Weekly Bulletin

Dear LFCDS Families,

We are thrilled to invite families to the long-standing tradition of Family Visiting Day on the morning of Friday, December 20.

The information below will outline the specifics for this special day. Please note that all students and families are welcome to enjoy hot cocoa and holiday caroling in the Green Bay Atrium, which begins at 8:00 a.m. Otherwise, please plan to arrive in classrooms at the times outlined below.

Assembly dress is required for students in Senior Kindergarten through Grade 8.

Early Childhood
All EC classes begin at 9:30 a.m. for the family-visiting portion of the morning. If you would like to drop your child off at the regular start time, beginning at 7:50 a.m., you may do so and then return at 9:30 a.m. for the beginning of our Visiting Day program. Alternatively, you should feel free to arrive with your child at 9:30 a.m. Please see the attached schedule for a specific outline for your child’s homeroom. Preschool through Senior Kindergarten students are welcome to visit the classrooms of older siblings until their visit begins.

Dismissal Information: Families are welcome to take their children home following their final classroom visit or stay for the assembly. Preschool and Junior Kindergarten students who stay for the assembly will sit with their families. Senior Kindergarten students who stay for the Holiday Assembly will sit with their classroom teachers in an assigned spot while their families are seated in the visitor section.

1st STEP: Please note that it will be a regular Two-Day class on this day. Students who have older siblings participating in Family Visiting Day may remain in class until 10:50 a.m. 1st STEP will have an opportunity for a family visiting day in the spring.

Lower School and Upper School
All Lower School and Upper School classes begin at 8:20 a.m. Please see the attached Lower School schedule for your child’s homeroom. Upper School families should report to their child’s Advisor to collect their personalized schedule for the day.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Warm regards,

Sara, Rachel, and Steve

Dear LFCDS Families,

This time of year, we are very grateful for all we have and, in particular, the wonderful community we have here at LFCDS. We are especially thankful this season for the opportunity to “work” together again, albeit in a very different capacity than 20 years ago, when our relationship was that of teacher and student at another Chicagoland independent school. What a small world it is that all these years later, we find ourselves co-chairing the search for LFCDS’s next Head of Early Childhood.

We are incredibly grateful for this chance to give back to our beloved school community, as well as for the tireless dedication of the search committee in identifying the best candidate to next lead Early Childhood. This fall, we’ve had the privilege of showcasing the many special qualities of our school and community to a diverse group of highly qualified applicants from across the United States and abroad. It has been a real joy to highlight what makes LFCDS so extraordinary. As we conclude the semi-finalist round of interviews, we are excited to welcome finalists to campus before and after Winter Break. Please keep an eye out for opportunities to meet these candidates and learn more about them.

As we step away for the Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded of how our school community represents something much larger than ourselves. It is a place where connections -- whether formed years ago in a different place or newly made right here on campus -- shape lives and create a lasting impact. Life often has a way of leading us to exactly where we are meant to be, and we are confident that many of our candidates feel drawn to LFCDS just as we do.

With gratitude, 

Annie Johnson and Molly Finch

Dear LFCDS Families, 

You have heard a lot from me and my colleagues over the last two years about our Strategic Design process and newly developed Strategic Plan. During Curriculum Night, I shared our revised Mission and Core Beliefs along with our first-ever Vision for the future of the school and the four Choices that will guide our decision-making in the years ahead. 

Over the past week, we held two Fireside Chats to share progress and receive feedback from parents on the next layer of detail in our plan; the Objectives that correspond to each of our four Choices. I want to express my deep gratitude to the parents who chose to participate in these gatherings. The perspective you offered and the open and supportive dialogue you so thoughtfully generated affirmed why we engage in the Strategic Planning process and why parent participation is such a valuable part of this endeavor. 

For those of you who were not able to attend one of the Fireside Chats, fear not! The LFCDS website, which houses foundational information about the Strategic Plan, now includes these details. I invite you to review the site and share any additional feedback with me. 

The Action Items in our Strategic Plan will be finalized soon. With 100+ Action Items across the 4 Choices and 20+ Objectives, we will be busy reviewing feedback from families, employees, and trustees; determining implementation responsibilities; and developing criteria for measuring the success of the plan. Please mark your calendars for the State of the School on Tuesday, January 21, when we will share the final draft of the Strategic Plan. 

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your Head of School during such an exciting chapter in the long and distinguished 135-year history of our school. I am beyond excited for the opportunities that lie ahead and the partnership we will bring to this transformational work! 

With gratitude, 

John  

Dear Families,

I hope all of you were able to participate in conferences this week and have enjoyed the opportunity to deepen your partnership with your child's teachers.

I am writing to provide an update on the search for our next Associate Head of School for Finance and Operations since Dick Paulus will be retiring on June 30. Our position description went live yesterday, and you are encouraged to pass it along to any interested parties.

We have identified Narwhal Talent Partners as a consultant for this search. Christian Henry from NTP was on campus earlier this week to meet with several members of our employee community and to develop a sense of our school culture. Working in partnership with Christian, we have assembled a search committee to manage the responsibility of interviewing, assessing, and recommending qualified candidates to me for consideration. This committee will also serve as a transition team to help onboard our new hire. Our committee includes: Chip Grace, Steve Robnick, Alex Sheridan, and Sarah Thomas.

Our process for this search will be different from previous searches as the timeline for a hire into this role is on a different cycle than roles more closely connected to teaching and learning. Rather than bringing all finalists to campus in a concentrated period of time, visits will occur as qualified candidates are identified and may run across several months. Our goal is to find the best possible person, and it is challenging to predict when this will happen. As with all searches, each of you will have an opportunity to meet and provide feedback on all of our finalists during their campus visits. When that information becomes available, the search committee will forward those details along. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

In partnership,

John

Dear LFCDS Community,

As we move into November, we find ourselves reflecting on the recently concluded EC/LS caring calls and shared academic updates for Upper Schoolers and are looking ahead, with enthusiasm, to next week's conferences. Although it may feel early in the school year, we have already gathered meaningful feedback about how LFCDS’ new Mission, specifically our re-emphasis on partnership with families, has been a common theme in conversations with faculty and parents.  

We believe that education is a collaborative journey. When families and educators join forces, we create an environment that supports students’ academic, social, and emotional growth. Strong relationships between home and school not only enrich the learning experience but also help children feel valued and understood. Open communication is essential to building these relationships. Whether through check-in calls, parent-teacher conferences, school events, or informal conversations, every interaction helps align our efforts to meet our students' needs. We appreciate your willingness to share insights and encourage you to continue offering feedback; your perspectives are vital to shaping our educational practices.  

We recognize that each family brings unique strengths, insights, and experiences to our school community. By sharing and engaging with teachers, we can create a more inclusive, supportive environment for every student. Research consistently affirms that when families and schools work together, children benefit immensely. Strong partnerships contribute to academic success, promote positive behavior, and support overall well-being. Our shared goal is the success and well-being of our students. Together, we are building a vibrant community that celebrates achievements, supports challenges, and cultivates lifelong learners. 

At this time of year, we’re guided by one of our Core Beliefs: Community is our core. Honest and respectful relationships, formed through conversations and collaboration, build trust and a sense of belonging – honoring the dignity of every person. 

Thank you for being part of our community and partnering with us on this journey! 

With gratitude,

Sara Walsh

Rachel Diaz

Steve Robnick

Dear LFCDS Community, 

It is with bittersweet emotions that I announce that Richard Paulus, our Associate Head of School for Finance and Operations, has shared his intention to retire at the end of 2024-2025 school year. Dick has been an invaluable member of the LFCDS leadership team for the past five years. His professionalism and service as a thought partner for me and the Finance Committee of the Board have been instrumental in the recent progress of our school. We will deeply miss his leadership and expertise.

Throughout his time with us, Dick has been a key figure in navigating challenging periods, most notably leading our financial and operational response during the COVID-19 pandemic; his first year at LFCDS, no less. His strategic foresight and steady guidance ensured that LFCDS could not only adapt to the unprecedented challenges but also emerge stronger, with expanded protocols in place for future crises. As a member of the school’s Emergency Response Team, Dick has dedicated substantial efforts toward developing procedures that have enhanced our emergency preparedness and improved the safety and security of our entire school community. 

Beyond crisis management, Dick has been a key figure in strengthening the school’s financial health. Under his stewardship, the School has successfully refinanced its debt, putting us on a path of financial sustainability and allowing for future investments in our Mission. During his time at LFCDS, the school has experienced five straight years of balanced budgets and endowment growth, ensuring the school’s financial stability and operational excellence will benefit our community for years to come. While we will miss Dick’s day-to-day presence, we take comfort in knowing that his hard work has built a strong foundation for the future and will meaningfully shape what comes next. We look forward to celebrating his retirement at the end of the school year.  

In making the decision to retire at the end of the year, Dick has afforded LFCDS a generous runway to identify candidates to be our new Associate Head of School for Finance & Operations. LFCDS is a highly regarded program locally and nationally, and we know we’ll have a competitive pool of candidates. I am in the midst of forming a committee that will run the search and interviewing possible consultants to assist with the process. An update on the progress of the search will be forthcoming. 

In partnership, 

John Melton 

Head of School 

Dear LFCDS Community, 

I hope this note finds everyone enjoying the early days of fall and catching their breath from the opening weeks of the year. As I shared previously, LFCDS will be engaged in a search to select Sara Walsh’s successor as our new Head of Early Childhood for the 2025-2026 school year. The search will be led by 1st STEP teacher Molly Finch and Annie Johnson, who is my assistant and our Director of Special Projects. A search committee will feature participation from additional LFCDS faculty and staff.  

I want to express my appreciation to all of those who volunteered to serve on our Search Committee. It is one of the most impactful decisions we will make together for the future of the school. After careful consideration and with the objective of including all dimensions of our employee base in the process, I have selected the following faculty and staff to serve on the committee. 

Jennifer Farrell – Junior Kindergarten Teacher

Molly Finch – 1st STEP Teacher, Committee Co-Chair 

Annie Johnson – Exec. Asst. to the Head of School & Dir. of Special Projects, Committee Co-Chair 

Jessica Murphy – Preschool Teacher  

Kristina Parker – Learning Specialist  

Marcia Peterson – Senior Kindergarten Teacher  

Danette Soukup – Preschool Teacher & Director of ESP  

Moving forward, Molly and Annie will manage all of the communication within the committee, between the committee and the candidates, and to the school community. Once the committee makes a recommendation to me about the most promising candidates, I will become the point person on the search.  

The deadline for candidates to submit an application is November 22, 2024, and the position description can be found here. If you wish to discuss or nominate any candidates please reach out to one of the co-chairs!  

With gratitude for your partnership,  

John 

At the suggestion of PA leadership, the New Parent Dinner -- an event that had assumed a breakfast format for a few years -- returned to the lunchroom last night, and with it so many reminders of why it remains a beloved LFCDS tradition. Over 90 community members joined us, including 86% of our newest families alongside representatives of the Leadership Team, Board of Trustees, and Parent Association. 

At a cocktail reception in the Green Bay Atrium, guests heard from Trustee and Development Chair Kate Holland P'20, P'23, P'25 about the family-school partnership that lives at the center of the LFCDS experience and our new strategic plan. In the lunchroom, Class of 2021 alumni Sadie Benjamin and Anthony Giambrone shared LFCDS reflections that may have made the room more than a little dusty; Sadie spoke about a burgeoning interest in poetry cultivated by 8th-grade English teacher Mari O'Connell, Anthony about a school that lets children learn from their mistakes and a community that shows up in a time of need. Behind the tissues and tears, smiles from people happy to call LFCDS their home regardless of where we fall in their journey. 

As is the case with events like the New Parent Dinner, it took many, many folks to pull the event off but there are a few I'd like to call out below: 

For those who don't know, a quick list for easy reference of all the hats Lisa Horstmann wears: runs our admission program, executes re-enrollment, allocates millions in tuition assistance resources, onboards new families, coordinates registration for ESP, drives a bus, helps organize the House system, sits on the assembly committee, calendar committee, storage committee, and her personal favorite, the documentation committee. Last night, Lisa reminded us there's nothing she can't do; she revived a dormant tradition with such ease that she even had the opportunity to get in the kitchen and help with the dishes. Just when I thought I had seen her do it all...

The success of the event hinges in very large part on a group of 8th-grade volunteer servers/bussers. Tracie Tatz and Lauren Artarian; thank you for keeping this group organized and on task. Only some of these kids are ready for jobs at Alinea, but all were incredible ambassadors for our community. 

Dave Buhrmester, Carmen Estrella, Andy Estrella, and the Tenacious Cleaning Team – if our events are memorable, it's because our space is always inspiring and ready for the demands of the program. They transformed the cafeteria twice yesterday (from lunch to the dinner setup and then back to being ready for lunch) and made the rest of the building sparkle over a narrow window after dismissal. Thank you, thank you! 

I also wanted to acknowledge a group of Upper School parent volunteers – Amy Taylor, Heidi Drexler, Karina DeHayes, Phoebe Reaumond, and Shannon Curtin - who helped set tables and centerpieces that were a perfect backdrop for the event

Go Panthers!

Alex 

August 30, 2024

Dear LFCDS Families, 

This past Sunday my wife, Leigh, and I were heading out for our morning run – a route that takes us from our home on campus, across Western Avenue, and toward the bike path where we head south. When we crossed the train tracks on our approach to the bike path, we were greeted by the cheering voices of several LFCDS 8th graders who were volunteering at a water station for the Fort2Base Run from Fort Sheridan to the Great Lakes Naval Base. 

In that moment I saw several of the ideals we strive to instill in our students on full display. This intrepid group had chosen to wake with the sun so they could volunteer their time to support our community and the military history that is a cornerstone of Lake Forest and Lake County. Their demeanor was cheerful and supportive as they rooted for every runner and offered essential hydration in the form of water and Gatorade – it was a hot morning! On the return leg of our run, we passed the crew a second time and their enthusiasm for the task at hand had only grown. 

The strong character, purposeful engagement, collaboration, joy, and, above all, the desire to support our community that I witnessed Sunday morning filled me with hope – a hope for the future that hinges on the awesome responsibility and great privilege of partnering with every LFCDS family to prepare our students to lead, serve, and shape what comes next. 

To this end, it is my great honor to formally share our new Strategic Plan – Shaping What Comes Next - with you. At this site, you can learn more about our revised Mission Statement, new Vision Statement and Core Beliefs, and the Choices that will inform our actions and decisions for the foreseeable future. Shaping What Comes Next is a roadmap for the future of LFCDS – one we all had a hand in crafting.  

Your children were introduced to the Plan in today’s 1st through 8th grade Opening Convocation. Please ask them what they learned. Join us on Thursday, September 19, for Curriculum Night to hear more from me about Shaping What Comes Next. In November and December, I will be hosting evening fireside chats with parents to answer questions and discuss our Plan in greater detail. 

We open the year in a position of strength with strong student enrollment, an amazingly talented faculty and staff, and a committed and engaged Board of Trustees. With our Plan in place, I am grateful that the LFCDS experience will continue to send our students purposefully on their path.  We have every reason to be optimistic about their future and the future of our school. 

With gratitude for your partnership, 

John

August 13, 2024

Dear LFCDS Community, 

We are excited about the opportunity to update you on the strategic design process LFCDS has been engaged in for the past year and a half. Thanks to the leadership of our Strategic Design Team (SDT) and the guidance of our consultants, Greenwich Leadership Partners (GLP), LFCDS stands prepared to begin the work of pursuing the direction outlined in our new Strategic Plan. 

Recapping our work, Board Chair, Gilly Growdon, and Head of School, John Melton, commissioned a 10-person SDT to guide the strategic planning process at LFCDS. Members, chosen for their perspectives and to be representative of the LFCDS community, attended monthly meetings and served on learning teams. The SDT included representatives from the Board of Trustees, faculty/staff, and the current and past parent communities. The SDT, in collaboration with John, Gilly, and GLP, was responsible for organizing the design process, drafting strategies, and gathering feedback. 

In order to gather comprehensive input to steer the strategy, our process was organized to generate participation from a diverse cross-section of LFCDS constituents, past and present. In the fall of 2023, over 150 members of our community were directly engaged via focus groups. Facilitated by the SDT, these conversations yielded qualitative data that informed the structure of the community-wide survey that was distributed in January of 2024. LFCDS received 375 survey submissions and with them, a mountain of information about and enthusiasm for our school; 96% of survey submissions indicated that the respondent was satisfied or highly satisfied with their LFCDS experience. GLP indicated that is an uncommonly high number as well as an indication of the place of strength from which the SDT was able to operate. 

After several rounds of drafting the Strategic Plan’s language and incorporating feedback from trustees, faculty, and staff, the SDT delivered its final draft to the Board of Trustees in the form of a revised mission and core beliefs, an inaugural vision statement, and four broad-reaching choices to guide our work moving forward. In June the Board adopted the Plan with overwhelming support. While these new pieces represent the latest evolution of our shared vernacular, they were carefully constructed such that they would honor and affirm the LFCDS experience that has been consistent across generations. 

Over the past two months, John has been working closely with LFCDS’ Leadership Team to build a framework that will make the Plan actionable. One of the earliest priorities is to share this information with our community. It will be rolled out to faculty and staff during Opening Meetings and then to families shortly thereafter. John will also dedicate time at this fall’s Curriculum Night to share this work with parents. Our students will be introduced to the Plan on the second day of school during our Opening Joint Community Meeting on Friday, August 30. 

We are grateful for a process that offered a comprehensive, fresh perspective on our school’s journey and for the thoughtful engagement of the LFCDS community.  We are optimistic about the future of our school as we evolve to best support our students in becoming confident, compassionate learners, ready to lead, serve, and shape what comes next!

Thank you,

Rachel Diaz P’35

Head of Lower School 

Strategic Design Team Co-Chair 

David Neighbours P’27, P’28, P’29, P’31

Vice President, Board of Trustees 

Strategic Design Team Co-Chair

August 6, 2024

Dear LFCDS Families,  

Greetings from campus! I hope your summer is going well and full of restorative and fun activities. Things at LFCDS are busy as we wrap up facilities projects and finalize our preparations for the beginning of school on Thursday, August 29!  

As we embark on the year, you will hear a lot about our new Strategic Plan. A forthcoming email from the Strategic Design Team will review and highlight the collective efforts to develop an updated Mission Statement, first-ever Vision Statement, and re-imagined set of Core Beliefs. Without giving too much away, the process affirmed something we have long known about LFCDS: that it is our goal to help students become confident, compassionate learners with the skills and habits necessary to lead and strengthen our society. This includes the humanity to honor the dignity of every person and the curiosity to understand varying perspectives.   

That we’re unveiling this plan now was always part of an intended timeline, but that it will happen against the crescendo of this election season is the most coincidental yet valuable of opportunities. The events of this summer offer a compelling reminder of the responsibility we share to shepherd our community, particularly our children, through a complex election cycle. John Dewey once said: "Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.”; it is the greatest of privileges and responsibilities to be able to do this work and, on behalf of our faculty and staff, I thank you for your spirit of partnership.   

Over 90% of my colleagues from last year have returned, and with that the benefits of consistency from a team that delivers inspired work each day. We are excited to add nine new employees to the ranks at Lake Forest Country Day School and are confident that each will be a wonderful addition to our community. Please follow this link to review brief biographies of the newest members of our team.   

This letter precedes a steady stream of communication you can expect from LFCDS over the coming weeks. Soon, our Division Heads will be in touch with details about the start of the year, including information about our campus cell phone policy and updates to our emergency response procedures outlined in the Student & Parent Handbook. Our Panther Portal will be fully updated and live on August 13, when you can log in and access student schedules for 2024-2025.  For all the latest information available about the upcoming year, please be sure to visit our Back-to-School Bulletin.   

Finally, if the anticipation of the school year is more than you can stand to bear, please consider joining me and my colleagues as we accompany the LFCDS float in Wednesday morning’s Lake Forest Day Parade. We will meet in the Onwentsia lot at 9:00 a.m. before making our way to our position (float no. 42) the parade staging area on Western Ave, where we’ll be situated until 10:00 a.m. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP with Advancement Associate Coni Carfagno at coni.carfagno@lfcds.org   

I look forward to seeing you and your families back on campus soon!   

In partnership,  

John