Spotlight on the Courtroom 600 Project Curriculum

Each month, the LP Link spotlights an area of District focus to share valuable information and resources with our school community. This month’s edition takes a closer look at how a cross-curricular classroom field trip one year ago has evolved into the social studies department introducing an innovative curriculum with historical significance.

Cross-Curricular Private Screening of Nuremberg

In November 2025, the Social Studies and World Language Departments joined for a unique cross-curricular experience. Thirty-one students enrolled in Advanced Placement European History, Advanced Placement German, and German 4 watched a private screening of the motion picture Nuremberg at the Marcus Theatre in Addison. Set at the conclusion of World War II, the film follows chief psychiatrist Douglas Kelley as he conducts psychological evaluations of high-ranking Nazi military and government leaders to determine their fitness to stand trial. The film highlights Kelley's intense mental chess game against Adolf Hitler's right-hand man, Hermann Göring, set against the backdrop of the world's first international tribunal for crimes against humanity.

Following the screening, students listened to guest speaker Laurie Pasler, an award-winning creative director and producer based in Chicago. Pasler's journey began when she inherited hidden World War II memorabilia left by her father from his service at the Nuremberg Trials. “A treasure trove of photos, letters, and smuggled army documents were breadcrumbs to a story I had to pursue,” she explains. 

After spending a decade piecing together the story through original artifacts, documents, and archival research, she founded Descendants Media Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and created the Courtroom 600 Project Immersive Virtual Reality Curriculum. Their mission is to teach and inspire future generations through experiential storytelling: by learning from the past, we foster empathy and contribute to a culture of peace, understanding, and tolerance.

Professional Development

The Courtroom 600 Project is an innovative platform designed to transform history education. Incorporating virtual spatial immersion, authentic artifacts, and a time-traveling device, the platform visualizes the defendants at the age they were during the trials (1945–1949). 

Several teachers in Lake Park’s Social Studies department participated in professional development to better understand the curriculum and determine how to begin implementing the learning modules into their classes. During the second semester of the 2025-2026 school year, the department began introducing this pioneering curriculum to explore the roots of fascism, how World War II started and ended, the foundation of international law, and how the world changed as a result. By teaching WWII through the lens of Nuremberg's irrefutable evidence, the project provides a powerful foundation for confronting hate and intolerance in today’s classrooms.

The four learning modules of the Courtroom 600 Project correspond to the Four Indictments issued at the Nuremberg Trials:

• Module 1: Conspiracy — Examines how prosecutors proved that World War II in Europe was the direct result of a criminal conspiracy orchestrated by Hitler and his Nazi leadership.
• Module 2: Crimes Against Peace — Focuses on the evaluation of aggressive war and the illegal violation of international treaties and sovereign borders.
• Module 3: War Crimes — Explores the foundational laws and customs of war, analyzing violations such as the abuse of enemy civilians and the mistreatment of prisoners of war (POWs).
• Module 4: Crimes Against Humanity — Addresses the unprecedented and egregious savagery, state-sponsored torture, and genocide committed under the Nazi regime.

A Student’s Perspective

Senior Xander Overbeek, who was enrolled in Advanced Placement U.S. History class last year when the curriculum was piloted, shared his initial reactions. “Originally, I knew just about the basics of the Nuremberg Trials: the three countries came together and prosecuted the surviving Nazi leadership. When I first heard about Nazi indoctrination, I felt a little indifferent. Almost everyone knows about the Hitler Youth and the demonization of the Jewish people, but I was truly shocked when I learned the depths of what happened. I think it’s nearly impossible to grasp the scope of what truly went on under the Nazi regime.”


When asked about what is the value of learning about this while in high school, Xander commented, “I think over my time, freshman to senior (year), I have seen World War II from more of a realist perspective—which is for the better. It’s easy to almost mythologize World War II. It’s something that’s taught from all the way back to elementary school and seems to be brought up every year since that point. While I believe learning about the tragedy of the Holocaust and the war at large are both extremely important, as sad as it is, at some point they start to feel more like stories and less like something that happened only 80 years ago. Lessons like this, throughout my entire high school time, have greatly helped me to break that casting in my head. Learning about the Nuremberg Trials felt like the final crack. I believe as time has gone by, the Holocaust has become less of a number, and more of a very real, way-too-recent tragedy—a stain on the human existence. I hope that lessons as such can help other kids to break that idea of the war in their heads, as I know it wasn’t just me who thought that way.” 

Impactful Partnership

This impactful partnership between Lake Park High School and the Courtroom 600 Project continued to grow and caught the attention of regional news media. On Thursday, March 12, a film crew from WGN-TV visited West Campus to capture Lake Park students engaging with this new virtual reality curriculum in action. Furthermore, Social Studies Department Leader Don Fulmer was interviewed at the WGN studio alongside founder Laurie Pasler to discuss the collaboration.

The feature will air on Backstory with Larry Potash on WGN-TV on Sunday, November 29 from 11:00–11:30 p.m., with encore rebroadcasts on Wednesdays (8:30–9:00 p.m.), Saturdays (6:00–6:30 a.m.), and Sundays (3:30–4:00 p.m.). View the season trailer and 11-minute news story in advance of the official airing during that time slot.

Telling Our Story

Lake Park is proud that Courtroom 600 is helping students break through the artificial barrier of seeing history as a documented series of events that occurred, but rather viewing history as a connected experience to better understand where we have come from in order to learn and collectively grow from past lessons. The District is also excited to help other high schools and educators benefit from our experience introducing Courtroom 600 to all grade levels as the Social Studies department presents during the 106th National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference in Chicago from December 4-6.

Student-Athlete Recognition Events

National Letter of Intent signing, State sendoffs celebrate Lancer athletics.

Congratulations to three Lancer student-athletes who participated in a National Letter of Intent signing ceremony at West Campus on Wednesday, November 11.

Lake Park students, their families, and teammates attended a special recognition event that included coaches sharing highlights of their individual accomplishments and the students signing an official commitment to compete in collegiate athletics.

Best wishes to these 3 student-athletes in their respective sports!

Congratulations to the Girls Swimming team members who qualified at the St. Charles East Sectional State Qualifying meet last weekend and will compete in the IHSA State Girls Swimming meet held at the FMC Natatorium this weekend, November 13-14. The team enjoyed an excellent meet finishing as Sectional Team Runner Up after earning a 2nd place team finish in the DuKane Conference Championships earlier this season. Special congratulations to Girls Swimming Head Coach, Bennet Witteveen, who was named the Sectional Coach of the Year by his head coach colleagues. Girls Swimming Assistant Coaches include Lancers for Life Lauren Zalon and Tim Layer.

Seven Lancers earned state qualifications, led by multi-event standouts and record-breakers. Four-time state qualifier senior Juliette Niemiec leads the squad across four events, setting a new school record in the 200 Freestyle while also qualifying in the 100 Backstroke, 200 Freestyle Relay, and 400 Freestyle Relay. Freshman Margaret Montiel also punched her ticket in four events—the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Individual Medley, 400 Freestyle Relay, and the 100 Backstroke, where she set a new school record. Rounding out the roster are four-time state qualifier senior Nicole Brzostowski (200 Medley Relay), two-time state qualifier junior Chloe Jacklow (200 and 400 Freestyle Relays), freshmen Boyana Cheyka (200 Medley and 200 Freestyle Relays) and Gabriella Graham (200 Medley Relay, 200 Individual Medley, 500 Freestyle), and junior Karolina Krenska (200 Freestyle Relay).

Congratulations to Lake Park Cross Country senior Ruth Dellaria who qualified for the IHSA State meet on her home course at the Lake Park IHSA 3A Sectional meet held at East Campus. Ruth finished her amazing Lake Park Cross Country career as a 3-time IHSA State Qualifier, while also earning All DuKane Conference Honors 3-times. Ruth ran in Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday, November 7 for the IHSA 3A State Meet. Recently, Ruth committed to continue her cross country and track & field career and education after high school at Northern Illinois University. The Lancers were led by Head Coach Joey Pacione and Assistant Coaches David Haberman and Alberto Villa.

Music Department Accolades
Congratulations to six Lancers who were selected for ILMEA competition.

Each fall the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) hosts regional auditions to assemble groups containing the finest concert and jazz musicians from District 9. These musicians come together for a one-day festival experience with a guest conductor and perform concerts with other musicians from District 9. Acceptance into these groups is one of the highest individual honors bestowed to a high school musician in Illinois. Congratulations to our participating Lancers:

Band

Juniors Kevin Aneszko (Tenor Saxophone) and Ryan Eggerding (Flute), will represent Lake Park at the ILMEA District 9 Concert Band Festival on Saturday, November 14 at Dundee-Crown High School.

Choir

Kaylee Kartholl, Thalia Rhodes, Victor Tellez and Tiya Tennetti represented Lake Park at the ILMEA District 9 Jazz Festival on Saturday, November 7 at St. Charles East High School. Furthermore, Tiya Tennetti was selected to perform at the Senior Concert Festival on Saturday, November 14 at Dundee-Crown High School.

Lancer Stories

How INCubator Transforms "Durable Skills" into Real-World Success.

Standardized exam scores offer a helpful snapshot in time, but how do we truly measure the value of hands-on learning? Look no further than Class of 2026 graduate George Tzamouranis and his journey through Lake Park High School’s INCubator program.

INCubator serves as the capstone experience across Lake Park’s three business pathways: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Business Management/Administration. In this full-year dual credit course, Lancers engage in authentic entrepreneurial work, culminating in a "Shark Tank" pitch competition evaluated by community partners. Guided by local volunteer mentors—like CleatShield’s mentor Rosanna Battista of Griffith Foods—students learn to navigate real risks, learn from setbacks, and pivot based on market research.

As CEO of CleatShield, George led a team of three other classmates to develop an innovative solution preventing mud buildup on athletic footwear. Their effort earned them first place and a $4,000 award from the Lake Park Educational Foundation. More importantly, it put Lake Park's 21st Century Durable Skills directly into practice:

• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: The team analyzed market needs, conducted primary customer research, and refined an original product concept.
• Resilient Learner: Through iterative product testing and market feedback, students embraced trial-and-error to improve their business model.
• Collaborative Leader and Thoughtful Communicator: Leading a startup required uniting team members around a shared vision, resolving challenges together, and pitching persuasively to judges.

“This experience taught me valuable lessons in business, leadership, teamwork, and perseverance,” shared George, who is now studying finance and AI for Innovation at Bentley University. A motivated student-athlete on the football team, he is also involved with the Bentley Investment Group and the entrepreneurship clubs, where he hopes to continue developing his interests in business, finance, and innovation.

By grounding core academic content in real-world application, programs like INCubator ensure our Lancers don't just memorize information—they graduate prepared to lead. View Lancer Stories archives.

Theatre Department Winter Play
Cast of characters fall in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways.

Lake Park Theatre Department's upcoming performances of the romantic comedy, Almost, Maine reflect a charming and funny play about love and relationships in a small, fictional town in northern Maine. Theatre-goers will laugh, cry and leave filled with a sense of wonder and awe that only the northern lights could bring.

Directed by English teacher Sara Keith and student stage manager (senior Lorelei Boos), Almost, Maine features 14 student actors and 20 student crew members working behind the scenes. The Lake Park Theatre Department welcomes the entire community to this family-friendly show.

Performances will be held at the East Campus Dice Auditorium on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m., and Friday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $5 at the door for ages 13+ (cash preferred), and senior citizens and LP students with ID are admitted free.

Film Appreciation Society

Film buffs are invited to a free screening at West Campus on December 2.

Lake Park's Film Appreciation Society's next film selection shines the spotlight on Paul Newman. Last month's audience voted for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The free event will be held on Wednesday, December 2, at 6:00 p.m. in the West Campus auditorium. Run time for the film is 1 hour, 50 minutes.

The 1969 semi-biographical adventure stars Paul Newman as Butch and Robert Redford as Sundance, heading up the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. Katherine Ross rounds out the trio as love interest Etta Place. From the wild west of turn-of-the-century Wyoming, all the way to Bolivia, the outlaws leave robberies, shenanigans, and mayhem in their wake as they are constantly on the run from the posse relentlessly pursuing them. George Roy Hill directs the William Goldman script, and B.J. Thomas offers a memorable performance of Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head. Attendees will enjoy this second pairing of Newman and Redford, with LPFAS having recently screened The Sting in September.

Community film buffs are invited to attend the cinematic presentation and stay for an in-depth panel discussion regarding the background and history of the featured film. Trivia questions and door prizes will follow. Patrons will also be able to preview and vote for film selections for the next presentation in January 2027: Trains in Hollywood. 

The Lake Park Film Appreciation Society aims to engage the community in the presentation, exploration, interpretation, and critical discussion of classic cinema.

Freshman Class Council Sponsors Pantry Drive

Classmates' donations of food, toiletries will help stock Lancer Food Pantry.

The spirit of community continues to thrive at Lake Park as the Freshman Class Council hosts a "Help Feed Lancers in Need Pantry Drive" through Thursday, November 19. The mission is to support our Lancer community with restocking non-perishable food and toiletries for the Lancer Pantry. Students are uniting to 'pay it forward' to other Lancers in need. 

Donation boxes are available in the cafeteria or outside of the Student Services Office. If you have any questions, contact Freshman Class Council sponsors Stacey Mosquera or Tom Kaberna.

The success of the pantry is largely due to the consistent efforts and compassion of the staff, spearheaded by coordinator Tracy Fink. Ms. Fink's dedication has ensured the pantry operates efficiently, providing discreet and reliable support to families facing food insecurity within the Lancer community.

"We want to extend a heartfelt thank you for the continued generosity and support," said Ms. Fink. "Because of your contributions, we are able to serve families who truly rely on this resource. Every donation, big or small, makes a meaningful impact and embodies the Lancer spirit of care."

LPEF Online Auction

Bid on premium parking spaces at West Campus.

The Lake Park Educational Foundation will be hosting an online auction the week leading up to A Taste of the Arts for the two best student parking spots at West Campus! Parents of juniors and seniors for the next school year (2027-2028) can bid on the closest spots to the door in the main senior student lot.

Online bidding will begin on Monday, November 30 at noon and be available through Friday, December 4 at noon.  Guests at A Taste of the Arts will have one last chance to place a winning bid. The two highest bidders will each receive a parking spot. The parking spots are numbers 43 and 54 in the West Campus senior student lot. Winners do not need to be in attendance to win.