2012 in Review

Everybody has their version of the year in review. Although our school years always straddle two calendar years, I thought it would be interesting to review 2012 in Lake Forest. We'll not go month by month but lay out some of the seasonal events. I’m going by memory here so this is not a comprehensive list - just those things that I remember. It was a very good year.


Winter:

• It was a very mild winter with no snow days and little accumulated snow due to the fact that I bought a new snow blower. Weather was great but snow blower would’ve been fun.

Spring:

• We launched the Spartan Sprouts – a home visiting program where parents of new born babies would get some coaching and assistance in the development of their children in order to help them be prepared for school when the time comes.

• Spring testing in DCAS yielded some of the best scores ever seen in Lake Forest. In grades 3-10, Lake Forest Students exceeded state averages in reading and math in all but two categories. In those they tied the state average. All schools met AYP (adequate yearly progress).

Summer:

• Early College School District. At Lake Forest High School Graduation it is announced that 90% of the class of 2016 will graduate from high school with college credit in hand.

• All incoming high school freshmen get a home visit by one or more of the teachers at Lake Forest High School. The goal is to get all freshmen off to a good start.

• Lake Forest Board of Education decides to ask voter for approval of 2 referendums – one for operating funds and one for capital expenditures.

• Vision 2015 identifies 24 schools in Delaware that are beating the odds. These are schools with higher than average poverty levels and much higher than average student performance. Four on the list are Lake Forest Schools. W.T.Chipman Middle would be on the list because it has consistently been among the highest achieving middle schools. The poverty level is average so that's why it's not included.

Fall:

• Spartan Strength and Conditioning Center is open to the public and announced to all district households by an accidental 5a.m. Saturday morning phone call.

• Lake Forest is one of only two districts to pilot “College Application Week” which leads to 90% of our seniors having successfully submitted applications to college by late November.

• Expected partial approval from the state causes the Lake Forest Board of Education to postpone plans for a capital referendum.

• Operating referendum passes on December 4.

2012 was a very good year in Lake Forest.