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This year, Lakota's elementary participation in two national competitions about doubled, thanks to classroom teachers and a little out-of-the-box thinking by the Lakota’s gifted intervention specialists. It also resulted in a perfect score for one Woodland Elementary student.
Beginning Feb. 1, Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann will become the district's interim superintendent.
Several times a year, Lakota produces a community newsletter to help parents and residents, alike, gain insight into our schools and stay informed about important district-wide updates. The winter 2023 edition, arriving in mailboxes soon, continues the momentum of this year's theme, "WE Choose Lakota", spotlighting the personal stories of several students, staff, parents and community members who choose Lakota for all different reasons.
If you’ve ever wondered what kindergartners wonder about, look no further than Liberty ECS teacher Christa MacFarlane’s “Wonder Workshop.” A growing list catalogs her students’ biggest curiosities and then challenges parents and community members to visit their classroom and share their expertise.
Little by little, the class has been chipping away at their list, becoming experts themselves in such topics as how instruments and magnets work, how smelly markers are made, how to play chess and fish, and even how grass grows. The project is a model of both personalized and real world learning.
Q&A Zoom Session is on Tuesday, January 31, at 6:30pm
It’s time to start thinking warmer weather and summer fun! Lakota’s annual Summer Fun Fair events on Feb. 27 and March 1 will give you lots of great ideas to fill those summer days.
Lakota East and West’s hallways will soon be lined with more than 70 organizations offering summer youth activities -- everything from camps, learning centers and childcare facilities to athletic leagues, art programs, recreation activities and volunteer opportunities. For event details including exhibitors and a list of the $4000 in raffle prizes up for grabs each night, click Read More!
Community members were invited to have a community conversation with the Board about school finances. Here's what they had to say.
Now in her 25th year at Lakota, Beth Lange incorporates a few traditions into her lessons at West Freshman.
Personalized learning, in its truest form, is best modeled at Lakota Central. Technically the district’s newest high school, it is officially recognized as a virtual school by the Ohio Department of Education. In reality, it merges the concepts and resources of three former Lakota programs - the Academy, the Virtual Learning Option (VLO) and the work study experience formerly known as ACCESS - all under one roof.
This month, the Board continued its practice of empowering student voice by hosting a community conversation with junior school students.
Registration for new Lakota students in grades K-12 for the 2023-2024 school year, including incoming kindergartners, opens Feb. 1. Early kindergarten registration extends through March 31, after which an open house for incoming kindergartners will be offered on April 13.
“I never want to leave. I could do this all day,” said VanGorden Elementary School student Samantha Osores halfway through her shift mentoring preschoolers just down the hall from her sixth grade classroom. The experience has even set her sights on early childhood education as a future career option.
Samantha is one of just over 100 sixth-graders who volunteered for the re-launch of VanGorden’s long-standing student mentorship program this school year, The program takes advantage of VanGorden’s unique position as the only Lakota elementary school with preschoolers residing under the same roof.
Current Lakota preschool students - as well as preschoolers who qualify for classroom-based special education services - are guaranteed enrollment in the Lakota preschool program next school year. Lakota is delaying registration for new enrollees in the tuition-based program until further notice.
WE are proud of our seniors who have made the commitment to serve in a branch of the United State’s military or attend a military academy after graduation. The community is invited to join us on April 25 at the Lakota East Freshman School to celebrate these members of the Class of 2023 at our sixth annual Military Commitment Ceremony. The program will begin at 7 p.m.
At a special meeting of the Lakota Board of Education on Jan. 19, 2023, the Board voted unanimously to appoint Robb Vogelmann as interim superintendent. Read the message shared with the community on behalf of the Board.
In 2021, random story ideas started popping into Ruthvik Kotagiri’s head.
“Over time, these ideas got bigger, and soon enough, I was unable to contain them,” said Ruthvik, an eighth grader at Ridge Junior School. “I wanted to let my ideas go, but I had no idea how to release them, and in what form.”
He decided that writing out his ideas was the way to go. And a year later, Ruthvik published a book entitled The Broken Shards (Reality’s Reach Book 1), now available on Amazon.
On Jan. 18, 2023, Superintendent Matt Miller shared his plans to resign from his position at Lakota.
The Lakota Board of Education held its annual organizational meeting on Jan. 9.
Eligible students can now register for Lakota's Special Olympics bowling team.
Especially as we enter the winter months and face potential closings due to inclement weather, submit any updated phone numbers or email addresses via FinalForms and check your preferences in School Messenger.
Important school and district news and announcements - such as weather-related closures and delays - are delivered via email, phone and text message, based on your preferences. We will also post such timely updates on Lakota’s website and district social media channels.
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Community members were invited to have a community conversation with the Board about school finances. Here's what they had to say.
- Community Conversations
- Finance
- Community Conversations
WE hope you'll join us for a community conversation about district finances on Jan. 24.
- Community Conversations
- School Board
Lakota East seniors in the Butler Tech Engineering program are two of only five teams from Ohio to be named State Finalists in the 13th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition.
- Butler Tech
- Engineering
Watch this special video tribute from Lakota staff to our families for being partners in education.
- thought exchange
- video
- Super in 60
Watch the last "Super in 60" of 2022 to see what you missed last month and what's coming up next.
- Cyber
- Master Facilities
- video
At the Dec. 12, 2022 meeting, the Lakota Board of Education approved an amendment to the Public Participation at Board Meetings board policy (po0169.1).
- School Board
When personalized learning is the end goal for Lakota students, staff are no exception. This is especially true at Lakota West High School, where a new and more personal approach to professional development for teachers offers both variety and choice - and a chance to be both the learner and the expert.
West innovation specialists Lindsay Ellis and Tracie Kleman are the leaders of West’s building-level professional development programming, which requires teachers to participate in at least one learning session a month. They quickly realized that teacher-led sessions were the ticket to not only more buy-in among their peers, but also more productive and enticing content that taps into what they need.
- Personalized Learning
Every day for weeks leading up to winter break, Creekside kindergartners get out their suitcases, strap on their seat belts and fly to a new place to learn about its holiday traditions.
It all starts with a take home project where students and their families create a page about the holidays they celebrate and the traditions they practice. These pages are then compiled into a class book and each day, a few students get to share their page about their personal traditions.
At its Dec. 12, 2022 meeting, the Lakota Board of Education approved Master Facilities Plan (MFP) option four. The facilities committee will return to the community for input as it begins to put more detail behind the approved plan.
For the 100-plus students who joined Ridge Junior after the start of the current year, what better way to step foot in a new school mid-year than with an instant friend? This is the premise of the school’s new ambassador program that empowers students to own the onboarding experience for their new peers.
The 26 ambassadors are the first to greet a new classmate and take turns leading them on tours around the school. But they do much more than help their new friends open their lockers and find their classes. They mentor them in ways only their peers know how to do.
Lakota Local Schools is committed to being transparent and providing factual information to our community. A new resource on Lakota’s website is designed to separate fact from fiction and combat the most prominent and timely rumors and misinformation circulating in our community about our schools.
The Lakota East and Lakota West high school marching bands recently returned from making district history, qualifying for the first time together for the “Bands of America” Grand National Semi-finals. Before their departure, the bands held a joint showcase send-off for the entire "WE are Lakota" community to celebrate their shared accomplishment. The bands were two of only 30 to qualify out of approximately 100 involved in the preliminary round and thousands in the prior regional competitions.
- Band
- MLK Day
The entire West Chester Liberty community is invited to attend a virtual viewing of the 24th annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16 at noon, featuring this year's student contest winners. The virtual program follows the one-mile, in-person community march, which extends from West Chester Township to Liberty Township.
- Awards
At the Dec. 5, 2022 Master Facilities committee meeting, the Board reviewed potential operational savings between plan options three and four.
- Finance
- Master Facilities
From awards to competition rankings to speaking engagements, Lakota’s high school Cyber Academy for developing young talent in the field of cybersecurity is drawing national attention this school year.
The National Cyber League ranked Lakota East's program No. 1 in the nation, while one of East's teams placed fourth in the national pool of 482 high school cyber teams competing this fall. At a national conference, one of Lakota's cyber teachers accepted a top award from the U.S. Department of Education, while a Lakota West senior was recognized for his achievements and future plans at the National Cyber Signing Day event. Several Lakota staff and students represented Lakota on the national stage as presenters at the conference.
- Awards
- Cyber
From awards to competition rankings to speaking engagements, Lakota’s high school Cyber Academy for developing young talent in the field of cybersecurity is drawing national attention this school year.
The National Cyber League ranked Lakota East's program No. 1 in the nation, while one of East's teams placed fourth in the national pool of 482 high school cyber teams competing this fall. At a national conference, one of Lakota's cyber teachers accepted a top award from the U.S. Department of Education, while a Lakota West senior was recognized for his achievements and future plans at the National Cyber Signing Day event. Several Lakota staff and students represented Lakota on the national stage as presenters at the conference.
- Awards
- Cyber
Collaboration between campuses reinforces vocabulary and connections.
Real-world learning makes its return as volunteers share about their career options with sixth-graders at Cherokee Elementary. The program was derived from the school's former "Passion Project Day."
- Real World Learning
- Super in 60
Spend just 60 seconds with Superintendent Matt Miller to see what you missed this month and what's coming up next!
- video
Lakota Central High School is the only school representing Ohio at this year’s National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington D.C. One of the 58 smaller trees ceremoniously surrounding the National Tree will be adorned with unique ornaments showcasing the photography of Lakota Central student artists. The 100th annual ceremony will broadcast nationally on CBS on Dec. 11.
- Fine Arts
At the Nov. 21, 2022 meeting of the Lakota Board of Education, President Lynda O’Connor read the following statement regarding the investigation of Superintendent Matt Miller.
- School Board
Call it an adventure, but behind the recent superhero bungee jump excursion on Lakota East’s Main Street was a whole lot of math involving linear equations. Such experiences are the norm for students in Nichole Bruce’s “Math Modeling & Reasoning” class. From bungee jumps to car buying simulations and road trip planning, students are put to the test daily on using mathematical concepts to tackle real world challenges.
- Real World Learning
Lakota East and West Hope Squad members joined 700 students in grades 6-12 from across the state for the Ohio Hope Squad Conference on Election Day. The day-long event, held at the Lakota West Freshman Campus, was presented by the Cincinnati-based non-profit, Grant Us Hope.
At Creekside ECS, a favorite second grade tradition is about more than tackling required state reading standards. The second grade team’s “Character Museum” project allows students to see their favorite book characters come to life and gives them choice in their learning.
- Personalized Learning
This year’s series of Community Conversations continued this month with two designed to include “student voice” in the Board of Education’s ongoing listening sessions. Held separately at Lakota West and Lakota East high schools on Nov. 2 and 3, respectively, nearly 40 total students had the opportunity to speak freely about their experiences and insights for future changes.
- Community Conversations
- School Board
What do you get when you fill a conference room with fabric squares, sewing machines, irons, quilt batting, first graders and some amazing volunteers? A hands-on lesson that students will never forget.
In this season of thankfulness and gratitude, what would you like to say to our staff? Share your messages before Dec. 2 so we can pass them on to Lakota staff.
- thought exchange
This Veteran’s Day, Hopewell Junior School is one of the first Ohio schools to pilot a national program that honors local veterans and raises funds to support injured American heroes. Called “Field of Flags” and hosted by the local chapter of Disabled American Veterans (DAV), the service learning opportunity builds on classroom learning about Veteran’s Day.
If you think you should be receiving Lakota school and district text messages, but are not, it may be that you never provided your consent. It's as simple as texting "Y" to Lakota's short code (675-87) from any number provided at the time of registration or updated through FinalForms.
At a special meeting called on Nov. 2, 2022, the Lakota Board of Education passed a resolution in support of Superintendent Matt Miller. The resolution followed the completion of an investigation in response to a public complaint and passed with a 4-1 vote.
- School Board
Superintendent Matt Miller needs just 60 seconds to catch you up on happenings around Lakota.
Weekly “learning walks” led by Lakota’s curriculum team are providing district and school leaders with important information and observations about classroom learning to help inform future decision-making about student instruction.
Read some highlights from Lakota West High School's recent learning walk and be on the lookout for more school spotlights as this process continues throughout the school year.
At a time when Reach Out Lakota’s pantry visits are trending 32 percent higher, Lakota students and staff overshot last year’s donation total by 45 percent during the 15th annual district-wide “Stuff the Bus” food drive sponsored by Lakota’s Board of Education. The more than 27,500 canned goods and other non-perishable items were enough to fill nearly three school buses.
- School Board
- philanthropy
Elementary students across the district are discovering – in record numbers -- the many benefits of running-oriented clubs.
Girls on the Run groups at Lakota’s elementary buildings hold lotteries because of the high interest in joining, and Freedom Elementary School’s Cross Country Club has grown from 75 students six years ago to 146 this year.
At the Oct. 3, 2022 Master Facilities Plan meeting, (MFP) the committee members reviewed potential operational savings and announced a second community meeting in October.
- Master Facilities
- School Board
Eligible students can register for Lakota's Special Olympics basketball, swimming and cheerleading teams through Nov. 7.
- Special Education
Lakota Cyber Academy teacher Ben Dougherty has been named one of just two recipients of the 2022 Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award (PCE) by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Cyber
- Real World Learning
What do you do if you’re a high school student who loves sports, has an interest in broadcasting and realizes that there aren’t many opportunities to combine the two? If you’re Lakota West senior Dimitrije Fisic, you create the Lakota West Student Broadcasting Club.
- Real World Learning
Snapchat. Instagram. YouTube. While social media is a part of everyday life for many teens, what if they could design their own app? This was the question recently posed to students in the media design and communication class at Hopewell Junior School.
- Real World Learning
Walking through Wyandot ECS’s front office, a dark room offset with blue lights, an aquarium mural and a gigantic teddy bear in the corner may cause one to pause - but that’s exactly the point. Referred to as the “Pause Room,” the former office retrofitted into a calming space is specifically designed to help students explore strategies for regulating their emotions in a healthy and productive way.
- mental health
At the Oct. 10, 2022 Board of Education meeting, Vice President Isaac Adi made a motion to suspend public comment until policy 0169.1 can be reviewed by the policy committee. The motion passed with a vote of 4-1. Board member Darbi Boddy voted against the motion.
- School Board
A Shawnee ECS family escaped a recent fire in their home after their second-grader applied what he’d learned from school fire drills. Robert Ramirez was honored for his act of heroism by West Chester Township’s Police and Fire departments at a special surprise ceremony leading right into National Fire Prevention Week.
- safety
- Mental Wellness
Lakota Local Schools has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Butler County, to host a virtual seminar for parents, staff and community members.
- Events
We hope you’ll be able to join us at Lakota’s 2023 Summer Fun Fair, set for February 27 and March 1!
As always, this is a great opportunity for Lakota families to learn more about area youth summer programming activities.
- Summer Fun Fair
- MLK Day
In preparation for our community’s 24th annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, all Lakota students are invited to participate in a contest that runs through Nov. 22.
- Super in 60
Superintendent Matthew Miller needs just 60 seconds to catch you up on the latest happenings around Lakota.
- video
Members of the district’s master facilities committee met on Sept. 6 to receive an update on community engagement and discuss the project’s timeline for selecting a final plan.
- Master Facilities
- School Board
Spend just one practice with the football coaching staff at Ridge Junior School and you’ll see that they share a deep love and respect for their players. But at first glance, their commonalities end there.
- Athletics
Following a recent unit all about communities, Shawnee ECS teacher Lydia Scott’s first-graders have quite the masterpiece to show for all their hard work. But one might say the strategy behind the masterpiece is even more masterful.
- Personalized Learning
- Real World Learning
Thinking outside the box doesn’t just apply to teaching and learning. At Lakota East, you might even say they’re thinking outside the classroom. Over the summer, an unused courtyard was transformed into a therapeutic outdoor space for students and staff.
- mental health
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