Lakeland Excellence in Education Expo

Hello!

I would like to thank all the parents and students who came out to the 2012 Lakeland Excellence in Education Expo for incoming 9th graders last evening here at Lakeland. We all hope that you and your students are excited about the high school experience that is upcoming for both of you. As we mentioned last evening, getting invovled is a key to a great high school experience, and I would say that goes both for the students and the parents. We always encourge our parents to get involved with Lakeland. Join our parent council, help chaperone events, be a parent class sponsor, and we have so many other chances for parents to help and participate in their students education at the high school level. Also for students, getting involved will help make their high school experience a memorable one. Going to football games and other sporting events, participating in school events, going to drama productions, taking challenging elective classes, and overall being a Lakeland Eagle will help your student become the best that they can be and will help them be ready for what comes after high school. Thank you again for attending and if you would like any further information, please visit our website at www.lakelandhs.com and click on the link for the "packet of information" located directly in the center of the Lakeland website in the Lakeland Links area. Thank you and GO EAGLES!

Compassionate Staff

It is sad but inevitable that our students face losses within their families during the school year. Recently, this occurred within the family of a student whose mother was concerned about how this would be handled within the school. It was nice, today, to get an email from this parent praising our teachers, counselors and entire staff for all their support and compassion during this time in their families life.

Once again, education is well rounded and our staff at Lakeland cares about the student both in the classroom and out of the classroom. We know that on ocassion students and teachers have conflicts but the Lakeland High School staff is caring and committed to making sure that all of our students have positive adults to whom they can turn when times are not so good.

It never hurts to send an email to your students teachers to thank them for the job they are doing on a regular basis.

Student Achievement

I would like to mention that three of our Advance Placement Psychology students have been published in the Winter 2012 Whitman Journal. This psychology journal is a nationally recognized forum in which student conducted research is recognized. Jon Washburn and Eric Gerber did a study on the effect of gender on driving aggression finding that males engaged in more aggressive driving behaviors than females. Alex Sokoll did a study on group polarization (the tendency for our opinions to strengthen after discussion. Alex used his debate class to collect data and write his findings.

Both articles can be found at http://www.whitmanpsych.com/images/winter%202012%20final.pdf

We congratulate all three students along with their teacher Stacey Oddi.

Athletics – an extension of the classroom

I am certain at one time or another throughout your son/daughters athletic experience you have heard that high school athletics are an extension of the classroom. Studies show that athletic participation improves student performance in the classroom. Most of our program coaches at LHS are teachers who add an educational component to the X’s and O’s of a sports season. They spend time teaching our athletes about character and providing them with the skills to become quality citizens. It appears that our athletes can’t escape the classroom and in turn they are faced with additional educational opportunities by participating in sport. With that said, athletics are an extremely large classroom which includes the student body, community, and parents.
Expectations for all those who attend athletic events are to be good sports…model sound behavior, support the team, coaches and officials. Recently, some of our student body has engaged in unsporting chants directed at the opponent. You, you, you, you, aaahhh, YOOOUUU “______.” Hey number 15, you are a “______.” Go ahead and fill in the blanks and try to justify that this behavior is ok. Furthermore, obscene hand gestures directed at the visiting crowd or opponent is a sure sign of disrespect. The age appropriateness of sportsmanship is often overlooked. Just because behaviors like these are widely accepted at the professional or collegiate level, it doesn’t make it right to expose our high school athletes to poor sportsmanship. The old cliché “kids will be kids” is a convenient excuse not to correct the behaviors of our students who attend Lakeland athletic events.
Students who participate in unsporting behavior will face consequences for their actions. As mentioned earlier, athletics are treated as an extension of the classroom. Our students would not be allowed to take part in inappropriate chants or display obscene hand gestures in the classroom and will not be allowed to do so in the athletic arena. The rules for our Lakeland athletic classrooms are simple: Cheer for Lakeland in a positive manner - let the players play, the coaches coach, and the referees ref!

Greg Michaels – Lakeland, Oak Valley, White Lake Athletic Director
2/17/12

We C.A.R.E.

Today was the first Caring Community staff T-shirt day. On the 3rd Thursday of every month, the LHS staff will all be wearing an orange T-shirt with the schools We C.A.R.E slogan printed on the front. These days are another opportunity for staff to show students that importance of creating a respectful environment. In addition to the T-shirts, staff and students have been purchasing orange silicone wristbands with the We C.A.R.E slogan. These wristbands are a commitment to being an active part of a caring school community. Please talk to your students about being a caring and positive member of the school community.

Success

Persist
There is no greater frustration
than to be stubbornly misunderstood
by a child who is afraid that she can’t learn.
And there is no greater elation
than when the light of understanding
burns away the fear and makes her smile return.
by Ronald Ferguson

Our teachers truly are the second batch of these people. When the Lakeland High School students begin to understand a concept when it seems they are confused, their teachers here are truly proud of them. It is not about our success each day but about the success of our students. Please know that every day your student is in great hands with the teachers of our building.

Winterfest 2012!

Winterfest 2012 is coming up next week here at Lakeland and we are hoping that everyone comes on out for a great time. Our Spirit Week looks great filled with games and exciting activities including a great pep assembly next Friday. Tickets are on sale NOW online at www.lakelandhs.com. Tickets are $15 a single and $28 a couple. A couple is any 2 people who want to go to the dance together. The dance is scheduled for Saturday Feb 25th from 7:30-10:30pm in the Lakeland Fieldhouse. The dance will be a lot like Homecoming and the dress code is the same as Homecoming, semi-formal. Please remember that all HVS Dance Guidelines and the HVS Dress Code will be in effect for the event. I can guarentee that it will be a good time for all, so come on out for a great evening and start looking forward to a great Winterfest 2012!

Thanks and GO EAGLES!
Scott Rolando
Lakeland Student Activities Director

A Proud Eagle

As I sat at the Assistant Principal/Dean of Students Summit in Mt. Pleasant earlier this week, I was reinforced that Lakeland High School is truly a great place for academics, athletics and the arts. I listened as other administrators talked about the weaknesses of some of their staff and once again realized how lucky I am to be surrounded every day by teachers and support staff who believe in education and believe in the students of Lakeland High School. I listened as others talked about the loss of some of their athletics due to budget cuts and thought how fortunate we are that we have an athletic director who is willing to go out and raise money to keep our athletics at such a high level. Lastly, I heard of cuts to other districts arts programs and thought of how our arts are at an all time high. The art classes we teach, the incredible band, our video program and our thespian company (in conjunction with the Lakeland Players) are all something within me must take pride.

Every morning I walk through the doors of Lakeland High School proud to be part of the Eagle family.

Getting There On Time!

Prior to the end of the 1st semester, the LHS administration visited each of the buildings English classrooms to discuss a change in the building tardy policy. Students are now receiving a consequence for every 4th tardy to a class, while also having to avoid the random hall sweeps. As was explained to the students, being caught in a random hall sweep results in an automatic detention. After a couple weeks of the new semester the perception from staff is that the policy is working. There has been a noticable decrease in the number of students in the hallways after the bell, as well as a number of students "hustling" to make it on time. In fact, the most recent hall sweep only caught 12 students in the hall way after the bell. This is pretty impressive when you consider the building enrollment of roughly 1600 students! Kudos to the students of LHS!!!

Creating a Safe School

One of our greatest responsbilities is to provide all staff and students of Lakeland High School with a safe place for work and learning. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously. With this in mind, we coordinated with the Oakland County Sherrifs on Wednesday to complete a canine drug search at the school. During the process, we placed the building in lockdown. This ensures that the dogs are free to walk the halls without any interactions with our student body. In addition to walking the hallways, the dogs also canvassed the student parking lot. When a dog "hit" on a locker or car, the student responsible for the locker or car was identified and removed from class by school staff for questioning and a search of personal belongings. Upon completion of this process, all parent/guardian(s) of the identified students were contacted by a member of Lakeland's administrative team. If you have any questions or corcerns regarding the events that took place on Wednesday, please feel free to contact the school and speak with an administrator. Thank you for your support and GO EAGLES!

Play Time

Is the issue of playing time the most emotional and widely debated topic in sports?

Top performing coaches tend to be humble and modest leaders. Upfront and direct conversations that outline (PT) at the start of the season is the catalyst to success for athletes and parents. Coaches who demonstrate honesty and integrity are the ones who get the most out of their athletes, gain support from parents, and are well-received in the community. With that said, coaches are challenged each season with building team cohesiveness and defining each player’s role for the season. Inevitably a season rarely avoids the widely and emotionally debated topic of (PT.)

Coaches often find themselves battling the feelings of role players and the parents of athletes who aren’t earning enough (PT). Role players who are unhappy can undermine the coach and disrupt the chemistry of a team. Parent frustration and the frequently asked question of “why is my kid not playing” ultimately contributes to the emotional debate of how much (PT) an athlete should get.

In order to balance the emotional rollercoaster debate of (PT), it’s essential that coaches give role players something they can value besides game-time. Athletes who fall into the framework of role players need a coach to demonstrate consistency and passion for coaching (for every athlete on the team.). A mutual respect between coach and player must be created in order to head-off hardships throughout a season. Open communication between the coach and athlete is essential in resolving the (PT) issue. Parents should encourage their athlete to embrace the opportunity to have this conversation with the coach. The opportunity for character development and life-lessons are there. This formula is not full-proof, however, over time, proves to be successful.

Fairness does not mean everyone always gets the same thing. If that is not understood, this is the fastest road to unrealistic expectations. Fair is not the same as equal. I am confident our coaches treat each athlete fairly but when it comes to playing time, the reality is not everyone will get equal (PT.) Our mission statement is simple “Huron Valley Schools' Athletic Department supports competition in educational athletics and promotes the development of character”. Research proves that athletic participation increases academic performance, reduces disciplinary problems, improves health and teaches life lessons. For those who struggle with the debate of (PT), remember that athletics is much more than how much someone plays. (Refer to the Athletic Code of Conduct for more information on playing time)


Greg Michaels, Lakeland Athletic Director