Core Values and Beliefs Avon High School is a student-centered community that empowers each member to engage in authentic and substantive learning, develop effective leadership, and demonstrate humane character. “THE NINE” Academic, Civic and Social Learning Expectations Academic Expectation #1: LEARN Make interdisciplinary connections and integrate previous learning experiences Academic Expectation #2: THINK Use a variety of critical thinking and problem solving strategies Academic Expectation #3: STRIVE Assess the value of information, produce quality work, and strive for mastery Academic Expectation #4: EXPRESS YOURSELF Express ideas clearly and creatively Academic and Social Expectation #5: FACE CHALLENGES Respond to success and failure with reflection, resilience, and integrity Social Expectation #6: CONTRIBUTE Listen to the ideas of others and contribute in a meaningful way. Social Expectation #7: CHOOSE WELL Make informed choices that promote mental, physical, and emotional well-being Social Expectation #8: BELONG Enjoy a sense of inclusion and belonging Civic Expectation #9: DO GOOD Act in an ethical manner and recognize the potential to effect change

What’s Happening Table of Contents 2

Clubs/Activity Animal Welfare AHS Democrats Amnesty International Anime Club Auto Club A.V.O.N Avon High School Robotics Team Center for Human Rights Certamen Club Chess Club Close-up to Washington Conn Youth Forum Falcon Fixers Falconatics Fall Play Fly Fishing Club Gay Straight Alliance Habitat for Humanity I am Second Improv Theatre Jazz Band Kids 4 Kids LEO Literary Arts Magazine Math Team Mock Trial Model UN Muscial (Spring) National Honor Society Newspaper On-Call Volunteers Pep Band Ping Pong Club R.O.P.E.S Science Club Sierra Club Student Government Technical Theatre The Computer Modeling Club Tri-M (Modern Musical Masters) Trivia Team Tutoring in The City Ultimate Frisbee Uni-cycle Club Unified Sports Writing Center 3

Advisor Ms. Galuska Ms. Kraner Mr. Abrams Ms. Tarar Mr. Fusco Ms. Schwager Mr. Niezrecki/Ms. Lareau Mr. Abrams/Mr. Pellegrino Mr. O’Sullivan Mr. Lukowicz Mr. Kramek Ms. Andreana Mr. Pellegrino Mr. Porch Ms. Paterson Mr. Butler Ms. LaBrosse/Ms. Wiellette Mr. McLaughlin Mr. Kramek Ms. Paterson Mr. Lovendale Mr. Desmond (Parent Advisor)/Ms. Toyen Ms. LeFevre Mr. LaChance Ms. LaBrosse/Mr. Lukowicz Mr. Kramek Mr. Curtis Ms. Paterson Mr. McDermott/Mr. O’Sullivan Ms. Mirabello Mr. Abrams Mr. Lovendale Ms. Wendler Mr. Sunblade Ms. Galuska/Ms. Loynes/Mr. Dunford Mr. Dorr Mr. Mooney Mr. Torone Mr. Buys Mr. Brochu Ms. LaBrosse Mr. Patterson Mr. Murray Ms. Toyen Ms. Carlone Ms. Kraner

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Yearbook

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Mr. Salerni/Ms. Kraner

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Clubs & Activities Animal Welfare The Animal Welfare Club strives to raise awareness related to animal abuse and neglect. We also work to raise awareness and money for nonprofit organizations that work to rescue and care for animals in need. AHS Democrats Students interested in issues of concern to the Democratic Party are encouraged to join the AHS Democrats Club. Students will have the opportunity to volunteer in local campaigns and to involve others in initiatives such as voter registration. Amnesty International Amnesty International’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. There is no better way to become informed about and involved in global human rights issues than to organize an Amnesty student group at Avon High School. By becoming a member of our student chapter along with Amnesty International you are on the way to shining the light on human rights, preventing and ending grave abuses worldwide, and raising the consciousness about such issues in our school and our community. Anime Club The con is a friendly group that accepts all those with "nerdy interests". Our primary motives are simply to share anime we find interesting and have a good time. During the summer all members are invited to attend Connection. Auto Club The Auto Club will provide an opportunity for automobile enthusiasts to meet, discuss, and have fun exploring their interest in cars and the field of mechanics. Activities will include discussions about current events, films, mechanics, guest speakers and possible field trips. A.V.O.N Avon Volunteers on Newness: Helping both our local and global community. Activities include orienting students new to the school and organizing projects including food drives, scholarship fundraising, care package collections for overseas soldiers, and in other ways as needed. Avon High School Robotics Team (UberBots) The Avon High School Robotics Team participates in an exciting multinational competition to promote student interest in the dynamic and creative area of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Practicing engineers, business people, teachers, and other established teams mentor student teams. On the Avon High Robotics Team, students take on various roles in the design and building of a robot, as well as fundraising, marketing, and community outreach. Center for Human Rights The Center for Human Rights at Avon High School's goal is to increase awareness of human rights in the Avon community. We seek to extend education around human rights beyond the 5

classroom, by sponsoring interesting and meaningful events for AHS students, families, and friends. Certamen Club The Certamen Club is a Latin "Quizbowl" club that usually competes in two tournaments throughout the year, the Harvard Certamen competition in March and the de facto Connecticut State tournament at Latin Day in May. Chess Club This club involves both casual games with friends and competitors with professional instruction to help in the development of every member’s chess skills. The club, while providing a wide variety of new opponents, is a great way to make new friends and have a good time. Come check us out some time; we accept players of all skill levels. Close-up to Washington Using the nation’s capital as a living classroom, participants get a “close up” view of government - interacting with the people, processes, and places that make this federal city so unique. A rotating list history teachers at the school, chaperones the trip during April vacation Connecticut Youth Forum CT Youth Forum is offered by the CT Forum and offers students various activities and experiences by meeting and interacting with a diverse group of young people. The group gets involved with socially relevant issues, open dialogue, career-minded role models and other activities offering real world exploration. Falcon Fixers The Falcon Fixers' goal is to make Avon High School a more welcoming and engaging place for students. We increase school spirit by improving the physical environment of the school in creative and innovative ways. We want to make AHS a place where students feel they belong. Falconatics This group is a student "spirit group," established to generate positive enthusiasm and support for teams and activities within the AHS school community. All students are welcome to join and become active participants in AHS student life! Fall Play The fall play includes a cast and technical crew, and students may choose whether to be onstage or behind the scenes. There are auditions each September, and the play is presented midNovember, before Thanksgiving.

Fly Fishing Club The club members are learning the basics of fly-fishing and fly tying, river ecology and conservation. We make several fishing trips a year to the Farmington River and possibly other sites as well. Gay Straight Alliance 6

The GSA is open to students of any sexual orientation who are interested in gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgender issues. It is organized to end anti-gay bias and create a positive change in the school by having a welcoming, supportive and safe place for all students to meet and socialize, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. Interested students can contact the faculty Advisers regarding meeting times. Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity believes that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. We build and repair houses all over the world using volunteer labor and donations. I am Second The "I am Second" club is a club that allows students of the Christian faith to meet weekly to have discussions wherein people share and discuss daily struggles and issues of life in a Christian context. One of the main goals of these groups are to introduce the idea of people restructuring their life in a way in which they put God first and themselves second. Furthermore, I Am Second groups function in order to help members explore and discover their own personal purpose in life, as well as unite people who are on similar spiritual journeys. Improv Theatre This club meets to learn improvisational theatre techniques. Acting warm-ups, improvisational exercises and theatre games help students learn to entertain an audience and present a scenario or story line in a spontaneous manner. Upper-classmen in this club will participate in the Improv Olympics at CCSU. Jazz Band The Jazz Ensemble is the group of instrumental musicians who wish to explore the jazz idiom. Because Jazz Ensemble meets on Monday evenings, members must be willing to invest extra time and effort into practice and performance. Jazz Ensemble members must also be members of the 9th grade Concert Band, the Symphonic Band, or the Wind Ensemble, and participation is with the consent of the Director. Depending upon enrollment, two jazz groups may be offered. Placement will be based upon playing ability/audition and the need of balancing instrumentation, and is at the discretion of the director. Kids 4 Kids Raise money for the pediatric cancer fund at UConn/CCMC. Volunteer at various events to help support the families and children LEO The LEO club provides the students of Avon High School with an opportunity for development and contribution, individually and collectively, as responsible members of their local, national and international communities. The LEO club motto is Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity. LEADERSHIP: LEO members acquire skills as project organizers and motivators of their peers. EXPERIENCE: They discover how teamwork and cooperation can bring about change in their community and the world. 7

OPPORTUNITY: LEO's develop positive character traits and receive recognition for their contributions. Literary Arts Magazine The literary/arts magazine is a student-centered publication that is typically published in spring. Members engage in writing and peer review activities as well as a discussion of visual material such as drawing and photography that may become part of the work. Membership is open to all, and submissions from any student at AHS are considered for publication. Math Team Meets are second Wednesday of the month practices vary from first Tuesday or Thursdays of the month. Team competes in the Capital Area Math Leagues, state meet, and New England regional meet. Some members make the state team and compete in the American Regional Math League. Mock Trial The Mock Trial Club is an association that looks at debatable cases of law that have been settled in the Courts of America. Both sides of a case are presented through evidence, witness affidavits, evidence and case law. The students who participate break down the case and act as lawyers and witnesses representing the two sides of the case. Here, students learn how to debate and how to put forward a case for their particular side: prosecution or defense. The Club participates in two competitions during the year including a county-wide tournament in December. Here, twelvefifteen members of the club are selected to put on the case in courthouses around the state in front of a real judge in a real courtroom. Model UN The Avon High School Model United Nations provides students with the opportunity to review and interpret modern global issues from international perspectives. Weekly meetings throughout the fall session allow students to discover and evaluate current events across a range of topics and viewpoints. This includes a trip to New York City to visit the UN and speak with mission delegates of selected countries. Students then write resolutions, assuming the perspectives of those counties. In the winter, resolutions are represented and debated in a two-day mock United Nations session among hundreds of other Model UN participants from across Connecticut.

Musical (Spring) The spring musical includes a cast and technical crew, and students may choose whether to be onstage or behind the scenes. Auditions are in January, and the play is presented the first weekend in May. Onstage roles include opportunities for singing, dancing, leading roles, supporting roles, and ensemble work. There is also a pit orchestra, which meets separately and joins the cast and crew during the last weeks of production. National Honor Society The purpose of this organization shall be to foster enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to develop character in the students

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of Avon High School “Members are required to attend monthly chapter meetings, complete 3 hours of community service a month, and participate in chapter-wide events. Newspaper The Falcon is a school publication that serves as a forum for student expression. All students are welcome to submit their articles, photography, cartoons/comic strips, and be involved in the creative process of designing the paper. On-Call Volunteers Our goal is to seek out a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout our school and local communities and make important contributions to those communities. It's a pretty common mistake to think of volunteering as just something nice that people can do. By volunteering we often deliver critical services to those in need. By volunteering we often help to keep our neighborhoods, streets, parks, rivers, green spaces, and water clean and safe for everyone. Volunteers tutor, teach, mentor, coach, and support young people. There are unlimited possibilities when you are a member of the On-Call Volunteers club. Pep Band The Pep Band plays at football games, during pep rallies, the Memorial Day Parade, and graduation. Through their participation in the Pep Band, students learn personal responsibility as well as how to perform with a team. Ping Pong Club This is a “drop in” club. Games are to eleven to facilitate rotation of players through our three tables. Players may bring own paddles or balls. R.O.P.E.S R.O.P.E.S meets most Thursday mornings at 7:10 in the Community Room. Students talk about initiatives to promote a positive school climate, i.e. quote of the week, random acts of acknowledging good behaviors, organizing bake sales-with the idea of the field day in the spring as our 'big finale.' We also have two training sessions with ADL in Feb and Mar.

Science Club The Science Club offers students an opportunity to explore areas of science that are of interest to them beyond the classroom. Students are exposed to guest speakers, provided with opportunities to compete in various Olympiads including the CT Science Olympiad, Yale Invitational Science Olympiad, U.S. Biology Olympiad, and Chemistry Olympiad. In addition, Science Club members host a Science Fair and serve as mentors for the grade 5-8 students. Sierra Club The Avon Sierra Club recycles weekly, focusing specifically on plastic, aluminum, and paper accumulated in classrooms. We have worked to raise community and school awareness and social responsibility regarding environmentally sound practices. Each year the Sierra Club hosts a number of fund raising initiatives and its annual Eco-Fair in the spring. 9

Student Government Student Government is a student-centered organization that works to improve both the Avon High School community as well as the local community around us. We participate in community service projects as well as sponsor in-school events to foster school spirit and create a sense of camaraderie amongst the student body. Technical Theatre Technical crews are developed in coordination with the fall play and spring musical. There are opportunities to learn all facets of technical theatre, including set construction, painting, props, lighting, sound, stage managing, costumes, make-up, and front-of-house. The Computer Modeling Club The proposed computer-modeling club would facilitate approximately 20-30 students, once a week for the entire school year. It is designed to allow student who have an interest in Video Production, Animation, CAD and/or Computer Gaming type activities but were unable to schedule into their school day. It would also fill the need for students who have taken a class and would like to further their knowledge on the subject. We would also be able to use it as a "proving ground" for future projects in this area and be able to preview games created in the new unity software purchased for the CMV III class. Tri-M (Modern Musical Masters) Tri-M is an international Music Honor Society. It is comprised of students from 10th, 11th, and 12th grades who are actively involved in choir, orchestra, band or jazz ensemble. Students are nominated based on criteria set by the school's local charter and the international Tri-M board of MENC. The group is active in community as well as music services and is a forum of unification of the entire high school music program.

Trivia Team This is a student initiated team that practices weekly to compete in Trivia Competitions, History Bowls and Bees. Competitions are held on Saturdays during the school year and are attended on an as interest level. Tutoring in the City In co-operation with Connectikids, AHS volunteers act as tutors for first grade children from MLK Elementary School in Hartford each Tuesday afternoon from 4.00pm to 5.15pm. Some students use this activity to acquire service hours for NHS. However, the majority of these students are involved through genuine feelings of altruism, and they have always impressed the Connectikids co-coordinators thanks to their patience and reliability. Ultimate Frisbee This is the Club Sport of Ultimate. The team competes in the Connecticut Ultimate League, which is comprised of club high school teams. This is a coed sport and the club emphasizes 10

individual skill development, team tactics, and sportsmanship. The team practices usually 3 to 4 days per week and competes in approximately 12 - 16 games during the spring. Uni-Cycle Club No prior uni-cycle knowledge is necessary - some students are learning to ride a uni-cycle while others are enjoying the time riding their uni-cycles with their peers. Unified Sports Unified Sports is a program that combines approximately equal numbers of individuals with (athletes) and without (partners) intellectual disabilities on the same sports teams for training and competition. All participants are of similar age and ability. Unified Sports is an important program because it expands sports opportunities for athletes and partners seeking new challenges. In addition, Unified Sports dramatically increases inclusion in the community by helping to break down barriers that have historically kept people apart. At the same time, Unified Sports provides a valuable sports opportunity to individuals who are not presently involved with Special Olympics or other sports programs. Writing Center The Writing Center is an after-school club that meets every Thursday in the MPL writing lab. Tutors meet with student writers who wish to discuss their work from any class and at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to final edits. Tutors also take turns preparing special topics of interest for presentations each week; topics have included comma use, the DocumentBased Question on the AP History exam, and the use of imagery. In addition, Writing Center peer tutors staff the Writing Center annex, located in the hallway near the Student Assistance Center, every period during the school day. Anyone with an interest in discussing writing is welcome.

Yearbook Students plan, create, sell, and distribute the school yearbook/DVDs each year. This involves the extensive use of desktop publishing and movie-editing software. This activity requires significant dedication and responsibility since the various parts of the book must be completed by specific interim deadlines in order to stay on budget.

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