What's happened:
With the first semester at Lowell High School (LHS) coming to a close, the busy and bustling halls are filled with conversations of the annual stressful final projects, exams, and assignments getting done before the beloved holiday break. However, LHS students and staff have made it a point to end off the grading period with as much holiday joy as possible in many different ways! From the school’s halls being filled with eye-catching festive outfits to the entire building working towards helping out the community, the final week of school in 2021 has proven to be a little less stressful than years past.
Starting at the beginning of the second quarter, the Lowell Red Devils took time out of their advisory classes to come together and brainstorm ideas on how to give back to the community. Students discussed the importance of compassion and were eager to contribute and donate to a local organization just in time for the holidays. After many brilliant ideas were contributed, LHS partnered with Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids (NICK) and began to collect monetary donations throughout the grading period to brighten up the holidays for local families affected by childhood cancer.
The NICK foundation is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing critical support to families affected by childhood cancer. With the help of monetary donations, they are able to provide these families with immediate financial support, gas gift cards, grocery gift cards, immediate items of need, ongoing family support, and more. After learning about this amazing organization, its history, and its mission, LHS was more than ready to donate and make a difference while turning a good deed into a fun, friendly competition between advisory classes.
Donation collection within LHS took place during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Holiday break. Red Devils were even given the opportunity to make a donation in the name of a loved one, which resulted in the school acknowledging the donation to the community on its social media pages.
By the last week of the semester, Lowell High School announced that it raised a grand total of $11,045.63, which all went directly to the local families in need! As for the results of the competition, Mr. Roach’s senior advisory class came in first place by collecting $4,060. Students and staff were more than excited to be able to spread holiday cheer with their donations and hope that their acts of compassion light up the holiday season for those who need it the most.
As for the holiday cheer that could be seen within LHS’ halls, students and staff took it upon themselves to take full advantage of the opportunity to show off their fun and festive outfits right before break. The halls were full of students in Christmas sweaters, Santa hats, PJs, and other festive outfits. Some staff departments even showed off their show-stopping group costumes as well. Many Red Devils expressed their gratitude for their peers and teachers and the exciting sense of joy and holiday magic that flowed through the halls of the high school.
What's coming up:
The upcoming start of the third quarter of the school year means the return of the high school’s annual Turnabout Dance. Turnabout is highly anticipated by the students every year, as the discussion of dress shopping and dance proposals have already begun. The event gives students an opportunity to dress their best and take on the dance floor once again following the previous LHS Homecoming dance that took place in early October.
This year’s Turnabout is themed “Winter Wonderland” and will take place on February 12, 2022. The dance is highly anticipated after the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on LHS and its dances within the past year or so. The students have shown their excitement and are eager to get back on the dance floor in the new year.
Staff and faculty are excited for the event and to see everyone looking their best. They are hoping for a good turnout and a memorable time for all.
Staff spotlight:
The staff of Lowell High School is very highly appreciated by all students and their families. This includes Polly Franklin, an LHS teacher who continues to show her love for her job of teaching while making a difference and positive impact on her students’ lives and educational careers. She displays an enormous heart, amount of support, and passion for her career and students.
Franklin is a Lowell alumnus who graduated in 1984. She recalls the building’s previous “open concept” and how vividly she remembers sitting in the “D-pod” (now the cafeteria) and how sitting with her friends she could hear multiple English lectures going on at once. After graduating, she moved away from the area for a while and has taught in eight different school districts along with three different states. Even though she’s done some traveling, she returned to the area in 2009.
“I am glad to come back to my roots,” Franklin said.
Franklin is a Spanish teacher here at LHS. She currently teaches Spanish two honors, Spanish three, Spanish three honors, and AP Spanish. She is even studying for her master's from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid so she can continue to teach the dual credit classes. She has shown so much pride and effort in her career that is very noticeable to her current and past students. She is highly appreciated by everyone in LHS.
The Lowell staff has always stood out to be a group of amazing educators and faculty who work their hardest to provide the best education and a safe community for everyone at LHS. When asked what makes her proud to be a part of such an amazing group of individuals, Franklin showed great appreciation for her colleagues and those around her.
“I am so in awe of the fantastic and devoted teachers and staff here. I know that the last two years have been so difficult for the public in general, but even more so for educators. I think that the staff here is handling all of this with grace. I am also amazed at the school spirit. I have never seen a staff that, as a whole, has so much spirit. RDP!” Franklin said.
Franklin has made many positive impacts on her students and their educational careers, along with their lives in general. She always has a smile on her face and truly shows everyone around her that she’s doing what she loves. She is definitely a teacher that will continue to be memorable in students’ lives. When asked if she had anything to say about the Lowell High School community that she would like readers to hear, she closed off the interview with a couple of positive things to say.
“The school is wonderful and has so much to offer to so many people. Take advantage of what LHS has to offer!”
Student Spotlight
LHS would definitely not be the strong community it is without its dedicated and amazing students who strive for excellence. An example of one of these Red Devils is junior Hannah Cano. Although her high school experience, along with everyone else's, was highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cano had no intention of letting the unprecedented times prevent her from making the most out of her years at LHS.
Cano has a long list of extracurricular activities she’s involved in. This includes four years in marching band, three years in pep and jazz band, three years in LHS Super Bowl, and one year in Academia Cup, Spell Bowl, and Solo & Ensemble. She has shown extreme pride in what she does for the school. As for her plans for the future, Cano plans to major in history at Purdue University. She will then get her master's at a university near Washington D.C. and looks forward to interning with the Smithsonian. It is not hard to recognize her passion and love for her education and involvement at LHS, along with her excitement for her future.
Cano speaks highly about the environment created by students and staff at Lowell where people actively thrive.
“Whether it is in school, in extracurriculars, or in sports, the teachers genuinely care about the students here and they want to see us succeed. I have never met a group of adults who are so willing to work with teenagers as effectively as they do,” Cano said.
Cano said that one of the most important lessons she’s learned from her time at LHS is her passion for finding out the truth.
“I believe there are two sides to every story and each side deserves to be told. I am a strong believer in the fact that we should always ask questions and always look for more information than we are given," Cano said. "I believe it is up to our generation to make the change. As Ellie Wiesel says in his speech 'Perils of Indifference', ‘This time, we do respond. This time, we will intervene.'"