Student Responsibility

At Lakeland, we find it important to teach our students the importance of responsibility. This responsibility may be in performing well academically, playing well in sports, band or drama, being kind to each other and the idea of creating employability skills. These employability skills incoroporate those things that are needed when our students move on to college, military or the job market.

One of the key employability skills is realizing that you cannot move on to another level of school, military or work without the prior knowledge needed. Huron Valley, for the last several years, has allowed our students to be less responsible in their academics by allowing student to progress to the next level of courses without passing the previous one. Yes, we allow students to go back and make up credits but are they truly able to do this proficiently if we do not insure that they have the knowledge neccessary?

We at Lakeland are beginning to rectify this situation this coming semester. Any student in Algebra 1 or Geometry who fail semester one will not be allowed to move on to semester 2. These students will be enrolled in our e-learning community to re-take their failed class so that they are prepared correctly for the next course. Once students have passed the class and earned the credit they will be able to move on to the next course. This could be done through more e-learning or by taking the course in the traditional manner next fall.

It is our goal to get our students to understand that it is their responsibility to attend classes and do the appropriate work to attain credits and thus attain a diploma that says Huron Valley Schools and Lakeland High School. Having a diploma from our school district and our school should say more than just you gained the credits. It should also say that we prepared you for the next chapter in your life.

We have some other plans which will roll out this school year and next but know that our goal is to make all of our students knowledgable, responsible and employable when they leave our care.

Caring Community... We C.A.R.E

As many of you know, Huron Valley Schools has made creating a Caring Community a priority. As part of this initiative, Lakeland High School has embraced a number of ideas to recognize our commitment to making school a positive environment. Through out the year, we have been recognizing students with a Caring Community Ticket when they do something to make the school a better place. These tickets enter the students into a weekly drawing for homemade chocolate eagles courtesy of Mrs. Skufca. In addition to the tickets, Lakeland students will soon be able to purchase an orange Caring Community wristband with the buildings adopted slogan of We C.A.R.E. (Creating A Respectful Environment). The wrist bands will be orange and resemble the Livestrong wristbands made famous by Lance Armstrong. Everyone wants to be a part of a safe and caring school community and Lakeland will continue to make every effort to promote this cause.

Mike Fray - Dean of Students

Athletic Department Code of Conduct

Overlooked and often Forgotten – Athletic Code of Conduct

Did you know the Huron Valley Schools Athletic Code of Conduct (ACOC) is enforced 365 days a year? Once an athlete signs the (ACOC) it’s valid throughout their athletic career. The primary purpose of the document is to provide parents and athletes with general information regarding the Athletic Department. This includes information pertaining to student expectations and rule violations.

At the start of each season, coaches review the (ACOC) with their athletes discussing the particulars of the document and other team rules. Each athlete is provided with their own copy of the (ACOC). Athletes are required to return a signed copy with a parent signature acknowledging they have read the (ACOC). Thus, accepting personal responsibility to follow the rules contained therein.

Unfortunately, there are times when the (ACOC) is used to administer penalties for athletes violating rules. More times than not, athletes and parents are not aware of the following:

The (ACOC) is enforced 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Consequences may include game suspensions, drug and alcohol testing, counseling, community service, and or loss of honors

Consequences are cumulative

The (ACOC) applies to an athlete’s entire career

Simply put, our athletes are held to higher behavioral and academic standards than non-athletes. We expect a great deal from our athletes and consider their participation in high school sports a privilege. (Parents) If you haven’t already done so…please take time to review the (ACOC) with your son/daughter. It’s a valuable resource to gain greater understanding of their athletic participation at LHS.

Greg Michaels – LHS Athletic Director / Oak Valley / White Lake

Have You Thanked a Teacher Today

The teaching staff is the backbone of our school. These people spend hours both in and out of the building. They spend their time after school working with students to insure their academic achievement. They spend their time grading papers and giving feedback so that students can improve. They spend time creating lesson plans that will be engaging, relevant and rigorous so that your student will be prepared for life after high school. They spend time playing psychologist helping your student with social problems. These people are creating the high school experience for your student.

Remember that they are doing the job asked of them by the district, the state and the federal government. They are working under great stress to see that your student is ready for class tests, state, tests and the real world.

As the semester winds down, remember to shoot your students teachers an email thanking them for choosing a profession whose profession is to make sure that your student is one day ready for the world in front of them.

New Year... Old Semester!!

Happy New year to everyone! For many people the new year brings with it an opportunity to pursue life improvements. This is also true with our students. I have already heard from a number of students whom have made New Year's resolutions to improve grades, get to school on time, become more involved at school, etc. All of these are great and I encourage all of our students to look for opportunities for self-improvement. However, I also remind them that we still have 3 weeks until the end of the 1st semester. This is important for many students as the work to achieve at the best of their abilities. Remember the only grade that stays with a student when they leave High School is these semester grades. These last few weeks are filled with semester ending projects, unit tests and papers. Please make sure to encourage your student as they push towards the 1st semester finish line. Finally, remember that final exams will take place on January 25th, 26th and 27th. It is never too early to start talking with your student about preparing for these important exams.

Happy New Year!

Mike Fray - Dean of Students

New Year’s Resolution and Fitness

Every year people make New Year’s resolutions to get fit. We know that being fit not only benefits us physically but emotionally and mentally as well. Samantha Mills, one of our energetic physical education teachers, is working hard to help others get fit. She has started and encourages fitness for our staff, by setting up a fit club. She sends out weekly reminders inspiring staff to get fit through walking and running. Many staff members have taken part in Mrs. Mills opportunities to be fit. This is another example of a Lakeland staff member dedicating their time and expertise to help others.

Welcome Back!

To all of the Lakeland Community Welcome Back! I hope that you had a great holiday break and that you and your family are doing excellent as we enter the new year of 2012. 2012 will bring a lot to Lakeland, just as 2011 did. As we enter 2012 our students start to think of not only the immediate things, final exams, the new semester, Winterfest, etc but also long term things such as Graduation, Prom, and Spring Break. All of us here at Lakeland hope that the rest of this school year is successful and promising for all of our students, and remember we are always ready to help with student needs as they arise. Please don't be afraid to ask a teacher, staff member, administrator for help or support. I know that I am looking forward to a great 2012 and I hope that you are also!

In other news, our Lakeland Lipdub is now finished and posted on YouTube! You can check it out by visiting the Lakeland HS webpage at www.lakelandhs.com and click on the link for it there.

Thank you for all the support in 2011 and here's to looking at a great 2012!

Scott Rolando
LHS Student Activities Director