve when we come together. As we move forward, let’s continue to celebrate the milestones, support one another, and nurture an environment where every student feels inspired to reach their full potential. Thank you for your unwavering support, collaboration, and commitment to making AHS an exceptional place to learn and grow. Wishing you all a joyful and restful Thanksgiving season filled with gratitude, community, and success.
With pride,
Dr. Lockhart
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GENERAL
Just a reminder Monday and Tuesday are full days of school. School will be closed next Wednesday through Friday for Thanksgiving break.
The district has received an allotment of Covid-19 test kits. If your family would like to receive up to two free kits, please contact the school nurse to arrange for pickup in the main office.
The annual Wallace Stevens Poetry Contest for UConn Early College Experience students is now open! All students enrolled in at least one UConn course through the UConn ECE program for the 2024-2025 academic year are eligible. Deadline: January 24, 2025.
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
2025 High School Mini Medical/Dental School Virtual Program - This is an eight week program for students who are interested in medicine, dental medicine, and allied health field inclusive of Nursing, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences. It is a lecture series from UConn Health faculty, doctors, and/or researchers who talk about their profession and how they got to where they are today. Dates: February 6, 2025, through March 27, 2025, meeting virtually once a week on Thursdays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. There will be one speaker per session, (except for the first day of the program begins at 3:30pm and the last day begins at 4:00pm and we will have two half hour speakers). There is no cost for the students to attend this program. Please email Mrs. Mascoli if you are interested.
The senior class is hosting the 2nd annual LIP SYNC on Friday, December 6th at 6 PM. We have room for a limited number of groups to compete, so sign up asap to get your spot. Winners will be chosen by a panel of "celebrity" judges. Tickets to attend will be on sale at lunch starting Monday, December 2nd. Save the date because this is always a great event. Sign up your group: https://forms.gle/GVya3tnoya6Lgpzw9
Together, we can create a brighter future for every child. Join our Carrying for Kids Club in our mission to uplift, empower, and make a real difference in the lives of kids who need it most! The club meets Monday mornings at 7:20 in Ms. Fisher's room.
The Care for Veterans Club is collecting items for the holidays until Nov 26th. A bin is located in front of the office. Please donate to bring a smile to a veteran during the holiday season. There is a list of items needed in the attachment. If you have any questions, please email biswasa26@avon.k12.ct.us.
The Literary Arts Club is having an Op-Ed contest with a new deadline of Dec 9th. Have an issue or topic that you are passionate about? Or perhaps a piece you have previously written? Submit your best Opinion writing, on anything of your interest! Make sure all submissions are school appropriate. Contact Spriha Dharan (dharans25@avon.k12.ct.us) for more information.
SENIORS, Buy a 2025 Avon High yearbook now!
Yearbooks are now for sale at yearbookforever.com Be sure to choose Avon High in CONNECTICUT. Yearbooks typically sell out by mid-year, so please order early. On this page, you can also purchase a message space for your senior which includes pictures and text. Message space is also limited, so please order early. We also need candid photos of 2 or more seniors from Kindergarten through this year (K-12) including all school activities and sports. Please click the YEARBOOK SNAP button at the top of the sales page and enter "avonfalcon" as the password in order to upload photos for our use in the book. There is also a Yearbook Snap app in the Apple store if you will be uploading often.Thanks for all of your support. Contact jsalerni@avon.k12.ct.us with any questions
UNDERCLASSMAN can also buy a 2025 Avon High yearbook now at yearbookforever.com Be sure to choose Avon High in CONNECTICUT. Yearbooks typically sell out by mid-year, so please order early. We also need candid photos of 2 or more underclassmen from this school year including all school activities and sports. Please click the YEARBOOK SNAP button at the top of the sales page and enter "avonfalcon" as the password in order to upload photos for our use in the book. There is also a Yearbook Snap app in the Apple store if you will be uploading often. Contact jsalerni@avon.k12.ct.us with any questions
ATHLETICS
FREE FAN BUS is offered by the Athletic Office for the first 40 students who want to go to the football game against Lewis Mills on Tuesday. Make sure you sign up during lunch waves.
Tryout Schedule for Boys Basketball is as follows
Dec 5th - 4-6pm (New Gym)
Dec 6th - 5:30-7:30 (Old Gym)
Dec 7th - 7:30-9:30am (New Gym)
Girls Basketball Tryouts are:
December 2, 2024 and December 3, 2024 - 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the large gym.
Winter Registration is now open. Please sign up at your earliest convenience. Here is the link.
Daily Sport Schedule
ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in careers in Healthcare, Finance, Biomed, STEM, Entrepreneurship, Welding, leadership workshops, and more? Click here to see all the amazing enrichment opportunities offered to our students.
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
2024 Veterans Day Assembly featuring Veterans from Avon VFW Post 3272. The Keynote Speaker was Social Studies Teacher Kyle Kramek who served 20 years in the US Military.
Every year, Avon takes on Lewis Mills in the highly anticipated Thanksgiving football matchup, and this year, AHS staff joined the excitement with a creative fundraiser! Staff participated in a Mustache/No Makeup Challenge to raise money for a great cause. Each week, students donated non-perishable items or monetary contributions to keep the mustaches going strong. The friendly competition wraps up on Monday, November 25th, and the winner will be announced during the football game at Lewis Mills on Tuesday, November 26th. This year, the goal was to raise $1,000—and thanks to the generosity of our community, AHS has already surpassed that target, raising an impressive $1,087! Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this fundraiser a success.
Senior Wellness Hike to Talcott Mountain.
This year’s Evening of Hope honored former Senator Christopher J. Dodd with the L’Dor V’Dor Humanitarian Award for his lifelong commitment to education and combating hate, aligning with Voices of Hope’s mission to advance Holocaust and genocide education. AHS students Aaliyana White, Tessa Robertson, and Leah Cuyler, who represented AHS beautifully at this inspiring event.
Thanks to our partnership with Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, students interested in finance careers had the opportunity to visit Hartford Investment Management Co. (HIMCO). The visit included panel discussions, trading floor tour, and learning more about career pathways and skill sets for this industry.
On November 9th the Certamen team competed in a tournament at Yale University. 10 members performed well. The Novice team of Daniel Chen, Dhruv Agarwal, Aryan Padal and Caleb Palmer reached the Semifinal in a field of 24 teams scoring an impressive 375 points in the Preliminary Round. This is the first time an Avon team has reached the Semifinal in an Elite Certamen event in over 20 years.
This year, the AHS Theater department gave an excellent performance in the Fall play "Puffs."
Avon HOSA hosted two back-to-back Stop the Bleed training sessions at AHS earlier this month. The sessions were interactive session and students and Avon Community members learned life-saving techniques to control bleeding in emergency situations. Participants also received hands-on training in applying pressure, using tourniquets, and packing wounds to stop severe bleeding.
AHS's Interact Club participated with Boxes to Boots - Operation Cares 2024 and joined volunteers from around Ct. to help assemble care packages for troops overseas.
This week, AHS had the distinct honor of hosting Connecticut's Chief Manufacturing Officer, Paul S. Lavoie at Avon High School. The visit included lunch with our administrators, a tour of our engineering lab, led by our Engineering & Technology Education Teacher, Matt Dadona, followed by a presentation to our engineering students about career pathways in manufacturing and engineering. "Everyone has a pathway and manufacturing can help find that pathway."
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