Summer Vacation

Haley Dexter ~ June 10, 2019

Well, here we go again. You are ending another year of school. It’s crazy to think about, after this summer I’m going to be a senior. That’s a scary thought, but hey let’s talk about something we’re all looking forward to — summer vacation.

Summer is usually the most exciting time of year and why shouldn’t it be? I mean we get 12 weeks away from school and we don’t have to worry about finals or tests or homework or waking up early in the morning to come to school. You get to hang with your friends and go to the beach or go for a hike, and it feels like we have all the time in the world to have fun. However, sometimes you need to earn a little money, so when summer hits, you might find yourself having a summer job.

A lot of people like to find jobs that are summer-worthy such as a lifeguard at a waterpark or, hey, if you’re anything like Maddie Decoste you might find yourself working at an ice cream shop. Nope, not me. For me, my job consists of standing in a cold grocery store at a register greeting customers and ringing in their groceries. “Hi how are you?”, “Find everything you were looking for?”, “Are you part of our rewards program?” Intriguing, am I right?

Sometimes it gets crazy, though. Like sometimes, I start to run out of change in my cash drawer, and I have to flash my register light and ask for more. Whoa. So yeah, that’s my pretty much my life this summer of 2019. Thirty hours a week of repeating myself with each customer and checking out their vegetables. Hey, maybe it won’t be so bad. I mean sometimes if a customer isn’t happy with something they like to yell, so it could get pretty wild if I’m lucky. Maybe I’ll make some new friends, too.

I have made friends with customers, and it’s kind of weird. Like I don’t know how. Back in December there was this customer and her husband who came through my register all the time, and when they had their baby they brought her in to visit, and now I’m even their babysitter. It’s crazy.

Maybe summer won’t be so bad. I’m kind of sad that I’m going into my last year of high school, even if I don’t seem to show it. My summer might be boring, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. At least in my free time, I’ll be able to hang with my friends and try to make it a good summer. Hopefully, it won’t be all work so I can try and make it seem like I have a life this summer. Man, that would be so disappointing, wouldn’t it? Who knows? Let’s see how it turns out, and let's hope I can make the most of the next 12 weeks.

I hope all of you teachers enjoy your summer vacation, too. If anyone needs it, it’s you guys. I swear half the time you’re doing God’s work. Dedicating your weekends and free time to grade and help kids study, etc. Here’s to the Summer of 2019.

Class of 2019 Graduates

Bre Lemay ~ June 12, 2019

On June 4, June 6, and June 8, 2019, the Class of 2019’s graduation exercises took place. It was emotional, happy and sad, but most importantly, it showed the many accomplishments and memories that the Class of 2019, as a whole and as individuals, have made.

On June 4th, Senior Celebration was at 7:00 in the Littleton High School gymnasium. This night was fun-filled and contained many funny stories and recollections from the past. The Seniors read some excerpts from their yearbook, including the “Senior Wills”, “Remember When…”, and “Everything is normal when…” pages.

The Seniors then got their sixth-grade time capsules. Six years ago, these 11 and 12-year-olds wrote a letter from themselves, received a letter from their parents (written six years ago), and some memorable items that had been kept safe in a time capsule to be opened at graduation. When the students opened the time capsule, they were shocked at how young and innocent they were, and at the same time moved from the motivational letters that they open from their parents. It ended with a great slideshow put together by Senior Liz Fortner which included many great photos of these students from their recent senior trip to New York City back in time to when they were very young.

On Thursday, the 6th of June, class night took place, also at 7:00 in the gymnasium. This showed off the many great achievements, awards, and scholarships that the Class of 2019 have accomplished. Many people from our community came to recognize these students with scholarships and awards. It was amazing to see how many accomplishments these students as a whole had received. Many scholarships were awarded, the criteria for these scholarships ranged from students attending two-year post-secondary schools to students studying music, law, and education as well as financial need. These students are so fortunate to be able to have access to apply for such a range of financial assistance. Overall, Littleton High School’s Class of 2019 received over $300,000 in scholarship money.

On Saturday, June 8, 2019, the big day was finally here. Graduation day! Family, friends, faculty members, and students gathered in the gym to watch our beloved graduates walk across the stage to receive their long-awaited high school diplomas. The speeches were inspiring, and the music selections were great; it was a perfect day for the ceremony.

High school seems like such a long journey. It is not until you come close to such a big step, such as graduating, that you realize how fast time goes by. So, to all of the students still attending high school, make sure to cherish all of the special moments in your life, and make high school something that you’ll remember.

The Class of 2019 will leave a mark within the Littleton School District, it’s faculty, and the surrounding classes, from when they first entered kindergarten to their last day of senior year. Now, all those years seem like they flew by. So, thank you for all of the memories and inspiring and hilarious moments. Congratulations to the Class of 2019, good luck in your future adventures, and remember, always carry a fork because the best is yet to come!

Technology Plans for 2019-20

Austin Hastings ~ June 12, 2019

During the last week of school, I was given the chance to interview our principal Mrs. Carbonneau about upcoming technology policies in both LHS and DBMS. Technology has always been used in our schools, from chalkboards to typewriters to calculators to computers and now to the ever-present Chromebooks and cellphones. As technology develops there are always new tools that can be misused to distract from the humdrum of a day in school. This is an issue that the Administration at LHS is facing as the cell phone crisis grows.

In my interview, Mrs. Carbonneau made it quite obvious that she believes that cell phones create a real and present danger to students' ability to learn. To combat a rising wave of phone use in class, Admin originally asked that students simply keep their cellular devices out of sight with the idea that out of mind would follow. However, when that didn’t work, Admin distributed “parking lots” where cell phones could rest in peace. And as most things go, the parking lots didn’t work since teachers didn’t enforce their use.

One instance where the cell phone parking lot was excellent. In the hallowed classroom of the revered Mr. Brown, the cell phone holder would have a piece of candy in each space. When someone put their phone in the slot, then they would be allowed a piece of candy. It seems that the promise of candy was more appealing than the idea of a focused learning experience.

The high school in the nearby town of Laconia, the school administrators decided that the cell phone situation is so bad that all phones must be turned off and left in lockers for the entire day including breaks and lunch periods. I asked if this was one of the examples that LHS admin were considering. Mrs Carbonneau responded that this would more than likely be a last ditch effort if things got really bad in the high school. Although this would be the last option admin would choose in the high school, this is the system already functioning in the middle school.

Mrs. Carbonneau said that her original plan was to teach students to use their cell phones constructively as they would have to in a work environment. That hasn’t worked in the MS though. Therefore, the students must keep their phones in their lockers at all times except for break, lunch and teacher approved times.

Another big change which applies mainly to MS students is likely to either cause some small waves or some big ripples. Through the past year, school administrators have decided that the middle schoolers are “still developmentally not ready to know when it is appropriate to use the [Chromebooks].” Therefore, in the 2019-2020 school year, the middle schoolers will not be provided personnel Chromebooks. This is in response to seventh and eighth graders’ apparent inability to know when it is appropriate to use their Chromebooks.

Mrs. Carbonneau remarked that she is upset that the once boisterous and thriving lunch room has now become a “tech fest”. Rather than a room full of happy 12-14-year-olds, the cafeteria has been turned into a room occupied by people completely engrossed in their tech. Instead of having conversations, and moving around from table to table, kids sit across from their peers playing video games on their Chromebooks and phones. Where once there was a joyous hive of chatter and activity, there is now only a dull murmur and the click of keyboards.

Mrs. Carbonneau and admin hope that next year the students will interact more with each other and not waste their time on video games that will never help them in the real world. And that is all that Mrs. Carbonneau and I were able to discuss. Until next time, have a great summer.