SPRING 2007 News
We're proud to share the achievements of our students and faculty. Here are the latest exciting events at LWA.
Columnist Meredith Berkman '82 Addresses Class of 2007
On June 14, Meredith Berkman, a 1982 graduate of Woodmere Academy, addressed the LWA class of 2007 at their Commencement Exercises. Ms. Berkman is a columnist who has written for The New York Post, Newsday, and The New York Sun among other publications. She has covered a wide range of topics including politics, sports, and parenting in New York.
Community Gathers to Recognize LWA Athletes
On May 31, 2007, Lawrence Woodmere Academy held their Upper School Athletic Awards Ceremony to honor the student-athletes who have demonstrated athletic prowess and distinguished sportsmanship while maintaining high academic standards. Several guests returned to the Academy to present and receive awards, making the ceremony a true community event.
LWA Wins IPPSAL Softball Title
Lawrence Woodmere Academy softball Coach John Schandler wasn't too concerned with getting his players ready to face top-seeded Long Island Lutheran in last Wednesday's IPPSAL championship game. But he thought a little extra motivation couldn't hurt. "Win," he told them, "and I'll shave my head."
LWA Poets Featured in Anthology
Some young poets from Lawrence Woodmere Academy are about to be published. Creative Communications, Inc. has selected 12 poets from Ellen Komisarow's seventh grade English class at Lawrence Woodmere Academy to be featured in their anthology titled A Celebration of Young Poets. Thousands of student-poets submitted poems that reflect their fears, hopes, and dreams for consideration in this anthology.
Four Students Inducted into The Cum Laude Society
On Monday, May 21, 2007, four Lawrence Woodmere Academy students were inducted into The Cum Laude Society, an extremely selective national academic organization. This year's inductees - Jeffrey Geisperger '07, Max Shillalies '07, Pamela Boneparth '08, and Wylie Rosenthal '08 -- joined the students who received this honor as juniors last spring -- David Hammerman '07 and Samantha Gil '07 -- in an awards ceremony and reception.
Tigers Roar as Playoff Season Approaches
Lawrence Woodmere Academy's baseball team managed just a couple of hits in a 2-1 season-opening setback to Kew Forest, but last Thursday's rematch was an LWA slugfest.The Tigers pounded out 21 hits, including home runs by junior Sam del Pilar, sophomore Jack Rosen and freshman Mark Freeman, in a 16-7 victory - their eighth in a row against PSAA rivals.
Lady Tigers Lean on Experience
After playing in three straight IPPSAL softball championship games, winning all the marbles in 2005 and finishing runner-up in '04 and again last spring, high expectations surround Lawrence Woodmere Academy. This season is no different as the Lady Tigers are loaded with experienced players, including that of senior pitcher Emily Glazer. The fourth-year varsity performer has one of the more talented arms in the league and opened 2007 with a 12-strikeout effort in an 11-1 victory over Solomon Schechter.
LWA Senior Selected For Heckscher Art Exhibit
LWA Senior, Christine (Tzu-Chun) Yang, was selected to exhibit her art at Long Island's Heckscher Museum of Art. This is Yang's second year as an exhibiting artist there. Yang's sculpture was selected in the juried Eleventh Annual "Long Island's Best - Artists at the Heckscher" exhibit.
Brittany Loweree '08 Taps Off A Medal-Winning Ski Season
This spring, Lawrence Woodmere Academy student Brittany Loweree '08 of Point Lookout, placed in the top ten for both the 2007 Chevrolet U.S. Freestyle Championships, as well as the U.S. Freestyle Junior Olympics for her prowess in freestyle skiing.The Chevrolet Junior Olympics, which took place in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is one of the final freestyle competitions in the United States ski season. The top junior competitors in the country face off in order to determine the best overall junior competitor in each discipline and the best competitor in each age class. Brittany took the podium with 3rd place in dual moguls and 7th place in moguls.
Michael K. Clark Joins LWA Board
Lawrence Woodmere Academy (LWA) has proudly named Michael K. Clark of Belle Harbor the newest member of its Board of Trustees. His daughter Caroline ‘10 is a student in the Upper School. Mr. Clark serves as Chief Executive Officer in charge of JP Morgan’s Worldwide Securities Services business.
LWA Celebrates Culture Through Mardi Gras CelebrationLawrence Woodmere Academy celebrated Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), known as Carnevale in Spanish and Italian, on Tuesday, February 28th. 
Lady Tigers Take Their Revenge
Lawrence Woodmere Academy's girls' basketball team stretched its winning streak to four games as they avenged and early season loss by defeating visiting Portledge last Friday, 43-35. Junior Pamela Boneparth had 15 points and six assists and senior Carly Schwartz added 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Lady Tigers improved to 7-4 against IPPSAL rivals and 9-6 overall. Portledge's Emily Edwards-Bourdez led all scorers with 22 points but she was kept from dominating by LWA junior Dominique "Robinson, who had three points and six rebounds.
Students Learn History Through Musical 1776
"Some of the boys had moustaches the week before the show but they knew they had to shave them off by Saturday," said Kathleen Glasberg, Director of Lawrence Woodmere Academy's rendition of Sherman Edwards' acclaimed musical comedy, 1776, in reference to members of her cast. Since King George III had a glandular problem and couldn't grow any facial hair, all inhabitants of the royal kingdom and its colonies were required to be clean-shaven, as were LWA's cast members.
Hot-Shooting Tigers at 14-4
With starting center Max Shillalies out with a back injury the past two games, Lawrence Woodmere Academy boys basketball coach Jeff Weiss went with a quicker lineup and urged players to take more perimeter shots to cover for the team's absent leading scorer and rebounder. The Tigers responded, hitting a combined 18 three-pointers in victories over Evangel Christian and Waldorf to improve to 14-4 overall.
LWA Polar Bears
While most New Yorkers stayed in last Saturday waiting for the cold front to pass, over 4,000 supporters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York braved temperatures 14 degrees below freezing point at The Long Beach Polar Bear Club's Super Bowl Splash. Several Lawrence Woodmere Academy students attended the event, some taking arctic dips, and others cheering on their friends and supporting the cause by purchasing sweatshirts and baked goods.
LWA Has a Dream
As Americans gathered throughout the nation to celebrate the accomplishments of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lawrence Woodmere Academy held a school-wide assembly to commemorate the great leader, and his late wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King. The student-led assembly invoked the message of these influential individuals to examine the problems facing our nation and the world at large today, such as the genocide in Darfur and the ongoing war.
Hoopsters Lack Experience, Not Talent
Returning only one player with a minute of varsity experience makes for quite a challenge for Lawrence Woodmere Academy's boys' basketball team, which last season captured the NYSAIS Class A state championship as well as its 11th IPPSAL title in 12 years. Despite their youth, the Tigers are off to a promising start with eight victories in 10 games. Their lone veteran, senior Max Shillalies, has averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per game so far to establish himself as one of the top centers on Long Island.
Lady Tigers B-Ball Team Wins Three of Four
Lawrence Woodmere Academy's girls' basketball team has won three of its last four games after a 0-3 start and first year coach Adam Pischel is excited about its long-term potential. "As long as we learn to play together we can hang with anyone, he said. "We haven't had a full roster for any game yet, but the girls do the best they can to make it. Some of them are very involved in other activities and there are conflicts, but we work around it as best we can.
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