Lake Park faculty appreciated the occasion to welcome parents and guardians to both campuses last week during the fall parent-teacher conferences. Nearly 5,500 individual appointments, representing more than 1,025 total students, were conducted during the two-day schedule. This level of engagement from families provides a personal, face-to-face opportunity to highlight student achievement. We also recognize that many families who may not have attended still regularly stay engaged through the use of our Home Access Center.

A unique feature was introduced that allowed parents to write letters of recognition for our staff. The brief teacher appreciation card could be submitted anonymously, or parents had the option to add their name and/or their student's name. The theme clearly stated "the influence of a great teacher can never be erased!" Thank you to our parents who took the time to submit over 150 forms that were hand delivered to faculty members. The response was very positive and had a meaningful impact! Parents are encouraged to complete and return these forms at any time during the year or email teachers directly with a note of appreciation.

The start of this week marked another academic milestone when the Illinois State Board of Education released the annual school and district report cards. Presented in both an " At-a-Glance" and interactive format, the report card information collected during the 2015-16 school year includes data from test scores, student and teacher demographics, enrollment, district-level financial information, graduation rates, post-secondary enrollment and some additional new categories. The Interactive Report Card can be viewed by visiting the State Report Card website and entering "Lake Park."

Our school community is always proud to celebrate the academic achievement of our Lancers, and this edition highlights one measure by recognizing students who earned honor roll status from spring semester. We understand that student success is positively influenced by parental involvement as well as by great teachers and staff. Thank you for your commitment to partnering with us and continuing to raise student expectations.