Due to the length of this message, the bottom portion may be clipped in your email, and only accessible by using a link at the bottom.
February 1, 2021

Dear LFHS Students and Families, 

I hope you are having a positive start to the second semester. With so many changes in motion and on the horizon, I am hopeful that we will continue to increase opportunities for students to engage in meaningful ways at LFHS. There is a lot of positive energy at LFHS and, if all continues to go well, it will continue to spread. 

This communication includes new and previously shared information for your review and consideration. 

Updating Student Learning Preferences 
Students/families are asked to consider potential updates to learning preference selections. On February 8th, we will send a message to all families with a form to submit if there is a desire to change learning preferences for the remainder of the semester. 

Forms should only be submitted if a learning preference change is requested. Otherwise, there is no need to submit the form. Updates preference selections will begin on Monday, February 22nd. 

If there is a need to make a change prior to this date, please email Chala Holland (cholland@lfschools.net) and include Kat Berger (kberger@lfschools.net) on the message. 

Voluntary Testing 
Weekly voluntary COVID-19 testing is now available for staff and students at Lake Forest High School. Testing is offered on Mondays and Thursdays each week from 7:00 - 11:00 AM in the Competition Gym. Registration is required and available HERE. Please register in advance. 

For students returning to in-person learning and who need to take a gateway test, please make arrangements to participate in testing, prior to your first day of in-person learning. 

Student Course Registration Information for 2021-2022
Students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades will be meeting with their Counselors to register for next year’s courses during the month of January, February and March. Please click HERE for helpful information to make this process as smooth as possible.

If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact Gail Moesta 847-582-7388, gmoesta@lfschools.net, or your student’s Counselor.

Attendance and Engagement Reminders
Please take a moment to review our attendance and engagement reminders from our Deans, Mr. Lesniak and Mrs. Tomek. 

Academic Supports 
As we make our way through the beginning of second semester, many of the same challenges related to teaching and learning still will exist over the next few months. An important component of academic success for your student is taking advantage of the ability to connect with educators in our building beyond normal class time. 
 
Students are encouraged to utilize Personalized Learning Time (PLT) on Wednesdays from 2:35 p.m. - 3:25 p.m. Additionally, our Department Resource Centers are open throughout each school day and staffed by educators who can help students with content and skill-related questions. Please go to our district homepage to access the schedule and accompanying google meet links or click here

Executive Functioning tutoring sessions can be scheduled twice per week for students in need of support with organization, time prioritization, managing coursework expectations, work completion, advocacy, and other skills to support a successful navigation of school. Peer tutoring is available at all academic levels. Students who require extra support may participate in the daily Check-in/Check-out, and Check and Connect programs, develop a collaborative academic recovery plan, or receive wrap-around support. Please visit the Student Services webpage for more information or to access supportive services.
 
Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities. Students and parents may request support at any time by completing the student support request form on the Student Services webpage.
 
If a student needs to make-up or take a class assessment, they can work with their teachers to make-up the assessment in our Test Make-Up Center. 

Course Material Pick-up/Drop-off Location and Hours 
We will continue to provide opportunities for you to physically pick-up or drop-off items on campus. Recognizing that some students will continue with remote learning for the duration of the semester, this will occur every week. 
  • Location: Raymond Moore Auditorium (RMA) Entrance 
  • Days/Times: Tuesday and Fridays - 7:45am - 8:45am and 3:00pm - 4:15pm
  • Prior to Arriving on Campus for Material Pick-up and Drop-off
  • Please complete the Health Screener, prior to arriving on campus. It will allow for a quicker (and warmer) process. No one will be permitted to enter the building without completing the screener. Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation. 
  • If you are returning items, please make sure they are appropriately arranged and clearly labeled with your name, the name of your teacher, and class. 
  • If necessary, please communicate with your teacher(s) before arriving on campus to ensure that items are prepared and ready to be retrieved.

CORE Teams 
All LFHS students are assigned a CORE Team. CORE Teams provide direct support and advocacy to students. If you have questions about various aspects of your student-life at LFHS or need support in any way, do not hesitate to reach out to one of your CORE Team members for assistance. Here is the link to review the staff members on your specific team. 

Athletic Updates
Currently we are offering the following winter sports: B/G Basketball, B-Swimming & Diving, Competitive Cheer, Competitive Dance, G-Gymnastics, G-Badminton, and Special Olympics Basketball. These sports are currently running and will end by March 13th, with the exception of G-Badminton which has an end date of April 3rd.  

Schedules for competitions will be posted to the Lake Forest Athletic Page, by their sport, once they have been approved by the North Suburban Conference. Please check for updates by clicking on the ‘Winter Tab’ and selecting the appropriate sport and level. 

All Athletes who are planning to participate in extracurricular athletics need to participate in one-time Gateway testing prior to their initial participation. Student-athletes who are participating in the LFHS basketball programs this Winter will be required to participate in on-going Covid-19 testing once a week. A negative Monday test covers Monday through Sunday, while Thursday testing covers Thursday through the following Wednesday.

Testing is offered on Mondays and Thursdays each week from 7:00 - 11:00 AM in the Competition Gym. Registration is required and available HERE. Please register in advance. 

The following sports will be offered during the upcoming timeframes. Please make sure to check with the Athletic Office to sign-up and make sure your paper work is on file.
  • Spring Season 
  • B-Soccer and G-Field Hockey (March 1 - April 17)
  • Football, Sideline Cheer, & Sideline Dance (March 3 - April 24)
  • G-Volleyball (March 8 - April 24th)
  • B&G Water Polo (March 15 - May 29)
  • Summer Season
  • Special Olympics Track (April 5 - May 29)
  • Baseball, B&G Lacrosse, G-Soccer, Softball, B-Tennis, B&G Track, B-Volleyball (Apr 5 - Jun19)
  • Wrestling (April 19 - June 12)

Additional information regarding out-of-season Contact Days will be posted to the Athletic Home Page as it becomes available.

Clubs and Activities Updates
Student clubs and activities may now meet with up to 25 individuals (including adults) in one space with all social distancing measures followed. Any student attending in-person activities will need to make sure they have a negative gateway test on file in order to pass the symptom screener. Please check the group’s Schoology page or reach out to the sponsor to find out if a club will be meeting in person or virtually. You may also check the monthly activities calendar on the LFHS website. Many clubs require a student to RSVP to in-person meetings to ensure the proper meeting space is available.

Some activities are deemed medium risk, including Talent Show and the musical. Students involved in these activities will need to participate in weekly Covid testing.

Prom Updates 
The Junior Class Student Council members and APT Prom Committee are committed to hosting a memorable and unique prom event. There will be more information shared in the coming weeks. 

Career Connections: Summer Opportunity Fair
On Friday, February 26th, the APT Career Connections team is planning a virtual Summer Opportunity Fair for students to learn more about summer jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities. In the morning, we will have volunteer experts helping students virtually to prepare their resumes, discuss interviewing skills, and learn more about LinkedIn profiles. In the afternoon, we are inviting 14 employers or nonprofit partners to spend 20 minutes introducing their summer opportunities to our students and answer questions. Students may attend any session of interest. After the Summer Opportunity Fair, students may apply directly for the opportunities and follow the summer hiring process, if applicable. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Malec at amalec@lfschools.net.

Parking Updates
Parking permits for students are still required to park on campus. Please contact Ms. Malec at amalec@lfschools.net for more information.

Confidential Reporting Tool 
Student well-being and safety is a top priority at LFHS. The Confidential Reporting Tool (CRT) is an internal notification system that informs school officials about safety, security, and well-being concerns and/or threats. Students can access the CRT on their Chromebooks or the LFHS Homepage. Confidential Reporting Tool
Upcoming Calendar Information

Wednesday, February 3rd - Non-Attendance Day for Students 
On February 3rd, LFHS staff will engage in a Blended/Remote Learning Planning Day. These are special days issued by the state to support staff with planning and preparation needs associated with blended and remote learning. This is a non-attendance day for LFHS students. 

For full weeks following the return to in-person learning on January 19th,
the e-Hybrid Schedule will be followed (BW/Color)
SPECIAL WEEKS DURING THE SECOND SEMESTER - 2020-2021
Specific Week/Date
Event
Special Weekly Schedule
It has been great re-engaging students in in-person learning and relaunching our extracurricular activities. Our reopening has been fairly smooth and it is because we are all working together. Whether students are learning in-person or have decided to engage in remote learning, I am grateful that we are able to accommodate various learning preferences desired across the school community. Every week, we continue to engage, learn, and improve. 

As always, thank you for your understanding and your shared commitment towards supporting and improving the experiences and opportunities we provide to our students. 

Sincerely,
Chala Holland
LFHS Principal