We are excited to announce that, after several years of being virtual, the Art Show will return to an in-person format in 2023. Even more thrilling is Business Owner of EOS Cafe and Coffee House's Tony Zarife has graciously offered to host our art during the month of March. We recently met with Manager Hillary Knapp to begin planning this immersive art experience!

Approximately 20 pieces, 100 in total, will be displayed from each building, hand-selected based on exemplary skills, creativity, and innovative ideas including Scholastic award winners!

That's right. Our Lake Shore student artists will be featured inside a popular brick-and-mortar business for an entire month! Founded in 2016, the 30625 Jefferson Ave location prides themselves on high-quality ingredients and customer service. But we think the best part is their community love and humanitarian efforts.

Save the date of March 2023 and come celebrate our student artists at EOS whenever it is convenient for you and your family. Please share your photos using #LSArtAttack and #myLSPS.

Save the Date: 2023 Kindergarten Roundup

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 at 6pm

Lake Shore High School Performance Gym

Enrollment and Future Shorian Information

Take your first steps toward graduation with Lake Shore Public Schools during this fun and informative evening filled with all things Kindergarten!

Parents and future Class of 2036 students will meet our amazing teachers, principals, and superintendent, while learning how to prepare for this exciting first year of school.

LSPS offers students full-day comprehensive instruction in core academic areas of English Language Arts, reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. Students also receive instruction from specialized teachers from technology, art, music, and physical education.

The Lake Shore Public Schools' Board of Education approved a $66.7 million no tax-rate increase bond proposal for the May 3rd, 2022 ballot and it passed!

Lake Shore has a strong legacy of being excellent stewards of the community’s resources. We are committed to provide you with bond updates as we continue to prioritize our students' future.

• Bond Updates and Summer Break (2/2023)
• Bond Mailer (1/2023)
• Bond Overview and Schedule
• Bond Updates
• Project List

To learn more about the bond proposal, please visit the Lake Shore Public Schools' website.

Under the guiding principles of our districtwide initiative, the Positivity Project, the #PositivityInAction mindset is our top priority. These past three weeks we focused on the character strengths of OPM - CHEERING OTHERS' SUCCESS and LOVE.

People with the character strength of cheering others' success are happy for others and cheer them on when they find success.

Superintendent Dr. DiPonio and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Lewis delivered Rookie Recognition certificates and swag to all 11 of our new LSFT staff. It is important to us to make the following staff members feel appreciated and valued:

All Elementary Buildings

Teri Rhadigan, Elementary Art Teacher

Masonic Heights Elementary

Gina Thomas, 4th Grade

Rodgers Elementary

Arianna Amateis, 3rd Grade

Megan Champine, 4th Grade

Anna Randazzo, 1st Grade

Erin Pastoria, School Social Worker

Violet Elementary

Haleigh Whisman, 1st Grade

Kennedy Middle School

Austin Potter, Physical Education Teacher

Lake Shore High School

April Gardner, School Social Worker

Gio Maniaci, Special Education English

All Buildings

Lindsay Impemba

We asked these newbies for a success story and Ms. Rhadigan, Ms. Pastoria, Ms. Whisman, and Mr. Maniaci responded with powerful examples. Ms. Rhadigan said, "- I was told in a Gratitude Letter from my first principal, Matt Barranca, that "[...] a bunch of our students now love art because of your teaching." From day number one, that has been my main objective. It gives me great joy that sharing my lifelong enthusiasm for the visual arts is getting students interested in and passionate about art, inspiring their individuality and creativity, and for some of them even helping them to go on and have a happier and more successful day afterward. If I can continue this streak at my next two schools this year, I will consider the year a great success."

Relationships were also part of Ms. Whisman and Mr. Maniaci's successes. They both said, "One success that I've had was being able to connect and foster positive, interpersonal relationships with my students in order to help them with issues outside of the classroom. My biggest success has building relationships with families and students!"

Small successes are big success to us. Ms. Pastoria emailed, "I have learned how to navigate Rodgers Elementary School and have learned where all the teachers' classrooms are within 2 weeks of starting here! It's a BIG school!!"

People with the character strength of love value close relationships with others and being close to people.

Excellence in teaching deserves to be recognized.

2023 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

Masonic Heights Elementary's Stephanie Couck

Rodgers Elementary’s Julie Pillars

Violet Elementary's Amy DiCosmo

Kennedy Middle School's Neal Gillich

Lake Shore High School's John Daly

In Chris Hubbard's nomination, on behalf of John Daly at Lake Shore High School, he said, "For the entire time I have worked here, John has been a teacher-leader, has had overwhelmingly positive impact on Lake Shore as an institution and on his students. Now that he is moving on to a new role in life, I feel he should be recognized as the example he is."

All of our educators should be recognized for their excellence in content knowledge, classroom management, and passion. They inspire our students by awakening belief in self, manifesting talents, and being the light.

Thank you to all 219 educators at Lake Shore Public Schools for being superhuman. You influence our youth in the most powerful way, and today we want to share how much we love all of our teachers!

Looking forward, our upcoming character strengths are Humility (2/20-2/24) and Love of Learning (2/27-3/3).

Mrs. Kiefer and Mrs. Collins' 1st/2nd grade students visited American House to engage in 100s activities with residents that promote memorable learning.

Dressed in 1920s attire, Rockets from Rodgers Elementary were paired with senior citizens in a collaborative effort to support one another in this classic game of Bingo. Mrs. Kiefer was able to help plan this event and observe it in action. She said, "Everyday is a chance to show kindness and you can do this at any age." We loved watching both kids and adults exhibit this character strength as they assisted one another with activities.

Playing Bingo with a local senior living community created an intergenerational opportunity to be social while focusing on the common goal of winning the game! In addition, they created Fruit Loop necklaces using 100 cereal pieces and string, and gave Valentine's cards to each resident as a gift of gratitude for sharing their time.

In the end, it is all about providing opportunities for our students to increase mental flexibility, improve cardiac health through laughter, and develop relationships. Thank you Rachel Smith, Life Enrichment Director at American House, for coordinating this activity with us and providing the juice and muffin treats for our students.

The Macomb County Student Diversity Summit is a yearly gathering of student grades 8-12 from across the county that acknowledges and celebrates the diversity in our communities, while trying to address any divides that exist.

Lake Shore students had a productive dialogue about race, diversity and culture. This summit is designed to provide a safe and constructive forum for student discussion and to enlist youth leaders in embracing the “new normal” in Macomb County.

As part of our county’s initiative to promote multiculturalism and inclusiveness, Lake Shore High School’s James Brown, Mason Darling, Beau DeTar, Faith Lowry, Charleyse McIntyre, Logan Olesky, Marissa White, and Anthony Woods, North Lake High School's Sage Gerow and Aurora Roberts, and Kennedy Middle School attended sessions that represented the theme The Power of Your Story. Those included Creating Social Change by Engaging with Your Local Government, The Power of Your Story through Self-Wellness: Meditation and Reflection, Story Circle: The Joy of Being You, Telling Our Story: Arab American History and Culture, and more!

At the end of the day, students collaborated to design an action plan that serves as a response to the diversity topics presented at the summit.

In partnership with Learning Gizmos, Shorians were able to participate in Family Math and Literacy Game Nights, offered exclusively to Masonic Heights Elementary, Rodgers Elementary, and Violet Elementary students.

The games for Math reinforced addition, subtraction, multiplication, money, measurement, and other elementary and middle-school level math skills. The Literacy games reinforced letter and sound identification, word recognition, spelling and vocabulary. In addition to playing learning games, families could visit interactive stations including Sudoku and Boggle and take a selfie at the space-themed Photo Booth.

Dylan Estes, 2nd grader at Masonic Heights Elementary, enjoyed Buildzi. She said, "It was fun building a tower without tumbling."

We are appreciative of our MTSS team of Cindy Sam, Heather Spriet, Kathy Deckert and Marie Ottinger for providing these ingenious ways to get parents involved in the educational process.

We also want to thank Learning Gizmos for leading these events. For over 20 years, customers have known that Learning Gizmos is not your typical teacher store. They strive to go the extra mile with their commitment to customer service and innovative programs offered exclusively at Learning Gizmos.

To review the slide deck that was shared during our Family Game Nights, visit this link.

With the passage of the 2022 bond, Lake Shore Public Schools is committed to developing the areas of play at each building.

Masonic Heights Elementary and Violet Elementary's student campaign managers have made creative pitches, drawing buzz and momentum from their peers, to kickoff a two-week playground election campaign. They will work with their influencers (friends) to spread the word about the benefits of their favorite playground structures.

Tigers and All-Stars will be making their selections from this visual board list of 7 cleverly named playground structures called Inet, Craig's Quest, Pirate's Cove, Blastoff, Cloud City, Crazy Climber, and Lunar Lander.

Fifth grader Rebecca Parrinello from Masonic Heights Elementary favors Crazy Climber. She said, "A lifetime of happiness begins on a playground. I love the different areas to play and different climbing objects on this playground choice. Kids will love the spinners as well."

Campaigns, designed for and by students, will result in February 16th's Playground Election Day. Which compelling campaign will resonate most with our elementary voters? Results will be made public Wednesday, February 22nd.

Due to Rodgers Elementary's future additions impacting current playground areas, playground selection will be delayed.

During the initial planning phase in October 2022, 3rd graders met with our Construction and Architecture teams from Partners in Architecture, Barton Malow, and Viridis to give input in the development of a plan for areas of play.

All bond projects are slated for completion by 2028.

In Mr. Gardiner, Ms. Ryan, and Mr. West's STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Special, these three teachers partnered with Square One Network to advance engineering and foster an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit within their elementary students.

Square One’s Underwater Innovative Vehicle Design project challenges students to engineer for the marine environment. The real world application of underwater robotics makes this a very relevant student project. Student teams must design and build their underwater remotely operated vehicle to accomplish a variety of tasks in a given amount of time. Student teams will compete in vehicle performance, engineering and craftsmanship, design innovation, ambassadorship, and presentation categories. This project is affordable, manageable by all skill levels, and parts are reusable year after year.

We observed veteran teacher Mr. Gardiner and a small group of 4th and 5th graders circled around the vehicle-in-progress as he explained components of vehicle performance, engineering and craftsmanship, and design innovation. He went on to explain that his team will be taking 25 kids from all three elementaries to compete on Saturday, February 25th at 9am using Lake Shore High School's pool.

Fifth grader Dennis Tikkanen will be part of that experience. "I enjoy robotics, building, and the fish-themed camera," he shared.

To learn more about this design challenge, visit https://www.squareonenetwork.org/underwater/.

We're speechless!

With 417 students inside Violet Elementary, of which 280 participated in fundraising efforts, All-Stars raised a whopping $41,441.43 for the Kids Heart Challenge in 2023.

This ranked Violet as 1st place in the state of Michigan!

At the assembly, students showed off their jump roping skills, shared their heart stories, displayed their heart dedications, and were awarded the newest banner and medals. Mrs. Pecararo organizes this important fundraiser with help from Senior Youth Market Director Cheryl Muscott.

Fourth grader Amelia Chalkey raised $5,686.74 total and earned 1st place again. We asked Amelia's mom, Jennifer Chalkey, how her daughter raised such a substantial amount and she credits her determination to help others and work ethic as she canvased her neighborhood asking for donations. Her Great Grandma Rebecca Holland passed away from heart complications; Her reason was real.

Muscott shared, “I’m so proud of Lake Shore for their hard work. Year after year, Violet has beat the average total donation of $3,200 in Macomb County and has been the top fundraiser in the state for years.” Violet has participated in this challenge for 22 years.

Our elementary students continue jumping to get healthy in honor of others! We look forward to seeing the results of Masonic Heights Elementary and Rodgers Elementary's efforts in April.

Bonus: The donation webpage is active until February 16th: https://www2.heart.org/site/TR?company_id=374688&fr_id=7558&pg=company&class=571

Violet Elementary students watched in awe as Guy Louis and his school assembly celebrated Black History in American Music.

Black History plays an important role in the evolution of popular music in America. This show traces how music from Africa developed into Ragtime, Blues, Jazz and Rock and Roll. Students heard and participated in songs from different eras, as they learned about influential African American musicians and why the music was important to African American culture in America.

Fifth grader Saryah Kyler played the drums today. She commented, "The assembly was awesome! I loved learning about difficult cultures and am curious about even more instruments."

Thank you Guy for creating and performing in a way that helped our All-Stars learn the art and science of resilience building skills.

Guy holds a B.A. in Music from Oakland University in Rochester, MI.; is a certified Mindfulness Instructor through Mindful Schools; a certified mentor through HeartMath Institute; and has been an Artist-in-Residence for Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts in Vienna, VA.

Bonus: The Emily Tims Committee is pleased to announce Ashley Geib and Rini Zelenak from Lake Shore High School as winners of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Scholarships!

Their mission to inspire young artists to achieve their potential has not wavered since their first day of camp in 1966. We are pleased to continue that tradition in 2023 and look forward sending these ladies from Lake Shore High School to camp this summer.

Students and faculty at Lake Shore High School joined others across the nation during the month of February to celebrate national Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month.

The 2023 Michigan Career and Technical Education Administrators Association (MCTEAA) Awards were announced today and 42 of Macomb County's 21,000+ CTE students were recognized. Thank you, Mrs. Blaszkowski, for your excellent choices amongst your pool of talent.

Outstanding CTE Senior: Gerald Kaiser is extremely goal-oriented, works diligently, and is a great leader. He not only has led countless crews and projects, but has also been an outstanding mentor to students learning the basics of production. The time he has assisted the district in various promotional videos and programs in the stadium have been beyond measure. Gerald plans to continue his education at a four-year university.

Outstanding CTE Senior: Jamie Owens has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic and amazing creativity. Her creativity and love of art is her specialty and a vital component to the teams she has worked with in the program. Jamie plans to continue her education in fine arts at a four-year university with hopes of going into children’s book illustrations.

Business Partner: John Hofmann, owner and graphic designer for Fusion Marketing in Eastpointe has been an integral business partner for the Media Productions program. John, as a business owner and individually is a strong community supporter for municipalities and schools as well as an advocate for small business owners in the area. He has been a great source for information, support and collaboration to the Media Productions program at Lake Shore High School.

“The activities planned in CTE classes illustrate the rigor and relevance CTE courses offer our students,” said Todd Stevens, CTE representative of the school. “By partnering with the business community, CTE programs are investing in students and providing them with the latest technology and skills that will prepare them to become successful employees and future leaders.”

CTE encompasses 94 percent of high school students and 13 million postsecondary students in the United States and includes high schools, career centers, community and technical colleges, four-year universities and more. CTE is a major part of the solution to myriad national economic and workforce problems, such as high school dropout rates, a weakened economy, global competitiveness and massive layoffs. At a time when opportunity for employment is so critical, CTE programs in every community are ensuring students are equipped with the skills to successfully enter the workforce.

School counselors are actively engaged in helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests and talents; for working in a partnership with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today’s world; for focusing on positive ways to enhance students’ academic, career and social/emotional development; and working with teachers and other educators to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic and optimistic aspirations for themselves. School counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master’s degree in school counseling. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program.

“I’ve learned how to calm myself at my desk when I feel stressed. I take deep breaths and nobody even knows I’m doing it,” one tenth grader said. Mindful moments have become commonplace for Lake Shore students who have learned how to incorporate positive personal strategies into their daily experiences.

“School counselors work with all students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ academic concerns, career options and social/emotional skills,” said Jill Cook, American School Counselor Association executive director. “School counseling programs help to increase student achievement and provide a much-needed resource for students, parents, teachers and administrators. School counselors are integral to student success.”

As part of its celebration for National School Counseling Week, Lake Shore Public Schools is proud to recognize Lake Shore High School Counselors Robert Asaro, Amanda Nabors, and Anne Rancilio and Kennedy Middle School Counselors Bob Plotkowski and Colleen Stafford. Parents or community members with specific questions or concerns about school counseling programs should contact the school counselors at their local schools. More general information can also be found on ASCA’s website, www.schoolcounselor.org.

Modeling, encouraging, educating, mentoring, and most of all, keeping us safe - that's Officer Drulia! On this School Resource Officer Appreciation Day, which took place on Wednesday, February 15th, we thank Officer Drulia for all that she does today and every day!

Officer Drulia has worked with Lake Shore Public Schools for 4 years to keep students and staff safe. Officer Drulia has been with the police department for 11 years. She wanted to go into law enforcement from a young age, yearning to help others and give back to her community in a way that interested her. Law enforcement in schools tends to focus on assisting with bullying, fights, issuing tickets for possession of vape products and issuing warrant requests.

Officer Drulia works closely with administration to ensure safety in the buildings. Officer Drulia is present in both the middle school and high school multiple days a week, with visits to the elementary schools periodically. Officer Drulia said that the favorite part of her job is getting to know students in school. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, golfing, and going to Tigers games. She said that an important, overlooked trait in her position is humor. She enjoys working to make people laugh, which she has proved to be a helpful resource for students.

We have built a new online home for our athletic department. Our goal is to bring our athletic programs to life by sharing schedules, scores, and social media while ensuring our athletes get the promotion they deserve. Visit the Shorian Sports website for 24/7/365 access to the information you have always wanted and follow along with our sports action.

We have partnered with Kroger to help fund our athletics. Please read this letter from our Athletic Coordinator Rich Bowers.

Congratulations to AOTW Mayzie Gray, member of the White Cheer team at Kennedy Middle School. Coach Kaleigh Wioskowski shared her contributions with us:

"Mayzie is a leader and is always pushing others and herself to do good! Whenever something goes wrong, she is always positive about it and does anything she can to make it better and help her team push through whatever obstacle gets thrown their way! She is a big ray of sunshine and never fails to put a smile on everyone’s faces!"

Congratulations to AOTW Connor Knight, member of Varsity Bowling team at Lake Shore High School. Coach Jim DeLong shared his contributions with us:

"Connor bowled 3 games in 2 meets 233,199 277 for a 236.33 average."

Congratulations to AOTW Bella Misuraca, member of the Varsity Cheer team at Lake Shore High School. Coach Taormina shared her reason for her nomination with us:

"Bella has a bright and shining positive energy, even as a new athlete to the cheer team this year. Her athleticism and incredible work ethic make her a three round athlete. She is always eager to learn, eager to positively encourage her teammates, and constantly improving. We are lucky to have her in our program!"

Congratulations to AOTW Anniyah Downer, member of the Cheer Blue team at Kennedy Middle School. Coach Belanger shared her reason for her nomination with us:

"Anniyah very encouraging to her teammates and always puts her best foot forward. She is very kind and someone we can always count on!"

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Lake Shore Public Schools will provide an exceptional education for all 3,339 students in a safe and nurturing environment.

Our guiding principles, Inspiration, Innovation, Celebration, are woven into the fabric of everything we do and will be the focus of every update. Expect an eNews email biweekly update as a reliable way to communicate with our stakeholders.

Email: social@lsps.org
Website: http://lakeshoreschools.org
Location: 28850 Harper Avenue, St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
Phone: (586) 285-8481
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Twitter: @myLSPS