The first half day of school is Tuesday, September 5th. To access building-specific schedules, including start and end times, reference this link. Bus schedules are located here. Please refer to our District Events Calendar and event flyers for confirmation of all event details.

The tentative 2023/24 School Calendar can be viewed using this link.

Our website and social media channels gives us the biggest megaphone to share our hard work. Please help us flood the community with powerful messages that inform and praise our schools, staff, and students by emailing us feel good photos and stories to social@lsps.org.

Here are some helpful Save the Dates and Information:

• Back to School Open Houses
• Picture Days

Please use our Lake Shore Linktree landing page to access important links and to help you stay organized.

Lake Shore Public Schools, in partnership with Chartwells Food Services, provides healthy meals to all children. Families can use our Nutrislice app for access to menus.

You asked, we listened! Introducing Family Portal by Meal Magic for all things Food Service such as making deposits, transferring between students, viewing account history, setting daily spending limits or other restrictions!

We are excited to announce that due to Michigan School Meals Law, all meals will be free for the 2023-2024 school year! Lake Shore Public Schools is still seeking to obtain completed Eligibility Benefits Forms from all families; It is important to receive these applications in order to attain the maximum amount of federal assistance for other programs (outside of free meals) that greatly benefit our students and families such as school funding, technology funding, SAT, ACT, and AP test discounts, college application discounts, athletics, grants, and instructional support programs.

The easiest way to apply is by visiting https://lakeshore.familyportal.cloud/.

Please have your child bring their Student ID as this identification will be utilized by our Food Service Department for all meals. It should be ready to be scanned when making food selections.

Contact Rosa Burg at (586) 285-8926 or rburg@lsps.org for questions or assistance completing the Eligibility Benefits Form.

Our districtwide 1:1 Chromebook initiative is designed to cultivate learning. We are excited to distribute devices to all students this year! Devices will be distributed to new students on their first day of school.

Chromebooks run the Google Chrome operating system, a lightweight OS that is designed to run apps over the web. The devices are protected from viruses and managed by the district through a central web console. These computers allow access to anytime, anywhere, anyway learning, and allow students to build technology skills and responsibility in a safe and caring environment. To view our 1:1 Frequently Asked Questions document, visit this link.

Have you turned on your Chromebook lately or tried logging into PowerSchool or Schoology? If you need technology support, send an email to helpdesk@lsps.org. Parents, please include your child’s first and last name and building.

Enrollment for the 2023-24 school year is open; Schools of Choice enrollment will close for accepted students on September 8th, 2023.

Lake Shore Public Schools provides an exceptional education for all 3,339 students in a safe and nurturing environment. Our students are empowered to excel in an evolving global society, supported by the collaborative effort of staff, families, and community.

From preschool through our graduating seniors, Lake Shore students are a part of a strong school system that works hard every day for the benefit of our students. Our guiding principles, Inspiration, Innovation, and Celebration, are woven into the fabric of everything we do.

Enroll as a new resident or schools of choice student for the 2023-24 school year by visiting our District Enrollment webpage.

Please email Enrollment@lsps.org with any questions.

We are more than a school district. We are a Lake Shore family: https://youtu.be/cnI0-L49tfc

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 (8/2023)
• Bond Mailers (5/2023)
• Bond Building-Specific Boards (3/2023)
• Bond Updates and Summer Break (2/2023)
• Bond Overview and Schedule
• Bond Updates
• Project List

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

The start of the school year is almost here! But first, I'd like to take a moment to send out a friendly reminder regarding those students with medical needs. If your child has a medical condition that requires medical treatment and/or medication during school hours, required documentation signed by your student’s physician and parent/guardian is needed prior to the start of the first day of school. We will not be able to administer any medication without having the required forms completed. Please see the link below to our website for the required documentation. All medical forms can be faxed to the student's school building listed on this webpage.

Please note all medication must be brought in by a parent/guardian unless student is self-carrying medication. Required documentation located on our website is still needed for self-carried medications and note that ONLY EpiPen and asthma inhalers are allowed to be self-carried. All other medication must be kept in the main office.

Youth mental health is a topic of utmost importance, and we believe that by working together, we can create a supportive environment where our children can thrive.

As we start the new school year, we want to remind you of the invaluable resources available to our community.

In addition, Care Solace offers mental health care coordination services and can help connect you and your child with appropriate community-based providers. Whether it's counseling, therapy, or other mental health services, Care Solace can assist you in finding the support your family may need.

To access Care Solace's coordination services, simply reach out using the following options:

Call 888-515-0595: Their multilingual helpline is staffed 24/7/365.

Visit www.caresolace.com/lsps: On their website, you can explore mental health providers independently or click "Book Appointment" for personalized assistance through video chat, email, or phone.

By joining hands and working together as a community, we can provide a nurturing and inclusive environment that supports the mental health and well-being of our youth. Let's continue to prioritize their emotional growth, and together, we can create a brighter future for our children.

Thank you for being caring and involved parents and guardians in the Lake Shore Public Schools. Your dedication to supporting our youth is truly commendable.

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Save the Date of Friday, October 6th, 2023 for our annual Homecoming tradition and Centennial Celebration. Shorian alumni, current students, and the entire Saint Clair Shores community come together to participate in our parade and watch our big football game matchup against Eastpointe.

Stay tuned for a full Homecoming events schedule filled with fun and memories.

Under the guiding principles of our districtwide initiative, the Positivity Project, the #PositivityInAction mindset is our top priority. Because of our goal to inspire students to build positive relationships and become their best selves, we invite you to follow this Positivity Project Calendar. Note: We have made a few changes to this calendar; All adjustments are located on our District Events Calendar.

This calendar outlines all 24 character strengths, 1 highlighted per week. Our teachers create engaging and impactful lessons — differentiated by grade-level — and share through presentations, student recognitions, classroom discussions, and building-specific displays.

Looking forward, we are excited to celebrate Intro Week - Other People Matter Mindset (OPM) (9/11-15).

See something? Say something.

Lake Shore has encouraged students to use this program in 2018 when an advocate for the Michigan Student Safety Program visited Kennedy Middle School and in 2019 when Don Ferguson from the Michigan Attorney General’s Cyber Safety Initiative team visited Lake Shore High School. It has been 3 years since our Clippers had an all-school assembly. Don returned last week and shared the importance of the OK2SAY program.

OK2SAY is the student safety program which allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at school students, school employees, and schools. It uses a comprehensive communication system to facilitate tip sharing among students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and law enforcement officials about harmful behaviors that threaten to disrupt the learning environment.

Anyone can report tips on criminal activities or potential harm directed at students, school employees, or schools. Tips can be submitted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

While continually evolving and reviewed annually, on this Safety and Security webpage you will find a list of recent and current safety measures implemented by Lake Shore Public Schools to provide the safest environment for our students and staff.

At our Kennedy Middle School's Clipper Day, Clippers had the opportunity to receive their schedule and tour the building, practice locker combinations and gather information on clubs and sports, and meet some friendly faces!

Clipper Day marks the beginning of the academic year, allowing students to kick off their journey with positivity. For newcomers, it's the next step of their educational journey as part of the Clipper family. Returning students reunite, sharing stories and embracing the upcoming year.

At KMS, you'll find a unique setting with exceptional students and a remarkable staff. Here, students not only receive a quality education but also cultivate the ability to bring their best selves to the forefront every single day.

Principal Chad Johnson's oversight has transformed this middle school into a place where students are not only educated but challenged, nurtured, and encouraged. He wrote, "Beginning my fifth year as the principal at Kennedy Middle School, I am truly thrilled about the chance for this cohort of students to establish their own legacy, following in the footsteps of those who came before them."

The transition to Kennedy Middle School from Masonic Heights Elementary, Rodgers Elementary, Violet Elementary, or another elementary school may feel overwhelming. New school. New schedule. New friends. Over time, those 3 middle school years transform from anxiety to excitement. It is the atmosphere at this special school where students learn to adapt, develop skills of independence and responsibility, and prepare for new opportunities.

Thank you, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Gaffigan, and KMS staff for your leadership, kindness, and extraordinary patience as you help our 6th, 7th, and 8th grad

We met Masonic Heights, Rodgers, and Violet Elementary students at our Summer Playground Meetups and will continue to greet families at our Welcome Back to School Open House/Meet the Teacher Celebrations which take place in September.

Veteran Teacher of 21 years Julie Pillars was present at the event as part of the welcome crew for Rodgers Elementary. She was happy to meet new elementary friends and share Summer memories and back-to-school excitement with current Rockets. She said, “The evening was a great start to new school year. When the children saw their former teachers, Mr. Baalaer, and other loving staff they immediately exploded with expressions of eagerness to return to school. I think this event is a great reminder of the love that is shared every day in our buildings. It also helps ease some anxiety of returning after Summer break!”

Don’t blink. These imaginative, carefree souls will soon walk across the stage to receive their high school diploma, but for now we are choosing to stay present in this moment with our popsicles and pals.

Bonus: A special welcome shoutout to our Class of 2036 Kindergarteners!

It was officially our first chance to return to all buildings last week and our teachers were busy meeting with departments to plan for the year, preparing their lesson plans and classrooms, and completing professional development modules!

We continue to sharpen our saws in Professional Development sessions to transform how we educate our students and change what our classrooms look like so that our students are operating at the optimal level of engagement and achievement.

Our teachers continue to facilitate transformational learning experiences for Lake Shore students through modeling workshops and project based learning trainings. The workshops provide learning experiences that connect priority standards and curriculum work to transformation goals, show what transformation looks like in our classrooms, provide a format for how to plan and execute transformative learning experiences, and reflect on both the process and outcome.

Many elementary teachers completed Amplify CKLA training. Amplify CKLA is based on research showing that closing the background knowledge gap is necessary for closing the reading gap and ensuring equity for all students. To that end, Amplify CKLA teaches literacy through the lens of cross-curricular domains in science, history, literature, and culture. It was developed in response to research that shows the critical impact of background knowledge on reading comprehension and college- and career-readiness.

We spotted our Physical Education and Music teachers inside the gym putting the can-do into active learning with Hey Kanga and DrumFit. Hey Kanga is a kids’ well-being platform that’s transforming the way we teach children the importance of regular activity, mindfulness and overall well-being. With easy-to-teach videos ranging from five-minute movement breaks to fully-planned curriculum lessons, Hey Kanga turns any teacher into an active learning expert.

These are just two examples of the menu of opportunities such as Art of Education, Teach Town, Behavior MTSS, Disciplinary Literacy, Amplify Desmos, StemScopes, and more!

Lake Shore also knows the importance of technology in the education system today. Using district-issued Chromebooks, deployed for the past 7 years, students of all ages can engage with learning using a variety of resources accessible on Schoology, our learning management system (LMS). Since 2017, Lake Shore Public Schools has fully adopted Schoology as its districtwide LMS because of its intuitive learner-centric design, its ability to support different teaching methods, and its strong integration capabilities.

Additional mandatory trainings for staff may have included Active Shooter, Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention, FERPA: Confidentiality of Records, School Safety: Nightlock and Run, Fight, Hide, Seclusion and Restraint Awareness, and Students Experiencing Homelessness Awareness; PLCs scheduled throughout the year give our staff time to reflect on these topics and collaborate to create a community of best practices.

Our community can expect 180 days of high-quality instruction in a safe environment and supported by Lake Shore teachers in which high, clear expectations and positive relationships are fostered and active learning is promoted.

Meet our District Safety Team from Fortis Group, Michigan's leading protection, investigation, and training firm. This team has a combined 160 years in law enforcement experience:

• Andy Plemmons
• Operations Manager - Protective Services
• Charles Medley
• Field Supervisor
• Tom Marinkovich
• Protection Specialist
• Michelle Land
• Protection Specialist
• Shawn Mortier
• Protection Specialist
• Jason Nagy
• Protection Specialist
• Christopher Land
• Protection Specialist

Our children are our most precious resource. Continued acts of hyperviolence in schools raises legitimate concern over how to maintain safe and secure educational institutions.

Possessing a wide array of inter-related services, Fortis Group leverages its security, training and investigative experience to assist educational institutions with protecting its students, faculty, visitors, and property. Fortis Group’s School Safety Division was formed to answer the demand for a more professional level of school protection. A team that is friendly, welcoming but a vigilant physical presence to deter crime and violence. Fortis Group offers a wide range of school security services, allowing for a program customized to each school’s specific needs.

Operations Manager Andrew Plemmons described this service as mission driven. He said, "We are here to secure buildings, but most importantly, build relationships for the physical and mental wellbeing of kids. Our community bonds are a difference-maker."

We are excited to partner with Fortis Group and our new SRO for the next five years Detective Glen Hartman to leverage their expertise inside our schools.

Happy birthday, Lake Shore!

We're proud—proud of our past and prospects of our future.

During the District’s Welcome Back Convocation, all 400+ employees signed the “100 Years of Excellence” banner, enjoyed delicious breakfast, visited with colleagues, and listened to keynote speakers tailoring their messages to highlight this year's motto.

Speaker highlights included a Welcome message from Teacher Lisa Pecoraro, LSPS Foundation update from Donna Bates Bowers, Barton-Malow Construction update from Lake Shore High School Class of 1997 graduate Daryl Dombrow, Fortus Group introduction from CEO Brian Bastianelli, Best Wishes message from KMS 6th grader Rebecca Parrinello, Retiree Reflections from Teacher John Daly, and Closing keynote Superintentdent Dr. Joe DiPonio.

Veteran teacher and now Lake Shore retiree fan favorite John Daly discussed heroic optimism with staff. He said, "Your ability to positively impact others hinges on your own thoughts and your own words." He went on to tell the story of motivational speaker John O’Leary, an expert of overcoming adversity. Parents have entrusted us with their children for 6.5 hours per day, 180 days per year, and typically more, and they can certainly count on us in all ways to teach, support, and love their children. But first, we must look at ourselves in the mirror and find confidence and courage inside.

For 100 years we've had an unwavering belief in education rooted in moments in time that share our inspiration, innovation, and celebration. The Shorian Nation believes in the transformative power of education for all students.

The journey of a new teacher is a blend of excitement, anticipation, and a touch of nervousness. As educational landscapes continue to evolve, it's imperative to equip these 21 new educators with the tools they need to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. A comprehensive and well-structured New Teacher Orientation can make all the difference in ensuring their successful integration into the educational community.

Topics included District Vision and Values, Instructional Practices, Lake Shore Culture, Mentor Support, Technology, Vector Solutions Training, Payroll/Benefits/Reimbursements, PowerSchool, Attendance, Professional Development/Conferences, and the Lake Shore Foundation. It was a full day of preparation for the new school year; This preparation is the bridge between aspirations and achievements.

Superintendent Dr. DiPonio stressed that raising kids to be the very best they can be is our mission as educators. He personalized this statement by sharing goals for his own 3 children. He said, "When my kids came home from school, I wanted 2 things as a father. I wanted them to be better, more developed people and to be happy." His message about being architects of learning experiences and having the opportunity to leave kids with a smile at the end of the day is an important one to remember as our new teachers embark on this school year.

Thank you to all of our exemplary district leaders who were present to offer invaluable support, assistance, and share their expertise.

Bonus: Collectively across 10 local districts the MISD Summer Teacher Cadet Program had 120 high school students serve in summer school classrooms. Read this Detroit News article celebrating their work.

Congratulations to Kenneth Gulock as he has been appointed to the open position on our Board of Education, vacated by Trustee Sharon Bartl.

Kenneth Gulock was appointed to the Board of Education on July 10, 2023. He has a degree in Business Management and has spent his career serving in both the Automotive Industry and Healthcare Industry. Three years ago, he and his wife, who was also raised in the Shores, moved back to the city they love. Ironically, they purchased the home that Kenneth was raised in. Kenneth and his wife are proud to be back and to call St. Clair Shores their home.

He attended Masonic Heights Elementary School, Kennedy Jr. High and graduated from Lake Shore High School in 1977. Kenneth’s passions are spending time with his wife, two sons, their wives and six grandchildren. He enjoys fishing, sports, and travel.

As a school board member, Kenneth’s desire is to drive continuous improvement, making our strong School District even stronger benefiting the students today and generations to come. Kenneth believes in providing students with the best resources possible to help pave a road to success. Kenneth also believes in communicating a clear vision allowing teachers, staff, parents, and the community to come together empowering our students to succeed.

His term will run through December 31st, 2024.

Thank you to Mrs. Sharon Bartl, Lake Shore Alum, Parent, Board Trustee, Vice President and President. After 18 years of dedicated service to the Lake Shore Board of Education, Mrs. Bartl wrapped up her tenure in June.

For more information about our Board of Education including 2023-24 meeting dates and times, visit https://www.lakeshoreschools.org/our_district/board_of_education.

Bonus: Over the past few months, new Board of Education Student Representatives were selected and Michelle Bailey and Kimberly Helms earned tenure recognition!

We have built an 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.

Read this recent story titled Overcoming Injury: The Grit of Andrew Maison featuring our soccer team.

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

We have finished uploading Fall 2023 schedules for Cross County, Football, Sideline Cheer, Soccer, Swim, and Volleyball! Team photos, player headshots, video feed, and featured stories are on deck to be added. Stay tuned!

In addition, follow @ShorianSports on Twitter for access to live sports updates from your favorite coaches and teams!

We believe a balance of academics and athletics creates a well-rounded student. Students who participate in sports not only gain the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle, they also learn lessons about sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork, cooperation, respect, and knowing how to win and lose.

• Athletics
• Centennial Celebration
• District Calendar
  
• 2023-24 District Calendar
• Events
• Employment
• Enrollment
• Flyers
• Food Service Menus
• Lake Shore Adult and Community Education
• Technology

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
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myLSPS/
Twitter: @myLSPS