Categories
Family and Community

Family Pride

By Lara Gajkowski
Assistant Head of School, Lakehill Preparatory School 

Growing up in a large family certainly has its benefits. I was undoubtedly never alone or without built-in playmates and I rarely can remember a time when my nuclear family of eleven lived alone. Grandparents, cousins, aunties and uncles, my sister, her spouse, and their child all lived at my house at one time or another and it was not uncommon to have overlapping families living with us at one time. It was a rich, active, boisterous, loving household. I am still very close to all my siblings, my ninety-year-old mother, and my extended family. However, being one of twenty as a nightly crowd for dinner or sharing one bathroom among the myriad of people does have its challenges!

My father was a high school science teacher and coach and a very good one at that. My mother stayed home and managed the crowd, the meals, the laundry, the conflicts, the holidays . . . in a word, everything! In her spare time, she made most of my clothes and those of my sisters and cooked all of our meals. She was and remains a remarkable, formidable woman.

The values instilled in me at home as a child – loyalty to family, commitment to hard work, taking care of others, showing gratefulness for the things given, and enjoying the spirit of a high energy community are the values that drew me to Lakehill as a professional.

When I first entered the halls of Lakehill years ago, I was warmed by a community that seemed so child-centered, warm, nurturing, and spirited. In many ways, I felt like I was coming home. What I most value about Lakehill is the opportunity children of all ages are given to try on different hats. It is an environment that challenges and encourages students to strive, to give, to learn, to play, and to work hard. I love seeing the same faces on the athletic fields, in the plays and musicals, in the choirs, in various competitions, as well as on stage receiving recognition for academic accomplishments.

It is an environment where kids may squabble like siblings yet revel in each other’s accomplishments. Our children grow up together and form relationships that last a lifetime.

Lakehill isn’t a school that just cranks out highly skilled students but rather a school that helps to create well-rounded individuals who are confident, poised, and competent. I love it when our college students come back to visit us and tell us with pride how well prepared they are for their new lives.

It’s the moments when I see our children excel, blossom, and most importantly feel happy that my motherly pride wants to pop the buttons off my shirt. I am proud of our community and of our beautiful children.

Categories
Family and Community

Saying Thanks

By Roger L. Perry
Headmaster, Lakehill Preparatory School 

As we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Lakehill, I thought it might be of interest for you to know some of the people who have made the many facilities we enjoy possible. People who have attended basketball games over the years are probably familiar with a tall, lanky fellow with a light colored beard, who generally has been one of the loudest and most vocal supporters of our basketball teams.

His two sons, Andrew and Austin, have both been great contributors to the success of basketball at Lakehill over the years. This will be Austin’s senior season for the Lakehill team and Andrew is now in Graduate school at Wichita State University. I would guess that virtually every current student has been taught by his wife, Tina, as she has been a prolific substitute teacher for us over the years. She also served the school well as the president of the Parent Faculty Club.

Now on to Grant, the man who has always – and I mean always – come through for me when the school wanted to build something. I want to focus on a few of the major projects, as there have been so many times that he has helped us that I am sure I would forget a few if I tried to list them.

Grant Simpson is an architect. He is a celebrated and well respected expert in his field, as noted by his AIA fellowship. He has generously given of his and his firm’s time and expertise, and has convinced specialists in their respective fields to do work for us at no cost to the school. He has done this over and over again. The value to the school, over the years, has been several hundreds of thousands of dollars of architectural work. Realistically, many of the projects would not have been done if we had to pay the architectural fees.

He has drawn the auditorium and the Upper School wing, the layout of the entire Ferguson Road campus, the football field, the baseball field, the softball field, the tennis courts, the locker room facility, and most recently, the new Sports Court on the main campus. He also did the earliest drawings of the Environmental Science Center.

When asked why he does all of this, he always says, “I do it for the kids to enjoy”. I can assure you that the kids are enjoying the wonderful facilities that he helped make possible for them. So if you see Grant Simpson at an athletic event or around campus, please take a moment to just say “thanks”.

Categories
Learning and Leading

A Love for Learning

By Katie Becker
Social Studies Chair, Lakehill Preparatory School

I love Lakehill. I love Lakehill for its family-like atmosphere, its teachers, and its students. But most of all I love Lakehill because of what it has given me. During my time here, Lakehill has instilled within me a love of learning and a confidence to help me accomplish my goals.

When I entered Lakehill in the third grade I knew nothing about the be-verbs. Mrs. Brooks had drilled the sing-song recitation into her second-graders the previous year and I was lost as the entire third grade class repeated the list for review on the first day of class. Man, did I ever feel lost.  I was terrified that I would never be able to catch up. However, through the support of my new friends and my teacher, Mrs. Edwards, I was able to not only pass the third grade but leave the year with a new confidence in my abilities and excited about learning.

When I entered into middle school a whole new fear captured me. The stakes were raised; not only did you have to change classes, but there were sports, and clubs, and socials that were added to the mix. There were so many things I wanted to participate in, yet I didn’t have the first clue about things like volleyball, cheerleading, or well, anything really.  I wanted to try it all and what was incredible was that I got to participate in everything. It was through the encouragement and passion of teachers like Mrs. Hauschild, Mrs. Mackner, and Mr. Higgon, that I was able to learn, play, and succeed. And the by-product was an additional layer of confidence.

My junior year was my favorite year in high school. By this time I had helped to take my basketball team to the final four, I had learned the importance of helping out the community through my involvement in a myriad of service projects, and I felt confident that I was going to be able to go to college prepared and ready to successfully continue my learning. And, I did. Lakehill gave me the confidence to approach my professors, ask for help, and meet my goals.

But the story doesn’t end there. In fact it is still going on. When I was looking for my first teaching job eight years ago, I took my confidence and my love of learning and hit the pavement looking for any teaching job I could snag. It almost didn’t seem real when I found the perfect teaching position open at Lakehill. When I shook Mr. Perry’s hand as he welcomed me to the Lakehill faculty, I felt so honored to be back at the school that had helped me to get to that exact moment.  Now I continue my journey, striving every day to help instill a love of learning and a layer of confidence in my students.

Categories
Mentoring

For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow

By Victoria John
Middle School Latin Teacher, Lakehill Preparatory School 

As we celebrate Lakehill’s 40th Anniversary, I want to pay tribute to a former colleague and cherished friend, Carol Mackner. From 1984 to 2004 she modeled the qualities of integrity, commitment, perseverance, and humor to her students and peers. I can still see her dressed for Fall Day Out in an English tweed jacket, turtleneck, and crisp blue jeans tucked into her knee-high riding boots, as she herded 150 middle school students onto the buses with an exuberant, “Tally ho.”

Carol taught The History of America, England, and World War II, in addition to every subject except Latin, but she probably could have tackled that too if asked. She coached volleyball and basketball and led Adventure Week trips with the authority of a brigadier general balanced with the loving support of a nurturing parent. When Mrs. Mackner said, “Listen up,” everyone was quiet. Students also recognized that her twinkling eyes indicated praise for a job well done.

Middle School Coordinator Kaye Hauschild fondly describes her, “Carol inspired me with her unrelenting faith in each student’s ability to reach higher, try harder, and master more skill and knowledge. Her efforts achieved much success; her former students still tell the stories of how Mrs. Mackner taught them to be organized.”

Regarding her 20 years at Lakehill, Carol remarks, “I worked with some awesome people, teachers who cared for the profession. I believed in meeting the kids where they were, teaching them to face themselves, and letting them grow so they could enter the world as successful adults.”

Today Carol continues to guide students as a full-time substitute teacher at St. Paul Academy and St. Croix Charter School in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

She attributes her courage and determination never to give up a just cause to Winston Churchill’s World War II quote, “We shall not flag or fail…We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

Once in a while I hear Carol’s lilting voice echoing through the middle school hallway, “Jolly good,” and am grateful for the legacy of wisdom and genuine human kindness she left to Lakehill Preparatory School.

Categories
College Readiness

The Common Application: A Valuable Tool

By Heather Dondis
Director of College Placement, Lakehill Preparatory School

I recently conducted  a workshop to help high school seniors begin the college application process. In the workshop, each student completed something called The Common Application (www.commonapp.org). This is an application that can be used by 456 colleges and universities around the United States.

The Common Application is a wonderful tool for students because it allows them to complete a common set of information (name, address, family history, educational history, activities list, etc.) only once for a number of schools to which they are applying.

Students are applying to a larger number of schools these days, so a tool like The Common Application is an incredible time saver. One item to note about the Common Application is that specific schools may ask for additional information on a form they call a Supplement. This could include an extra essay or two, so students should look at these sooner rather than later.

It took less than two hours for my students to complete the basic part of the information. Now all they have to do is write their essay–topics are included in the Common Application. By completing the Common Application, students have a common data set they can refer to as they complete applications for colleges and universities that use their own forms.

Categories
8 Keys of Excellence

Principle-Centered Character Development

By Bob Yttredahl
Upper School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School

I attended a state conference this summer and experienced somewhat of an epiphany at a particular session. The debate amongst the attendees was: “What is the most important aspect of educating our children today: test scores, basic academia, technology, or character development?” It is a dilemma that does not have one correct answer, but rather several different perspectives. However, I personally believe that there is something to be said about the importance of timeless principles that cover the scope of the globe.

After extensive research and reflection, I have adopted a program that we are going to implement into the Upper School. It is called “The 8 Keys of Excellence”. Within this program there are eight distinct keys or catalysts that have been proven over time to be integral parts of human development and success. They have been tested for hundreds of years and over thousands of societies. Therefore, they truly have been “proven” to work. The question then becomes how to implement them into schools today.

We are going to work on developing the eight keys through a “ubiquitous” approach. This means that it will not be just another thing teachers have to do each day. It will be part of everything we do. We are going to implement this principle-centered character development every day. Opportunities are limitless throughout the day to teach and model principles such as integrity, commitment, and ownership.

The end result then becomes a well-rounded student who has the proven tools to be successful in life. That alone justifies the importance of character development.

 “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”
~Henry David Thoreau

Categories
Back-to-School

Three Little Words

By Patti Brooks
Lower School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School 

Those three little words, Back to School, can bring about some pretty powerful emotions.

From the time we were children, these three words caused wonder in us all….who will my teacher be? We all wanted our teacher to be young and pretty, until we found out that often the old, dumpy ones were cuddlier and gave great hugs!

We raced up to the school with excitement and looked at the class list on the door (hoping our best friends or the “new boy” would be in our class!)  We happily jumped into the car and went to buy our shiny, new lunchbox and school supplies (with pencils sharper than they would ever be again.) We anxiously picked out the cutest or coolest new clothes for our first day.

We restlessly tossed and turned in our beds the night before with anticipation. Then, we woke up extra early and went through our morning routine (the one that had been completely forgotten for three months). We took the obligatory photos by the door for grandma and grandpa and the school year began…

“Back to School” had been accomplished once again!

Categories
Back-to-School

New Year, New Possibilities

By Kaye Hauschild
Middle School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School 

I must confess that the first day of school is one of my favorite days of the year.

When I was in school, I planned out my first day clothes that matched my new school shoes and dreamed over the new school supplies I had collected over the summer. After the traditional taking of the “first day of school photo,” off I would go to the beginning of a new adventure.

Of course, I worried about where my locker would be and if I would like a new teacher. But on the first day of school, it has always been about possibilities. New friends and new experiences to share with old friends in familiar surroundings.

Well, I have my new shoes and my first day clothes all picked out. I have a cool new notebook and organizer ready to go.  And I am excited for the new experiences that we will all share in this brand new year.

Perhaps Dr. Seuss said it best:
“Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

From Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss

Categories
Mentoring

Remembering Mrs. Smith

By Lara Gajkowski
Assistant Head of School, Lakehill Preparatory School

When I was in middle school, I had a very interesting and unconventional teacher. I attended a small school in Wisconsin so I had the good fortune of being taught by this person for more than one year. This person taught middle school science classes and her name was Mrs. Smith.

During my middle school years, I was rather shy and quiet but Mrs. Smith sparked my curiosity and had ways of drawing me into class discussions. She always seemed to know things and had a strange, relaxed confidence in the way she related information to her students. She had a great sense of humor and her methods were very hands-on. In addition to doing numerous experiments, we dissected worms, cow eyeballs, squid, and a frog. We chiseled rocks, launched rockets, and created mechanical contraptions. It was a marvelous period of expansion!

However, more importantly than the little experiments or dissections done in class, this teacher taught me to think, to pay attention to details, to question, to solve, and most importantly to be mindful of the benefits of working hard. She inspired me in many ways and was one of the main contributors to my decision to go into the field of education. In my earlier years, I even taught middle school science!

As we move into the beginning of each school year, I take pause to remember Mrs. Smith. In selecting the faculty at Lakehill, we look for the Mrs. Smith in them. The people who can inspire, stretch, spark curiosity, and encourage students to think. Our faculty is composed of outstanding educators in their field who are dedicated to their students. I wish us all a wonderful school year and I hope your students have a Mrs. Smith experience.

Categories
Back-to-School

Back-to-school offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences

By Roger L. Perry
Headmaster, Lakehill Preparatory School 

Another hot, Texas summer is almost behind us and back-to-school time has arrived. I hope you have taken the opportunity to enjoy a special summer with your families. While the lack of a strict schedule in June and July is a real treat if we take advantage of it, by now most of us are ready for the more predictable routine that the start of school brings.

As you prepare for your role in the back-to-school adventure, you might give some consideration to some ideas gleaned from my career working with children and a special book by David Hargraves entitled Youth, Youth Culture, and School.

Often we mistakenly assume that a child is a miniature adult. They are not. Adults are shaped by thousands of experiences that our children have yet to encounter.

Reflect and remember what motivated us as children and recall the many pressures we felt from a variety of directions. Try to remember what it felt like to be the last one chosen for a team on the playground, how difficult it was to read that first required and seemingly massive length novel, or how thrilled you were to win an Honorable Mention ribbon for something you worked hard on.

It is also important to remember how strongly we wanted acceptance from some of our peers and friends, as well as from our parents.

One of the best resources for understanding children is to reflect and draw upon positive memories from your own childhood.

I encourage you to be a wonderful listener for your child. Many of the experiences of children represent the first time they have encountered something and they are excited to share it with you. Enjoy this school year together, as each school year offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences for you and your children.