As of this posting (9-22-03), we are now officially the Lyndon Area High School Organization. The Lyndon Institute administration and Board of Trustees has reviewed our by-laws and given given them the stamp of approval. We are in the formative stages of our organization and would like to invite anyone who is interested to check us out and get involved.

WHAT IS LAHSO AND WHO CAN JOIN?

Lyndon Area High School Association is an extension of the Parent's Association concept. It includes any student in attendance at Lyndon Institute, along with their parents, students who have graduated from L.I. within two years and their parents, and incoming freshman and their parents.

WHY DID WE FORM THIS ORGANIZATION?

Lyndon Institute's Strategic Plan includes the formation of a Parent's Association. Parent's Associations are typical in most independent schools. In fact, the upcoming re-accreditation process includes a review of how a school provides for broad representation of the constituents, including students and parents. Our objectives as stated in our proposed by-laws include facilitating communication, representing members' views to the school, training members for participation, fostering cooperation between members and staff, promoting effective education, and parent education and development. The ideas currently being considered range from keeping the administration informed to raising funds for a new student center, among others.

HOW IS THE LYNDON AREA HIGH SCHOOL ORANITZATION STRUCTURED?

LAHSO will include as broad a representation of parents and students involved with Lyndon Institute as possible. The by-laws hold that we will have a slate of traditional officers as well as two adult and two student delegates for each class and recent Alumni. Representatives will also be elected as sending town delegates from Burke, East Haven, Newark, Lyndon, Sheffield, Wheelock, Kirby, Sutton, and a non-CNSU district, along with delegates from these program areas at Lyndon Institute: College Prep, Technical, Business, Arts, Special Education, Athletics, and the Extracurricular fields.

The purpose of the large number of delegates is to make sure that every group has some form of representation. The broader the representation, the more effective we can be in identifying and discussing the concerns of the students and parents and working together to effect a solution. This will also give us a great voice to promote what is working well at Lyndon Institute.

HOW DO I JOIN?

For more information about membership, by-laws, calendar of events, and other matters, please stay tuned to this website, which will be updated on a regular basis. Your involvement as a student at L.I. or a parent of an L.I. student automatically makes you a member. We are communicating primarily through e-mail at this time, and are working to raise money for mailings and the like.

You may also get more information by contacting:

Shelly Mathias, Acting Chair 626-9916 mathias37@charter.net

Jane Cassady, Parent Representative 626-9998

Dolci Teske, Student Representative 626-5653