December 20, 2024

Dear Lakewood Schools Families,

Didn’t we just start the school year? Time flies and now it’s the holiday break. I want to start this message by wishing you all Happy Holidays!

The second quarter of this school year has included some great moments: LHS Cheerleaders participating in the Pink Strides Walk for breast cancer; regional qualifiers for Cross Country; National School Bus Safety Week activities at the elementary; Lancer Band Hi-Lights shows; Lakewood Elementary was awarded a $5,000 Ohio STEM Learning Network Grant; our first-ever Masked Singer (Teacher Edition) at the high school; Veterans Day celebrations; senior volleyball player Aubrey Howell being named LCL Player of the Year; many donations to the Lancer Locker; World Kindness Day activities; the drama production of The Alibis; the Christmas Toy Drive; and many others!  

I would also like to share that our district as a whole, and each of the individual schools, were selected for awards by the Ohio Department of Education's State Support Team for their work and progress in the area of PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports). PBIS is a comprehensive system of taught and known expectations for behavior and conduct in the buildings, with common expectations and common language that is woven into the very fabric of day-to-day operations. It involves incentives and recognitions and represents the constant reinforcement of desired behaviors and conduct. When students refer to "Lancer Pride," that is the Lakewood Local Schools' PBIS system. 2023-24 was the first year LMS applied for the showcase, they were awarded the Bronze award, the highest award for which they were eligible. The remaining buildings were all previous Bronze award winners, so this year they were awarded the Silver award...again, the highest award for which they were eligible. Congratulations to all!

At the start of the school year, I told you that I would be focused on the following priorities, and I provided an update after the first quarter, so again, I’d like to provide an update on progress in these areas:

• Rigor in Teaching & Learning – Mrs. Pickering, our Director of Teaching and Learning has been collaborating with our building principals, instructional coaches, and teachers to hone our instructional approach and ensure that our content is fully aligned with the rigor of the Ohio standards. Work is also continuing in several content areas to revisit and update our curricula.
• Student Behavior & Bullying – We have seen improvement in several areas of student discipline already this year, due to the work of our principals, staff, and students. Presentations from our school resource officers at LES and LMS, as well as other programming in all buildings, have focused on the prevention of bullying and how to intervene to eliminate it.
• Athletic Culture – We are now in the midst of Winter Sports Season and many of our programs are showing growth. I’d like to remind students that they are admitted free of charge to all Lakewood home sporting events. When we have a strong student section, the atmosphere at these events can be a real advantage. With our excellent cheer team and pep band, it is even more so!
• School Attendance – I believe that school attendance rate is one of the best predictors of academic success. I am happy to report that our attendance rate is up from last year. The hard work of principals, staff, parents, and students in getting our learners to school is definitely paying off.
• Restoring Pride – I remain proud of our district and the continuous improvement we are all working to achieve. I am proud of our students, our employees, and our community. I chose to make Lakewood my home, both professionally and residentially, a long time ago and I remain happy with that decision to this day. The vast majority of people I speak with feel similarly. As always, I am open to your suggestions for how we can make further improvements that strengthen our pride in this district.

I truly appreciate your support on this journey to making Lakewood Local Schools the best we can be. Again, Happy Holidays and enjoy this time with family and friends. I look forward to seeing our faculty, staff, and students in the New Year!

Let’s go, Lancers!

Sincerely,

Scott Coffey

Interim Superintendent, Lakewood Local Schools

Reimagining education, instilling community pride, inspiring future success.