Football Tonight!

Fall is in the air and the stadium lights are blazing! Come out tonight to watch the Lakeview Spartans play the Eisenhower Generals at Downers Grove South High School. Our athletes will be paying on the new field at Downers South tonight. Admission is FREE! Kick off at 7:30 pm.

See you there!

I'm Just a Traveling Man....

This was the week for touring DuPage County! Monday began with a Southeast DuPage Elementary School Association meeting in Clarendon Hills. This group operates all of our athletic and extra curricular programs for the athletic conference. This includes the interscholastic program as well as the Scholastic Bowl and the Band Festival. Tuesday I attended a DuPage County Development Committee meeting in Wheaton to see our request for a conditional use permit approved. Fortunately we were successful and our proposed parking lot project moves ahead. Wednesday morning I traveled to Bloomingdale for the Illinois Association of School Administrators – DuPage Division meeting. At this meeting, Gary Chico, President of the Illinois State Board of Education provided us with an update of life in Springfield and educational issues to be dealt with this year. Wednesday evening I presided over the monthly meeting of the Woodridge Public Library Board. Thursday was a travel free day! Today I attended a breakfast meeting for the Legislative Educational Network of DuPage (LEND) in Glendale Heights where we heard remarks from State Senators Dillard and Pankau and Representatives Bellock, Pihos, Ramey and Nybo. It was very interesting to hear their perspectives on the issues of the day such as; school reform, pension reform and school funding. All told I traveled 176 miles this week and did not leave the county!

School continues to go smoothly and we are proud of our Lakeview sports teams that are competing in boys and girls cross country, football, and girls volleyball. Highlights thus far are an undefeated boys cross country team, undefeated varsity and junior varsity girls volleyball teams and a football team with a record of 2-1. Congratulations to our athletes and coaches! Our marching band has also made an appearance in the German Day Parade in Chicago and will be preforming in the Plainfield Homecoming Parade next month.

Have a good weekend! Enjoy the fall weather as the days grow shorter.

Moving On...

I am thrilled to be completing the fourth week of school today! Students are in classrooms, teachers are teaching and the buses continue to operate ON TIME! It is great to hear the sounds of the fall sports teams and band as they practice and play their games, hold their meets and march their parades. Our groups are off to a good start this season! Schedules are available at the Lakeview website.

We began the year with our PBIS program in all buildings which has brought a positive atmosphere to our hallways and classrooms. It is great to see all of our students being responsible, respectful and safe!

As we continue to work to be more efficient and green, I want to remind you that each building sends home a weekly newsletter via email each and every week. If you do not have web access please contact the school office and a hard copy will be sent home with your child! We also continue to encourage you to use the Parent Connect program to review and monitor your child's academic progress on line in grades 3-8. This program allows for 24/7 access to your child's grades. This year as part of our effort to be green, report cards will not be printed and sent home in grades 3-8 but will be available through the Parent Connect program.

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend and continue to enjoy the successes of our students both in the classroom and on the athletic fields.

Have a great weekend.

September 11, 2011

It seems like yesterday that I was enjoying a beautiful morning preparing for an evening Board of Education meeting when an alert message flashed across my monitor stating that a plane had struck one of the World Trade Center Towers. I remember rushing across the parking lot to Lakeview to check the television in the custodial room. As I arrived the second plane struck and I was sure that we were under attack. I remember vividly the feeling of fear, anger and helplessness as we watched the news. Decisions needed to be made immediately regarding the security of our buildings and property as we doubled checked doors and patrolled the grounds looking up at the empty skies. We quickly decided that the events of that morning would be frightening to our students and disruptive to the school day. We quietly notified staff of the situation and agreed that we would make no mention of the events to our students intending to keep the day as normal as possible but not allowing the students outside for recess on the advice of the DuPage ROE and local police. Phone messages were sent home to parents stating that the students were safe and in good hands and would not be told of the horrible events of the morning so that each family could deal with this as they felt best. The events of the day until the children left all buildings flew by and many of us were struck hard in the heart when the children left and we were able to begin to try and process the events of the day. We closed up the buildings early that day and sent our people home to be with family and friends in the hope that we would gather renewed hope and strength from the company of family and friends. I remember sitting in my family room full of teachers, friends and family watching the never ending flow of news about the events of the day. Everyone sought answers to questions about the day but we all knew that life as we knew it had changed forever.

Since most of our students have no recollection of this momentous day we are trying to share reflections and remembrances from ten years ago so that they may have some understanding of this day and the changes it has made on us personally and as a country. I hope that you will have time to share your remembrances with your family this weekend.

Hold on to those close to you and let us be thankful for the lives we share.

8 Days Completed

The first 8 days of the school year have been amazing! I can't believe how smoothly this year has started. I know it is the result of TEAMWORK! Our entire staff including custodians, secretaries, teachers aides, teachers, principals, and bus drivers as well as other staff members have planned together and worked together to make this smooth start possible.

Is is exciting to see students back in their classrooms being engaged in a variety of learning activities throughout their day! Teachers are using new materials and techniques to motivate and challenge their students. Principals are ever visible in their buildings monitoring the activities.

I am so proud of our transportation department for the fine work they do and are doing this year. Our buses have run safely and on-time since day one! I feel sorry for our neighbors and the many troubles they have experienced with their bus service and know many people are working very hard to improve their service.

I hope everyone has a relaxing Labor Day weekend!