Each month, the LP Link will spotlight an area of District focus with the goal of sharing valuable information and resources with our school community. This month highlights the progress of the Student Services Team (SST) which has been leading a comprehensive review of the student handbook, which contains the school’s attendance and behavioral expectations guidelines.

Convening for the first time in September 2022, the committee met a total of nine times throughout this school year and was composed of the following stakeholders: students, parents, teachers, deans, librarians, counselors, psychologists, support staff, community members, administrators, and a Board of Education member. Thank you to the 29 committee members who invested time in the important work of reviewing and updating the student handbook. The outcome will reflect the values of the Lake Park community while accounting for current legal mandates and the realities of being a student in the early 21st century.

The committee spent time identifying goals, establishing joint beliefs about discipline, and creating norms for how to discuss potential changes. First semester ended with collecting a variety of different handbooks and comparing them to Lake Park’s version. Six areas were targeted and explored for potential rewriting: Student IDs; Cell Phones; Hate Speech and Insensitive Language; Dress Code; Attendance; and Cheating and Plagiarism.

Subgroups presented research on each of the targeted topics highlighting what specifically was in Lake Park’s student handbook and what was documented in a variety of other school and district handbooks. Following informational presentations, each meeting was dedicated to discussing two of the six topics that were slated for a potential rewrite. The subgroups shared responsibility for drafting revised language for each of the targeted topics.

The committee will determine which revisions are ready for recommendation to the Board of Education for inclusion next school year. Following a compliance review by the District’s legal counsel, the revised handbook language will be presented for first discussion at the Monday, April 24 Board of Education meeting and for approval at the Monday, May 22 meeting.

The final student handbook for next year will be posted on the District website. During online registration this summer, Lancer families will be required to acknowledge the revised attendance and behavioral expectations guidelines. SST members will start next school year educating students about the changes.

Committee members will resume their work next year on topics requiring additional discussion and feedback. Any additional revisions recommended by the committee will be presented to the Board in spring 2024.

With the fourth quarter underway, it's never too early to begin thinking about Summer School and Summer Camps!

Visit the website to learn more about opportunities for credit recovery, enrichment, and summer camps.

The school day SAT is scheduled for the junior Class of 2024 on Wednesday, April 12. This SMART day is a non-attendance day for most seniors, except those who did not complete the SAT in April 2022. Additionally, the PSAT will be administered to freshmen and sophomores at East Campus. Buses will return students early following the completion of testing.

As students prepare for the PSAT/SAT exams that will be administered at both campuses on Wednesday, April 12, please refer to the communication for information about transportation, testing requirements, Wake the Brain activities, and more.

.....Grades 9 and 10

.....Grades 11 and 12