November 29, 2023

Dear LFHS Families,

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. As we approach Winter Break and finals season, we want to take a moment to thank all of our families for their partnership with us in making school attendance a priority. As many of you know, chronic absenteeism, defined by the Illinois State Board of Education as "absences that total 10% or more of school days of the most recent academic school year, including absences with and without valid cause," continues to be an issue across Illinois and our nation. According to the nationwide district-level data from the American Enterprise Institute’s Return to Learn Tracker, chronic absenteeism surged from 15% in 2018 to 29% last year. At LFHS, our administrative team is committed to tackling this head on and ensuring that our students have the resources that they need to be successful and be in the building, every day.

The Importance of Attendance

Regular attendance in high school is a crucial factor in academic success and personal development. Consistent attendance fosters a positive learning environment, enabling students to actively engage with curriculum materials, participate in class discussions, and build meaningful connections with teachers and peers. Beyond academic benefits, regular attendance instills valuable life skills such as time management, responsibility, and discipline. High school serves as a foundation for future endeavors, and students who prioritize attendance not only maximize their educational opportunities but also develop the resilience and work ethic necessary for success in college and the workforce. Ultimately, regular attendance is a key component in shaping well-rounded, prepared individuals poised for a bright future.

Using the PowerSchool Attendance Portal

Earlier this school year, we partnered with you to open up our PowerSchool attendance portal, which allows families to report attendance in real time. Thank you to those who have been actively using this tool to report student absences and for helping us to easily determine excused versus unexcused absences. Ultimately, student attendance data is reported annually and counts for 10% of our LFHS Illinois State Report Card summative designation.

We encourage all of our families to continue to report absences using PowerSchool. This video is a helpful tool for how to report. The new attendance PowerSchool attendance portal allows the Deans' office to efficiently and effectively maintain accurate attendance records and allows the deans more time to communicate with students and families. We ask that families not email the attendance email, which has been discontinued.

Sincerely,

Frank Lesniak

flesniak@lfschools.net

847-582-7736

• December 5
  
• 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm D115 Board of Education Meeting
• December 6
• 9:15 am - 11:00 am LFHS Foundation Board Meeting
• December 8
• 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm Applause Board Meeting
• December 10
• 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm Holiday Concert (Spaghetti Dinner)
• December 15
• Holiday Classic
• December 18
• LFHS Exam Week Begins
• December 21
• End of First Semester
• December 22
• Winter Break Begins

• December 5, 2023 - Regular Meeting
  
• February 6, 2023 - Regular Meeting
• March 12, 2023 - Regular Meeting

Agendas will be posted prior to the meeting on the District 115 Board of Education website.

• Agenda - November 7, 2023
• Recording
• Superintendent's Report
• Board Spotlight Video

At every board meeting Principal Erin Lenart shares highlights from LFHS over the past month. Please see her presentation here.

The new guest access system for Districts 67 and 115 allows visitors to check in at a kiosk in their school building and present identification to front desk staff. Visitors will be screened and asked to leave their identification with the front desk while they are on school property.

The purpose of this new access system allows school staff to know who is currently on the premises and who has completed their visit. The staff will collect an identification card or another identifying item and return it to the visitor upon checkout. With your cooperation, we will continue to maintain the safest learning environment possible.

Freshman and Sophomore students are invited to join the Frosh/Soph Student Council for a perfect study break - at Lightscape 2023! This is the second year we have run this event.

When participants arrive at school on November 30, at 6:30 pm, they will be treated to cocoa and holiday treats. We will depart via bus for Chicago Botanic Gardens at 6:45 pm. Of this year's installations, 19 of 22 of the displays are completely new, giving participants opportunities to photograph and enjoy! We will return to the school by 9:15 pm

We are excited to announce our 4th Annual Scout All-Out 5K! Rallying around Scout pride and school spirit, we are excited about a tradition to celebrate our students and our community.

The Scout All-Out 5K is a fundraiser with all proceeds going directly into our Student Council class accounts to create fun and enriching learning experiences for our LFHS students. Sign up to run or walk, sip some hot cocoa, and have fun!

The LFHS Holiday Brass and Alumni joined with the Lake Forest Civic Orchestra Brass to open the Lake Forest Tree Lighting festivities on Friday, November 24. Enjoy the pictures and video below!

Last Tuesday, the LFHS Educational Services team, in partnership with the APT, invited all students to the 3rd Annual Alumni Panel! Several recent alumni ranging from the class of 2018 through 2023 shared their experiences post LFHS, discussing college, jobs, and career paths. Thank you to these amazing alumni for spending time at their alma mater!

🎓 Luke Arvia (‘23)

🎓 Alia Attar (‘23)

🎓 Chris Cavalaris (‘18)

🎓 Pride Haggerty (‘23)

🎓 Audrey Kaus (‘18)

🎓 Zoe Mackey (‘23)

🎓 Austin Rice (‘23)

🎓 Jack Rice (‘23)

🎓 Sadie Specketer (‘21)

🎓 Tommy Van Camp (‘23)

On November 28, Alex Saratsis, agent of Milwaukee Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo, visited LFHS as a guest speaker hosted by the Hellenistic Club and the Finance Club! See pictures below!

The LFHS Foundation is dedicated to supporting, enriching and enhancing the educational experience for all LFHS students, faculty and staff by investing in educational excellence. We rely on the generosity of our community, valuing any and all contributions, sponsorships, and partnerships. Please consider a year-end gift if you aren't on our donor list yet. We also take donations of stock - simply contact us at lfhsfoundation@gmail.com if you would like to give in that way.

If you are interested in supporting this year's spring luncheon or Pitch Night as a sponsor or partner, please contact Nicole Phelan nicoledb1@gmail.com our Vice Chair of Development. More information is available on our website or our Constant Contact link here.

The links below are just a few examples of the many amazing articles written by the staff of the Forest Scout Student Newspaper. You can find their website here.

The District utilizes Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Follow us to learn more about celebrations, student achievements, and District news!

LFHS welcomed home the class of 2003 (and their families!) as they celebrated their 20th Reunion this past weekend!

If you're interested in arranging a reunion for your high school class or learning more about LFHS Alumni opportunities, please contact lfhsalumni@lfschools.net

• CROYA’s Poinsettia pick up is Friday, December 1 from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm and Saturday, December 2 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.

• December 6: High School Meeting – 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm at CROYA!
  
• December 13: High School Meeting – 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm at CROYA!

Follow us on Instagram (@croyalflb) or find us on Facebook for the most up-to-date information.

Hey D115 Community! See all of our upcoming community events through the Green Backpack Page on our website. Here is a preview of what you'll see:

FAN Event: On Ambition

December 6, 2023, 7:00 pm

LFHS Holiday Concerts & Applause Spaghetti Dinner

December 10, 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm

FAN Event: Life in Light

December 12, 2023, 7:00 pm

The Friends of the Lake Forest Library is looking for local volunteers to join their board. Volunteer openings in various committees include graphic design, publicity, digital marketing, accounting and finance, database. If interested or have questions, please email: friendslflibrary@gmail.com.

• Winter Weather Guidelines
• CROYA November Top 10
  
• November Choir Newsletter
• December Band Notes
• Orchestra Newsletter November/December
• Transition Newsletter, November
• TrueNorth Family Bi-Weekly Newsletter, November 17, 2023
  
• TrueNorth Upcoming Family Events