Lake Forest Reporter - Winter 2011-2012

School meals are well-balanced, healthy meals that are re-

quired to meet science-based, federal nutrition standards.

- No more than 30% of calories from fat, less than 10% from

saturated fat

- Meals must provide 1/3 of Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein,

vitamins A and C, iron and calcium

- School meals are served in age-appropriate portion sizes

Every School Lunch includes five great choices that add up to a great

value:

- Milk – Fat free or 1% - flavored or regular

- Vegetables – From kale to fresh carrot sticks

- Fruit – Everything from kiwi to locally grown apples; often fresh

- Grains – More whole grain items like rolls or sandwich bread

- Meat or meat alternate – White meat chicken, bean chili, lean beef

School nutrition professional’s care for the children they serve, and through

strict food safety procedures and staff training, school nutrition professionals

maintain a superior safety record while providing nutritious meals to millions

of children each year. Some of the steps taken to keep foods safe are as fol-

lows:

- Taking at least 2 internal temperatures from each batch of food being

cooked

- Maintaining records of cooking, cooling, and reheating temperatures in the

food preparation process – the basis for periodic reviews of the overall

food safety program

- Pre-chilling all salad ingredients to help maintain cold food temperatures

GO, WHOA and SLOW is a program that is used at our schools to help

students identify healthy foods and beverages and how often they should be

eaten. It is based on the colors of a traffic light.

Green/Go - Eat almost

anytime. These foods are low-

est in fat and sugar. They are

the most “nutrient dense”

foods. Whole grains, fresh

fruit and vegetables, 1% or

skim dairy products. Lean

meats also are part of the GO

list of foods.

Yellow/Slow - Eat some-

times, at most several times a

week. White bread, baked fries

and breaded chicken, 2% dairy

products are part of the

SLOW list.

Red/Whoa - Eat once in a while. These foods are highest in fat and sugar

and low in nutrients. Muffins, pastries, soda (not allowed to be served in

schools), candy and fats (butter, regular salad dressing).

Visit the school cafeteria to make your own observations and have lunch.

Introduce yourself to the school nutrition staff at your child’s school. They can

answer questions or concerns about everything from product offerings to meal

preparation.

REPORTERREPORTER

ECRWSS

LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER

Are school meals nutritious?

In early October,

Avery Rosen and his

grandfather joined a

crowd including over

300 grandparents to

share breakfast at

Lake Forest North

Elementary in Felton.

Read about the day

and see more pictures

on page 8.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Learn more of what

students and schools

in the district have been

doing in this issue of the

Lake Forest Reporter.

Presorted Standard

Dover, DE 19901

Permit No. 168

Whoa! Slow! Go! - This program, based on the

colors of a traffic signal helps students spot

healthy foods and beverages.

School Nutrition by the Numbers – For October 2011

• Total Breakfast Meals Served: 25,505

• Total Lunches served: 60,834 • Average 4317 meals per

day

• Favorite Student Meal: Chicken Nuggets • Least Favorite Meal: Baked Ziti

• Chicken nuggets served: 26,790 • Chicken patties served: 16,614

• Total pounds of chicken served: 8002 • Total pounds of cheese used: 1560

• 42,391 apples Served. • 71,840 half pints of milk

The possibility of seat belts on standard passenger sized school buses

has been an ongoing debate nationally for a number of years. I frequently

receive phone calls from families regarding various issues, and the question

often arises about seat belts. The fact is that the most small buses, the ones

transporting disabled or other special-needs students, are usually equipped

with seat belts. But the majority of the full-sized, 72 passenger buses,

which make up about 80% of our nation’s fleet, are not. Currently, only

six states out of our 50 require school buses to be equipped with seat belts.

Why not? Common sense tells us that seat belts would solve the

issue of students climbing over or crawling under seats, would solidify

them in the event of an accident, and would force each child to stay facing

forward, statuesque, during their bus ride. But realistically, there are sev-

eral reasons.

First, the stats do not support it. According to annual statistics pro-

vided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),

about 440,000 public school buses carry 26 million children more than 4.3

billion miles each year, but only about six children die in bus accidents. In

addition, the National Safety Council estimates that they are about 40 times

safer than our family cars. Today, school buses are produced with tightly

packed seats and a 4-inch thick bubble of foam in front, back, and below

each child. In addition, the backs of seats are now higher than they were in

previous years, minimizing the potential for children to be projected in the

event of an accident.

Secondly, the companies that design buses do not trust our antsy

children to use the seat belts properly. Lap and/or shoulder belts that are

misused could result in serious neck or perhaps abdominal injury. Also,

who would enforce the usage of the belts by students? Would each bus

need a monitor? We all know that our children, including my own, are

squirmy and don’t sit still. It would be impossible for the driver to enforce

seat belt usage as he/she is handling student behavior, performing the bus

protocols for each stop, and keeping his/her attention on traffic.

And thirdly, cost. According to separate studies by the NHTSA and

the University of Alabama, the costs of adding seat belts to buses would

range from $8,000 to $15,000 per bus, while having little to no impact on

safety.

In the few accidents that we’ve had over the past year and a half, I

have been extremely impressed with the structural integrity of our buses.

The strict state and federal regulations placed on their production have re-

sulted in our children riding in solid, well-built, buses that can withstand

impacts that would total other vehicles.

Mindset Awareness in Lake ForestBy J. Glenn Davidson, Administrative Assistant – Curriculum

Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England from 1940-45 and 1951-55, once stated, “Continuous effort,

not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.” How true that statement is! Probably more

than we (educators) would like to admit, we have offered praise to children for being intelligent instead of prais-

ing children for their effort. Perhaps you have done the same thing as parents.

Recent studies on growth mindset compared to fixed mindset have been quite revealing (Carol Dweck, 2008).

Children receiving praise for being bright, naturally intelligent, and just plain smart (fixed mindset) have, over

time, shut down when tasks become difficult. It is as though they don’t want to demonstrate a weakness, a lack of

intelligence, or experience failure. Students with a fixed mindset care so much about how smart they will appear

that they often reject learning opportunities.

On the other hand, students that continuously receive praise for putting forth good effort actually do try much

harder and demonstrate more success, when tasks become difficult, or demanding.

I have, at times, fallen into that same trap, which is easy to do. At home, I have come to realize that I often

tell my grandchildren they are just so smart and intelligent. My compliments now have changed. You would now

hear me saying growth mindset statements like, “You are trying very hard on that assignment. I know it is diffi-

cult, but I really like how you are putting forth your best effort to solve the problem.”

It’s easy to tell someone they are smart. It’s a little harder to tell someone you like their effort. At my home at

home and at my home at work (Lake Forest) I will be making the conscious effort to praise effort. You’ll find our

teachers will be doing the same thing. We hope you will give it a try at home as well.

For more information about the growth mindset versus the fixed mindset, please contact me, J. Glenn David-

son, at [email protected].

Page 2 Lake Forest Reporter Winter 2011/2012

The Lake Forest Board of Educa-

tion generally meets twice each

month at the Lake Forest Central

Business Office and occasionally

the schools.

The meeting agendas and minutes

are posted on our website, and the

meeting dates and times can be

found on the district calendar.

www.lf.k12.de.us or at 284-3020.

John A. Schulties, President

Christopher W. Baker, Vice President

Danny R. Aquilar, Member

Bethel B. Crockett, Member

Ronda A. Swenson, Member

Seat Belts on Buses? By Mike Tyndall, Transportation Supervisor

Lake Forest Transportation Facts• When measuring square mileage, Lake Forest is the second largest

school district in the state. Only Indian River is larger.

• There are 50 buses serving 6 different schools from Pre-K to 12th

Grade.

• 144 runs take place daily covering 3930 miles of roads.

• 73.5% of eligible students ride the bus to school.

One goal of Lake Forest High School is to be ac-

cessible to all members of the community. We are

continually informing parents, students and staff about

district and school happenings, but sometimes neglect to take into con-

sideration our neighbors who do not have children in our school. We un-

derstand that in

order to best pre-

pare our students

for their future we

must gather input

from our entire

community.

We know that

some of our Dis-

trict residents

would like to see

data or information

related to gradua-

tion rates, number

of students taking

Advanced Place-

ment and pre-col-

lege courses,

teacher-to-student

ratios, and the per-

centage of classes

with paraprofes-

sionals as well as

the ethnic and gen-

der information of

our school popula-

tion. The school profile is updated each year, and found on the High

School web site, http://www.lf.k12.de.us/lfhs/

The profile provides all of that information and more in a compre-

hensive overview of the school. The Spartan Update, a quarterly

newsletter, can be found on our web site. The site is an excellent source

of regularly updated information. The Facebook link found on our web

page is rich with recent photos, student input, and links to Dr. Curry’s

regular blog.

Others may be interested in the teaching and application of real-

world or life skills such as budgeting, accounting, and finance offered to

our students. School organizations such as, Business Professionals of

America (BPA), give students the opportunity to apply their classroom

business skills in competitions at the state and national level. available

to the members of BPA. Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG), is another

high school program that strives to help students learn necessary skills

for entering the business workforce.

The Technology Student Association, Student Government, and the

FFA, (each with their own focus) provide our students with numerous

opportunities to compete with other schools. Most of our school organi-

zations also perform valuable community service such as working with

the Food Bank, conducting blood drives four times a year, and volun-

teering at local Senior centers.

You’ve seen the marching band in local parades, and may have even

seen the jazz band performing in Walmart recently!

One of the best ways to see what’s happening is to stop by for a visit.

We would be glad to accommodate an informational tour of our facility.

Winter 2011/2012 Lake Forest Reporter Page 3

LAKE FOREST HIGH SCHOOL

BPA Members doing their part to keep Delaware

clean and green include (from left): Meagan

Stearns, Senior; Derek Glover, Junior; Melody

Lugo, Senior; Emily Sullivan, Senior, BPA Presi-

dent, and Damian Smith, Junior

BPA Highway CleanupThe Lake Forest chapter of Business Professionals of

America (BPA) recently adopted a portion of Killens

Pond Road in front of the high school. The adopted

portion runs from Route 13 to Scrap Tavern Road in

Felton. BPA will organize three cleanups each year.

The first cleanup was on Saturday, September 17 and

involved 18 students and one advisor. They spent three

hours removing debris from the road. The next planned

cleanup is in March. BPA is an organization comprised

of students enrolled in a business class at the high

school.

LFHS Jazz Band directed by Joe Baione performing at WalMart

Jed Sullivan and Ricky Merson and their tower designed in the CAD

II class. Their design held 292 pounds before failure was reached.

When following the Technology Student Associations structural engi-

neering competition guidelines the data collected showed their design

to be 64.66% efficient in relationship to the weight of the structure ver-

sus the maximum load at failure. Their design was the highest perform-

ing in the class.


W.T. Chipman Middle SchoolStop by & visit us! TEAM CHIPMAN

Our John Melling Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society has had a very productive

school year thus far. The officers and members were very proud to induct another 29 members to

our program on Oct 12, 2011. Since that time we have been actively involved with our community.

We sponsored a hallway at Lake Forest High School for Halloween. We held our annual spaghetti

dinner to help raise money for Camp Lenape. We have held drawings for a student to have the

privilege of being principal and assistant principal of the day.

Spartan Buddies ProgramW.T. Chipman has partnered with the Little

Spartans preschool for monthly activities.

Each preschooler is paired with a “big buddy”

Chipman student. Once a month, the Little

Spartans walk to Chipman to take part in a fun

activity that corresponds with what they have

been learning that month.

Mrs. Navarro’s cooking club makes a

healthy snack that also goes along with the

theme of the day.

The W.T. Chipman students do a wonder-

ful job working with the preschoolers, and the

program has been hugely successful!

ACHIEVE 3000BIG HIT WITH STUDENTS!!

To say the Achieve 3000 program is a

program to get kids on computers to read is

an understatement. The achieve program

does so much more! It quizzes, it asks

higher level thinking questions, it polls, it

has students writing, and it does it all while

giving the teacher enough data to fill a filing

cabinet.

Students in W.T. Chipman have been

using the Achieve Program for three months

now. Each

student has

his/her own

laptop and

login to enter

the site. The

program will

get an idea of

how well the

students are

doing by giv-

ing them a

short assess-

ment that has

questions

just like the

DCAS; this

creates their

lexile level

for the sys-

tem.

As stu-

dents peruse

the website,

they can see

all the op-

tions that are

available to

them. These

include

checking

emails from teachers, playing educational

games, creating their own stock exchange,

or reading articles that they can find.

Achieve 3000 Reading

Materials

Achieve 3000 Program

Over the Shoulder Glance at

Achieve 3000

Riley Brown and Alison Smith from Little

Spartans lead the way.

Honor Society Inductions

National Junior Honor Society Inductions

Steps to Success -Learn It,

Know It, Use It

The students at LFCE get a real treat every Tuesday! The L.E.A.P.® Program dogs visit

our school and listen to our students read and work on math facts. Mrs. Stacy Zehr and Mrs.

Donna Lewis helped bring the L.E.A.P.® program to our school. L.E.A.P.® stands for Literacy

Education Assistance Pups. L.E.A.P.® is composed of a dedicated group of volunteers, based

in Lewes, Delaware, who strive to increase the quality of reading education for the students in

our community through the use of trained therapy dogs. The goal of the L.E.A.P. program is

to improve the literacy skills of children, and grow their enthusiasm for reading, through the

assistance of therapy dog

teams as literacy men-

tors. The presence of a

L.E.A.P. dog creates an

inviting and motivating

reading environment.

Specifically, a L.E.A.P.

dog is kind, non-judg-

mental, and FUN!


Lake Forest Central Elementary SchoolThe start of the year has been exciting for Central Elementary.

Below you will read about some of the excitement the Spartans have experienced since September.

10 Years of CentralOn November 1, 2011, members of the Lions Club came to

Central to do a tree planting ceremony. This tree planting cere-

mony commemorated the tenth anniversary of our school’s open-

ing. Central first opened the school’s doors on September 11,

2001, a day that changed America. Our friend Mrs. Beverly Gim-

mel and fellow members of the Lions Club were accompanied by

students and staff for this special occasion.

Central Goes PinkTo support The National Breast Cancer Foun-

dation, Central participated in Go Pink! on Mon-

day, October 24th. For

$1.00, students wore pink

or red shirts, t-shirts,

sweaters, or sweatshirts.

The highest participating

homeroom in 4th and 5th

grade received free ice

cream passes. Teachers

were allowed to wear pink

all over! The teacher that

wore the most pink re-

ceived a $25 gift card to

Wal-Mart. The 4th grade

winner was Ms. Appel’s

homeroom, the 5th grade winner was Mrs. Hoyt's

homeroom, and the teacher winner was Mrs. Isen-

hart! Go Pink!

Tree Planting at LFCE

Furry Friends Help Our Students Read!

At right – Central Para-

professional Mrs. Lewis

with Daisy Mae

Mrs. Isenhart is the

Pinkest!

Above - 5th Grade Teacher Stacey Zehr with her pup

Cookie


“My Oh My – Have Reading & Math Changed!”by Mrs. Clara Conn and Mrs. Mary Tyndall, Central Elementary

Reading class today is very different than it was in the past. You will very rarely see students seated in rows of desks with one student readingaloud to the rest of the class or students reading the same book individually to themselves. Students may be placed in small groups in order to read a book or

each group could be reading a different book. Many of Central’s reading classes have students participating in Literature Circles.

Literature Circles are small groups of students that read a similar book or arti-

cle and have in-depth discussion about what they have read. Literature Circles en-

gage students in critical thinking while reading and responding to the piece of

literature. During the structured discussions, students hold various responsibilities

and roles. You may hear students share predictions of what may happen in the

story or a thought or question they had while reading. Literature Circles discus-

sions are student driven while the teacher assists students in setting reading goals

and assigning roles for the next discussion. Literature Circles allow students to

have a deeper understanding of what they are reading through the structured dis-

cussions and written responses about the text.

Investigations Math is a math curriculum designed to engage students in mak-

ing sense of mathematical ideas, and becoming mathematical thinkers. It is a

hands’ on approach to mathematics where students are encouraged to “investigate”

problems and come up with numerous strategies on how to solve various types of

problems. Students are also encouraged to share various strategies with classmates

and explain WHY their strategy works.

The focus of math at Central Elementary is on problem solving and collabora-

tion. Students work in small, flexible groups to enhance the concept being taught

or to review material that they might be struggling with. Gone are the days of skill

and drill, and completing several pages of computation. We are now concentrating

on the concepts and the meaning of the math. The math of today focuses not just

on finding the correct answer, but being able to collaborate with others and ex-

plain why a solution is correct.

Investigations Math is aligned with the Delaware State Standards and the upcoming Common Core Curriculum. Students are taught with high expectations

and rigorous standards. They are not only required to compute accurately, but they are required to solve problems by thinking mathematically. Students must

not only arrive at a solution, they must justify how they got there.

Mrs. Tucker’s class in a Lit Circle

Lake Forest Teachers Receive Grants for Innovative ProgramsIn early December the Lake Forest Community Education Foundation presented eight grants totaling nearly $4,000 to teachers and staff in four district

schools. The funds will enable those teachers to enhance programs for students.

At Lake Forest East Elementary, Mary Ann Quinn was granted funds for “Making a Difference by Creating an Environmental Habitat”, a program that will

turn an underused section of the school’s campus in Frederica to an environmentally vibrant area. Parent volunteers and students will contribute to the project.

Lake Forest North Elementary teacher Pablo Reyes, Jr. was awarded funds for “We Are Many/We

Are One”. The funds will be used by Reyes and a team of teachers to launch second and third graders on

an internet journey in search of their favorite civil rights leaders while learning to navigate Power Point.

Grant funds were awarded to three teachers and one staff member at Lake Forest South Elementary.

With those funds, school nurse Robyn Linton will be able to present “Personal Hygiene at the Onset of

Puberty”. As a result, students will learn about hygiene as well as about their own growth and develop-

ment. South teacher Kimberly Young will concentrate with her students on the whole writing process

and let them have the thrill of publishing their own hardcover book. Pamela Sheldon plans a “Multicul-

tual Event” that will take participants (students, family members and others) on a seven continent “vir-

tual” tour. In preparation for the event, each student will concentrate on a single continent with its

history, geography, culture and technology. Grant money will buy an iPad for Abby Dill’s students to

reinforce reading, writing and math skills.

At Lake Forest High School, Joe Baione and a project team will use grant funds for a “Jazz/Blues

Student Workshop” that will help bring in professional musicians to work with students who will pres-

ent a special assembly for the entire student body at Lake Forest Central Elementary. LFHS social stud-

ies teacher Amy Reed will use the grant funds she received for “We the People”, an intensive

concentration on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. The program will underscore students’ own

rights and responsibilities as citizens and prepre them for competion at local, state and national levels.

Lake Forest teachers and staff joined representatives

of the Lake Forest Community Education Foundation

(LFCEF) at a recent school board meeting for the pres-

entation of grants to enhance educational programs in

the district. Over its eight year history, LFCEF has

awarded over $29,000 in grants made possible by fund-

raising activities and interest earned by the Lake For-

est Community Education Fund estsblished at the

Delaware Community Foundation, an IRS 501c3 tax

exempt organization.

Lake Forest East Elementary School


There’s A Song in the Air

At Lake Forest East Elementary, music is an integral part of each child’s

day. The day begins with classical music signaling the end of breakfast and

the beginning of the official instructional day. The morning announcements

are launched with the singing of the National Anthem. Children can be heard

in many classrooms singing everything from morning welcome songs, to tran-

sition chants, to multiplication rock melodies. Additionally, every student par-

ticipates in at least forty-five minutes of music instruction per week. In the

music program, students are introduced to rhythm, melody, harmony, form,

expression, and timbre. The students also learn to play drums, xylophones,

boomwhackers and other classroom instruments.

In place as a chorus at East years ago and then disbanded, an afterschool

singing program was resurrected last year and is going strong again in the

2011-2012 school year. Glee Club, as it has become known, recruits inter-

ested and committed singers from the second and third grades at East Elemen-

tary. Last year the group had approximately 25 loyal members. The group

performed formally at the winter concert, the African American History

Month Celebration, a Board of Education meeting, the Lake Forest Choral

Festival, and they performed a spring concert. This year the group has grown

in size to 40 and, in addition to performances within the school and for the

school district, has branched out into the local community to perform.

On November 10th of this year, Glee was warmly received at the Milford

Senior Center as part of a Veteran’s Day celebration. The Glee Club sang

eight songs accompanied by their director, Mrs. Crystal Pepper on the piano

and student drummers. Students also had the opportunity at this event to hear

local veterans talk about the importance of Veteran’s Day and watch a formal

flag ceremony. In December, the Glee Club will perform at the New Century

Club in Milford. Additional local performances are planned for the spring.

Lake Forest East students appreciate the opportunity to perform for others

and value the performances provided to the school by local musicians, par-

ents, assembly groups and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.

If any community members would like to partner with our school for a

performance by our children or to share local musical talents with our stu-

dents, please contact the school office

To find out more information on Lake Forest East

Elementary events and initiatives, visit our website

at www.lf.k12.de.us/east

Kindergarten student,

Damal Moore, from Mrs.

Adams' class shares his

writer's workshop piece

with the class.

The “New” KindergartenBy Chris Barrett, East Kindergarten Teacher

Kindergarten—What are your memories

of this first school experience? Maybe you

remember playing in the sandbox, dressing

up for dramatic play, or even taking a daily

nap. This was the average day in the kinder-

garten classroom of years ago. What about

the “new” kindergarten? One will find that

every aspect of the kindergarten day is very

different from those memories.

The new Common Core Standards are

asking schools to raise the kindergarten bar

higher than ever before. Students are now

asked to be able to not only identify story

parts, such as characters, setting, major

events and key details, but must also be able

to take a story and relate it to other stories,

to their own lives and to the world. They

must be able to write several sentences,

using proper capitalization, punctuation, and spacing, all on a given topic

relating to a book read to them. They are learning to read sight words and

sound out unknown words, using letter sound knowledge, including long

and short vowel sounds. Math is no less demanding. New standards have

the students counting to 100 by 1’s and 10’s, and identifying 2D and 3D

shapes while also learning to construct them in the world around us. Also,

students must learn to add and subtract through 10 and be able to perform

addition and subtraction problems from memory through 5.

But the kindergarten day doesn’t end there. It also consists of learning

rules, adjusting to being away from home, sharing, and caring. There is

lunch in a large cafeteria and recess on the playground. Not to mention sci-

ence and social studies learning, small group work and center time.

All of this change doesn’t just happen in the classroom, however. Par-

ents and other family members are needed more than ever before to be a

part of their kindergarten child’s education. It takes collaboration between

home and school for a child to experience complete success. Successful

students have parents who have made reading a nightly ritual and commu-

nication with the teacher a

routine as well.

It is exciting to watch as

new kindergarten initiatives

develop. The children are

stepping up to each challenge

and meeting them with amaz-

ing results. So, can you ex-

pect to see what you might

remember in kindergarten?

Absolutely not-but you will

see little ones reading and

writing and enjoying learning.

Isn’t that what school is all

about?

Mrs. Adams and kindergarten stu-

dent, Sanaiya Anderson, review her

creative writing.

“Lake Forest East’s Glee Club performing at the Milford Senior

Center for Veteran’s Day.


Lake Forest North ElementaryLake Forest North Elementary School in Felton, Delaware, is proud to service

the students in the Felton and Viola areas.

“We Love Our Grandparents”On October 12, 2011 Lake Forest North Elemen-

tary students had the opportunity to have breakfast

with their grandparents. Over 300 grandparents came

from near and far to spend the morning with their little

‘cherubs.’ North was also fortunate to have their seven

“Foster Grandparents” attend. The Foster Grandpar-

ents Program, based in Dover, DE, provides North

with seniors to help our students in a small group set-

ting within the classroom.

The grandparents and students shared breakfast

danishes and juice or milk.

The synergy could be felt in the room as the stu-

dents laughed and cheered at the sight of their grand-

parents visiting the school. The grandparents were

excited to watch the slide show featuring their grand-

children.

After their snack, our students took their grandpar-

ents to visit the school book fair, their classroom, lunch

and recess. We are all looking forward to next October

when the grandparents bring their sunshine back to

North.Emily Lucas and Grandmom A display of Danishes and grandparents

“Keeping It Safe”On October 10, 2011, Lake Forest North Elementary in Felton, Delaware

had the opportunity to partner with the Felton Fire Company to teach their stu-

dents about fire safety. The students, along with their teachers, walked to the

fire house. It was a beautiful day.

The Felton Fire Company partnered with several other fire companies, the

State Police, and the Felton Police in order to make this day a huge success.

There were several stations to view fire truck apparatus, a smoke house, a

movie with popcorn, shoot the fire hose, and sit in a police car.

Sparky the Fire Dog was a special guest. He received a warm welcome

from the students.

The Lake Forest North

students send a

GREAT BIG

THANK YOU

to the

FELTON

FIRE COMPANY

and its partners!

Mrs. Cindy Westhoff’s 2ndGrade Class with Sparky

Students wereexcited about

getting to “shoot”the fire hose.

Students visitedseveral “stations”

to learn about fire safety.


“A Salute to Our Veterans”

On November 10, 2011, Lake Forest North hosted its eighth annual “Veterans’

Day Assembly.” This Assembly was well attended by our local veterans. Each vet-

eran received a certificate and a flag to show that their services are greatly appreciated.

A slide show included pictures from previous assemblies, faculty members who

are veterans and relatives of students who are veterans was created by Mr. Todd

Weller, the art teacher.

The assembly consisted of each grade level showing their gratitude. The kinder-

gartners sang “Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue.” The first grade students re-

cited a poem, “Veterans’ Day.” Ten of the second grade students recited a poem,

“Pride of Our Country,” remembering those who have served and those who are still

serving. The third grade students read letters that they had written to thank the veter-

ans for keeping them safe. The assembly was completed by the 2nd and 3rd grade stu-

dents singing, “Empire State of Mind.” The kindergartners and 1st grade students

sang, “Thank you Soldiers.” All of the grades sang, “You’re a Grand Ole Flag. “ The

songs were directed by Mr. David Durham, the music teacher.

Display of fire truck apparatus

Harrington Fire Company Truck

Lake Forest North Elemen-

tary students honored local

veterans at the school’s

eighth annual

Veterans’ Day Assembly

Curriculum NightsThroughout the school year, Lake Forest South Elementary School will be

hosting a variety of curriculum nights. These evening events are opportunities

for our families to visit the school and connect with our staff members. The

children have the opportunity to highlight everything they have learned during

the previous marking period while our families have the chance to preview the

upcoming marking period’s curriculum. It is a great way for our children and

staff to share what a typical school day is like. It also provides our families the

chance to ask questions and touch and feel the many learning materials we use

at South. Many of our families have reported that it helps them support their

children with homework assignments and to better understand what they do at

school all day.

We kicked off our school year with an All Aboard Orientation event for

families to learn all about our school programs and this past November we cel-

ebrated the Autumn Season by “Falling into Learning” where our children and

families were greeted by scarecrows designed by our staff. On Groundhog Day

we will have the chance to “Peek into the Next Marking Period” as we learn

whether or not the Groundhog is able to predict when Spring will arrive. Next

we plan to “Hop into Spring” with plans to wrap up our school year with an

evening celebration of Multicultural Education.

Supporting our FamiliesHave you ever heard education isn’t what it used to be? Well, it is and it

isn’t. Of course there are many of the same tools such as pencils, crayons, glue,

and books. However, there has been a lot of research to learn more about the

best tools to teach children, and the expectations in school are vastly different

than before. If you are reading this article, chances are you learned to read in

the first or second grade. Anymore, it is expected that most of our Kindergarten

students be fluently reading before the end of the school year! Just like our par-

enting skills, we tend to rely on doing what we know and experienced our-

selves. Unfortunately, with school, we can no longer rely on just our own

school experiences. With all of these changes, we know that our families need

guidance and support. Therefore, at Lake Forest South Elementary School we

have partnered with a variety of community agencies to help us help our fami-

lies better understand the school experience and receive help along the way. We

offer Reading Assist Classes to families who are interested in learning how to

help their children read. We host Parents as Teachers (PATS) Play Groups for

families with young children; support our district’s Spartan Sprouts program

for families with young infants and toddlers, offer open computer lab time, and

more. There is nothing more rewarding to a parent than being able to help one’s

child and there is nothing more rewarding for the staff at South than for us to

be able to help our families. If you are interested in learning more about any of

the programs mentioned above, please phone us at 398-8011.

Partners in Active Learning SupportAnother approach to learning at Lake Forest South is through the Partners

in Active Learning Support (PALS) program with our Harrington Campus part-

ner, W. T. Chipman. The PALS program was started with the support of the W.

T. Chipman Future Farmers of America (FFA) Program and Mr. Mark Breed-

ing. This is a mentoring program involving selected middle school students and

Lake Forest South Elementary 3rd grade students. The program’s goals are to

help students have a more positive and productive school experience and to

(Continued on page 11)


Tis the Season!It is that time of year again; the holidays are encroaching upon us. Our community is buzzing with festivities

as we prepare for the holiday season. At Lake Forest South Elementary School we are busy preparing for the

holiday season by working to give the gift of knowledge. You see, we know that one of the best gifts one can

ever receive is the love of learning. That is why we take our work of teaching and learning so seriously. We believe that all who work, learn, grow, and play with

us are on track for success. Below are a few examples of how we are doing just that.

Lake Forest South Elementary

Mrs. Wieber talks about first grade with Lake Forest South Parent,

Mrs. Statts

Mrs. Parsons reviews skills with student volunteers.


Families working with Reading Assist to learn more about how to sup-

port their children

PALS (Continued from page 10)

help them make more informed, responsible decisions. The middle school

students have received training in building self-esteem, communicating, lis-

tening and decision-making. They serve as positive role models for our ele-

mentary students with activities focused on agriculture in our new campus

greenhouse. If you are interested in learning more about PALS, please contact

South at 398-8011.

Push Pull GoThe love of learning does not stop with our students. The staff at Lake

Forest South Elementary School actively participates in learning opportunities

as well. For example, last school year our Kindergarten program participated

in a Delaware Science Coalition sponsored field testing of a new science kit

titled Push Pull Go with some of our Kindergarten students. The science kit

introduces Kindergarten students to skills in science, technology, engineering,

and mathematics in an integrated manner. The concept of developing content

knowledge and process skills with problem solving and creativity help pro-

vide some of our youngest learners with a solid foundation to build upon. As a

result of the field testing at South last year, our Delaware Department of Edu-

cation has decided to move forward with introducing the Push Pull Go science

kit to our entire state. This December, South will be hosting a state training

session for teachers with representatives from Sussex County, Kent County,

New Castle County, and other Charter Schools.

Gift of KnowledgeIf you or someone you know can benefit from the gift of knowledge,

please have them contact us. We know our Lake Forest South Family will

meet the essential needs of all learners by working together as a respectful

community as we are committed to the belief we are on track for success!

Best wishes for a prosperous holiday season!

Lake Forest Facilities

In December of 2006 the voters approved a referendum for a little over

$15 million in new additions and renovations in Lake Forest. The majority of

that money, of which $3.1 million had to be raised locally, went to Lake For-

est High School additions and renovations and remodeling at W. T. Chipman

Middle School.

The significant change in the economy over last few years meant very

competitive bid prices on these projects. As a result we were able to do much

more than in the original plan. We added 18,000 square feet of new instruc-

tional space at the high school. This included:

• new band and choral rooms, with appropriate storage

• new auxiliary gym

• two new classrooms

• new weight room/fitness center

Remodeling at the high school included:

• remodeled art, consumer science, technology classrooms and labs

• new student lockers and gym lockers

• replacing 24,600 square feet of roofing

• replaced all windows

• expanded and renovated library

• replaced gym bleachers

• redesigned student drop off

• bricked exterior

• roofed courtyard and converted to atrium

Remodeling at W.T.Chipman included

• renovated consumer science classroom

• new interior finishes throughout

• new student lockers

• some new flooring

• security system

• resurfaced parking lot

• student patio

• band instrument storage

• athletic field relocation and walking track

• greenhouse construction

• art room renovations

• It’s fun

• PBS events from Mrs.

Tantillo

• We stay on track for

success

• Work is fun

• Lunches are yummy in

our tummy

• Walk to school

• Jump rope for heart

• Math, science, and

technology night

• Literacy night

• Skating

• PJ movie nights

• Reading counts

• Halloween parades

• Pizza parties

• Art, music, library,

gym, counseling and

technology

• Everyone is wonderful!

Why Lake Forest South is the Best! By Mackenzie Miller

MARDI GRAS !! MARDI GRAS !!MARDI GRAS !!

Save the Date for

Music & Dancing with G.R. MyersSilent & Live Auctions • Food & Drink

Tickets $25.00Tickets $25.00Benefits the Lake Forest

Community Education Foundation

Info: Mary 284-3230 • Linda 398-5194

Saturday, March 3 • 6 - 10 p.m.Saturday, March 3 • 6 - 10 p.m.Harrington Fire HallHarrington Fire Hall

Saturday, March 3 • 6 - 10 p.m.Saturday, March 3 • 6 - 10 p.m.Harrington Fire HallHarrington Fire Hall


See Jason Aldean

2012 Delaware

State Fair

Wednesday,

July 25

7:30 p.m.

See Wrangler Jeans

at Chick’s

US 13, Harrington, DE • 302-398-4630 • www.chicksaddlery.com

Documents

Lake Forest Reporter - Winter 2011-2012