Lake Forest Reporter Fall 2012

Over the past few years Lake Forest School District has been under con-

struction in several schools. These construction activities have upgraded

HVAC and electrical systems and have provided additional spaces for the

children to enjoy. Some of the most notable renovations and additions have

occurred at our High School with the addition of a performing arts wing that

includes both band

and choral rooms.

Additions also con-

sist of an athletic

department wing,

which is comprised

of an auxiliary gym

and weight room

(also known as the

Spartan Strength and

Conditioning Cen-

ter). One of the most

remarkable renova-

tions at the High

School was the con-

version of the courtyard to an atrium. Renovations have also occurred at the

WTC Middle School in Harrington with newly renovated spaces such as the

consumer science and art rooms and conversion of storage rooms to exercise

rooms.

While not as noticeable, East Elementary in Frederica has had recon-

struction of the soffit and facia to preserve the authentic look of the original

DuPont School. The least noticeable repair is the replacement parking lot at

North Elementary in Felton. This replacement allows safe delivery of the

students on a daily basis and will serve our community for years to come.

Almost every school

in Lake Forest has

been touched by some

type of construction

over the past several

years. This would not

be possible without

community support.

Pictured here and on

page 11 are some im-

ages of our recent ren-

ovations and

additions.

(Continued on page 11)

The year has begun for the eight-

een four year olds attending the new

Early Childhood Assistance Program

(ECAP) classroom in Harrington.

This pre-kindergarten class is oper-

ated by DECC. The class is located

in its program offices at the corner of

Mispillion and West Streets in the

building sometimes called South B

Elementary School, which now

holds the Delaware Early Childhood

Center and all of its programs. The

Harrington ECAP classroom is the

second Lake Forest ECAP Class op-

erated by DECC. Last year DECC

opened an ECAP class at Lake For-

est East, where a group of four year

olds spent a productive and engag-


REPORTERREPORTER

ECRWSS

LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER

PRSRT STDECRWSS

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDEDDM RETAIL

At left - ECAP children

have fun talking to each

other on the phone in the

housekeeping center

DECC’s ECAP HelpsChildren Get

Ready forKindergarten

LF an Early College School DistrictAt Dr. Curry’s opening day address to the faculty and staff of the Lake Forest

School District on August 20th, he proudly proclaimed that the Lake Forest School

District is now an Early College School District. No longer will teachers be telling

students …“if you go to college,” but instead you will hear teachers saying “when you

go to college.” With that in mind, for our freshman class that will be graduating in the

Spring of 2016, we have the expectation that at least 90% of our students will have

earned college credit while still in high school.

Last year, Lake Forest had a total of 8 students take dual-enrollment courses from

Delaware State University. Dual enrollment means that students earn high school

credit in addition to college credit upon successful completion of the college class.


ECAP children listen carefully to their

teacher, Dante Woolfolk.

Students utilize newly renovated library.

A courtyard to atrium conversion.

LF Building Improvements

Through Community Support

Page 2 Lake Forest Reporter Fall 2012

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Spring 2012 DCAS Scores at LFHS

More from Lake Forest High School on page 3

Spring 2012 DCAS Scores at Chipman

More from W.T, Chipman on page 4

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The Lake Forest Board of Education generally meets twiceeach month at the Lake Forest Central Business Office andoccasionally the schools. The meeting agendas and minutesare posted on our website, and the meeting dates and timescan be found on the district calendar. www.lf.k12.de.us or at284-3020.

John A. Schulties, President

Christopher W. Baker Vice President

Members: Danny R. Aquilar, Bethel B. Crockett, Ronda A. Swenson

High School/ College Dual Enrollment (Continued from page 1)This fall, through the successful awarding of a dual enrollment competitive

grant from our Department of Education, Lake Forest is receiving $79,500 to in-

crease its dual enrollment program.

For 2012-2013, we have expanded our dual enrollment course offerings to

include the following:

Composition 1 from Delaware State University – 18 students enrolled

Composition 2 from Delaware State University – 23 students enrolled

Critical Reading and Thinking from DE Tech – 19 students enrolled

English Composition from DE Tech – 19 students enrolled

Psychology from DE Tech – 24 students enrolled

Sociology from DE Tech – 24 students enrolled

Additionally, the dual enrollment grant has allowed the Lake Forest School

District to acquire two additional computer labs, as well as interactive video

conferencing equipment, so that future classes can be held at the high school,

even while the college instructor may be at another institution of higher learning,

while the instruction is delivered.

With future dual enrollment expansion, Advanced Placement course offer-

ings, distance learning, and on-line opportunities, our 90% goal of the class of

2016 achieving college credit while still in high school, is well within our reach.

For additional information about dual enrollment offerings, please contact

one of the following: J. Glenn Davidson, Administrative Assistant – Curriculum

284-3020 ext. 107, John Berry, Assistant Principal LFHS 284-9291 ext. 607 or

Karen Clifton, Secondary CIA Specialist 284-9291 ext. 223.

Lake Forest High School began the start of the year with an-

other successful Freshman Fest on the evening of August 22. This was followed

by an introductory half day for freshmen-only on Friday, August 24 and then a

full day of school for all students on August 27. These days went smoothly, and

it is a testament to the preparatory work that occurred throughout the summer

by teachers and staff. As an Early College School District, with the goal that

90% of the class of 2016 will graduate with college credit, enhancements to our

building-wide programs were required.

The first enhancement introduced this year is a change to our Coaching

Program, now referred to as Advisory. The second is the introduction of

Student-Led Parent Conferences, referred to as SLC.

Lake Forest High School advisors are guiding their students to success.

Teachers, staff, administrators, and Central Business Office staff, including our

Superintendent Dr. Curry, are serving as advisors to our students. Each staff

member works closely with a small group of students throughout their four

years to serve as a guide and mentor. Advisory groups meet for at least an hour

each month to discuss and establish goals, review academic progress, and de-

vise strategies to help each student be successful. During the Advisory meeting

time, advisors will teach lessons designed to help build a culture of student effi-

cacy in the classroom and school-wide.

Student efficacy refers to a person’s belief about their capabilities, how

they think, how they motivate themselves and how they behave. To build a pos-

itive sense of self-efficacy, we encourage students to develop a growth mindset.

Students with a growth mindset believe that they can accomplish anything to

which they set their minds. They may struggle - even fail - but will learn from

the struggle and failure and move forward. Through our Advisory program we

encourage students to maintain a growth mindset and to become reflective

learners working towards meeting academic goals set with their advisor. The

advisors will also help each student maintain a portfolio of assignments from

all of their classes that will be shared with parents/guardians at the upcoming

student-led conferences (SLC’s) on November 19. Parents are strongly encour-

aged to work closely with the advisors to ensure the success of their child. Par-

ents are also encouraged to work with their students to review the work that

was done in Advisory each month and offer suggestions for their continued

growth and improvement.

We consider the relationship between students’ families and the school to

be of paramount importance. Twice during the school year, the school invites

students and their families to attend formal conferences during which student

progress can be reviewed with families. Starting this year, Student-Led Confer-

ences will replace the traditional parent/teacher conference. SLCs are attended

by the student, parent/guardian, advisor, and other adults the student would like

in attendance.

The advisor facilitates the meeting, but the student is in charge. During the

conference, students explain their progress toward, and mastery of, academic

(content/skill) learning targets. Students justify their progress by leading their

families through a portfolio of assignments collected from their classes.

Students justify quarterly grades in each class by referencing specific as-

signments that show their mastery of learning targets. Students also complete

self-evaluations of their performance in each class and share them with their

families. Students are held accountable for their progress when they explain

areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. The tone of the conference

is positive with a focus on what can be done to ensure success as opposed to

what has been done poorly. Our goal is to have 100% student participation.

This is achievable, but it requires the assistance and participation of all individ-

uals involved in assuring the success of our students. We look forward to seeing

each of you at our Student- Led Conferences in November.

Advisory and Student Led Conferences at Lake Forest High School

Fall 2012 Lake Forest Reporter Page 3

LAKE FOREST HIGH SCHOOL

Freshman Fest 2012 Seniors take the Spirit Stick at the first pep rally

Summer 2012 staff training and planning session in the Library

Parents Speak about Chipman Last year my family experienced Lake Forest School Dis-

trict for the first time. My son, Zander, has always attended asmall charter school so we were admittedly anxious about himattending a larger middle school. However, his experience atChipman was so positive that we were immediately put atease. Academically, Zander excelled due to the support andguidance of teachers such as Mrs. Ashley Colligan and Ms. Katherine Ream. These teacherswere quick to respond to parent emails and left me secure in the knowledge that Zander was re-ceiving the very best education. His DCAS scores soared but more importantly he demonstratedhis knowledge through projects at school and discussions at home. As an educator, I know theimportance of building rapport with students and families and I know that this is the differencethat Chipman offers from other schools. Teachers at Chipman care about their students andspend time getting to know them so that they can better teach the strategies and content that areneeded to shape our future citizens. I'm proud to say that my children both attend Chipman thisyear and are part of the Lake Forest School District.

Sincerely, Dr. Charmaine M. Herrera (mother of Zander and Zane Slody)

My son began attending WT Chipman last year when he was starting 7th grade. We movedto DE from PA and knew no one at the beginning of the school year. I cannot say enough posi-tive remarks about how my son was welcomed. The teachers at WT Chipman really took thetime to get to know him and encourage him to reach his full potential.


Stop by & visit us! TEAM CHIPMAN

Parents Go Back in Time!Family Academics at Chipman

October 11th • November 15th • February 19th

Parents of Chipman Middle School students will have the

opportunity to return to middle school as students to see what

school really is like for their son or daughter.

The concept takes parents to school, makes them follow

their child’s schedule and participate in school just like a stu-

dent would on any given day.

They must even raise their hand to ask a question. Sounds

like a lot of fun and a great chance for parents to get a firsthand

look at Chipman and what school in 2012 is all about.

W.T. Chipman Middle School is focused on improving students’ ability to apply and transferknowledge in all subject areas through the implementation of Learning Focused Strategies. Stu-dent growth will be measured by common departmental assessments and individual DCAS data.

W.T. Chipman Middle School

Above: Helping Hands Chip-

man and South Elementary

teaming up through FFA PALS

Below right: Mr. Breeding with

Jackson Filicicchia and Pals

FFA Pals, Spartan Buddies

& Student Mentors

Building Character & Friendships at all ages!This school year, Chipman Middle School students will

be once again mentoring the Little Spartans from the Pre-

school Class at DECC. Our middle school students are

paired with a pre-school student for arts, crafts, story time

and much more. Both the students and pre-school children

look forward to this monthly activity.

In addition to Little Spartans, our middle school FFA

Organization is teaming with South Elementary to

strengthen the roots of FFA and to form a bond with the 3rd

graders from South in growing plants in the Greenhouse to

take home to mom and dad.

Brand new to our mentoring offerings this year will be

an idea that Mrs. Bulischeck brought to the table – Student

Mentors – students will be able to team up with staff mem-

bers during creative expressions time to get insight into pos-

sible future careers. This is designed to help students start

to decide what pathway is the right choice as they prepare to

enter high school.

As a parent, I appreciate the communication on the part of the staff. I receive automated phone calls whenever there is anupcoming event or change to the schedule which is incredibly helpful. I even attended a "bring your parent to school" day tosee for myself just what my son's day typically entails. After the day was over I had every confidence that my son was sur-rounded by a group of people that have all the children's best interest at heart.

I believe that this middle school is a wonderful environment where my child feels both accepted for who he is andchallenged to be his best Sincerely, Rebecca Shafer

I can see that the staff are fully committed to the student – not the grade or DCAS score, but to the well-being of everystudent in their room. It is great to hear the excitement in my child’s voice when she comes home each day to say somethinggreat her teachers have said or done. Parent of 7th Grader

We’re Shooting for Success!At Lake Forest Central Elementary School we believe we are the Central Stars

Shooting for Success! Each arm of our Central star represents five of our six district

schools. Since Lake Forest Central Elementary School presents the first opportu-

nity for our three district elementary schools, North, South, and East, to come

together as one in our Lake Forest School District Learning Community, we are

represented by the middle of the star! It is our intention that while at Central Ele-

mentary, we prepare our Spartan Stars of 2020 (5th graders) and Spartan Stars of

2021 (4th graders) to continue their learning adventure together as they move through our

district. Their next stop after Central Elementary School is W.T. Chipman Middle School for the 6th, 7th, and 8th

grades and then on to our very own Lake Forest High School where students participate in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and

12th grades with the opportunity to graduate from Lake Forest High School with college credits!

However, in order to truly become a Central Star, each of our students is challenged with becoming a Student

who Takes Academic Responsibility. As our students progress throughout the 4th and 5th grades at Central Elemen-

tary, it is our goal to see that they learn the skills to help them take responsibility for their learning. Learning how to

be responsible does not happen overnight and does not happen without the support between home, school, and our

community.

In the words of 4th grader Lamont Smith, being a Central Star means, “To do really well. Be polite. Show re-

spect for others so you can be happy.”

Mary Clark, also a 4th grader, agrees with Lamont and added, “Being a

Central Star is helping me to help others so we can all become the best we can

be!”

Central star —Student success is our only focus!

Embarking on a New

School Year at LF Central . . .


Lake Forest Central Elementary SchoolLake Forest Central Elementary School will collaborate with our families and communities to

provide a nurturing learning environment that empowers our students to grow as life-long learners.

Helping our students become a Central

Star goes beyond the walls of our class-

rooms and is not limited to just our teach-

ers. Here our school nurse, Mrs. Wise,

welcomes a Lake Forest family, Joseph

and mom, on the first day of school.

Central students — Central Stars eager

to learn!

Here DJ Osterman encourages his younger sibling to also

take steps to become a Central Star!

Central staff members Miss Abbott and

Mrs. Fazzin (above, left), Mr. Kulak and

Mrs. Taborda (below, left), and Dr. Amory

(above) greet Central Star Students as

they embark on the new school year!

See Central’s Spring 2012

DCAS Performance in

Reading & Math

Grades 4, 5 & 6 on page 8


Lake Forest East Elementary School

Lake Forest East Elementary staff and students

have a new way of starting the day – Breakfast in

the Classroom. Students enter the building at 8:10

am, and instead of going to the cafeteria to wait in

a long line for breakfast, they go directly to their

classroom and dine with their classroom “family”.

Homeroom teachers have created environments

that start the day for students in a calm, orderly

manner. Many play classical music while students

start their morning work. Others use it as a time to

check student’s homework and to provide individu-

alized assistance while students chat quietly.

Breakfast Clubs have sprung up around the build-

ing that allow staff to pull out small groups of stu-

dents to work on specific skills while eating with a

special staff member. Some of our English Lan-

guage Learners (ELL) begin work on vocabulary

development in a small group, while others who

need help working on identified math skills start

work with their Breakfast Club before the school

day officially begins at 8:35 am. Teachers are

pleased with this newly created “found time” and

enjoy seeing the students interacting in small

groups and taking advantage of the special help

being provided.

The food service staff reports an increase in

student participation in the breakfast program since

the change. Instances of students coming in late to

homeroom have been eliminated since breakfast is

waiting for them there.

Parents have taken the time to share their

thoughts as well. Dawn Fridas, mother of two East

students, took the time to write a letter to express

her thoughts. She shared that for the last three

years, her daughters have refused to have breakfast

at school because of the busy cafeteria environ-

ment. “When I explained to both of my daughters

that breakfast would be served in the classroom,

they jumped for joy.” She added, “Thank you for

providing a calm and nutritious start to my chil-

dren's day.”

Lake Forest School District is always on the cutting edge of educational initia-

tives, and East Elementary is always willing to participate in best practices. This

school year East, as well as the other two district elementary schools, participated in

the implementation of the Delaware Early Learner Survey (DE-ELS). The launch of

the DE-ELS is part of a new initiative that supports young children’s successful

kindergarten experiences. Delaware won a highly competitive federal grant—the

Early Learning Challenge—through which the state has committed to support edu-

cators, children, families and communities to gain a better understanding of the

range of skills and abilities of children as they enter kindergarten. Each year, nearly

8,500 children enter kindergarten with varying degrees of skills. Schools, early

learning programs, teachers and parents all want to know about the strengths and

needs of children to provide effective learning opportunities and support successful

linkages between the early learning and K-12 school systems. Teaching Strategies

GOLD® customized a measurement tool that is being used by our staff to gather in-

formation on new students within the first 30 days of the start of school. Training

on this tool occurred for

teachers during the week

of August 13-17. Super-

intendent, Dr. Dan Curry,

helped facilitate the im-

plementation by allow-

ing schools to bring in

new kindergartners in

small groups during the

first week of school on a

staggered schedule.

This implementation

also helped the students

by starting their first few days

getting to know their teachers

and their classrooms in a much

smaller setting.

One East parent and staff

member, Jen Watterton com-

mented that the staggered start

allowed her twin boys to start

kindergarten positively with a

smooth transition. She shared

that “Starting school with only

half of their classmates for the

first few days gave the boys a

chance to get to know a few new

friends and their teachers well

before the larger group began

school”.

Hopefully, the data gathered

from the kindergarten entry survey

can be used to inform future early

learning experiences both through

preschool programming and in

home settings.

Mrs. Tracy Oehler works with kinder-

gartener, Ryan Akmentins on retelling a

story as part of the Early Learning Survey

Mrs. Yuronda Adams completes a portion

of the Delaware Early Learning Survey

with proud student, Ryan Sheline.

Mrs. Vicki Wright works with a group of kinder-

garten students on math concepts while data is col-

lected for the DE-ELS survey.

Students in Mrs. Hamilton’s class chat and chew be-

fore the school day starts while their teacher works

with small groups.

First graders Laura Delgado and Ruben Sauceda-

Campos enjoy breakfast together.

Breakfast Clubs: East Starts the Day Right!

Kindergarten Pilot

Begins at East

For more about LF East,visit www.lf.k12.de.us/east


Lake Forest North’s Students Make the Mark Lake Forest North Elementary School in Felton, Delaware, is proud to service the students in the Felton and Viola areas. Students from pre-kindergarten through third

grade attend. The student population is just over 500 students. North’s poverty rate is over 50 percent. Lake Forest North’s number one focus is student success.

The kindergarten students grew tremendously during the school year. 97 percent of the students met or exceeded the expectation of the DIBELS assessment. The first

grade students continued the trend; 89 percent of those students met or exceeded the expectation of the DIBELS assessment. The second grade students worked diligently

to exhibit all that they had learned during the school year as well. 86 percent of the students were proficient in Reading,

and 96 percent were proficient in math as measured by the Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS). The

third grade students demonstrated that they were ready for the challenge of going to Lake Forest Central. 87 percent were

proficient in reading, and 88 percent were proficient in math as measured by the DCAS. Our parents are faithful supporters

of our activities and programs. We are also grateful for our community leaders and business partners who support our en-

deavors.

It is through these partnerships along with the hard work of our teachers, paraprofessionals, foster grandparents, sup-

port personnel and administration that North’s students have been given the opportunity to achieve academically.

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

the students in the Felton and Viola areas.

North Gives Students a Jump Start For two weeks in August, North Elementary hosted yet another event for stu-

dents to get a “jump start” on the new school year. Five new first graders, seven

second graders and seven third

graders attended the program.

Students participated from 8:00

am – 12:00 noon, Monday

through Thursday. Transporta-

tion was provided, as well as a

nutritious snack. Our teachers

ensured that the students were

prepared to begin the school

year feeling confident.

Mrs. Ford, North’s reading

specialist, taught 3rd grade dur-

ing the program. Mrs. Ford stated, “The students that participated in the Jump

Start program this summer

made great progress. Math and

reading skills that the students

will be working on the first se-

mester of 3rd grade were taught.

Attendance and participation

were wonderful. I thoroughly

enjoyed working with each and

every student during Jump

Start.”

Mrs. Melvin, one of the 1st

grade teachers, agreed, “Jump

start is a great way to motivate

students for the upcoming

school year. They have fun while learning important skills for the grade they will

be entering.” (Continued on page 8)

Third Grade Teachers: Cheryl Schlitt, Nakia McNair, Monica

Tesno, Anita Pariseau, Jennifer Mczynski, Sara Bushey and Erin

Dotson

Second Grade Teachers: Cory Knight, Jessica Zoll, Kim

Jones, Debbie Topolski, Cindy Christiansen and

Cynthia Westhoff

Students working hard at a DCAS practice

test

Keeping the Learning Lamp BurningMrs. Sarah Ferguson (Librarian), Mrs. Shirlean

Loper (Clerk) and Mrs. Joy D’Souza (Family Crisis

Therapist) collaborated to implement a seven week

summer camp for the students in Lake Forest. Lake

Forest North Elementary had the opportunity to

partner with the Kent County Summer Feeding Pro-

gram (KCSFP), funded through USDA, Catholic

Charities and the Young Professionals Network.

KCSFP provided free breakfast and lunch daily for

the students. Supplies and donations were received

from Walmart (Camden) and local businesses. The

following students were consistent volunteers: Nicki

Pierpont; Tia, Vicki and Angelica Tucker; Ciera, Jas-

min and Destiny Loper.

The students began their morning with

breakfast and a meeting in the gym. Next,

they were split into age appropriate groups in

order to follow their assigned schedule. The

activities included: library time, craft time

and science, all revolving around the theme

of the day. Some of the activities included

opportunities to dress in various cultures,

physical exercise and nutrition, as well as the

opportunity to create various projects and

conduct science experiments. The day ended

with lunch and free time in the gym. The

final day included various water games and

activities, pizza, freeze pops and a grab bag

of educational goodies.

Continuous SMILES at our

Summer Library Fun Days

Joy D’Sousa leads our Summer

Library India Heritage Day.

First Grade Jump Start students and teachers

Second Grade Jump Start students and teacher


More from Central Elementary on page 5

Spring 2012 DCAS 3rd Grade Scores

at Lake Forest East, North & South

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News from East Elementary on page 6North Elementary on pages 7 & 8South Elementary on pages 9 & 10

Spring 2012 DCAS Scores

at LFCentral Elementary

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Autism and Building Inclusive SchoolsWe recognize that our student population is

changing in Lake Forest. As an inclusive school

district, we are committed to meeting the needs of

all our students within our schools and commu-

nity. As the needs of our students change, we also

recognize that it is important for us to be open to

changing how we teach and manage our class-

rooms. Recently, our elementary teachers partici-

pated in a professional development activity on

Autism and Building Inclusive Schools. The focus

of this activity was to learn more about autism and

how to support our autistic students in the class-

room, as well as to explore new ways to differen-

tiate our classroom management for all students to

ensure they are ready to learn.

The speaker at this event was Ari Ne’eman.

He is President and co-founder of the Autistic Self

Advocacy Network, an advocacy organization run

by and for Autistic adults seeking to increase the representation of autistic people

across society. Mr. Ne’eman is an autistic adult and a leading advocate in the neuro-

diversity and self-advocacy movements. (Continued on page 11)

Ari Ne’eman, President and

Co-Founder of Autistic Self

Advocacy Network, speaks to

teachers at Lake Forest.

(Photo courtesy of Dave Cham-bers, Delaware State News)

By the Numbers:Our world is data driven. Numbers provide us with information that we use to

make decisions. Numbers can also be basic information that helps us better understand

something. We thought you might enjoy looking at some of LF District’s numbers….

Students Pre-K-12 . . . . . 3,835

PreK-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,919

6-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,916

Teachers/Specialists . . . . . 293

Para-Professionals . . . . . . . . 70

Secretaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Custodians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Child Nutrition Service

Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Info Sysems Personnel . . . . . 2

Administrators. . . . . . . . . . . 22

Teachers.Specialists with

Masters Degree or higher 149

Teachers.Specialists with

Doctoral Degrees. . . . . . . . . 1

Administrators with

Doctoral Degrees . . . . . . . . . 6

First Year Teachers/Specialists2012-1013 school year . . . . 8

Positions filledMay-Sept 2012 . . . . . . . . . . 39

Administration. . . . . . . . . . . 2

Teachers/Specialists . . . . . 19

Para Professionals . . . . . . . . 8

Custodians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Child Nutrition Service

Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Buses contracted . . . . . . . . . 50

Bus route runs per day. . . . 146

Bus miles per day . . . . . . 4,200

Building sq. footage . . 549,277

District office . . . . . . . . 7,654High school . . . . . . . 162,642Central Elementary. . . 65,430WT Chipman . . . . . . 128,776DE Early Childhood Center .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,433East Elementary . . . . . 38,086North Elementary . . . . 74,009South Elementary . . . . 55,347

Kilwatt hours used/costper month average

. . . . . . . . . . 448,000/$84.000

LFHS. . . . . 185,000/$17,000

Central. . . . . . 53,000/$6,000

North . . . . . . . 55,000/$5,000

East . . . . . . . . 41,000/$4,000

WTC . . . . . . . 7,000/$17,000

South . . . . . . . 44,000/$4.500

Projected Revenue for Fiscal Year 2012

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $38,799,110

State . . . . . . . . . $30,799,110

Local. . . . . . . . . . $5,753,513

Federal . . . . . . . . $2,138,083

Minor Cap: State . . $289,803

Third Grade Jump Start students and teachers

Jump Start(Continued fromn page7)

Mrs. Begor shared

the 1st grade experience

with Mrs. Melvin. Mrs.

Begor added, “Jump Start

was an awesome and fun

opportunity for 1st grade

students to be exposed to

a variety of the math and

reading skills that they

will experience in 1st

grade.”


Lake Forest South Elementary

Lake Forest South Elementary

School Selected as the Title I High

Progress School for 2011-2012Lake Forest South Elementary School received the desig-

nation of “high progress school” for the 2011 – 2012 school

year. The reward of high progress school was determined by

South’s third grade students’ performance on the Delaware

Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) for 2008 – 2010.

Our students demonstrated significant annual growth on the

combined English Language Arts and Mathematics percent

proficient. In order to be considered proficient, a student must

score a 3 or 4 on the Reading and Mathematics DCAS.

Additionally, the gap between our high performing stu-

dents and low performing students was narrowed, with several

students showing over a year’s growth. As a result of the honor, Lake Forest

South Elementary School received a $50,000 award which was used to support

our academic programs, continue our progress toward increased student

achievement, and our vision of being on track for success. The goals of South’s

School Improvement Plan guided the spending of the award money, resulting

in the purchase two laptop carts with 30 laptops apiece, the Accelerated Math

(AM) program from Renaissance Learning, and composition books for each

student.

As an added bonus, Lake Forest South, East, North, and Central Elemen-

tary were also recognized by the Delaware Department of Education for “beat-

ing the odds” with a “low-income student population that is greater than the

state average and out-performed the state on math and reading DCAS.” Lake

Forest South is on track for continued student success!

DCAS (Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System has recognized Lake Forest South Elementary

in Harrington as a Superior School.

Lake Forest South Elementary recently received Phase 2 Schoolwide PBS

Recognition for the 2011-2012 School Year from The Delaware Positive Be-

havior Support Project (DE-PBS) for successfully establishing a Schoolwide

Positive Behavior Support System in order to create safe and caring learning

environments that promote the social-emotional and academic development of

all children. Among the requirements to apply for this prestigious recognition

were to complete the Delaware Assessment of Strengths and Needs for Positive

Behavior Support (DASNPBS or Needs Assessment), a self-assessment tool

which evaluates the components of an effective schoolwide discipline system

and the Delaware School Climate Survey, which provides input about our

school climate from students, parents, and staff. Additionally, we were re-

quired to submit information regarding our schoolwide positive behavior sup-

port program.

Lake Forest South Elementary’s PBS program is linked with CHARAC-

TER COUNTS!, providing a focus for rewarding students who display behav-

iors associated with the Six Pillars of CHARACTER COUNTS! Each month a

pillar is highlighted to introduce the character traits. The Six Pillars of charac-

ter are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

Students receive punches on their “train tickets” when staff observe any

demonstration of positive character traits. Lake Forest South has continued the

tradition of awarding “Sparty Shout Outs” on the live announcements to stu-

dents who were observed displaying role model behavior for the Six Pillars of

CHARACTER COUNTS! In addition to being the location of the school store,

the PBS room contains an area for students who continually demonstrate ex-

emplary behaviors to eat lunch with staff members, listen to music, and play

games. Each month we have a PBS event to celebrate our students’ achieve-

ments. One of our favorite events is our staff talent show, which is held in

January.

This fall, Lake Forest South will receive a certificate as well as a 2011-

2012 banner, which we will proudly display.

LF South Receives Recognition from the Delaware Positive Behavior Support Project

South’s All Aboard Orientation On Friday, August 24, 2012, Lake Forest South Elementary conducted our

All Aboard Orientation for families during two sessions held at 11:00 a.m. and

12:00 p.m. Families were able to visit their child’s classroom where teachers

provided them with information regarding the following: grade level expecta-

tions, daily schedule, Student Code of Conduct, Family and School Agree-

ment, and family communication/planners. Families were able to visit the

cafeteria, gymnasium, art room, playground, computer lab, and the library.

Over 900 family members and students attended the orientation! A follow-up

session, Lake Forest South’s Cornucopia of Learning Curriculum Night, is

planned for Thursday, November 8 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

LF 3rd Grade Perfomance Scores for

Spring 2012 on page 8


South Family Survey 2011 – 2012 Each school year, Lake Forest South conducts a family survey in order to

better serve our students and families. The feedback is presented to the staff

during in-service days prior to the beginning of the school year and to families

during the first PTA meeting.

The following comments were provided by families on the survey:

• Keep “on track for success” as a parent. I am very happy and proud thatmy two kids are part of LAKE FOREST SOUTH ELEMENTARY. They are“on track for success” I love it!!

• My child is doing very well. I feel she has grown so much from beginningof school year!

• Everyone at South is kind and considerate. It is a welcoming, friendlyatmosphere and we love it here!

• Continue to make each student feel loved, important and a sense ofbelonging.

• I have always liked the LFSD. I went through the high school myself and mychildren graduated there. And now my grandchildren all attend. The oldestis a sophomore at LFH. One at Central and two at Chipman and three atSouth. All the teachers seem to do their best for all the children.

• I don’t have anything to suggest. I love the school. I love the school district.This is our first year here at LF. The teachers, staff, principal and assistantprincipal have treated us with the upmost respect, sincerity and warm wel-comes. I feel important as a parent, to the school. The school wants feed-back and listens to what I have to say. The school realizes and recognizesparents as an importance, in their child’s success. I as a parent have made afew mistakes this year. The school’s staff has made it their main goal to helpme as a parent and not criticize me. I want to Thank-You! My child haseven had the help that she needs to succeed. She is learning to be moreopen and honest as a student. Her grades have improved. She has madefriends. Anytime she has had issues, the staff took everything seriously, andhandled it immediately. Thank you again, for giving us both what weneeded.Lake Forest South Elementary staff appreciates family feedback. Family in-

volvement keeps us on track for success

Coming soon!

Lake Forest South Elementary’s Career Day! If you would like to share

your career with our little Spartans on February 1, 2013 please contact the

school at (302) 398-8011. We hope to see you there!

Once a month, families can attend our PTA Family Movie Nights. Our first

Family Movie Night is scheduled for September 28th at 6:15 p.m. Bring a

blanket and dollar for juice and popcorn!

At top - The Bundu family at PTA Family Movie Night

Above left - Stephanie and Bryce Coker

Above right - Carol Abbott and Herbie talking to parents about counseling at

Meet and Greet

YOU Can Teach a Child to Read!Reading ASSIST® Institute

You can help students in local elementary schools improvetheir literacy skills by becoming a volunteer tutor with ReadingASSIST® Institute’s Volunteer Tutor Program. In just onemorning per week you can give a struggling reader in Grade K-3the gift of reading. No experience necessary! We provide alltraining and materials free of charge. A high school diploma orGED plus a criminal background check are required. Do not callthe Lake Forest School District. Contact Sue McGrath at RAItoday at 302-425-4080 or [email protected] for in-formation on our next training session

Home Visiting Supports Families of Young Children Parents As Teachers (PAT) provides parent education and family support

services to families of children from birth to four throughout Delaware. Home

visiting is the primary way Parent Educators from PAT provide support to fami-

lies. Families may participate in home visits once a month, twice a month or

more - frequently based on the needs of the individual family. The Delaware

Early Childhood Center, a division of Lake Forest School District, operates the

Parents As Teachers program serving Kent and Sussex Counties, with funding

from the Delaware Department of Education. Home visiting services are pro-

vided to more than 400 families in Kent and Sussex Counties.

In Lake Forest, approximately thirty-five families participate in Parents As

Teachers services. Several certified Parent Educators provide these home visits.

Monica Sipes, Early Childhood Home Visiting Coordinator, who works as a

Parent Educator for PAT and also coordinates Spartan Sprouts, Lake Forest’s

home visiting program, serves a number of the Lake Forest families participat-

ing in PAT. She talked with one of the families, who live in Felton with three

year old twins, about their experience with PAT.

The mother said,” What I enjoy most about the Parents As Teachers pro-

gram is all the information I get, the different activities and handouts to help

me with this stage of the game with my kids. I like the screenings they do be-

cause it is nice to see where the kids are and where they need the extra help. I

like the support in general that the program has to give me, different contacts

that have been offered for the additional help that we may have needed. Every-

one I have worked with has been very understanding, prompt, informative, and

helpful.” (Continued on page 12)

Building Improvements (Continued from page 1)These are just a few of the many items that community support has

made possible. Following is a list of future projects that Lake Forest School

District hopes to accomplish

with community support:

Lake Forest High School

• New turf field and new

running track

• New practice fields

• New pool filtration & HVAC

systems

• New greenhouse classroom

WTC Middle School

• New flooring throughout the

school

• Site improvements for better

field drainage

• New lockers in the field house

• Additional security cameras

Central Elementary

• New access road for parent

drop off

• New carpeting throughout the

school

• Sidewalks

•Additional security cameras

North Elementary

• New gymnasium bleachers

• Exterior envelope

improvements

• New site lighting

South Elementary

• Additional security cameras

• Address stage natural lighting

problems


Public to Have Access to Spartan Strength & Conditioning Center. The Lake Forest Board of Education, which presently makes its in-

door pool at Lake Forest High School available to the public at a reason-

able cost, has announced that its high school fitness center will also be

available to the public, for limited hours, at a nominal membership fee.

The Spartan Strength and Conditioning Center includes a modern

weight room with a wide variety of free weights, Atlantic and Life Fit-

ness equipment as well as a cardio room with treadmills, ellipticals,

stationary bikes and stair climbers. Limited advanced tours and orienta-

tions may be scheduled by calling Betsy Farmer at 284-3020, or stop by

on the first day of public hours, Monday, October 1, 2012.

Public hours will be from 5pm to 9 pm, Monday through Friday at a

cost of $15 per month beginning October 1, 2012. Members must be 21

years old or older, must participate in an orientation program, and sign a

release before using the equipment.

Interested individuals may stop by the Lake Forest Central Business

Office between the hours of 8a.m. and 4p.m. to register and pay the

monthly fee. If their child attends a Lake Forest School, they may send a

check with their child, made out to Lake Forest School District, for $15

with name, address and phone number to the attention of Betsy Farmer,

Lake Forest Central Business Office.

Building Inclusive Schools (Continued from page 8)A panel of experts consisting of parents, and autistic students from our district also partic-

ipated.

As a follow up to our professional development on autism and building inclusive

schools, a select group of Lake Forest teachers will travel to Philadelphia to receive train-

ing on the PECS system. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is used

to rapidly teach communication skills to those with limited functional speech. PECS pro-

motes communication within a social context, without lengthy prerequisite training.

Training in PECS begins by teaching a spontaneous request and goes on to teach addi-

tional communicative functions such as responding to questions and commenting. We be-

lieve that many of our students could benefit from our teachers using this program.

Our DCAS accountability scores in Lake Forest improved last year across all schools

and student groups, and we want to continue this momentum by working to equip and

support our teachers with the latest tools and strategies to address our changing student

population.

LF School District Referendum Yes, it is that time again. Although we have been under construction for the last

four years, there is still a need for the district to do more in capital and student achieve-

ment.

When: We are planning a referendum for December 4, 2012.

What: There are two parts to this referendum:

Capital Improvements – In this portion of the referendum, there are physical improve-

ments to every school in our district that cover renovations and safety for our stu-

dents. The majority of the improvements will be to our High School, which every

student will eventually benefit from. For a complete listing of the improvements,

visit our website www.lf.k12.de.us

Operating Expenses - This part of the referendum includes transportation, technology,

safety/parent involvement and retaining and hiring quality staff (including new texts,

professional development and competitive compensation package).

Why: We are in need of your support so we can continue the great strides in stu-

dent achievement we obtained this year in all six of our schools. We want to support

the whole child from birth to early college credits before graduation. We want to en-

sure our students and teaching staff have the best technology to keep up with the

changing world around us. Everywhere and everything we do today deals with technol-

ogy, from banking, to shopping, to our everyday jobs, and Lake Forest wants to ensure

our graduates are career and college ready by the time they graduate from high school.

We are creating more opportunities for our students through inclusive settings, acceler-

ation for all of our students and early college credit courses at the high school. Lake

Forest School District wants 95% of the Class of 2016 to graduate with college credits.

The cost for each part of the referendum:

Capital improvements: $0.00 - the district is going to use the Kent County Lake Forest

School Dstrict capital improvement funds for the 20% local share, which means we

will not levy a tax for this portion of the referendum.

Operating Expenses: $0.2538 per 100 dollars of assessed property value (not market

value). To find your assessed property value, you can go to the Kent County PRIDE

system found at the following link: www.co.kent.de.us/PRIDE/; you can search your

property by name or address. Your assessed value will be near the center of the page.

You would take that number; divide by 100, and multiply it by the 0.2538 to get the

increase in your annual tax. The district will increase the total rate over the next three

years, to minimize the impact to the taxpayer. For an average household with an as-

sessed value of $50,000, the total annual tax increase after 3 years would be $126.90

or $10.58 per month.

We thank all of our parents, students, staff and tax payers for their continued sup-

port of the Lake Forest School District.

Practice rooms in the performing arts wing.

LF High School Consumer Science Room

The Strength

and

Conditioning

Center at

Lake Forest

High School

ECAP Helps Children Get Ready(Continued from page 1)

ing year enjoying being a part of such a welcoming school community. This

year eighteen four year olds from Frederica are attending ECAP at Lake Forest

East Elementary, as the classroom there opens to its second year.

DECC’s ECAP program serves four year olds in Seaford, Capital, and Cape

Henlopen School Districts in addition to Lake Forest. A special thanks is owed

to the Lake Forest Board of Education that serves as the DECC ECAP’s gov-

erning board. Board members spend time at many meetings approving plans

and hearing reports on ECAP. With the help of ECAP, more children in Lake

Forest will be coming to kindergarten ready to jump into learning with enthusi-

asm, confidence, and competence.

Both classrooms are held in the morning from 8:00 am until noon. All the

children are able to eat breakfast and lunch during their day at ECAP, thanks to

the Lake Forest School District’s Child Nutrition program. Nutrition is an im-

portant part of the ECAP program, for both children and their parents, as are

other aspects of children’s health and safety. The day at ECAP is full of fun

and learning that is planned for the children to actively involve them in a cur-

riculum that is interesting and builds on their strengths.

Parents are partners in all aspects of ECAP. They are invited to join their

children in the classroom at least once a month to participate in the learning ac-

tivities. A number of parents also participate in program governance on the

ECAP Policy Council. A diverse group of children and families are enrolled in

ECAP, with the program primarily being designed for children whose families

are income eligible. The program also includes a number of children with dis-

abilities in its classes. Transportation is offered to those who need it to attend

the program.

Children with behavioral or mental health needs are provided support

through ECAP’s mental health consultant. All children are screened as they

enter ECAP to ensure that they receive all the educational support needed. Cyn-

thia Hall, the Family Service Worker for DECC ECAP in Lake Forest, visits

each family to help them develop a Family Partnership Agreement and to share

resources and helpful information. Ms. Hall talked to some of the children and

parents about their first week of ECAP in Harrington. These are some of their

comments:

“This first week has gone well. My child is full of interesting stories about

his learning experiences. I enjoy that he is learning and is excited. He looks

forward to the next few months.”

“School (ECAP) has been exciting and good for my daughter. She looks

forward to coming to school.”

(child) “I like school and playing outside and the stuff my teachers are

teaching.”

(parent) “He likes coming to school to be with his new friend. On the first

day of school, he was up very early wanting to go to school.”


Come and join us for a day of fun and entertainment. Bring the whole family!

4th Annual I Love Lake Forest Day

Saturday, October 13th, 2012

10 am 2 pm

Lake Forest High School

Music Native

American

Curriculum Displays Food Art

Exhibits Plant Sales Aquatic Program

Demonstrations

Moon Bounce

Games & Activities

for Children

Student Performances

LF Apparel for Sale

Hay Ride &

Petting Zoo

Jungle John

Community Information

Home Visiting (Continued from page 10)Parents As Teachers also offers a variety of group meetings for families and

young children, including teen groups, parent meetings, and Stay and Plays.

Lake Forest High School hosts a PAT Teen Group for young parents who are

still in school. Parents As Teachers will be starting a new activity in Lake Forest

this fall. A Stay and Play, parent-child weekly play group, will be held at Lake

Forest North Elementary School in Felton starting on Thursday, September 13

from 10:00 – 11:30 am. Any family with a child or children from birth to four

is welcome to join the group. For more information about Parents As Teachers

and its Stay and Plays, call the Delaware Early Childhood Center at 302-398-

8945.

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Documents

Lake Forest Reporter Fall 2012