The Legend is published monthly by Lake Placid High School, 202 Green Dragon Drive, Lake Placid, FL 33852

The Legend May 2015

And now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break

Dates to Remember!

rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.” ~ Neil Gaiman

From the Desk of Mrs. Stivender By Jayda Knight-Austin  

May 25— Memorial Day May 30— Graduation Day

June 4— 2 Hour Early Release / Final Day of School June 5— Teacher’s Last Day June 19— Report Cards Available for Pick Up August 19— First Day of School Editor: Alexis Merlo

Volume 8 Issue 11

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Students continue to take and prepare for EOCs and final exams The upcoming destination prom offers both advantages and drawbacks Mrs. Stivender offers advice to seniors

The 2014-2015 school year is drawing to a close, leaving much to contemplate in its wake. With nearly two semesters spent, students have a lot to look back on as well as a lot to look forward to. Mrs. Stivender has some words to offer as we look back on things that have happened and look forward to what is still to come. Testing Recently, all underclassmen took Florida’s brand new standardized test. The FSA replaced the FCAT, generating both positive and negative feedback. Considering that this was the first year that the FSA was given, Mrs. Stivender says that she cannot tell which she prefers until next year. No test results are yet available for the FSA, and testing is far from over. As students prepare for EOCs and finals, Mrs. Stivender suggests that stu-

dents take them seriously, because grades are important. Prom This year’s prom will be held at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. Mrs. Stivender plans to attend. The location of prom offers both pros and cons, in her opinion. On the plus side, she says that a destination prom will be “something new and exciting,” a change from the typically local venues of proms past. On the contrary, she says that the distance that students must travel to attend prom “takes away time for group dinner or after plans.” Reflection In looking back on the school year as a whole, Mrs. Stivender has been impressed with students thus far, but she highlights a recent drop in academic concentration levels. “Students were well behaved and focused until the fourth nine weeks,” she says. She also notes the tumult of losing teachers this year, recounting the difficulty of the

situation. Anticipation Concerning the upcoming school year, Mrs. Stivender says, “Students need to focus on school work and working hard.” She further adds that schedule changes made this year will be maintained in the year to come. “C” Day, she says, has been beneficial to her, and the staff decided to keep this schedule for 20152016. The new study hall structure will remain as the same period on two days a week, but Mrs. Stivender is looking into a new structure to replace AAP. Seniors Mrs. Stivender has a special relationship with the class of 2015. She has been principal of Lake Placid High for four years now, and she says that she “has seen this year’s seniors blossom.” She advises them to “be ready for the real world” as they prepare to graduate.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month By Kristen Harris be diagnosed at some point in their lives, a majority before age fourteen. However, many cases  of mental conditions go undiag nosed every year. Mental health should be thought of in the same light of physical health. A April showers bring healthy mind is important to all May flowers and aspects mental health awareof a ness. For the past healthy sixty-five years, life, Mental Health espeAwareness Month cially has been observed to for stubring to light certain dents. issues that are often Students can easily overlooked.. It is led by the orapply mental health awareness ganization Mental Health Amerto their own lives. A mental ica. This year’s campaign focus health screening is a simple first is “B4Stage4,” which aims to step that can be taken. A free, address mental health issues anonymous version is avaliable early on before they can reach online from Georgetown Unithe critical final stage. versity . However, results from Statistics show that one online screenings should not be in five adults in the United taken as final verdict. Students States will have a diagnosable should discuss any issues that mental condition this year, and arise with parents and profesnearly half of the population will 

Students can easily apply mental health awareness to their own lives A mental health condition is not a stigma Nearly half of the population will be diagnosed at some point in their lives

sional mental health experts. Mental health is not limited to the picture that Hollywood has painted of the psychotic, emotionless individual. Mental health conditions include depression, anxiety, ADD, OCD, and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Common treatments include therapy and peer support. If a student is concerned about his or her mental health, it should not be taken lightly. A mental health condition is not a stigma, and help is readily available The Crisis Center can be contacted at 800-273-8255 or by texting ANSWER to 839863. A myriad of helpful hotlines and informative websites can be found with a simple internet search. This May is the perfect time to take inventory of one’s own mental health.

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The Legend

Volume 8, Issue 11

Mrs. Daum “Graduates” with the Class of 2015 By Ana Ramirez

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This school year will be the last year Mrs. Daum will be at Lake Placid High School After graduating from LPHS, she decided to take the position as test coordinator She has been working at LPHS for 31 years

After this year, Lake Placid High School will be losing a valuable employee, Mrs. Joan Daum. After thirty-one years, she will be retiring from the hallways she once walked though as a student. Mrs. Daum was born in Georgia but was brought to Florida when she was eighteen months. She described herself as a happy, energetic, and social little girl. Growing up, Mrs. Daum dreamed of

becoming a guidance counselor. She wanted to help younger students make better choices and to guide them in the right

direction. Mrs. Daum first studied at South Florida State College then transferred to The University of Central Florida where she received her business

degree. After UCF, she went to The University of South Florida where she received her degree in guidance counseling. After finishing her education, Mrs. Daum decided to return to work at the high school she graduated from because returned to live in Lake Placid. She has been a dedicated employee for thirty-one years, serving as test coordinator and guidance counselor. Unfortunately for LPHS, Mrs. Daum will be retiring after this year is over. She plans to travel more, spend quality time with her family, and

practice her hobbies which includes pottery and crocheting. Mrs. Daum will definitely miss working at LPHS and will miss the students and working with the faculty. Her favorite memory from working here at school will be her first year at LPHS. With a smile on her face, she tells The Legend she is unable to share those memories. She says she learned a lot from students and had fun times when students made jokes to scare her.

Editorial: Don’t Stop, Keep Moving Forward By Alexis Merlo The human race, no matter what social class, nationality, or religion, constantly looks into the past. History is a vital part of school education. Many cultures are upheld by an oral or written history. However, for high schoolers, looking into the past is only a distraction. Students are taught to focus on the here and now, or (for senior especially) focus on the future. “You need scholarships for college, so apply now!” “Don’t slack off – you’ll need the grades in the future!” These phrases constantly float around and bang students on the head; many students get quite fed up with hearing them. My freshman and sophomore years were learning years for me. I learned how this school worked, where everything and everyone was, and who did what and when. I had many fantas-

tic teachers during those two years that cultivated and increased my knowledge in all areas. My junior year was a year of hard work, when I started preparing for college. I took many core classes during that year. My senior year was not an easy ride – I had just as much work to do as I did in my previous years. However, my senior year has been a blast. I have made many new friends, primarily in my Journalism class (shoutout to y’all!), in which class I have been appointed Editor of The Legend. I also have an earlier ending date, so the last month of my high

school career is being spent making sure I have everything ready for the many programs I must attend as a graduating senior. To be honest, I am not one to dwell on the past. There is a quote by Walt Disney that remains my absolute favorite quote to this day: “Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” My message to the student body is the same. Keep moving forward. Don’t dwell on the past. Everyone has negative memories in their lives. The

trick is to learn how to overcome it, to look towards the future with bright eyes. Keep opening new doors; keep pushing the limits and pushing the boundaries. Break the status quo and stand up for what you believe in. There will be adversity, because there is no way to swim against the current without encountering resistance. Most of all, during those rough times…just keep swimming.

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The Legend

Volume 8, Issue 11

Introducing LPHS’ New Football Coach By Autumn Hindman   

Mr. Hudnell , the new coach, is from Ohio He prefers to be called Coach Hud. He absolutely loves Lake Placid High School

The Legend got the chance to speak with Mr. Hudnell, Lake Placid High School’s newest member. He is LPHS’s new football coach. He prefers to be called Coach “Hud.” He is from Columbus, Ohio and he has been coaching for 25 years. “I like being around kids, and good competition” Coach Hud said. Coach Hud has two kids of his own, Sabrina; who just graduated from Ohio State, and Justin, who is in his second year at Ohio University.

On the football team, Coach Hud says on behalf of the players, “They all stand out, and have a great attitude.” He is planning to run the pistol wing-T offense, and a 4-3 defense. His hopes and goals for the team are simply, “To win.” With his determination and competitive state of mind, next year’s outlook is looking pretty good. The Legend asked a few of the football players their opinion of the new coach. James Blake, 10th grader,

says “He’s strict on the field but cool when you’re out in the hall.” Dederrian ‘Tay’ Williams, 9th grader, says “He demands respect and is strict. He wants the best for the team.” Tay also stated, “He seems like he knows what he’s doing.” Despite Coach Hud’s strict attitude, the team seems to really enjoy his coaching skills. When asked why he chose to come to LPHS, he says “Maybe it chose me. The job was open and I

was happy that the phone rang.” Mr. Hudnell is rather enthusiastic about being here at Lake Placid High, describing it as “The best place on earth, better than Disney.” He is looking forward to working here and starting the football season off right.

Williams, Bell Do Great at State Track Meet in Jacksonville By Katie LeBlanc

On May 1, 2015 Quiahja Williams and Bradley Bell competed in the Class 2A State Track meet in Jacksonville, FL. Both Quiahja and Bradley qualified for the state meet in the event of high jump. They both put in a tremendous amount of time and effort preparing for the meet and their results show it. Quiahja placed ninth overall in state class 2A with a top height of 5 feet. This was her third year of varsity track and field. Last season

Quiahja also made it to state in the high jump; Coach Harris, track and field coach, says that “she is only getting better.” He expects Quiahja to place in the top eight next season if not top five, he “cannot be more proud of Quiahja.” He says that Quiahja’s desire to not fail drives her to be number one and she is never happy with being average. He is looking forward to next season with Quiahja. Bradley placed eleventh overall and achieved his

personal record at the state meet with a height of 6’ 2”. This past season was Bradley’s first year of track and field. Though at the beginning of the season Coach Harris was not expecting him to make it all the way to the state level due to it being Bradley’s first year of track, by the end of the season he showed true talent in the high jump event and excelled past expectations. Coach Harris says that Bradley is very goal-

oriented and he will not take “no” for an answer. “I am very proud, and Lake Placid should be proud of Bradley Bell.” Lake Placid High School is certainly very proud of these state level athletes and looks forward to seeing them excel through sports and in life.

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The Legend

Volume 8, Issue 11

‘Bring Your Own Device’ Policy Gets a New Update By Nick Videll and Ricardo de Jesus

The current BYOD, or “bring your own device” policy, states that all students can bring phones, tablets, computers to school and students can also log on to the schools wireless network. The BYOD policy user agreement states that devices should only be used on school campus with the teachers consent or permission. The wireless range for BYOD covers all of the school campus except for the school parking lot and pool area. The school plans on adding more wireless routers

so the schools wireless network is available in the pool area. BYOD is giving students faculty and staff immediate access to information that they did not have access to without the BYOD wireless network. Thanks to this wireless network, students can research more information more efficiently, and also academically. Mrs. Stivender and Mr. Wilson both agree that BYOD should and will come back next school year. The wireless network will be filtered and protected by the computer system iboss.

This system keeps students and faculties’ devices safe from viruses. This system is safe and students, parents, faculty and staff should not worry about endangering their personal devices. It is recommended to always keep your device safe in your book bag, pocket or if the device is to big like an Ipad or laptop than keep the device in its carrying bag. Since BYOD is being used so often students need to charge their devices; but it would take an incredibly large amount of devices being plugged in at one time to be

noticed in the schools electrical bill. Computers and Phones use so little energy that it barely moves the tick on the electric bill.

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The Legend

Volume 8, Issue 11

South Ridge Soccer Club

John and Michelle Merlo Lake Placid, FL 33852

The Legend congratulates all graduating seniors!

Good luck on your future endeavors and remember: We are ONE DRAGON!