August 25, 2023

Hello Lakewood Schools Community,

This week we began another school year! I hope you all had a great summer and enjoyed some rest and relaxation before your students walked through our doors yesterday.

It has been a busy summer at Lakewood, filled with hard work by many people in order to prepare for our students' return. Thanks to our custodians, cleaners, and summer help – our buildings are looking great because of your dedication.

The pinnacle of the summer work was decommissioning Hebron Elementary School and preparing the new Lakewood Elementary School. It was no small feat to move furniture, desks, tables, supplies, etc. just a few short miles. Many thanks to all involved in that effort. It is bittersweet to not be having classes at Hebron for the first time in more than 100 years. But with temperatures reaching the high 80’s in these first days of school, we know this decision is the best one for the health and safety of all of our students and staff and will contribute to a more positive learning environment.

Many thanks also to our teachers and staff who supported our summer academies both in-person and remotely. I am sure their summer instruction will help our students get off to a good start this school year.

I also want to share some exciting news…we have a newly redesigned website! Thank you to Phil Jones and the Technology team, the Communications team, and Mrs. Pickering for their support in this undertaking. Please take a look if you haven’t already – https://www.lakewoodlocal.k12.oh.us/. Note that it is still a work in progress, but if you have specific feedback or questions, please email lakewoodlancers@lakewoodlocal.k12.oh.us.

And last but certainly not least, I would like to tell you about our new vision and mission for the district. In early 2023, the Lakewood Local Schools Board of Education convened a diverse group of stakeholders including community members, parents, district staff members, and district administrators to consider and chart the future direction of the District. This work resulted in a comprehensive strategic plan.

The strategic plan includes a vision statement; a mission statement; core values; and five new, over-arching goals with clarifying goal statements.

• Vision – Reimagining education, instilling community pride, inspiring future success.
• Mission – Lakewood... a family-friendly, inclusive community dedicated to empowering every learner through innovation, collaborative problem-solving and consistent communication.
• Core Values – Positive, Respectful, Integrity, Determined, Engaged
• Goal Areas – Student Experience, Staff Experience, Facility & Resource Management, Culture of Inclusion & Belonging, and Community Pride & Engagement

We are forming action teams for each goal area to help deliver on our new vision and mission. If you are interested in joining one of these teams, please email lakewoodlancers@lakewoodlocal.k12.oh.us.

I am looking forward to 2023-2024 and the successes it will bring for our district, faculty and staff, and our students. Thank you, in advance, for your continued support.

It’s Lancer Time!

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark Gleichauf

Superintendent, Lakewood Local Schools