Lehigh Valley Academy has had an exciting first quarter, starting off with the school’s very first student-organized senior trip Aug. 27 and 28. The class of 2016 went to Jenkinson’s Boardwalk and Six Flags Great Adventure for a Thursday and Friday full of shenanigans and thrills. LVA senior Marcella King organized the trip with input from her classmates, starting in the spring of her junior year, culminating in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

September contained the annual Middle Years Programme camping trip, in which seventh grade students go to Camp Canadensis up in the Poconos for three days of team building exercises and educational games in groups led by Diploma Programme (upperclassmen) volunteers. This year, the attendees were polled by the 12th grade design technology class as a part of the research for its Internal Assessments. Another notable event was the Go Gold Carnival to raise awareness for childhood cancer. The carnival, organized by senior Linda Ortega, was held Oct. 19 at the Bethlehem Rose Garden Park and included music and dancing, food, raffles, face painting and more.

October was also eventful, with a College Week organized by the senior high counselors Kimberly Bachert and Quanesha Johnson, from Oct. 13 to19 with a college fair featuring admissions counselors from a variety of schools on Tuesday, PSAT testing on Wednesday, a college trivia day on Thursday, a special dress-down day to wear collegiate clothing, and a college themed door decorating contest on Monday.

LVA reached out to the community with teachers Andrew Hall and Alyssa Fink, who held a sold-out pancake breakfast raffle event to raise money for LVA’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) programs at Applebee’s Oct. 10. On Oct. 16, LVA hosted Unity Day, which featured special presentations on bullying and how to prevent it, as well as a dress-down day where every student wore orange to show solidarity against bullying. Seventh grade students in Brenda Howard’s art classes created anti-bullying themed pop art signs to show their support for the elimination of bullying. On Oct. 27, Amber Trunfio’s 12th grade design technology class visited Northampton Community College’s Fab Lab for a tour and delightful hands-on activities with the technology that is discussed in class. Oct. 30 was a dress-down day and students wore pink to help raise awareness for breast cancer.

Upcoming community events in November are the annual Lehigh Valley Academy Barnes & Noble Bookfair Nov. 11 and another Applebee’s Pancake Breakfast Nov. 21. The high school homecoming dance is scheduled for Nov. 13.