LP Link: January 9, 2026

The LP Link is published bi-weekly during the school year to highlight the latest districtwide news and events at Lake Park High School. Contact Sherri Anderson, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for content.

West Campus 'Lancer Lounge' Now Open

Students can purchase coffee, tea, smoothies, grab & go items and more!

As Lancers returned for the start of second semester, the buzz of coffee grinders greeted West Campus students in the lobby. The highly-anticipated café, affectionately known as ‘The Lancer Lounge’ as voted by over 400 students and staff in a naming contest, officially opened this week! Open daily at 6:45 a.m. until 30 minutes past the end of the school day, the café is a joint collaboration between the District and Quest Food Management Services to enhance the overall food program and expand options for students.

As part of the food service 5-year contract renewal until 2030, Quest proposed not only a revamped dining space for students but also an expansion of café offerings with access to food and beverages at different points throughout the day at both campuses. These cafe investments financed by Quest provide students with quick grab-and-go meal options, specialty drink options, and expanded access to food and beverage choices beyond the traditional lunch period. Students can access these cafes before and after school and at other points throughout the day. This means that students who eat an early or late lunch, or need to stay for activities or athletic events, have access to food and beverage options at different points throughout the day. These Starbucks-inspired cafes will also provide an alternative for students not wanting to wait in the sometimes long lines found in the standard cafeteria serving areas.

West Campus features the following menu items and accepts cash payment or a student ID that has funds loaded in the MealTime app. At East Campus, a temporary cafe has been installed across from the cafeteria entrance. The cafe serves warm and cold breakfast options with assorted cold beverages. This temporary station is only open in the morning before school to serve students breakfast; however, it will eventually provide similar selections to West Campus once the build-out is completed.

Second Semester Safety Week: January 6-9

Safety information prepares students for how to handle emergency situations.

This week from Tuesday, January 6 to Friday, January 9, Lake Park students and staff have engaged in important safety discussions to continue educating Lancers on proper procedures for how to handle emergency situations.

Teachers began the second semester Safety Week by reviewing with their classes the areas of focus: active threat response, shelter-in-place, evacuation, and severe weather. The start of the second semester is an important time for students to hear safety reminders due to new schedules, classrooms, and teachers.

See Something, Say Something

Safe2Help is a 24/7 program that offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence, or other threats to school safety. Safe2Help encourages students to “Seek Help Before Harm” through a variety of channels (a mobile app, text, phone, or website) at no cost to students. For easy access, banners with a QR code and number to text for assistance appear throughout the campuses and are printed on the back of student ID cards.

Thank you for partnering with Lake Park to ensure the safety of our school community. Please contact Pablo Castro, Director of Safety and Security, with any questions or feedback.

2026-2027 Course Selection

Preparing students for postsecondary success through course planning.

The arrival of the new calendar year signals planning for the next school year already. In the coming weeks, students will begin registering for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Course Selection Dates:

Class of 2027 - Juniors: January 20 to January 26

Class of 2028 - Sophomores: January 20 to January 26

Class of 2029 - Freshmen: January 29 to February 4

Class of 2030 - Incoming Freshmen (8th Grade): January 8 and January 9

The Lake Park counseling team has streamlined and enhanced the course-selection process to increase communication, provide clarity, and ensure that all courses are represented. Parents/Guardians are strongly encouraged to carefully review the Academic Planning Guide as a reference.

From Monday, January 12 through Friday, January 16, current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors can expect to receive information from counselors and teachers about course selection. The elective fair, to be hosted during all lunch periods on Tuesday, January 13, will provide a unique opportunity to hear about course offerings from elective departments. On Wednesday, January 14, students will hear course recommendations, including elective options, from their current teachers in the core subjects of English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Kinetic Wellness. The activities of the week lead up to the Lancer Period on Thursday, January 15 when students will use SchooLinks to create or review their 4-year plan.

Lancer Period Bell Schedule

This month's lesson to focus on course planning and postsecondary planning.

While maintaining the same start and end times for each campus, Lake Park designed a Lancer Period Bell Schedule to allocate 38 minutes for whole-school programming that falls outside the traditional curriculum. The Lancer Period is scheduled approximately once per month on Thursdays. All students and staff are assigned to a designated classroom for the Lancer Period to ensure whole-school participation in each activity.

During this month’s Lancer Period on Thursday, January 15, teachers will deliver a lesson to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors that focuses on preparing for course selection as well postsecondary planning information for seniors. Using SchooLinks, which introduces students to postsecondary options through personality and interest inventories that match them with prospective careers, students will review or update the career goals and saved career(s) of interest they identified during Lancer Period lessons in the first semester. Students will also identify Lake Park classes they may like to take next school year that align with their career(s) of interest. This activity is designed to identify electives that connect to a student’s career(s) of interest and use the Course Planner to create a draft list of the courses to take during the 2026-2027 school year.

Lake Park Thespians Present One Acts

Attend student-directed performances from January 22-24.

The Lake Park Thespians are thrilled to present to the Lancer community the Festival of One Acts. This year's showcase features over 120 roles filled by talented actors performing in 10 diverse productions, which are skillfully directed by 20 aspiring student directors. The program boasts original works, adaptations of beloved shows, and licensed scripts, promising a unique and exciting theatrical experience.

The Festival of One Acts will be performed in the East Campus Dice Auditorium on Thursday, January 22 through Saturday, January 24 at 7:00 p.m. Admission to this fundraiser is $5.00, with an option for a three-evening pass for $10.00 (to be purchased on Thursday). Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Lancer Welcome Series

Three-part series aimed to welcome the Class of 2030!

Beginning on Wednesday, January 14, Lake Park East Campus will host the first in a three-part series of orientation events designed to welcome the Lancer Class of 2030.

Benefitting parents/guardians and students, “Plan Your Path” provides a unique opportunity to learn more about the placement process and available electives at Lake Park before finalizing course selection. This program represents the first opportunity for families to be directly involved in developing their student’s high school educational plan. Read the parent/guardian letter for more information about the format and designated arrival times.

Families are encouraged to save the date for subsequent Lancer Welcome Series programs:

Wednesday, February 11......Parent Guide to Supporting Your Freshman

Thursday, March 12 ............Activities and Athletics Night

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

West Campus students can voluntarily participate in the January 28 test.

Lake Park administers the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) each school year to juniors and seniors who are interested in pursuing the military as a possible career. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recognizes the ASVAB as an indicator of career and college readiness.

On Wednesday, January 28, testing will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the West Campus Collaboration Room. Students should bring their charged Chromebooks for testing. The ASVAB test is 2-3 hours in length, but students may complete it sooner.

The test is not required and students must receive parental permission to take the test. After the test is scored, military representatives will meet with students to review the results and to provide additional resources for learning about military service.

The registration form and consent form must be completed by the Friday, January 23 deadline. Contact West Campus Assistant Principal Mr. Henrikson at jhenrikson@lphs.org with any questions.

Spirit of Excellence Nominations

Nominate Lancer students and staff by the January 16, 2026 deadline.

The Lake Park Educational Foundation is accepting nominations for this year's Spirit of Excellence awards. The Spirit of Excellence Awards were established to support and recognize the accomplishments of Lake Park alumni, students, and staff.

Parents and community members may nominate Lake Park graduating seniors, faculty members, and staff members for these prestigious awards. Please visit the Spirit of Excellence Awards web page for the nominations, guidelines, and forms. Student and staff nominations are due Friday, January 16.

If you have questions regarding the nomination process for the awards, contact Becky Wyatt, executive director of the Lake Park Educational Foundation, at (630) 295-5264 or rwyatt@lphs.org.