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THE BEE TEAM
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 Students Compete in Annual Spelling Bee
What do you get
when you combine physique with mediocre? If you're like Kendall Smaby, you get a winning combination of words.
In the spirit of friendly competition, Lakehill Preparatory School held its fourth annual Spelling Bee
Competition on Tuesday, January 20. Lakehill's fourth through eighth grade
students were eligible to compete in the bee. Spelling lists became
available in October, and students were encouraged to study on their own. Each
year students from all over the country compete for the chance to represent
their school and community in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Private schools like Lakehill have their own track for competing within Dallas County, and Kendall will be competing against winners from
other private schools within the next six weeks. In addition to the
recognition and awards received by the winners, all students broaden their
vocabularies during the word-study process. This year, over 70 Lakehill
students took part in the bee.
After several rounds, sixth grader Kendall won the bee for the second year in a
row, with seventh grader Cameron Gavinski placing
second. Eighth grader Sterling Gavinski, brother of Cameron, took third place.
Bowing out in fourth place was Katie Duke, the last of the fifth grade
challengers, while the last fourth grade student to remain in the competition
was Marion Humphreys.
"I am very proud of all of our students who competed in the spelling
bee," says bee organizer Julie Riggs. "No one can easily learn all
seven hundred words in the Scripps spelling book. It is obvious that some of
them study very hard to master unfamiliar terms while others trust their instincts
and general knowledge of spelling. It is especially exciting when a student
succeeds with a combination of knowledge and intuition."
Smaby says she studied
her spelling lists faithfully to prepare for the bee, and watched the movie
Akeelah and the Bee for an extra dose of motivation. Like the heroine in the film, Smaby has always had a love for words. Who knows, that love of words might take her, like Akeelah in the film, all the way to the National Spelling Bee.
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TAKING THE STAGE
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International Thespian Society Inducts New Members
 The Educational
Theater Association (EdTA) is the professional association for theater
education. The International Thespian Society, the student division, is the
world's largest honor society for theatre arts students. Together, the EdTA and
the International Thespian Society have been helping to build strong school
theater programs for 80 years.
Lakehill Preparatory School Troupe 7058 inducted 17 new members into its
International Thespian Society chapter in a ceremony held on January 15 in the
Charles J. Wyly, Jr. Auditorium. This was the fourth induction ceremony for the
Troupe since it was chartered in the fall of 2006.
Elizabeth Schmitt, Troupe co-director, welcomed students, family, and friends
to the ceremony. Headmaster Roger Perry spoke briefly of the importance and
value of sharing a story with others to bring about an emotion. He applauded
the lessons that are taught through theater, both through the
"escape" and the "reality."
Thespian membership is granted for the demonstration of a commitment to
excellence in theatre arts. To become a Thespian, a student must participate in
two productions at their school and have a minimum 100 hours of work in the
theater. After Thespians have attained membership, further recognition for
their outstanding work in theatre arts may be indicated by awarding stars and
wearing honor cords at graduation.
Student inductees were: Maya Booker, Victoria Collins, Katherine Crocker, Laura
Domaschk, Kathleen Evans, Kate Fosha, Mandi Fox, Alison Hanson, Brian McElrath,
Aleyna Mason, Sydney Moore, Cally Pope, Amanda Rasbury, Nia Rasheed, Arder
Stringer, Leia Unger, and Eleni Wilsmann. The work of these 17 students
represented more than 2500 hours of work in the theater. These students proudly
joined 16 other Lakehill students in Troupe 7058. Lakehill also boasts four
student honor thespians, who have each garnered 500 - 700 extra hours of
theater work.
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CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS
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Annual Adornment 
The ancient
Roman holiday, Saturnalia, originally commemorating the Roman god Saturn and
the bounty of the harvest, is re-enacted annually in Lakehill's 7th and 8th grade
Latin classes with creative art, food, and
musical merriment. For the festivities in December, each student creates an
ancient Roman or Greek artifact and ceremoniously hangs it on the "official
Saturnalia bush," the ficus benjamina, which has endured for over nine
years in its present habitat in room 207. The total number of colorful
mythological or legendary ornaments has reached over 700 and remains a
much-anticipated Latin class tradition. Lakehill Latin alumni often visit room
207 not only to share their present experiences but also to catch a glimpse of
the current Saturnalia ornamentation adorning the tree.
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| SPORTS SNIPPETS
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Varsity
Boys' Basketball
January 22
Lakehill at Brook Hill; 7:30pm
January 24
Lakehill vs. Shelton; 3:00pm
Varsity
Girls' Basketball
January 22
Lakehill at Brook Hill; 6:00pm
January 24
Lakehill vs. Shelton; 1:30pm
JV Boys'
Basketball
January 22
Lakehill at Brook Hill; 4:30pm
January 24
Lakehill vs. Shelton; 12:00 noon
Middle School Boys'
Basketball
January 22
Lakehill at
Prince of Peace - 5:30pm
January 26
Lakehill at
Levine - 5:30pm
January 27
Lakehill at
Inspired Vision - blue - 6:00pm
Middle School Girls'
Basketball
January 22
Lakehill at
Prince of Peace - 4:30pm
January 26
Lakehill at
Levine - 4:30pm
January 27
Lakehill at
Inspired Vision - blue - 5:00pm
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WHAT'S HAPPENING?
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January 24
Crowning of Basketball Beau and Sweetheart - between girls and boys games
January 24
Upper School Dance
8:30 - 11:30pm
January 27
Drama Club Play - 3:30pm
Join Ms. Riggs
and her 5th grade cast on Tuesday, January 27 as they perform Future
Tense(ion): Adventures in the Frontiers of Time and Space. The play, an original work written by Riggs, is a science fiction time travel spoof with
characters based on Star Trek and Dr Who. In the play, the Instigator,
disguised as a crew member, begins pulling historical figures from time in
order to disrupt history. Some of the crew begin to disappear as the lines of
their history change. The Instigator tries to persuade some historical figures
to refuse to return or to take back weapons and information with which to
change history, but the Professor joins forces with the crew and with the help
of Marie Curie and the bravery of Martin Luther King, Jr. puts everything back as
it should be. The play will be staged at 3:30pm in the auditorium.
Don't Miss These College Night Presentations!
January 29 - 6:00pm
College Night for Sophomores
Mrs. Dondis will discuss PSAT scores as well as introduce topics related to the
college process itself. All sophomores and their parents are encouraged
to attend.
February 17 - 6:00pm
College Night for Freshmen
Mrs. Dondis will discuss PSAT scores as well as introduce topics related to the
college process itself. All freshmen and their parents are encouraged to
attend.
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