Lehigh Valley Academy said goodbye to the Class of 2019 May 28 with a commencement ceremony at Zoellner Arts Center. The senior chorus led the ceremony by singing the “Star Spangled Banner” and the LVA Alma Mater. Student Council President Jermaine Harris and senior Yardley Plasencia gave uplifting, witty, and humorous speeches to the graduating class and audience. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as Placencia thanked his immigrant mom for encouraging him to pursue his education as she herself worked and continued her studies.

After the ceremony concluded, Zoellner Arts Center was abuzz with chatter and laughter as graduates hugged each other and their loved ones, and said their goodbyes from LVA faculty and staff in attendance.

Many activities have taken place at Lehigh Valley Academy since the senior graduation. For example, on May 31, the K-3rd graders ran in LVA’s annual Jaguar Jaunt Walk-A-Thon. This fun event invites students to walk around the buildings with their teachers to support their school pride as LVA Jaguars. Kindergarteners represented their grade by wearing purple, First graders wore orange, Second graders wore yellow, and the Third graders wore green, all adding color to the beautiful, sunny spring day. Go Jaguars!

A favorite event for junior high students is the year-end Field Day. It is the traditional signal that the end of the school year is near. This year, students and teachers spent the day at Hanover Township Park, playing obstacle games and sports. A favorite activity that day was the parachute popcorn game. They also enjoyed playing “Water Balloon Toss” and the obstacle course.

In sports news, the LVA high school soccer teams played June 8 against South Parkland’s U19 team, and their final game is on June 15 between their own U16 and U19 teams. Coach John Fisher has been pushing the teams to their limits during weekly practices so that they can finish off the school year strong!

The last day of school for students is June 13. In the morning, the senior high school will have a ceremony to give out student awards and teacher superlatives, followed by an outdoor pep rally coordinated by the Student Council. The “carnival” themed Quarter 4 pep rally will include bouncy houses, a DJ, and an ice cream truck for senior high School students. A highlight of the event is the teacher dunk tank where students test their throwing skills and try to dunk their teachers into the cold water!

Congratulations to Lehigh Valley Academy for a successful and eventful school year! Have a wonderful summer everyone.