A Message from the Superintendent
Dr. Panega addresses school safety, security measures and the upcoming national walkouts.
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Dr. Lynn Panega
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In light of the school tragedy in Parkland, FL, emotions are understandably running high. Lake Park experienced challenging moments as social media rumors about school safety surfaced on Friday, February 23 as well as an unrelated threat of school violence on Monday, February 26. The actions and assumptions impacted students, families, staff, and the entire school community.
How we keep our students safe is something we think about, plan for, and act on every day. The safety of our students and staff remains the highest priority of the district and all reports are taken seriously. The administrative team has been debriefing this week in close collaboration with the Roselle Police Department on both of these very different incidents.
I commend our students for following the "if you see or hear something, say something" plan that elicited immediate response. By students sharing information with a trusted adult, the Roselle Police Department was able to launch an immediate investigation with support from the on-campus School Resource Officers. The staff deserve commendation as well for for their response in going above and beyond.
In the spirit of "We Are One" school safety and security is a joint responsibility. With the immediacy and publicity of social media, it is critical that all stakeholders bring forward any threats or concerns as was the situation during the events of this past week. Information can be communicated privately 24/7 via the district's Anonymous Tip Hotline at (630) 529-3001 or by contacting an administrator directly.
As I referenced in my last column, current safety measures in place include: continued review of safety/crisis management plans, School Resource Officers, staff training with active threat drills, student training during Safety Week, locked entrances, visitor screening and registration, video surveillance, and interlocking doors to protect vestibules. Additionally, the district will be conducting an audit of security protocols to explore other measures to enhance security.
Proactive planning is underway with student leaders regarding nationally proposed walkouts on March 14 and April 20 to protest school violence. Students have expressed the importance of ensuring their voices are heard, whether they choose to walk out or seek alternative activities that create a unified message to honor the victims of school violence. Staff members have received guidance addressing expectations, roles and responsibilities, supervision of students participating in the protest and those who remain in class, attendance, and keeping students safe. While Lake Park cannot condone or encourage student participation in the nationwide walkouts, we can anticipate the possibility of such an event and develop an action plan to ensure safety. Parent communication will be forthcoming.
As always, thank you for your proactive involvement to keep Lake Park safe! Please continue to work closely with us to maintain open lines of communication that are paramount to a safe and caring environment.
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Adjustments to the 2017-18 School Calendar
Review the school calendar for adjusted dates to finals and the last day of school.
This version of the calendar reflects the addition of
Monday, June 4 due to the snow day on Friday, February 9 as well as
Tuesday, June 5 due to the cancellation of classes on Friday, February 23.
Spring semester final exams will be administered during June 4-5, which now represent the last two days of the school year.
The last regular school day for seniors is
Wednesday, May 23
. Senior finals will take place
Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25
. Classes in which seniors receive a grade of A or B are exempt from traditional final exams. Seniors are not exempt from senior projects, presentations, or capstones. For students who have completed these activities before May 24, their teacher will determine if they are required to be in attendance during final exam days.
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The Familiar Sound of a State Spirit March
Lake Park Boys Swimmer and VEX Robotics team compete in State
Congratulations to 2-time IHSA State Qualifier Ben Kimmel (10) for competing in the Illinois State High School Association Swimming and Diving competition last weekend at Evanston Township High School. Ben qualified for the IHSA State Swimming meet in both the 100 Butterfly and 100 Backstroke, in which he respectively earned 5th place and 6th place finishes at State. The Lancers Boys Swimming program is coached by head coach Dan Witteveen and assistant coach Tim Layer.
Congratulations to Lake Park's Robotics team that competed in the
Illinois VEX Robotics High School State Championship on Saturday, February 24 at Niles North High School. Pre-qualified teams had the opportunity to compete and advance to the World Competition. In only the second year of competition, Lake Park's VEX Robotics finished the state championship meet with a 4-4 record, placing ahead of 27 other teams. The team is coached by Engineering and Manufacturing teacher Matt Sullivan.
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Illinois High School Art Exhibition
Lancer artists selected to display work at statewide show.
The best 1,000 student artists from more than 125 Illinois high schools converged last weekend to showcase their art and vie for more than $43,000,000 in college scholarships at the 5th annual Illinois High School Art Exhibition (IHSAE). The show runs through Friday, March 9 at the Zhou B Art Center and Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood.
Congratulations to Lake Park art students who had their work accepted into this year's exhibition: Kerry Devaney, Erica Garcia, Brianna Henderson and Zuzana Strapoc. Their artwork was selected to be displayed with more than 500 other artists from around the state. Erica Garcia won a silver award for her sculpture in a field of over 100 works in the show.
Congratulations to Anjelika Castillo, Johana Allen and Yoana Tosheva for their art work that was selected to be included in this year's senior portfolio competition. These Lancers were awarded a combined total of $420,000 in scholarship offers from colleges and universities for their three portfolios.
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LPEF Scholarship Applications Due March 8
Last chance for seniors to submit scholarship applications!
The Lake Park Educational Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of 30 scholarships totaling over $23,000 that are available for qualifying Lake Park seniors in the Class of 2018.
Last chance! Scholarship applications are due to the West Campus Career Center by
Thursday, March 8
.
Students must submit a completed common scholarship application, essay(s), and appropriate supporting materials for each scholarship.
Visit the
Foundation's scholarship webpage
to view more information.
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"Let It Be Us" Backpack Drive
Lancers unite to collect school supplies for foster care children.
Lake Park Student Council and Civics in Action launched a collection drive this week that will be hosted through
Friday, March 9. The
"Let It Be Us" Backpack Drive strives to provid
e for children in the foster care system by giving them something of their own. The campaign to collect
backpacks and school supplies is part of a larger statewide service project for the Illinois Association of Student Councils.
Lancers may participate by bringing donations to second period classes. The list of needed supplies includes:
1 backpack (no shoulder/messenger bags)
3 composition notebooks (no spirals)
1 large pencil case
1 two-pack of erasers
1 dozen number 2 pencils (no mechanical)
1 pack of loose leaf paper
3 black, red, and blue pens
1 pack of 12 colored pencils
4 plastic folders
1 basic function calculator
1 pack of notecards
1 pack of highlighters
1 pack of 2-inch binders
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Winter Guard Home Show
Enjoy the pageantry at West Campus on March 10.
Lake Park High School's nationally ranked Varsity and Junior Varsity Winter Guard units will take center stage when the Midwest Color Guard Circuit hosts the Winter Guard Home Show at West Campus on
Saturday, March 10 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The show will feature over 30 winter guard units from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Winter Guard, called the "Sport of the Arts" is an indoor version of Color Guard that brings music to life through the use of set design, costuming, flags, sabers, rifles, other equipment as well as dance, interpretive movement and acting.
The entire performance schedule and ticket prices for the Winter Guard Home Show are available on the Midwest Color Guard Circuit website at
www.midwestcolorguard.com.
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Illinois Science Assessment
Testing will be administered in Biology classes on March 15 and 16.
The Illinois State Board of Education requires all public high schools to administer a science test to students enrolled in Biology. On Thursday, March 15 and Friday, March 16, Lake Park will administer the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) to students during their Biology class. Students will need to come to class prepared to take the assessment on their charged Chromebook.
The ISA is designed to reflect classroom experiences. Many students who took the assessment last year said the ISA seemed more like instruction than a test. Students do not simply select an answer and fill in the bubble of a multiple-choice test. Rather, the ISA pushes students to apply their knowledge when they give answers, thus better preparing them for higher education and a career. All students deserve the opportunity to demonstrate what they know; they get to see how knowledge is applied to real-life situations.
Parents are encouraged to talk with children about the importance of doing their best on the ISA, while communicating that the assessment yields only one piece of information about students and Lake Park's progress.
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Community Connection
Families invited to attend Glenbard Parent Series Workshops.
Through a continued partnership with Glenbard High School District 87, Lake Park families are invited and welcome to attend the Glenbard Parent Series (GPS) Navigating Healthy Families. Programs are free and open to the public; no registration is required.
Thursday, March 8, 7:00 p.m., Glenbard West High School
Thursday, March 8, 7:00 p.m.,
Glenbard West High School
Saturday, March 17, 7:00 p.m.
, Glenbard South High School
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