01.12.26. The library is buzzing as students work on National History Day (NHD) projects with Mr. Mischke and Mr. Simpson!

⚡ This year’s theme: Revolution, Reaction, Reform
Students are diving into moments in history that sparked change and how people responded.

🔍 NHD is all about research, critical thinking, and creativity as students explore history through exhibits, documentaries, websites, performances, and more.

The library is here to help with books, databases, and research support every step of the way. Stay tuned for project highlights!

12.12.25. Each day, the library transforms into a buzzing makerspace as students in Robotics class bring their ideas to life. Robotics at LMS is all about problem-solving, engineering, creativity, and teamwork. Students learn how to design, build, and program robots that can complete tasks, respond to challenges, and navigate obstacles.

It is inspiring to see how creative and industrious our students are as they test their designs, adjust their code, and collaborate with one another to make their robots work. The space is filled with brainstorming, troubleshooting, and lots of excitement as projects come to life.

We’re proud of the inventive thinking and perseverance these students demonstrate at LMS...engineers in the making!

12.05.25  This week, students visited the library to meet with counselors Jen Ryan, David Auday, and Kristen Lewis, who shared strategies for managing stress, preparing for finals, and understanding what to expect during the last week of school before break.

Students shared many common stressors, including:

• 📘 Finals

• 👥 Peer pressure & friendships

• 📝 Homework & keeping up with grades

• 🏃 Feeling too busy or overwhelmed

• 🌫️ Being an introvert in a busy school environment
  
  

They also shared ways they currently cope, such as exercise, music, drawing, and laughing.

🎯 Strategies that can help when stress or anxiety builds:

• 🌬️ Try deep breathing or grounding exercises

• ✏️ Break big tasks into smaller steps or make a simple checklist

• 🚶 Take movement breaks...walk, stretch, get fresh air

• 😌 Set aside a quiet moment each day to reset

• 💬 Talk with a trusted adult: a counselor, teacher, or family member

• 🌙 Keep a healthy sleep routine to support focus and calm
  
  

Counselors also reviewed how to prepare for finals, how to organize study time, and what the last week before break will look like so students can feel confident and supported.

11.20.25  This week in the library, students explored how literature and art express emotion and gratitude. We read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and looked closely at both the story and the illustrations, discussing how the artwork reflects moments of joy, sadness, kindness, and gratitude, and how the images and words made us feel.

To extend this conversation, I shared a mini-canvas created by Rhode Island artist Mary Gazda, which inspired our follow-up activity. Students then created their own mini watercolor artwork to gift to someone in gratitude, using art to communicate emotion.

We reflected on Mary Gazda’s message:

“Art has the power to touch our souls, to inspire us, and to bring us together…”

This lesson helped students see how art and literature work together to help us connect with our own feelings and those of others.

11.19.25  Ms. Volkmar’s 8th grade Multimedia students recently participated in an exciting Junior Achievement marketing event, where teamwork, creativity, and innovation took the spotlight.

Their challenge?
To work collaboratively with their teams to create a brand-new popcorn flavor, design a marketing proposal, and pitch their concept complete with name, branding, and promotional pieces aimed at a teen audience. Students were encouraged to think big, be bold, and make their product stand out.

All proposals were reviewed and judged by executives from Oogie’s Gourmet Popcorn, a Denver-based company, who were impressed by the creativity and effort students brought to their work.

🎉 Congratulations to the winning team:
Jett Fowler, Rory Jasiak, Kenna Forrester, and Tomer Basevitch
Their innovative flavor concept and marketing strategy earned top honors!

11.18.25  On Tuesday, November 18, LMS 6th graders had the incredible opportunity to meet Rodman Philbrick, author of Freak the Mighty, in a live virtual author visit. Students heard directly from the author about his writing process and the inspiration behind the story they’ve been reading and discussing in class.

A huge thank-you to Christopher Harrison for making this visit possible, and to Mr. McKaig and Mr. Harrison for hosting the event and helping create such a memorable experience for our students.