What’s recently happened?
Thursday April 6, students at Griffith High School (GHS) went to rural Fair Oaks, Indiana to have a hands-on learning experience at Fair Oaks Farms.
Chaperones Jenna Berzy and Jane Villaroman took students who were taking Sociology, AP Human Geography, or AP Biology to Fair Oaks Farm to learn about how the farm works.
Students were given the opportunity to learn about the milking process of cows and where so much of their food comes from.
Students were given a tour of the farm where they got to see where the animals are kept, as well as how they collect milk from cows and where it goes.
“My favorite part was seeing the baby pigs; they were very cute,” said Student Bella Visak.
For lunch, students were given either a turkey or ham sandwich along with a cup of fresh milk.
“I got the chocolate milk and it was better than any milk I’ve ever had,” said Student Lily Wroblewski.
Students had a great time learning with hands-on experience and a day of fun.
What’s coming up?
The Griffith Theatre Company (GTC) is gearing up for its spring musical, “Annie,” which is set to open Friday, April 21.
The cast and crew of “Annie” have been rehearsing since February, all leading up to the big show.
“I’m really excited to see how the weekend goes, we have all been working so hard every day at rehearsal and I think we’ve managed to put together a great show,” said Destiny Magaña-Stokes, who plays Annie.
The show is directed by Head Director Jenna Parker, Vocal Director Vincent Dore, Costume Director Shannon Scheidel, Hair and Makeup Director Lauren Januska, Technical and Set Director Jim Graff and Choreographer Sara Jongsma.
For the past two weeks, GTC has entered the tech phase with soft tech week and tech week. During these two weeks, rehearsals consist of full run-throughs of the show including costume, microphones, makeup, hair, set, and pit orchestra.
“These two weeks are a lot more stressful, but it’s so cool to see the show come together,” said Hair Manager Sarah Issa.
The spring musical is the last show in the GTC’s drama season, making it very important to many students.
“This is the last show I’ll ever do with the GTC, so I really want to make it great,” said Senior Elijah Neal.
“Annie” will run from April 21-23 and tickets are available on the Panther Box Office website.
Staff spotlight:
Sara Jongsma is one of the three Family and Consumer Science teachers at GHS. This is her ninth year at the school.
“Being a teacher for so long, something I’ve learned is that you shouldn’t ask students to do something that you would never do yourself. I think that rule of thumb has helped maintain a lot of mutual respect in the classroom,” said Jongsma.
Jongsma plays an essential role at GHS not only in her classroom but also through her help in extracurricular activities.
“I love to be involved in the community of the school. In my classroom and in the clubs I run, I always want to create genuine connections with my students,” said Jongsma.
Jongsma is the sponsor and organizer of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club at GHS. She organizes multiple events and fundraisers for the club, including their annual “Dancing with the Panthers” fundraiser. She does this as well as Freshman Class Council.
Jongsma is also the choreographer for the GTC and the coach for color guard.
“I love choreographing for musicals because it’s such a creative outlet for me. Every year before the musical I spend a ton of time just thinking about all the different dances I want to incorporate,” said Jongsma.
Jongsma has been a dancer throughout her entire life starting in third grade. She danced all throughout high school and then majored in dance in college.
Jongsma expressed how important her family is to her saying her favorite thing to do in her free time is spend time with them.
“My daughter Addison is 1, but she is so sassy and I love watching her grow up,” said Jongsma.
Jongsma has a lot to balance with her classes, extracurriculars, and family but she does a wonderful job and puts her whole heart into whatever she’s doing.
Student spotlight:
Alex Cioroianu is a senior at GHS. He is heavily involved in athletics at GHS, having a sport for every season. Cioroianu plays football, basketball, and golf throughout the school year.
Cioroianu said his favorite sport that he plays is basketball where he plays guard.
Cioroianu is a captain in both basketball and golf.
“Being captain, especially of the basketball team, is so rewarding because I get to lead a team that truly cares about the sport and reciprocates the same energy that I bring to them. It’s one of the best feelings in the world,” said Cioroianu.
Outside of sports and school, Cioroianu participates in the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club as well as Class Council.
“I like being in so many clubs and sports because they keep me busy and always give me something positive to do,” said Cioroianu.
Cioroianu plans on attending Purdue University Northwest with a major in Secondary Social Studies Education. His career goals are to become a successful teacher and a coach.
“I want to be a teacher because I want to help change the future and have a positive impact on young minds and try to make them the best they can possibly be,” he said.
In his free time, Cioroianu enjoys playing video games, golfing, and working at Turkey Creek Golf Course.
Cioroianu is one of many of GHS’s promising seniors and students and staff alike are excited to see what this well rounded, intelligent individual chooses to do with his career.