By the end of the school year, about 1,000 Lakota eighth-graders will have visited a local business for a taste of what their future career might entail. It’s all part of Lakota’s continuing partnership with Junior Achievement to bring students a “Job Exploration Day”. More than 500 students from Plains and Ridge junior schools participated in the job shadowing event at one of 20 partner businesses late last month. Students at Hopewell and Liberty junior schools will enjoy the same experience next month.

Career Readiness Academy (CRA) Science Club students are not just talking about topics like going green, eliminating waste, and reducing chemicals found in foods. They are working together to take on a major project that addresses all three topics - creating a sustainable garden using chemical-free, pesticide-free resources and materials.

Lakota families are invited to help build commUNITY on Earth Day 2018. Together with the West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance, Lakota Local Schools will host a family friendly afternoon on Sunday, April 22 from 2 - 4 p.m. at the Square at Union Centre in West Chester.

Lakota Local Schools held its first annual military commitment ceremony on April 5. Thirty-three seniors from both Lakota East and West high schools, who have committed to entering either a military academy or branch of service after graduation, were recognized before a near capacity crowd at the Lakota East Freshman building. (A video and Facebook album of the event are now available.)

As a way of recognizing the Class of 2018 as role models for their younger counterparts, Lakota is gearing up for another “Parade of Graduates.” On Thursday, May 3, all 10 of Lakota’s elementary schools will welcome a group of this year’s graduates in fanfare fashion.

There are many different components included in the safety and security protocols at Lakota Schools. In addition to the safety drills practiced throughout the school year, periodically our partners at the Butler County Sheriff’s Office bring in K-9 units to perform drug searches at the high schools and in the student parking lots.

Lakota Local Schools, in partnership with Greater Cincinnati’s Grant Us Hope, is proud to bring Hope Squad to students at both Lakota East and Lakota West high schools. Preparation for full implementation in the 2018-19 school year is beginning now with student, staff and parent informational meetings. Lakota is one of over 20 schools in the Greater Cincinnati region to pilot the national school-based peer-to-peer suicide prevention program in southwestern Ohio. Hope Squad members are students nominated by their peers who are then trained to identify at-risk students, provide friendship and seek help from an adult.

The Lakota Calendar Committee is preparing a 2019-2020 district calendar recommendation for the Board of Education. But first, the group is soliciting community input. Lakota staff, students, parents and community members are invited to review the current draft before any final recommendation is presented to the school board in May 2018.

Just a few weeks after its inception, a former closet turned resource pantry at Adena Elementary is already stockpiled with hundreds of different snacks, school supplies and hygiene items.

In recognition of National Volunteer Month, help us share the many ways Lakota students and staff branch out to volunteer their time and talents in our community. Get creative and share a photo that demonstrates the individual or organization you like to support. Participate all month long on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram by tagging Lakota’s account and #LakotaBranchesOut.

After noticing a few students who used their pencils as drumsticks on their desks, Liberty Junior teacher Dave Schreier told them about a bucket drum performance he had seen. “I went out and picked up a couple of buckets and started messing around with it. After a few weeks, I brought it in and played some simple beats that took me weeks to learn. A couple of the kids picked the beat up in less than five minutes!”

Last year, Cherokee’s SRO Captain Katie McMahon visited third grade classrooms to talk about police horses to help students prepare to write essays on the benefits of police horses. This year she brought more than pictures to show the students – she brought two deputies and their horse, Reggie, from the Butler County Mounted Patrol.

Lakota’s continuing partnership with the MidPointe Library is putting a new spin on the traditional school media center experience. MidPointe’s “Library on Wheels” program - originally designed to help reach parts of their service area without a physical branch as well as patrons physically unable to visit their branch - recently rolled out a bookmobile. The vehicle rolls up to most Lakota school buildings once a month, parking outside for most of the day as classes take turns coming aboard to peruse the monthly selections.

Lakota Local Schools held its first annual State of the Schools address on March 13. Approximately 200 people filled the seats on Lakota West High School’s Main Street to hear Superintendent Matthew Miller and his guest speakers talk about district accomplishments and future plans.

Six Lakota high school students have won national awards in the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Competition. Only a very small percentage of the 346,000 works of art submitted receive national awards. Gold medal recipients will have their artwork displayed in New York City. Award-winning students, their parents, and their art teacher are invited to attend the National Award Ceremony at Carnegie Hall in June.

Lakota educators will be the voice behind the all-new “Inside Lakota Learning” blog. The Lakota learning experience is one filled with inquiry, innovation and discovery. Every student's learning style, passions and interests are different, which is why the experience of one student will never be exactly that of another. It's why Lakota teachers and support staff are committed to student-centered learning and providing a personalized approach marked by differentiated teaching methods.

After meeting with school administrators several weeks ago, students at Lakota East and West high schools worked to plan activities that would both honor the victims of the tragic school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School and also give students the opportunity to share their feelings on school safety with legislators.

If you’ve noticed the waning selection of kale at Kroger, it just may be attributed to the new culinary center at Union Elementary School. “We like to think we had something to do with that,” laughed Union Principal Kyle Lichey, recalling that news he heard from a parent as he joined a class of sixth-graders chopping, mixing and taste-testing a kale salad they learned to make in the new space. For many, it was their first-ever taste of kale and by and large, it received rave reviews.

Following with tradition, the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty, in partnership with Lakota Local Schools, is currently accepting nominations for the 2018 “Lakota Educator of Excellence Awards.”

Lakota is inviting the community on April 5 to help honor this year's Lakota East and Lakota West graduates who have committed to serve our country through any branch of the U.S. Military. The ceremony will take place at the Lakota East Freshman Campus from 7 to 8 p.m. Attendees are invited to meet our honorary students during an informal reception immediately following the program.

As part of its ongoing efforts to build community support around early literacy, Lakota Superintendent Matthew Miller will be hosting “Storytime & Supper with the Superintendent.”

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day this month, we’re asking you to tell us what makes you feel lucky to be in Lakota schools – with a photo! It can anything from a specific teacher to a favorite class to an extra-curricular program.

Nominations are being accepted now through March 21 for the 2018 district Barb Bossu Volunteer Spirit award. Everyone is encouraged to take a moment to consider nominating a volunteer who is making positive things happen in the district. It is your opportunity to demonstrate your appreciation for the volunteers that truly make Lakota a special place to educate children.

Safety at college is a widespread concern among parents, which is why the West Chester Police Department is offering a free program focused on teaching practical skills for campus safety to female high school seniors and recent graduates.

Recent Lakota Shout-Outs include swimmers heading to the state competition, LSSA and LEA scholarship winners, six National Merit Finalists, a Gatorade Runner of the Year, students headed to the Regional Spelling Bee, and an Auditor of State Award with Distinction.

For early childhood and elementary students requiring before- and after-school care, Lakota is proud to offer transportation to and from area daycare providers. While this service currently extends to only those centers located within a student’s assigned attendance zone, we are expanding those parameters to accommodate students whose daycare providers now fall outside the recently revised attendance zone boundaries. By utilizing existing routes, we can accomplish this at no added cost to the district.

Superintendent Matthew Miller will deliver the district’s first “State of the Schools” address on March 13. Members of the community are invited to attend. Miller will cover many topics, including success in the classroom, innovation in our schools, the district’s financial stability and the exciting initiatives coming in the 2018-19 school year.

Lakota Schools recently celebrated Digital Learning Day, with the help of Lakota’s Digital Learning Team, otherwise known as Team Inspire. The team kicked off the event by hosting a Lakota Ed Chat on Twitter on the eve of Digital Learning Day. The team posted questions that revolved around the impact digital technology has made on Lakota classrooms.

Fifth grade students at Endeavor Elementary School participated in a Project-Based Learning exercise that not only has a real life solution, but that they will also get to experience first-hand: They designed their school’s new STEAM2 lab. STEAM2 stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and medical. The labs in Lakota’s elementary and early childhood schools give students the opportunity to explore these subject areas through discovery and creativity.

Dear Lakota Community, The tragedy that occurred last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL has brought forth many concerns about the safety of our children. As a nation, we watched the news unfold, heartbroken for the 17 lives lost to a senseless act of violence. As a community, as a state, and as a nation, we look for answers on how to make sure that such a deplorable act does not happen again.

Lakota Local Schools is proud to welcome Marriott’s AC Hotel at Liberty Center and Planes Moving & Storage to its growing portfolio of high school internship programs. The new partners are part of the district’s spring line-up of student opportunities. Lakota East and West students can choose from 11 different experiences being offered this spring. For the first time, Lakota will also join the mix and host its own internship experiences in the areas of public finance, curriculum and instruction, and marketing and communications.

In less than two weeks, Lakota East and West’s hallways will be lined with nearly 100 organizations offering summer youth activities. It’s all part of Lakota’s sixth annual Summer Fun Fair events taking place on Monday, March 5 at Lakota East High School and Wednesday, March 7 at Lakota West High School, both from 6-8 p.m.

The Auditor of State’s Office has presented Lakota Local Schools with the “Auditor of State Award with Distinction.” This is the 4th consecutive year the district has earned this prestigious award.

Students at Creekside Early Childhood School will have special visitors twice a week for the rest of the school year. Ten Miami University pre-service teachers will work with Creekside’s kindergarten and first grade students on literacy interventions to help improve their reading skills.

The 20th annual dinner and induction ceremony to honor the newest members of the Lakota Athletic Hall of Fame will be held on Thursday, March 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Wetherington Golf & Country Club.

The number one priority at Lakota Local Schools is the safety and security of our students, staff and visitors. Many of the ways we work to provide a safe learning environment for our students are visible as you walk through our schools, while others take place behind the scenes.

In addition to its all-new Facebook Live parent engagement series, Lakota is bringing parents monthly learning opportunities in a more traditional format. On Thursday, Feb. 22, the focus will turn to “Building a Stronger Community One Culture at a Time.”

“There are between 40,000 to 65,000 tests administered each year across Ohio, and the sheer numbers make it very, very rare to have a state award winner from any school or any district. But to have two from the same school in the same year, it’s just remarkable,” said Jerry Nelson, Americanism Chairman of American Legion Post 681. The remarkable happened at Lakota East this year, when seniors Hannah Ackerman and Weston Lindner won the State of Ohio Awards for best scores and essays on the annual Government Test administered by the American Legion.

Last week’s ‘Go Gold for Dragonfly Basketball Game’ is just the first of many projects that Lakota West students have planned as part of The Dragonfly Foundation’s Student Ambassador Program.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day this month, we’re asking you to tell us what makes you love Lakota – with a photo! Is it a specific teacher, your principal, a favorite class, your entire school, your high school sweetheart, an extra-curricular program or maybe even the cafeteria’s chicken nuggets?

Lakota’s new and improved mobile app is now live in Apple and Google Play stores. Besides a refreshed design, the new app is packed with more resources all in one place, plus the ability to customize your calendar, news feed and push notification, based on your personal school selections.

Read about Independence students who were recognized in the Patriots Pen contest, a 10th grade student who was the state winner in an MLK art contest, and about East's Dustin Horter and his trip with TEAM USA.

“Everything around you has passed through the hands of an artist.” With these words of wisdom, illustrator C.F. Payne encouraged aspiring student artists at Lakota West Thursday evening to consider the countless possibilities of a career in art. More than 80 students, and their parents, packed into the community room to learn about his long and successful career in illustration.

Lakota high school students were big winners in the Regional Scholastic Art Awards with 142 individual awards and two portfolio winners. Judges reviewed over 5,000 art pieces on originality, technical skills, and emergence of personal vision or voice. Awards include Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention designations, and the winning pieces will be on exhibit at the Art Academy of Cincinnati from Jan. 29 through Feb. 9. The regional award ceremony will take place on Feb. 9 at the School for Creative and Performing Arts.

Businesses interested in recruiting from one of the largest local pools of young talent are invited to exhibit at Lakota’s’ first-ever High School Student Job Fair. Visit with students at Lakota West High School (8940 Union Centre Boulevard, West Chester) on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and at Lakota East High School (6840 Lakota Lane, Liberty Twp.) on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Both fairs will take place from 9:45 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. in each school’s gymnasium.

Lakota Local Schools is proud to share this next edition of its monthly video update, "A Look Around Lakota." The January edition features just some of the latest highlights and happenings around Lakota, as shared by Lakota Superintendent Matthew Miller and Treasurer & CFO Jenni Logan.

Is your student a budding Shakespeare? Or the next Elizabeth Barrett Browning? LEADS (Lakota’s Enrichment and Academic Development of Students) is excited to announce The Write Challenge writing contest for all Lakota students K-12.

When the curtain opens in late February for Shrek the Musical at Lakota West, the community will be treated to a production that features some truly talented performers as well as some amazing technical theatre elements. Moving lights, specialty makeup and facial and head appliances will transform students into ogres, bears, pigs, and elves. Thirty body mics and 20 stand mics will be used for the cast and orchestra. The production will use a fog machine, three puppets, five bars of fly scenery, and eight moving wagons of scenery. And then there’s the 25-foot dragon puppet that takes six students to operate.

There are lots of theatre productions coming up at Lakota's junior high and high schools. Click for details, including ticket information.

If it weren’t for a little something called “Genius Hour,” Google may have never discovered a little something called Gmail. It’s with a similar goal in mind - giving students the creative outlet to discover and explore what interests them - that many Lakota teachers are turning to a concept Google coined “Genius Hour” in their classrooms. Some call it a “Passion Project,” while others call it “20% Time,” but the basic premise is the same.

Updated attendance boundaries for the 2018-19 school year are now available on the Lakota website. As was communicated to parents and staff in December 2017, a building realignment is necessary to offer all-day kindergarten to all students beginning next school year.

Registration for Lakota's tuition-based preschool program will begin on Feb. 1 and run through Feb. 28. An informational meeting for parents will be held on Feb. 15 at Liberty Early Childhood School from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Staff members will be available to answer questions and to give an overview of the program. They will share the Creative Curriculum and Acelero Adaptation that preschool teachers follow, as well as what the "life in the day of a preschool child" looks like.

This Shout-Out edition includes some seniors that earned top scores in a regional government test, a West sophomore who won a "Keep the Dream Alive" award, and an East junior that won a national journalism award.

Monday’s organizational meeting of the Lakota Board of Education began with the swearing in of two new board members, Kelley Casper and Brad Lovell. Todd Parnell commenced a second term, joining current board members Lynda O’Connor and Julie Shaffer.

A career in art can mean anything from fashion design, illustration and architecture to animation, graphic design and automotive design. That’s what aspiring artists at Lakota West learned at this year’s 15th annual Art Alumni Day, where more than 20 alumni returned to share their post-graduation experiences and lessons. “Our students get to actually see what the next step might be for them in college and even beyond,” said Visual Arts teacher Stephanie Gauer. “Doing it this way opens up their eyes in a way that a lecture format couldn’t have nearly the same impact. It really brings all the possibilities of their future in art to life.”

Students at Hopewell Elementary are having a healthier start to the new year, drinking lots of water from their two new water fountain/bottle filler stations. The fountains were part of a grant that the school received from the Delta Dental Foundation.

Lakota Local Schools has been selected by the College Board for the 8th annual AP Honor Roll. The district is one of 447 across the United States and Canada, including 34 in Ohio, to receive the distinction. This is the fourth time Lakota has been selected. The AP Honor Roll recognizes school districts that have increased access to Advanced Placement® (AP) coursework while also maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning a score of three or higher on AP exams.

This spring, Lakota’s juniors and seniors will have more internship opportunities than ever before. Lakota has partnered with area businesses to create unique learning experiences that also offer elective high school credit. In addition, Lakota departments have developed internships in the areas of public finance, curriculum & instruction and marketing & public relations.

“A great education should be student-centered. To achieve this, the district and building leaders must listen to our students’ voices. They are why we do what we do.” This belief by Superintendent Matthew Miller has brought a new group to the district’s long standing program, community conversations.

Lakota Local Schools is proud to announce the creation of the Lakota Outreach, Diversity and Inclusion (LODI) department. This office is charged with enhancing the district’s ongoing efforts to consistently provide all students with a safe, secure and supportive learning environment free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, and intimidation.

The 19th annual community celebration of Martin Luther King Day will take place on Monday, Jan. 15. The commemoration begins at 10:30 a.m. with a ‘March for Unity’ from the Square at Union Centre over to Lakota West High School, where there will be a program followed by a free lunch for all participants. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Let the dropping temperatures serve as a reminder to check your Lakota communication preferences for possible weather-related delays and closures in the coming months.

Throughout the district, students are showing the spirit of the season by giving back to the community. From our early childhood schools to our high schools, our school communities have been actively involved in helping our neighbors.

The latest Lakota Shout-Outs include some exceptional athletes and a special art teacher.

Susan Bauer's Lakota West choir room was packed with students on Monday to learn from a very special guest. As singer/musician Eliot Sloan recounted a time when he and fellow band members of 'Blessid Union of Souls' were on the road travelling to their next gig, emotions set in. It happened well over 22 years ago, but Sloan still had to pause to take it all in… the moment when American Top 40 radio host Casey Kasem announced their “I Believe” as the number one song in the nation.

A project that connected some of Lakota’s oldest students with some of its youngest served as a powerful lesson for students on both sides of the table. Lakota West students in Marian Weber’s English 12 World Literature & Composition class created personalized children’s holiday books as a way of inspiring and stressing the importance of literacy to second-graders at Heritage Elementary.

The 211 students enrolled in honors English at the Lakota East Freshman building have just completed a service learning project which combined curriculum-based learning with community service. This is the third year for the assignment.

A Lakota Ridge team of math and science teachers led by Fritz Prior is seizing the opportunity to pilot a classroom with more user-friendly, ergonomically-designed furniture. Most of the furniture is on wheels, giving students the flexibility to move freely throughout the room for better collaboration on group projects.

For the first time, Lakota Local Schools’ preschool program has been awarded five stars by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Education’s “Step Up to Quality” (SUTQ) rating program. This quality and improvement rating system evaluates early learning and development programs throughout the state. Ratings are given based on a five-tiered system as a way of recognizing child care programs that meet the state quality standards and exceed minimum health and safety licensing regulations.

The Spark, Lakota East High School’s student publication, has once again added to its award shelf. The news magazine, under the editorial leadership of Erinn Aulfinger, Michelle Chu, Emma Stiefel and Lauren Wilson, has been named a 2017 Pacemaker Award winner from the National Scholastic Press Association for the 14th time. The Spark has been named a national print finalist 17 times since 1997.

A new learning series open to all Lakota parents makes starting to engage in your child’s education as easy as logging into Facebook. One night a month, beginning in January 2018, Lakota teachers and staff will be available to provide parents with tips and strategies in a live conversation format on Facebook. Sessions will cover a range of topics, including strategies for reading together, interacting with teachers and other school staff, creating a positive learning environment at home, and more.

Throughout December, we invite you to share your Lakota stories of service on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or all three! To add your post to the growing list of stories, be sure to tag Lakota Local Schools (“Lakota Schools” on Facebook, @LakotaDistrict on Twitter and Lakota_District on Instagram) and include #LakotaGivesBack in your posts.

For sophomores at Lakota East, the recent “Be the Difference Day” will be markedly different than any other day in their high school career. For seven years, the school has partnered with Changepoint Learning, a Tri-state provider of experiential learning programs that promote self-reflection and peer understanding in area schools. At the high school level, they call it “Be the Difference.”

Special shout-outs go out to East senior Joe Mislansky and to Angie Brown, Lakota's community/parent engagement coordinator.

A new after-school club at Hopewell Junior School called “Thunderhawk Studios” is empowering students to shape every aspect of their newfound group.

Over 6 million people have read the #1 New York Times bestseller 'Wonder' by R.J. Palaccio – including every Lakota sixth-grader. And many of those students recently took a field trip to see the story come to the big screen.

The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty, in partnership with Lakota Local Schools, invites the community to help transform this year’s #GivingTuesday into #GiveLakota!

Lakota Local Schools will partner with more than 100 local businesses and organizations to host its sixth annual Summer Fun Fair this March 5 and 7. The event features local organizations with programs and services to keep students in grades K-12 active this summer.