Latest / Lawrence Together / News from the Nest, April 14, 2026
Transcript
- Welcome to Lawrence Together, your community podcast for Lawrence Township, New Jersey. Today's episode covers news and updates from News from the Nest, dated April 14th, 2026. Let's get started. April is Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month, and Lawrence High School is joining communities across the country in celebrating differences and spreading kindness. As the newsletter reminds us, kindness grows when we celebrate what makes each of us unique. Now let's get into this week's special announcements. First, a heads-up for juniors at Lawrence High School. CADY is looking for Social Ambassadors, and this is a great opportunity for students interested in digital content creation. Selected ambassadors will receive a free elite senior portrait session, including hair and makeup styling, destination photography, and all digital images. The deadline to apply is May 1st. To learn more, visit cady dot com slash ambassador. Next, a message from the Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School Parent Teacher Organization. Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is coming up, and the Parent Teacher Organization is inviting families to help celebrate the educators and staff who make such a lasting difference in our students' lives. If you'd like to contribute a donation of any size, look for the donation link in the newsletter. Every little bit helps create a week full of joy and heartfelt thanks. Now, coming up this week, there are two exciting events you won't want to miss. This Friday, April 17th, the Lawrence Township Education Foundation will host its third annual Lawrence Has Talent competition in the Lawrence High School auditorium. This year's show features eleven students performing across more than seven acts. Best of luck to this year's finalists: Liyuh Rivera, Camila Martinez, Xavier Tos, Jenna Eisenbach, Bobby Zimmaro, Sunny Ritchie, Brianna Polite, Hector Tenorio-Perez, Julia Mrozik, Will Sternbach, and Yehor Yarovenko. Tickets are available, so check the newsletter for the purchase link. Then on Saturday, April 18th at 7 p.m., the Lawrence High School Fellowship in Christ club will hold its very first Night of Adoration in the school auditorium. The evening will feature music, singing, dancing, and spoken word, with performances by Brother Darius Shy and Drawn Ministries, Aziyiah Davis, Change Church, Vanessa Haynes, and the Lawrence High School Gospel Choir. Tickets are ten dollars, cash only, at the door. Looking a little further ahead, on Tuesday, April 21st at 7 p.m., Lawrence High School will welcome 70 new members into the National Honor Society in a ceremony held in the auditorium. Congratulations to all of the soon-to-be inductees! The National Honor Society recognizes student achievement across four pillars: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. A reminder for parents about spring conferences. Conferences will take place on Wednesday, April 22nd, which is an early dismissal day for students. The scheduling portal closed on April 14th, but if you missed the window or couldn't find a time that works, you're encouraged to reach out directly to your child's teacher by email to arrange a conversation. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 19th from 5 to 7 p.m. Lawrence High School will host a free Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration in the cafeteria, featuring assorted Asian cuisine, karaoke, henna, and more. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed nationally each May to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. And save the date for a community-wide event this summer. Lawrence Neighbors Together invites everyone to the second annual Lawrence Pridefest on Sunday, June 14th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. More details are coming soon. If you have questions or are interested in signing up as a vendor or sponsor, reach out to lawrenceneighborstogether at gmail dot com. Now for a few updates in the Senior Scoop, with news specifically for the Class of 2026 and their families. This year's senior prom, themed "A Night at the Oscars," will take place on Thursday, June 11th at Falls Manor in Bristol, Pennsylvania. Tickets go on sale April 27th. Seniors must have all completed permission slips and prom forms in hand before purchasing tickets. Hard copies of the prom packet are available in the main office, and a digital version is linked in the newsletter. Questions can be directed to Ms. Recentio at d r e c e n t i o at ltps dot org. Seniors, there are also a few scholarship deadlines coming up fast. The Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School Parent Teacher Organization Awards and the Lawrence Township Community Foundation Community Service Scholarships are both due April 17th. The League of Women Voters Youth Leadership Awards deadline is April 20th, and the Fire and Municipal Bureau of Appeals Local 96 Scholarships deadline is April 22nd. Questions about scholarships can be directed to Ms. Roche at k r o c h e at ltps dot org. Keep an ear out for details about Senior Signing Day, coming in May. Seniors will have the chance to sign the Class of 2026 banner with their future plans, whether that's college, the workforce, the military, or a gap year. The banner will be displayed in the guidance hallway. Students heading to college in the fall should also make sure to fill out the sheet near the banner or see Ms. Flynn in Guidance so that their final transcripts get sent to the right school. For everything you need to know about graduation, including the commencement ceremony, cap and gown distribution, tickets, and diploma pickups, check the graduation information link in the newsletter. Finally, Class of 2026 Senior Lawn Signs are now on sale for twenty-five dollars each, with delivery to your home between April 24th and April 26th. If you've already made a donation to Project Graduation this year, your lawn sign is already included. To purchase or for questions, contact Kim O'Neal at kimonealvolunteer at gmail dot com. Now for a look at some fundraisers happening at Lawrence High School this month. Rita's Water Ice is back! Starting April 14th, the Lawrence High School Student Council will be selling Rita's water ice every Tuesday after school for three dollars, or two for five dollars. Follow them on Instagram at lawrence dot stuco for the weekly flavor lineup. On Thursday, April 16th, head over to Playa Bowls in Nassau Park. Fifteen percent of your order that day will go to support the Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School Parent Teacher Organization. Just mention the schools at checkout or pick up a flyer in the main office. The Class of 2027 is selling Chick-Fil-A sandwiches for seven dollars and brownies for three dollars after school on Wednesday, April 22nd. You can pre-order on April 14th, 15th, and 16th during lunch. On Friday, April 24th, the National History Day club will hold a chocolate chip cookie sale. Cookies are just one dollar each, and proceeds help cover competition costs for the club's students. Every Tuesday after school, the Advocates for Innocence club sells assorted baked goods at Staff Sign-In for just one dollar each. And looking ahead to summer, the Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School Parent Teacher Organization is selling tickets to a Phillies versus Mets game on Saturday, June 20th at 7:15 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park. Tickets are seventy dollars per person, and the deadline to buy is May 6th. Check the newsletter for the flyer link. Before we wrap up, here's a little something from the newsletter's Just for Fun section. This week's theme is spring words from around the world. There's hanami, a Japanese word, pronounced huh-NAH-mee, meaning the tradition of enjoying the beauty of flowers, especially cherry blossoms, often with a picnic. Petrichor, pronounced peh-truh-kor, is the pleasant, earthy scent of rain on dry ground that we all know from spring's first showers. Lamb storms, or lamb-blasts, is an English term for the cold storms that often arrive in early spring during lambing season. And finally, lenz, a German word pronounced lentz, is a poetic, old-fashioned term for springtime, capturing that feeling of lengthening days. We'll leave you with a quote shared in this week's newsletter, from Sydney Smith: "Try to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened up a small town by your contribution to the funds of general enjoyment." That's all for this edition of Lawrence Together. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update from our community. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.