LP Link
March 13, 2015 
In This Issue
Superintendent's Column
State Bound Lancers
PE Exemptions
Share Your Feedback
Booster Club Scholarships
5.0 Academic Distinction
Winter Guard
Community Connection
Commemorative Bricks
AP Test Registration
Spirit of Excellence
Vaccination Requirement
Market Day
Important Dates

 
Superintendent's Column 


Dr. Lynne Panega

Today marks the end of the third quarter already, and Lake Park's successes and accomplishments provide positive momentum as we head into the final months of the 2014-2015 school year. Similar to our students who have been taking ACT and PARCC assessments in recent weeks, our administrative team must continually evaluate our own practices and measure how we can do better. 


In the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing more information with you about our transition to online registration for next school year. Although parents have previously had the option to choose to register online or in person, moving to a complete online version will provide greater efficiency and improve accuracy. We understand that change involves a learning curve for everyone involved, and that is why communication with our families will be an important part of the process leading up to the June launch.

Another important example of where technology and communication intersect is the district's website. We acknowledge that Lake Park has been working with an outdated content management system that has been difficult for users and managers of the site. Our goal has been to customize a fresh template that will make navigation easier and more intuitive, while allowing us to feature content that is timely and relevant. The final development of the new website is underway, and we will share more details as we approach a launch date.

The value of two-way communication is that it helps us to best understand your individual needs and preferences for receiving information from the district. I encourage you to share your feedback by taking a brief, 10-question survey. Your input allows us to evaluate our efforts and develop future enhancements, especially as we roll out initiatives including online registration and a new website.

Please know that as we continue to seek formal opportunities to measure your satisfaction, Lake Park certainly welcomes your feedback at any time. The last quarter of this school year will be filled with numerous celebrations of our students and school community. I invite you to stay involved by attending these upcoming events and programs that recognize our Lancers. Thank you for your support!

 

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The Lake Park High School Community Relations Office publishes the LP Link bi-weekly to highlight the latest news at Lake Park.  If you have any questions or comments, please contact Sherri Anderson, director of communications, at [email protected].
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Lancer Pride Shines in State and Sectional Competitions

Best wishes to our 48 DECA students who will represent Lake Park and compete in the Illinois Career Development State Conference hosted this weekend in Decatur.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.

Congratulations to the boys basketball on their exciting IHSA Sectional victory over Palatine High School on Wednesday night.  The Lancers advanced to the IHSA 4A Sectional Championship game versus St. Viator tonight, Friday, March 13 at Barrington High School.  The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. and admission is $5.  Fans are encouraged to wear NAVY Lake Park gear to support our home team.  A win tonight could advance the Lancers to the IHSA Super Sectional on Tuesday, March 17 at NIU Convocation Center to play the winner of Geneva and Rockford Auburn at 7:30 p.m.  GO LANCERS!  

PE Exemptions Approved: Grade 11 & 12 Varsity Level Athletes

Following several months of discussion, presentations and testimony from stakeholders, Board of Education members voted to approve a revision to Policy 6.310 (Credit for Alternative Courses and Programs and Course Substitutions) during the February 23 meeting.  The revision incorporates PE exemptions for grade 11 and grade 12 varsity level athletes.

The administrative recommendation for exemptions for grade 11 and grade 12 varsity level athletes was based on providing students with choice and the opportunity to achieve balance between athletics and academics.

In addition, administrative guidelines were developed for implementing the exemptions for grade 11 and grade 12 varsity level athletes. Although the Board does not formally approve administrative guidelines, the documentation provides additional insights as to how the expansion of Policy 6.310 will be implemented. 

Share Your Feedback about School Communication

Thank you to students, staff and parents for recently completing the Illinois 5Essentials survey mandated by the Illinois State Board of Education and administered by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago.  The opportunity provided a voice to stakeholders for improving schools statewide, and results will be published in the School Report Cards released statewide next fall.


Lake Park highly 
values your input and is seeking responses that are tailored to specific districtwide communication efforts.  By taking a brief, 10-question survey, you can share your feedback and help us to best understand your individual needs and preferences for receiving information from the high school.  Your input will allow us to evaluate our efforts and develop future enhancements.  Look for more survey opportunities and polls in future editions of the LP Link to stay connected!

Booster Club to Award $3,000 in Scholarships 

The Lake Park Booster Club is pleased to announce the availability of two $1000 and two $500 Scholarships to be awarded to four student athletes.  The application is available for download or can be picked-up in the counseling office.  The deadline to apply is Monday, March 23.

Students Earn 5.0 Academic Distinction

Congratulations to the following 91 seniors who have achieved a cumulative 5.0 grade point average or higher through seven semesters at Lake Park High School:

 

Daniyal Aamir, Jose Aguilera, Javerea Ahmed, Edan Armas, Emily Armbrecht, Natalie Banas, Gabrielle Bandovich, Giovanni Basso, Brian Bayer, Morgan Bayne, Modesta Bazyte, Natalia Bedtke, Zainab Bhojani, Erin Bottino, Linnae Capuder, Francesca Catalano, Marisa Clark, Summer Clark, Marianna Colucci, Jaclyn Dellaria, Kaitlin DeSimone, Anne Dickerson, Claire Dwyer, Jaclyn Fant, Jacquelyn Felcan, David Fitzgerald, Giuseppina Fricano, Rachel Gebka, Kevin Gordon, Jennifer Graf, Hayley Graves, Brian Grimaldi, Blake Heitman, Cassidy Henshaw, Branden Hentrich, Reilly Higgs, Fefe Ho, Syed Imam, Ponnu Jose, Stephanie Kadej, Kelsey Kaufmann, Maegen Kincanon, Emma Kirkham, Anna Kubalewski, Daniel Lee, Vasyl Leziuk, Justin Li, Vanessa Majula, Francesco Mariani, Lorenzo Mariana, Labeja Martin, Katarina Martucci, Kathleen Maurice, Kiley Mette, Melanie Minuche, Nico Mirandola, Anindita Mukherjee, Amanda Novak, Matthew Pajor, Joseph Palandri, Alexis Pall, Rachel Palmer, Jenna Palmisano, Kayla Palmisano, Austin Patchin, Nirali Patel, Payal Patel, Riddhi Patel, Kelsey Powell, Rachel Pudell, Joshua Pullman, Michael Race, Paula Ramirez, Jarissa Sabal, Neema Samawi, Samuel Schumacher, Kenneth Schutz, Jay Singh, Emily Skog, Joseph Spitalli, Monika Spytek, Stephen Steiner, Kaylee Sye, Vinit Vaghani, Monica VanDuyne, Tyler Vittal, Nicole Weirich, Timothy Weiss, Karley Wolf, Rachel Wortsman, Terry Yu

Winter Guard Champions

Congratulations to Lake Park's Varsity and Junior Varsity Winter Guard teams who won top honors last weekend at the annual Lake Park Winter Joust.  Thirty schools competed in this day-long competition hosted at West Campus.

 

Special thanks to parent volunteer Tom Hollatz for recording and posting videos of the Lake Park teams:

View Varsity's first place performance.

View JV's first place performance.


Best of luck to the teams as they head to Cincinnati this weekend to compete in WGI Regional competition.  

Community Connection   

 

NHS Donation Benefits Local Senior Citizen

Lake Park's National Honor Society recently made a $1,000 donation benefiting the Senior Citizen Project at the Humanitarian Service Project.  For the past 15 years, NHS has contributed to this organization through annual fundraising efforts during the Market Day pie sales.  We are proud of our Lancers for making this generous contribution to "sponsor" a Downers Grove resident and help provide fresh, wholesome and nutritious food for a year.

 

The mission of the Senior Citizen Project is to provide nutritional food for the needy elderly in DuPage and Kane Counties every month of the year, and thereby alleviate the suffering and hardship that poverty brings.  Of the 100,000 seniors in DuPage and Kane Counties, over 8,000 are classified as "needy" which means they receive less than $725 per month. 

Memorial Garden Commemorative Brick Orders Due Soon

Work on the Memorial Garden is scheduled to begin over spring break with a dedication ceremony planned for Saturday, May 30, at 10:00 a.m.  The Lake Park Educational Foundation is in the process of finalizing the ordering of the commemorative bricks.  Orders for commemorative bricks which will be installed this spring are due on Monday, April 6. In future years, bricks will be ordered and installed on an annual basis.


The Foundation has had an overwhelming response from many Lake Park staff, retirees, and community members in donating to the Memorial Garden.   If you have already contributed to the efforts, please know how much it is appreciated.


If you are in touch with family and friends of other Lake Park staff, retirees, alumni, or board members who have passed away, please forward this information to anyone you know who may be interested in honoring their memory with a commemorative brick in the Lake Park Memorial Garden.

AP Test Registration Closes March 27
Advanced Placement testing will occur from May 4 to May 15. New this school year, Lake Park is pleased to offer online AP test registration and payment. To register, visit the registration link that will remain open until the end of the day (11:59 pm) on Friday, March 27. Registration ends after March 27.

The College Board has established this year's fee of $91 per test. For those who prefer to pay by check, complete your registration online but bring in or mail your check to Mrs. Sheila Finstein in the main office at West Campus. Please make checks payable to "Lake Park High School" and provide your student's ID number in the memo line. 

 

Once your child has registered, download a copy of the 2014-2015 Bulletin for AP Students and Parents. The College Board developed this bulletin to help parents and students become familiar with the procedures involved with AP testing, important dates, and grade reporting. A hard copy of this publication is available from Mrs. Finstein at West, and from Mrs. Anne Coppola in the main office at East.

Celebrating our Spirit of Excellence Honorees

Spirit of Excellence Logo

Distinguished alumni, students and staff will be honored at the seventh annual Lake Park Spirit of Excellence Celebration Dinner on Thursday, April 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Medinah Shriners in Addison. The Lake Park High School Educational Foundation established the award program to honor excellence at Lake Park High School.


Seventeen seniors are being recognized for their service, extraordinary effort, achievement and leadership throughout their high school years. These students were selected because they possess qualities for other students to emulate and have achieved special accomplishments in addition to their academic success while at Lake Park.


The following seniors will be receiving the Lake Park Spirit of Excellence Award:
Edan Armas, Emily Armbrecht, Giovanni Basso, Natalia Bedtke, Francesca Catalano, Marianna Colucci, Claire Dwyer, Maria Kubalewski, Kiley Mette, Jenna Palmisano, Austin Patchin, Rachel Pudell, Jarissa Sabal, Sam Schumacher, Joey Spitalli, Kaylee Sye, Tim Weiss


Four staff members will also be receiving the Spirit of Excellence Awards. John Gates, Pia Laudadio, Tim Moran and Tim Richmond were nominated by colleagues and community members for demonstrating excellence at Lake Park and within the community, inspiring others to contribute to the school, providing a special service to enhance his/her department, and demonstrating care, concern and passion to students and colleagues.

The following distinguished alumni will be recognized at the Spirit of Excellence Awards Program for their outstanding career achievements and accomplishments in life. 


Susan Blair (Class of 1962): After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in Journalism, Susan began her career as a Copy Chief at TIME magazine.  She eventually became Deputy Copy Chief and then Copy Chief for the magazine from 1979-2001.  In the more than 31 years that she worked for TIME, the two biggest stories of her career bracketed the last twelve months of her tenure: the disputed presidential election of 2000, undecided until a Supreme Court ruling five weeks after Election Day, and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. In addition to her work for TIME, Susan served as a member of the editorial advisory board for the "Copyediting" newsletter, as a member of the executive committee of the American Copy Editors Society, as a member of the Board of Deacons for the First Presbyterian Church of Sag Harbor, New York, and as a board member for the DuVal Family Association.  In addition to organizing the first revision of the TIME magazine style manual, she also wrote articles based on interviews with members of the New York Islanders professional hockey team that appeared in "Goal" magazine and a unit on editing for the TIME Educational Program.  
 

Daren Carollo (Class of 1995): After graduating from Illinois State University with a major in theater, Daren began his professional career as Production Manager at Willows Theatre Company in Concord, California.  He then became Technical Director at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Production Manager for the Marin Theatre Company, and Artistic Director for the Diablo Theatre Company before becoming CEO for Carollo & Palumbo, LLC in Oakland, California and New York, New York as well as Executive Director for Broadway by the Bay in Redwood City, California.  Over the last 10 years, Daren has directed over 50 plays and produced the off-Broadway musical "bare," and "A Time to Kill" on Broadway.  He received a 2013 Arty Award as best director for the musical "Les Miserable," a 2012 Shellie Award for directing the musical "The Drowsy Chaperone," a 2011 Arty Award for directing the play "Dracula," and a 2009 Arty Award for directing the musical "Assassins."  In 2014 Daren joined the Berkeley Playhouse family.  
 

Mark Rouleau (Class of 1976): After graduating as a President's Scholar in Economics with a second major in Political Science, Mark earned his law degree from DePaul University.  He began his legal career with the law firm of Crosby and Lambert before opening his own firm in Rockford, Illinois.  Admitted to practice before the Illinois Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Supreme Court, Mark has appeared as a speaker on Sky Radio's American Premier Lawyers.  Other professional activities include being a council member on the Illinois State Bar Association's (ISBA) Practice and Procedure Section and Continuing Legal Education Section, chairperson of the ISBA Tort Section Council, editor of the ISBA YLD newsletter, member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) Amicus Committee and Supreme Court Rules Committee, and a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  He also authored over 20 articles in professional legal journals and has made presentations at over 20 legal conferences.  A volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and the Boy Scouts of America, where he previously earned Eagle Scout distinction, Mark received the 2010 ITLA William J. Harte Amicus Volunteer Award.                                                                               

Meningitis Requirement for 2015-2016 School Year

Beginning next school year (Fall 2015) all students grade 12 will be required to show proof of recent meningococcal conjugate vaccination (MCV).  One dose must be administered after 16 years of age. This vaccination will prevent your student from a severe form of bacterial meningitis.  Documentation accepted will be a note signed by your health care provider with the date the MCV was administered.  

Support LPHS with a Market Day Order

Introducing fresh produce: three assortment options (Family Produce, Gourmet Produce and Organic Produce) to fit your lifestyle! 

Bonus Days are back with 11 desserts to choose from -- the more desserts purchased, the more Lake Park earns with a potential of earning up to 45 percent.  Why not try the new Peach Supreme Pie today!

FREE - get a four pack of ChicNSteakes with a $90 online purchase (Promo Code: MARBONUS)
 
 

Frequent Buyer - Make two purchases of $40 between February and April, then place a third order of $40 in May and receive a FREE set of collapsible storage bowls at your May sale pick-up.  
 

Ordering from Market Day is easier than ever:

Return completed order form to either Lake Park campus.
Go online to www.marketday.com and enter account #11062.
Shop mobile at www.marketday.com or call Market Day at (877) 632-7753
Orders can be placed on the internet up to 11:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20.

If you would like to be on the mailing list or volunteer to help on pick-up days, contact Maria Roberti, [email protected] or call (630) 893-2139.

Order Pick-up Date: Wednesday, March 25 
Pick-up Time: 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Location: LPHS West Campus Hallway outside the cafeteria by the football field (Door #18)

Important Dates

March 13          End of Third Quarter

March 18          SMART Day Schedule

March 23          Board of Education Meeting

March 30          Spring Intermission Begins