You won't find a town called Lakeshore on a map, but you'll soon feel the Lakeshore community - and LANCER PRIDE - in your heart. We believe all children deserve an engaging and inspiring education - and the opportunity to discover and pursue their own paths. With Passionate educators, the latest technology and unique opportunities, Lakeshore does more than equip our students to succeed in life - we empower them to lead their lives with character and integrity.
Lakeshore Excellence Foundation
Through the generosity of our donors, the LEF has funded more than 70 academic projects, 40 hardware and software projects, and a wide variety of outreach, cultural and aesthetic programs, many open to the entire community. In 2016, we successfully completed our largest infrastructure project to date by investing $600,000 to transform all of our libraries into 21st Century Learning Centers. We are now poised to again reach higher: we’re reaching out for contributors to help us support the implementation of STEM throughout all grades levels at Lakeshore Public Schools.
Board Makes Decision for Fall 2020
This evening, at a meeting of the Lakeshore Public Schools Board of Education, Superintendent Phil Freeman presented three options for the beginning of the school year. These included:
Option 1 - A full return to school
Description: This model will look much like a traditional model of school: full day, five day a week in-person instruction. Specific safety protocols will be implemented as mandated by the State to mitigate the danger of transmission of COVID-19.
Option 2 - A fully remote start to the school year
Description: Beginning the school year in a fully remote environment for a defined period of time.
Option 3 - Phase-in Model Resulting in Face-to-Face Instruction
Description - A return to face-to-face instruction with a defined period of time (two weeks to three weeks) where protocols can be taught and practiced and remote learning will be introduced. During that time, students will get an opportunity to meet their teachers and receive materials and instruction on how to work remotely should we be closed for a period of time.
Included in each of these plans is the option for parents to select a fully virtual option, the Lakeshore Virtual Academy.
The Board ultimately supported Option 3 by a 6 - 0 vote. Details of the scheduled phase-in will be developed in the coming days.
Thank you to our staff and community members that participated in our Town Hall meetings to share their perspective. Your input was valuable as the Board deliberated before taking action.
Community Update
August 7, 2020
As I have said often during these past several months , the landscape is shifting quickly and often during these unprecedented times. We have been working hard to keep up with the most recent data, staying in regular communication with the Berrien County Health Department, and consulting with Superintendents across the county.
In response to questions from families, we are providing more information about what a day will look like for students within both of the learning options available. As a reminder, the two options are In-person/Remote and full time virtual within the Lakeshore Virtual Academy.
More Detail on Back to School Plans
Remote Option - Taking into account the multiple variables impacting the safety and well-being of our students and staff, a decision may be made to shift into Remote Learning for our in-person students even during Phase 4 of the Governor’s plan. We are evaluating this option closely and will have an answer at some point next week.
To help bring more clarity, we have updated our Back to School Plans to include specific information about the daily schedule at each level of instruction during the Remote Learning option. The changes in the information are broken out in the following documents. (Please refer to my prior updates for the full Updated Back to School Plans for each level.)
Elementary Remote Learning Schedule
Middle School Remote Learning Schedule
High School Remote Learning Schedule
The Virtual Academy - As of this writing, we have approximately 10% students signed up for the Virtual Academy. We have extended the deadline for application to August 14, 2020 and expect that after parents receive further information today and next week, many will make their decisions. In response to questions from families, we are providing more information about what a day will look like for students within both of the options available for families. These were developed in a collaborative effort in the Return to School Committee.
DRAFT Elementary Virtual Schedule
We have moved the deadline for enrollment in the Lakeshore Virtual Academy to August 14, 2020 in order for families to review this information. Students not enrolled on the LVA are automatically scheduled to continue with in-person/remote learning. As a reminder, these decisions are made by families on a semester basis.
Decisions to enroll in the Virtual Academy must be made by August 14, 2020. To enroll, click here.
Procedures for Confirmed and Expected Cases of COVID-19 - There have been many questions about the protocols that will be used if a confirmed or expected case of COVID-19 appears in our buildings. The link below will take you to the protocols established by the Berrien County Health Department for use by schools. We will strictly adhere to these procedures and act on guidance of the BCHD on issues surrounding school closings.
Berrien County Return to Learn: Handouts for Schools and Families
When will we know what our class sizes will be? - Once we get a better grasp on the number of students opting for the Virtual Academy.
When will we know what is happening to start the school year? - I am sure that this is the question that is causing the greatest anxiety. It is for me as well. I have been working closely with county superintendents to assess the situation, taking into account many factors. This is an extremely difficult decision to make with several positive and negative consequences, and we want to get it right. Currently, there is no clear consensus countywide. Our Board of Education is committed to making a decision for Lakeshore Public Schools next week.
How can I have input and ask questions? - I will be presenting the information that I am including in this update to our Board of Education at our regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, August 10, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. We will utilize the Citizen’s comment portion of Monday’s Board Meeting to answer questions and hear comments. Please see our District website at https://www.lpslancers.net to get details on how to virtually attend that meeting.
July 31, 2020 Update
Fall Learning Options
Our planning for the return to school began in early May with the development of three committees: the Return to School Committee (R2S), the Pandemic Response Team (PRT), and the Wellness Committee (HMHL). These committees have been hard over the past months to develop plans to safely return to learning in the fall.
The Pandemic Response Team assisted in the development of a template for the Return to School Plans for each building in the District. Building level teams then developed specific safety protocols based on the requirements and recommendations of the MI Safe Schools Roadmap. Building specific plans are posted below:
UPDATED WITH DAILY REMOTE SCHEDULES
Elementary Return to School Plan
Middle School Return to School Plan
High School Return to School Plan
The Return to School Committee has been working hard to develop options for families for the fall. Lakeshore Public Schools will offer families two learning options for the 2020-21 school year. Information on each of these options is linked below.
Detailed In-person/Remote Information
Detailed Lakeshore Virtual Academy Information
The information on each of these options includes an overview of each option followed by Frequently Asked Questions. This information is provided to help families make informed decisions about what’s best for their students. I understand that there is a lot of information provided, but I encourage you to read this information thoroughly.
Decisions to enroll in the Virtual Academy has been extended and must be made by August 14, 2020. To enroll, click here.
Finally, there are questions swirling about whether schools will open for face-to-face instruction in the fall and when we might have an answer. The county superintendents continue to meet weekly with the Berrien County Health Department and are paying close attention to the guidance provided by the State to assure that the best decision will be made. In this ever-changing health crisis environment, we are concerned about making that decision too early. As soon as a decision is made, we will inform our families.
Back to School Roadmap UPDATE
On June 20, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap, a comprehensive document to help districts create local plans for in-person learning in the fall. The Roadmap outlines a number of safety protocols for schools to implement in each phase of the governor’s MI Safe Start Plan. Lakeshore Public Schools continues to gather information and guidance from different sources to aid in the development of a comprehensive plan for educating our students in the fall.
Our planning for the return to school began in early May with the development of three committees: the Return to School Committee (R2S), the Pandemic Response Team (PRT), and the Wellness Committee (HMHL). The guidance received from the State in the Return to School Roadmap verified that we were already on the right track in building options that will ensure robust learning opportunities while ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff.
After careful review and extensive research and consultation with health officials, we have made the decision to offer two options for opening school in the fall.
Options Available for Families:
Lakeshore Public Schools will offer families two learning options for the 2020-21 school year:
The information linked below is provided to help families make informed decisions about what’s best for their students. We are still finalizing the details of both in-person/remote instruction and our fully virtual program, but we are getting close. Detailed information will be provided soon on both options including the enrollment process for the Lakeshore Virtual Academy.
While we have narrowed the options, there still is a great deal of work to do to finalize our preparation for the opening of school. Our three committees have been busy at work over the last several weeks to develop plans for the coming school year.
The details of each of these plans are being hashed out and will be shared as soon as they are more fully completed.
The PRT is also providing support in procuring technology resources for the implementation of our learning options and developing food service and transportation plans.
Finally, there are questions swirling about whether schools will open for face-to-face instruction in the fall and when we might have an answer. The county superintendents are paying close attention to the guidance provided by the State and working closely with the Berrien County Health Department to assure that the best decision will be made. In this ever-changing health crisis environment, we are concerned about making that decision too early. At the same time, we understand that, ultimately, a decision must be made. We are targeting the first week in August for making the call.
Kindergarten enrollment time is here! If you live in the Lakeshore School District and have not yet enrolled your child in school, now is the time! Visit this link for details and enrollment documents: https://www.lpslancers.net/Page/1618. The Central Administration summer office hours are Mon-Thur 7:30-3:00 and until 1:00 on Fridays.
Parent Update School Calendar
June 30, 2020
Prior to the move to distance learning in March of this year, many discussions were taking place in Lakeshore and other Berrien County school districts about a possible move to a pre-Labor Day start for school in the fall of 2020. The District looked at several options and weighed the pros and cons of each. Then came COVID-19 and the move to at-home learning. As part of our Back-to-School Committee work, we have determined that the move to a pre-Labor Day start made the most sense for the coming fall. With that in mind, the first day of school for Lakeshore Public Schools students will be August 31, 2020.
Our thoughts:
Key Dates on the 2020-2021 Calendar:
August 25-26, 2020 - Teachers Report
August 31, 2020 - First Day of School for Students
September 4-7, 2020 - Labor Day Break
November 25-29, 2020 - Thanksgiving Break
December 19, 2020 - January 3, 2021 - Winter Break
January 18, 2021 - Dr. Martin Luther King Day - no school
February 15, 2021 - President's Day - no school
April 2-11, 2021 - Spring Break
May 31, 2021 - Memorial Day - no school
June 10, 2021 - Last Day for Students/Staff
We will share a more detailed calendar in the coming weeks.
In a further effort to promote a positive school community, we have launched an official school district Facebook page. Please search for Lakeshore Public Schools to access and LIKE our new page.
Resources for Families
The two documents, linked below, offer resources for families.
The first was created by our Healthy Minds - Healthy Lives team. In the document, you will find resources that support mental health and wellness.
Healthy Lives Healthy Minds Community Resources
The second document provides educational enrichment activities including learn at home resources, links to virtual field trips, activities to disconnect from technology, and resources to use when talking to children about COVID-19.
We hope you find them useful.
Click here for Enrollment information and required documentation
