Great to be a Spartan

Recently we were fortunate to host a big event for Lt. Governor Matt Denn and Secretary of Education Mark Murphy.  The two big shots were on a tour of Delaware announcing the 17 Recognition Schools.

Of those 17 schools, three of them belong to Lake Forest.  So what are the odds?  All six schools in Lake Forest represent less than 1.5% of all the schools in the state.  Yet, when the state is recognizing those schools with the highest achievement, 18% of them are Lake Forest Schools.  That’s pretty cool.

They are:

·        Lake Forest North – also named a Distinguished Title I School

·        Lake Forest East – a former Distinguished Title I School

·        Lake Forest South – which won the award 2 years ago

Each of our principals – Mrs. Lands, Mrs. Piavis and Mrs. Hart – made great speeches after being introduced by the Lt. Governor.  They pointed out that their students’ high achievement is attributed to: supportive parents, hard-working students, dedicated teachers, a focused central office, a vigilant school board and a diverse community.  They pointed out that the kids who hit such high targets and earn this recognition for their school are from a variety of backgrounds and many face personal challenges outside of school.  They live on farms, in nice developments, in old houses, in trailers and in apartments; some have no mom or dad; some are special education students; some go home to a family where nobody speaks English; some suffer major health issues.  Yet, they do outstanding work and reach for the stars.

Each Recognition School will receive $50,000.  They can use it for anything to support their efforts to continue to raise student achievement.

It was a great day to be a Spartan, as most days are.