Each month, the LP Link will spotlight an area of District focus with the goal of sharing valuable information and resources with our school community. This month highlights one of the five competencies of Lake Park's Portrait of a Graduate - Global Citizen - and how students have been experiencing diverse cultures through school-sponsored travel programs. The snapshots highlighted below capture the unique curricular and co-curricular opportunities that are expanding students’ horizons beyond classroom learning.

Global Citizens: Japan Trip

During spring break from March 27-April 4, a total of 40 Lake Park students and seven chaperones logged 12,826 miles on planes as well as countless hours on buses and trains to experience the sights and culture of Japan. Led by EF Educational Tours, the nine-day itinerary included visits to Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and more! Throughout their trip, students worked on an AP Statistics project or an Independent Study project that leads to college credit through Southern New Hampshire University. In addition, students wrote in their journals every day to record their memories and reflect on their experiences. 

The Global Citizens Travel Program provides travel opportunities for students to become global citizens; develop perspectives that set students apart on college applications; spark the lifelong ability to take on any new experience with confidence; and bring academic subjects and projects to the real world. Lancers interested in joining future trips to Italy in 2026 (and 2027 To Be Announced) should email sponsors Candice Sagliano or Ben Bishop for more information.

World Language Department: French Exchange

From March 26-April 7, 16 students and three chaperones completed the second part of an exchange with students from Sainte Marie de Nevers in Toulouse, France who visited Lake Park in October 2024. The "Échange" or French Exchange provides a unique experience for students to not only see France but also experience life as a French European. Similar to the French student visit to the U.S. this fall, Lake Park students stayed at the home of their exchange partners and host families, attended classes and participated in school activities, as well as had the opportunity to visit museums, chocolatiers and other cultural highlights in Toulouse. The French trip culminated in a train ride to Paris for a final weekend of touring the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Les Champs-Elysees, and a dinner cruise on the Seine!

The uniqueness of this exchange program is living with a French family and gaining exposure to their customs and way of life. Sophomore Lexi Lekbello enrolled in French 2 had the opportunity to enjoy a ski trip to the Pyrenees mountains–located right next to the sister school city– during the first weekend with her exchange family. When asked to comment on her experience, Lexi enthusiastically shared this quote, “You only live once, so fulfill your dreams!” 

World Language Department: German Exchange

The World Languages Department has yet another trip to look forward to this summer when 12 students and 2 chaperones travel to Germany from June 1-20. Similar to the French exchange, this “Austausch” will complete the second part of an exchange with students from Helene Lange Gymnasium in Hamburg who visited Lake Park in October 2024. The itinerary includes attending classes, living with host families, and seeing the sights around Hamburg and Northern Germany. Special highlights include: visiting the Elbphilharmonie, the Sankt Pauli soccer stadium, and taking a boat tour of the famous Hamburg port area and the Speicherstadt warehouse district, as well as taking a day trip to Berlin and a weekend trip to the North Sea Island of Sylt. Check out a glimpse of the photos from the June 2023 trip! 

Another global connection involving the German department and benefiting students was the recent awarding of a $300 donation from the Roselle Sister City Association. The city of Roselle has partnered with Laatzen, Germany since 2021. The funds will be used to pay for buses for upcoming field trips, likely for the Christkindlmarket in Chicago next winter. If you would like to partake in German cultural experiences, join the Roselle Sister City this weekend for the annual Bockfest Parade and Celebration on Saturday, April 26. 

The District values and embraces the five core competencies identified by the Portrait of a Graduate and strategic plan, which was adopted by the Board of Education in May 2022. The travel opportunities shared in this Spotlight provide students with diverse cultural experiences that introduces a new lens. Alex Eggerding (Class of '25) summarized it best when he shared this quote about the 2023 German trip, “I would say that the Austausch helped me realize just how much of the world was different from America and our lives, which let me put into perspective how we live.”

Congratulations to the 23 members of the Lake Park Math Team on a very successful year in preparation for the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) State math competition on Saturday, April 26 at Illinois State University in Bloomington. Mathletes will compete in the categories of Algebra 2, Geometry, Freshmen/Sophomore 8 team, Freshmen/Sophomore 2 team, Junior/Senior 8 team, Individual Algebra, and Pre-Calculus. Math Team Members: Rayan Abdul (10), Saif Akhtar (12), Isabella Asenova (12), Olivia Barthel (10), Kenny Chyllo (11), Alex Davis (11), Jad Farhat (12), Luisa Frackiewicz (12), Timothy Harris (09), Sofiya Iovenko (12), Maria Irimia (12), Shaan Kothari (09), Rishab Kulkarni (10), Adhrit Mahesh (10), Zachary Osuch (09), Hania Papuga (10), Akshar Patel (09), Kyle Petrovich (12), Mark Randazzo (11), Aayush Sharma (10), Palita Udomwongyont (11), Arden Urbasic (11), and Chris Yi (11).

The Math Team is coached by Clint Anticevich, Margaret Gawrych, Tommy Gulo, Caroline Kilrea and Candice Sagliano. 

Congratulations and best wishes to nine DECA students who will represent Lake Park and compete in the International Career Development Conference beginning Saturday, April 26 and concluding Tuesday, April 29 in Orlando, FL. The students earned this opportunity having placed in the Top 5 in their respective categories during the DECA State competition held on March 8 in Rosemont at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

DECA members: Sajani Achanta (11), Sameeha Ahmed (11), Ella Bathje (11), Katie Downs (10), Suri Kothari (11), Bhakti Patel (12), Shreya Patel (12), Himakshee Sublok (12), and Sophie Swacha (10).

The DECA sponsors are Katie Bestvina, Patryk Pliszka, and Brittany Simpson.

Congratulations to four Lancers who qualified for the Illinois Individual State Tournament (IIST) for Science Olympiad. Zachary Osuch (09) and Akshar Patel (09) will compete in the Fossils Event while Rayan Abdul (10) and Hadi Kamal (11) will compete in Geological Mapping. Hosted on Saturday, April 26 at McHenry County College, the IIST for Science Olympiad is intended for students who earned a medal at their Regional Science Olympiad Tournament, but whose team did not earn a bid to the Illinois Science Olympiad State Tournament.

Special thanks to club sponsors Chris Roleck and Mike Howard.

Congratulations to three Lancers who earned individual honors and qualified for State competition on Friday, April 25 at Heartland College in Normal, IL following a strong showing at the IHSA Journalism Sectionals held at Lake Park East Campus on Saturday, April 5.

Anthony Johnson (12) took first place in the Photo Storytelling category, while Madelyn Sison (09) also earned a first-place finish for her work in Review Writing. Two-time State qualifier, Moksh Majmudar (10) rounded out the state qualifiers with a third-place finish in News Writing. Thanks to Lake Park Perspective newspaper sponsor Mike Bundalo for helping to represent Lake Park among nearly 75 high schools competing in 18 different events during the State Series.

District Facilities Update

Architects to share stakeholder feedback at April 28 Board meeting.

ARCON, the District's architectural consulting firm, has made significant progress in its ongoing assessment of Lake Park facilities following a series of focus groups conducted in March.

Since these focus group sessions, ARCON has been working diligently to analyze the stakeholder feedback and merge it with findings from the comprehensive campus walk-throughs conducted from late 2024 through early 2025. The firm is scheduled to present its preliminary findings as a discussion item during the Monday, April 28 Board of Education meeting. To learn more, guests may attend the 6:30 p.m. meeting in the East Campus Community Room or tune in to the live stream to learn about ARCON’s summary.

Senior Department Awards

Congratulations to 19 seniors honored during a ceremony on April 23.

Congratulations to 19 senior Lancers honored on Wednesday, April 23 during a ceremony designed to recognize their academic contributions to each department.

The students were joined by their family members and introduced by a faculty representative of each department.

Teachers expressed pride for the character and academic achievement of this impressive group of Lancers

Lancer Legacy Celebrations

Congratulations to students honored for this inaugural recognition program.

Lake Park High School proudly introduced the Lancer Legacy Award this academic year, celebrating students who exemplify the school’s core values through resilience, personal growth, service, and character.

The inaugural recognition included special breakfast events held on each campus. View the list of recipients from first semester honored in December 2024 as well as the recipients from second semester recognized earlier this month.

The Lancer Legacy Award aims to highlight students who have demonstrated exceptional development, overcome challenges, served their community, and consistently showcased outstanding character.

"Gatsby" Prom 2025

Purchase student and guest tickets online through May 4.

Student Financial Assistance

If applicable, complete the new process for 2025-2026 by May 9.

The District has streamlined the Waived Fee and Free Lunch Program for the 2025-2026 school year to make online registration more efficient when it opens in June. Because family situations may change from year-to-year, please disregard if this information is not applicable.

In order to receive consideration for the Waived Fee and Free Lunch Program, families will need to complete a form, provide the required verification information, and submit it to the Student Services Office. Contact Student Services at the respective campus between the business hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment and initiate the process. Please complete the Student Financial Assistance application ahead of your appointment. Before final approval can be granted, the District must verify your income. The deadline to complete this process is Friday, May 9. 

To qualify for this program, the state requires families to provide one of the following proof of income in addition to the Student Financial Assistance application:

• 1040 Federal Income Tax Form
• W2 statement(s)
• 2 current payroll stubs/direct deposit receipts, if paid twice a month
• 4 current payroll stubs/direct deposit receipts if paid weekly OR
• Proof of SNAP/TANF: Current Letter of Determination from the Department of Human Services (DHS) showing the eligibility date, case number, benefits received, and recipient name

The Lake Park Educational Foundation celebrated distinguished alumni, students and staff at the annual Lake Park Spirit of Excellence Celebration Dinner on Tuesday, April 22. The March 11 edition of the LP Link edition highlighted student and staff recipients. This edition features biographies from the 2025 Distinguished Alumni:

Stacey Berk is a 1988 graduate of Lake Park. After earning her undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Western Illinois University, Ms. Berk received her MM from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in Music Composition and Oboe Performance. Prior to her current position as a soloist, chamber musician, and principal oboist with the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Berk performed with the United States Air Force Band of the West, the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, the Cedar Rapids Symphony, and the Wausau Symphony. Currently a Professor of Oboe and Music Theory/Composition at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, Ms. Berk also taught at Grinnell College and Drake University and was a founding member of the Polaris Wind Quartet. 

Brian Paruch is a 1991 graduate of Lake Park. After earning his B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, he began his career in 1994 as a Chicago radio personality with on-air names that included Whipping Boy, Brian the Whipping Boy, Whip, and even Brian Paruch. From 1994-2001 he hosted night, midday, and morning shows on Chicago Radio stations and sports talk shows. Since 2010, he has been on 101.9 FM, currently with The Morning Mix. Additionally, Brian has done voiceover work for radio and television commercials and currently hosts a podcast, Whip’s What’s Up With…, in which he interviews (what some may consider mostly) forgotten celebrities.

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