Update regarding school closure – March 23rd Please read this update from Superintendent Brian Keim dated March 23rd – Click HERE for the letter. LIST of ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES for daily operations – these employees are allowed on campus during the closure – CLICK HERE. The Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order is HERE. Read more
Important message about upcoming school closure Hello, Laker parents. Please read an important message from Superintendent Brian Keim regarding an upcoming mandated school closure due to the coronavirus. Click HERE for the letter. Read more
Laker Class of 2020 Valedictorian and Salutatorian Congratulations to Kaylee and Emma! Kaylee is the daughter of Ben and Beth Maust. Emma is the daughter of Lonnie and Susie Irion. Read more
2019 Homecoming King and Queen Congratulations to the 2019 Homecoming King and Queen, Bryce Sears and Emma Irion! Read more
2019 Laker Homecoming Court Congratulations to the members of the Homecoming Court! (Top picture) The senior Homecoming Court includes, front row from the left, Bailey VanValkenburgh, Kaylee Maust, Emma Irion and Angel Stump. In the back row, from the left, are Jax McCabe, Bryce Sears, Joshua Swathwood and Jared Reiter. (Bottom picture) The underclassmen representatives are, from row from the left, junior Hannah Penfold, sophomore Alex Scaddan and freshman Morgan Chandler. In the back row from the left, junior Brendan Adams, freshman Tyler Hill, and sophomore Hunter Dubs. Read more
Boosters programs need your support! An awesome way to show your support of Laker extracurricular programs is to be a part of a Booster program! There is a Booster program for athletics and other non-sports programs, and there is a Band/Fine Arts Boosters program. The Booster program is in need of people to help sell concessions at home games. These concessions help fund a wide variety of supplies for student athletes and non-athletes. This program gives more than $20,000 a year – that’s amazing! They can’t do it, though, without help. Concessions can’t be provided at games without human power! To find out more on what you can do to help the Booster program, email lakerboosters@gmail.com. The Band/Fine Arts Boosters supports the band, choir and theater students. This group has helped outfit the high school band with new concert uniforms and the junior high band with uniform shirts. They provide scholarships to students who attend music camps and help finance the instructors for Marching Band Camp. This boosters group will meet three times this school year – Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m., March 2 at 6:30 p.m. and May 19 at 6:30 p.m. The meetings are in the band room. If you enjoy fine arts, come on out and help support this group! For more information, contact Samantha Corrion at scorrion@lakerschools.org. Read more
Lakers now enrolling If you want to offer your child a high quality education and world class opportunities within a warm and caring atmosphere, look no further than Laker Schools. Lakers is undergoing many awesome facility changes to offer even more exciting opportunities, and our top-notch staff will help your child become the best he/she can be. To enroll, call 989-453-4600 and select option 1 for the secondary school or option 2 for the elementary. Come join our Laker family! Note – enrollment for DK for 2019-20 has now closed. Click HERE for a video about the Laker Innovation Center and classes that will be conducted in the center starting this fall. History will be made every single day at the Innovation Center! Read more
Blake Smithers places 2nd at state power lifting meet At the state power lifting competition March 9-10 in Ionia, Blake Smithers placed 2nd in the state in the super heavy weight division! He achieved 510 squat, 315 bench and 585 dead lift, which are all personal records for him. Congratulations, Blake! (Thank you to Amy Smithers for the photo!) The ladies on the Laker Power Lifting team who qualified for state – Kierstyn Wurst, Jaelyn Talaski and Erin McArdle – all achieved personal records in at least one lift and placed 13th overall in their respective divisions. Great job to the Laker Power Lifting team – what a grand way to close out your first season! Read more
Four Laker athletes sign with colleges Four Laker athletes have signed to play sports at Michigan colleges: Preston Warren (Alma College Football), Adam LeGault (Alma College Football) Andrew Siegfried (Olivet College Baseball) and Brady Rosenthal (Delta College Golf). Congratulations to all of these talented athletes! They’ve worked hard for several years and their hard work has paid off. Visit our high school page or the athletics page to see articles from the Huron Daily Tribune on each of the athletes. The photo here is courtesy of the Tribune. Read more
Laker Marching Band receives 1 rating At the Oct. 8 Marching Band Festival, the Laker Marching Band triumphed again and received an overall I rating for the tough judging panel. Their theme of Video Games was a hit with the crowd. Great job, Laker Marching Band and Director Samantha Corrion! Read more
Meals being offered during closure – UPDATE March 20, 2020 Attention Laker Families: During the week of March 30, there will be a single curbside food distribution on Wednesday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to noon at the east doors of the high school. We will be providing breakfast and lunch for 7 days! Please contact Cinamon at cmarker@lakerschools.org with any questions. We hope to… Read more
Announcement re: Laker Theatre Co. dinner theater March 13, 2020 Please click HERE for a letter from Director Stephanie Segroves regarding the cancellation of the 2020 dinner theater dates. Read more
Laker archery team succeeds at Laker tournament March 9, 2020 Lakers hosted its annual archery tournament March 7 at Laker High. Here are the results: The high school team took second place, and the individual scores are as follows:Jacob Edwards – 1stTyson Steinman – 4thThomas Graf – 5thLance Bushey – 6thMadison Helmuth – 8th The junior high team took first place, and the individual scores… Read more
Laker powerlifter places second in state March 9, 2020 Congratulations to Laker powerlifter Blake Smithers on taking second place in the 275-lb weight class at the Varsity Powerlifting State Championships! Awesome job! Read more
Laker FFA team places 5th at state March 9, 2020 At the FFA state convention at Michigan State University in early March, a Laker Junior High Conduct of Meetings team placed fifth in the state. “This is quite an amazing start for these first year members,” said Laker FFA adviser Haley Cucinello. The team members are, from the left, Maggie Maurer, Haley Arntz, Dustin Richmond, Heidi Keim,… Read more
Health dept. letter regarding coronavirus March 6, 2020 Click HERE for a letter from the Huron and Tuscola County health departments regarding action being taken to prepare for any local issues regarding the coronavirus. Read more
Three Laker powerlifters place at state championship March 2, 2020 Congratulations to Colton Oyervidez, who was a state champion at the JV State Powerlifting Championship! Also, congratulations to Erin McArdle, who placed fifth, and James McArdle, who placed 14th, at the JV State Powerlifting Championship! Way to go, Colton, Erin and James! Read more
Science Olympiad team places first at regionals February 24, 2020 For the second year in a row, the Laker Science Olympiad team is honored with a regional first place trophy! The regional competition was Feb. 22 at Delta College. The team qualifies for the state competition in April at MSU. The head coach for the team is teacher Deb Hasselschwert. This year, we also have… Read more
Laker Sports successes! February 20, 2020 Lakers has plenty to be proud of! Here are some recent achievements from our sports programs. The Laker Football Team was honored in February for being First Team All-State All Academic! Blake Smithers was named First Team All-State, as well. Click HERE to read an article from the Huron County View about this great accomplishment.… Read more
Lakers working with gifted education consultant February 10, 2020 All students should be given the opportunity to learn as gifted students. This is something schools don’t hear every day. When Laker Superintendent Brian Keim and fellow administrators heard this from Sherry Sparks, a lifelong teacher, staff developer and gifted education advocate from Oakland County, they knew they were at the doorstep of something very… Read more
Laker Elementary hosts teachers from China February 10, 2020 While they had to cut their trip short due to the cancellation of flights by the Chinese government, the Laker Elementary Chinese Teacher Exchange special guests Miss Alice and Miss Louise shared some very special times with Laker staff and students in late January and early February. They visited each elementary classroom and taught lessons… Read more
Laker HS One Act receives awards February 10, 2020 During the weekend of Feb. 8-9, the Laker Theatre Company performed at the regional one act competition at John Glenn High School and did a wonderful job! For their performance of the play “Escape!”, the high school theater group received Superior Awards in set and costumes and actress Maya Viers received an Excellent in Individual… Read more
Science Olympiad team does well at invitational February 10, 2020 The Laker Science Olympiad team ranked 7th in team score out of 30 teams at the Eagle Invitational in Frankenmuth the weekend of Feb. 8-9. This is the highest Lakers has ever ranked as a team at this invitational! Here are the outstanding top individual events: 1st place: Gravity Vehicle (Emily Smith and Brianna Yoder)… Read more
Laker FFA members headed for state competition! February 3, 2020 Congratulations to the Laker FFA members that qualified for the state leadership competition in March at MSU! They competed at the regional competition Feb. 13. Here are the results: *Parli Pro – STATE BOUND – Dylan Wehner, Maya Viers, Jackie Good, Savannah Schulz, Zach Kretzschmer, Ciara Krohn, Hannah Keim*Junior High Conduct of Meetings – Heidi… Read more
Laker Elementary teacher wins SVSU award January 30, 2020 Congratulations, Shannon Popham! Here is an article from the Huron Daily Tribune about the award – click HERE. Read more
Giving students HOPE January 30, 2020 This article from the Huron Daily Tribune showcases a program at Laker Elementary that helps guide some elementary boys onto positive paths to becoming young men. Thank you to Mr. Estelle, Mr. Miklovic, Mr. Copeland and Mr. VerBurg for being an integral part of this program. Click HERE for the article. Read more
Laker art students creating portraits for Relay For Life January 8, 2020 Do you have a family member or friend who is bravely fighting cancer? Did someone you know pass away from cancer? Is there someone in your life who battled cancer and survived? If so, please submit his/her name and a photo to the Laker Secondary School art department. Students will be drawing portraits based on… Read more
Lakers receives USDA grant for distance learning December 3, 2019 (NOTE – This article originally appeared in the Huron Daily Tribune.) Laker Schools received a federal grant to start new programs for distance learning and project-based learning in STEM subjects. The grant, from the United States Department of Agriculture, is worth $330,741 and was also awarded to the Caseville, Caro, Akron-Fairgrove, Stockbridge, and Webberville school… Read more
Laker Night of Thanks brings a crowd December 2, 2019 (Photo caption) Chip Hendrick, of R C Hendrick & Son, Inc., Laker Board of Education President Todd Tate and Laker Superintendenet Brian Keim pose for a picture right before they cut the ribbon to celebrate the closing out of Phase I of the Next Generation Bond Project. School board members and employees from companies involved… Read more
Scott Milklovic chosen for SVSU Gerstacker Fellowship program November 15, 2019 Photo caption – Scott Milklovic, pictured in the middle in the back row, is one of 11 school district representatives from Michigan to be chosen for the SVSU Gerstacker Fellowship program. He will travel to Japan in 2020. A big congratulations goes out to Scott Milklovic, Laker Technology and Innovation Director, as he was chosen… Read more
New members inducted to NHS November 8, 2019 Congratulations to the new members of the Laker National Honor Society! Click HERE for an article about the induction conducted in November. Read more
Laker students focus on distracted driving October 23, 2019 On an October school day, a small blue car sat in the lobby of the Laker Secondary School. It’s not every day that a car is parked there, so it already grabbed plenty of attention. However, what was provided inside the car – a virtual reality experience – was the real eye opener. Laker High… Read more
Laker Marching Band receives I ratings October 15, 2019 The Laker Marching Band had an outstanding performance Monday night, Oct. 14, at the Thumb Friends of the Arts Marching Band Festival at Lakers. The band marched and played its way to a straight I rating from the judges. This year’s theme was music from Harry Potter movies. “They truly brought to life the world… Read more
Students participate in Letters to Mongolia project September 27, 2019 Last school year, students in D’Andre Cook’s junior high physical education classes had a few days in which they could not use the gym due to state testing. Mr. Cook didn’t want those days to be a waste; therefore, he had his students write letters to students at a Mongolian schoolhouse. He had information on… Read more
News from the superintendent’s desk September 17, 2019 Click HERE to read a release from Superintendent Brian Keim for Laker families. Read more
Two Laker golfers qualify for states June 10, 2019 Congratulations to Brady Krohn (pictured on the right) for placing T-16 in the state golf tournament the weekend of June 8! Awesome! Also, congratulations to Brady Rosenthal. He went to the state golf competition and placed 65th. You both made Lakers very proud! Read more
Congratulations to the Laker varsity baseball team! June 7, 2019 They are the District 3 winners, beating Cass City. Awesome job, team! Read more
Lakers to receive $500K to equip Innovation Center June 1, 2019 Lakers will be awarded $500,000 that will be used to equip our new Innovation Center with Fanuc robots and CNC equipment, a full Amatrol mechatronics lab, virtual welding trainers, 3D printers, laser engravers and more. This funding is part of a Marshall Plan grant, which was received by the Great Lakes Advanced Manufacturing Consortium, and… Read more
The beginning of an awesome new chapter at Lakers! May 30, 2019 The groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming renovations and additions to the Laker campus took place May 30. It took place at the site of the future Laker Legacy Center, an all-sports facility that is slated to be finished by July 2020. Many renovations are taking place this summer, such as the Laker Innovation Center, a… Read more
The Top 10 for the Class of 2019 May 29, 2019 Here are the Top 10 for the Class of 2019! Seated in the front – Meleah Timmons, Hope Harder, Heather Rooney and Clara Tait. Pictured standing in the back – Greta Elston, Tyler Schave, Andrew Smith (valedictorian), Colin Truemner, Andrew Davis, Abi Schuette (salutatorian). Andrew Smith – valedictorian – GPA of 4.344. Andrew… Read more
Laker Archery teams shine at national competition May 17, 2019 Congratulations to our awesome Laker Archery teams! They did very well at the national competition May 9-10 in Louisville, Kentucky. The elementary and middle school teams qualified for the championship in both the 3D and bullseye categories. This championship will be in July in Nashville, Tennessee. The high school team qualified… Read more
Laker Bridge Building teams do well at competition April 26, 2019 Laker High School sent three teams to the MDOT Bridge Challenge in April, and our teams did very well! More than 200 teams attended the competition. Here are the results: -Let’s Build Bridges My Friends ranked 10th (Clara Tait, Grant Gascho, Meleah Timmons – pictured above) -Bridge Bosses ranked 23rd (Mason Steele, Emma Csanyi, Josh… Read more
Laker FFA does well at skills contest April 24, 2019 The Laker FFA once again did a phenomenal job at the Skills Contest at MSU April 12. Here’s a list of successes for the chapter (get ready to do a lot of cheering!): Ag Communications State Runner Up Hannah Keim, Savannah Schulz, Maya Viers Crops Jr High Crops State Runner Up Tyson Steinman, Mason Shaw,… Read more
2019 Hueschen Scholarship recipients announced April 17, 2019 Congratulations to the 2019 Hueschen Scholarship recipients – Andrew Smith, son of Jeffery and Sandi Smith, and Clara Tait, daughter of Michael and Mary Tait. This is a full four-year scholarship (tuition, room and board) to MSU. Clara and Andrew were chosen from a group of seven finalists who were all very qualified for the award,… Read more
Student Project Showcase a success April 10, 2019 The first Laker Secondary School Student Project Showcase took place April 4 during parent-teacher conferences, and the event was a great success. Student-created displays and presentations filled the secondary school hallways, and junior high and high school students took a lot of pride in what they presented. The students presented to many parents and staff… Read more
Laker Valedictorian and Salutatorian announced March 23, 2019 Laker High School announced the Class of 2019 valedictorian, salutatorian, and top honor students. Andrew J. Smith has earned Valedictorian honors with a GPA of 4.344. Abigail J. Schuette has earned the Salutatorian honors with a GPA of 4.302. Valedictorian Andrew J. Smith is the son of Jeffery and Sandi Smith of Bay Port. Andrew… Read more
Academic Games science team places 2nd March 21, 2019 The Laker Science team won 2nd place at the SVSU Academic Games March 20. The team includes: Clara Tait, Andrew Smith, Hunter Keim, Josh Swathwood and Meleah Timmons. In addition to answering questions on all areas of science, the students wrote an amazing letter to a politician related to global warming and the loss of… Read more
Laker Archery teams qualify for nationals March 18, 2019 Pictured above – Laker Elementary archery team. Pictured below – Laker Junior High archery team (left) and Laker High School archery team (right) Congratulations to the Laker Archery teams – all three (elementary, junior high, high school) have qualified for nationals! Nationals will be May 9-11 in Kentucky. At the state competition March 16 in… Read more
Laker FFA members shine at state convention March 11, 2019 The Laker FFA has plenty to be proud of – the chapter shined at the 2019 state convention the week of March 4 at MSU. Here are all of the results: 💚Peyton Kuhn- State Winning Creed Speaker 💚Jr High Conduct of Meetings Brianna Yoders Team- Silver Luke Braun’s Team – Silver 💚 Emily Smith- 3rd… Read more
Four Power Lifting team members qualify for states March 8, 2019 Awhile ago, we shared some great news from our Power Lifting team – two of the team members (Blake Smithers and Jaelyn Talaski) had qualified for the state competition. Now, two more have qualified – Erin McArdle and Kierstyn Wurst! The state competition is March 9 in Ionia. Blake competes Saturday, while the rest compete… Read more
Four Laker athletes continuing sports careers at college February 24, 2019 Four Laker athletes have signed to play sports at Michigan colleges: Preston Warren (Alma College Football), Adam LeGault (Alma College Football) Andrew Siegfried (Olivet College Baseball) and Brady Rosenthal (Delta College Golf). Congratulations to all of these talented athletes! They’ve worked hard for several years and their hard work has paid off. “As the athletic… Read more
Laker Science Olympiad team takes first at regionals February 24, 2019 The Laker Science Olympiad team took first place out of 15 teams at the regional competition Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, at Delta College. The team will be going to the state competition in April at MSU! This is a huge accomplishment for this group! Here are the results from the competition: 1st place events… Read more
Laker successes are many! February 5, 2019 In addition to our athletic teams, other Laker groups are enjoying some recent successes this winter! Here is a listing of some of them: FFA – Fourteen FFA teams/individuals qualified for the regional leadership contest in February, and nine of them are moving on to the state competition, which will be March 6-8 at MSU.… Read more
Lakers receives $135K STEM grant January 28, 2019 Lakers has been selected for a $135,000 STEM grant from the MISTEM Advisory Council! This funding will be used for STEM classes, training and equipment for grades 6-12 starting with the 2019-20 school year. “This will give us a huge jumpstart on programming for our new Innovation Center,” said Superintendent Brian Keim. “A huge thank… Read more
Local companies make donations to upcoming Laker Innovation Center December 14, 2018 Pictured above – Tower representatives join Laker officials by a full-size Fanuc robot donated by Tower Automotive in Elkton for the future Laker Innovation Center, which will be created in the summer of 2019. Pictured from the left, Bill Junge, Tower plant manager, Brian Keim, Laker superintendent, Todd McKnight, Tower controls engineer supervisor, Tyler Williams,… Read more
Laker FIRST Robotics Club receives $2,000 donation November 30, 2018 Lakers would like to thank Pigeon Rotary. The community organization donated $2,000 to the Laker High School FIRST Robotics Club. The check was recently presented to the team. “Since the FIRST robotics team started at Lakers, we’ve had local Rotarians interested in helping the team,” said Matt Schaefer, Pigeon Rotary president. “The Rotary Club of… Read more
Laker Elementary receives prestigious Whole Child award November 25, 2018 Pictured above – the Laker Elementary staff Laker Elementary recently received an award for putting an emphasis on supporting students in areas beyond academics, and it was the only school in the state to receive this recognition. The Michigan Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals… Read more
Lakers honors veterans during annual program November 9, 2018 Dozens of veterans attended the annual Laker Veteran’s Day program Nov. 9. The program included songs performed by elementary students and the Laker High School band. One of the songs performed by the band was “America the Beautiful,” and everyone in the gymnasium stood for a portion of the song. A tribute video was played,… Read more
Laker FFA members succeed at nationals October 30, 2018 Congratulations to our Laker FFA Poultry Evaluation team and Agricultural Communications Team! They competed at the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis during the week of Oct. 22 and did well. The poultry evaluation team placed 19th in the nation. Individual placings are: Hannah Penfold- gold, Meleah Timmons-silver, Jax McCabe-silver, and Leah Irion-bronze (pictured above). Our… Read more
Administrators serve lunch to celebrate School Lunch Week October 29, 2018 In honor of National School Lunch Week, some Laker administrators took time from their usual duties to serve lunch to students. This was the idea of Food Service Co-Director Cinamon Marker (who took some of the photos here). Pictured above, Superintendent Brian Keim serves some tater tots. Sam, lead custodian … Read more
Laker Elementary students get hands-on lesson in quilting October 22, 2018 Photo caption – Laker Elementary students display the giant paper quilt they helped to create. There are more than 400 student handprints in this quilt design. The photo was taken by a drone owned and operated by Tyler Leipporandt, of the HISD. Many Laker Elementary students have family members who quilt, and many students… Read more
Laker Dig Pink Volleyball event helps achieve big goal October 10, 2018 During the Oct. 24 Laker Dig Pink event, the volleyball players raised $3,709 for cancer research. This great effort puts the Laker Anchor of Hope Relay For Life team over their $100,000 mark since the team started in 2011. With the help from the Laker volleyball team, the Laker Anchor of Hope Relay For Life… Read more
Laker Marching Band receives 1 rating October 9, 2018 At the Oct. 8 Marching Band Festival, the Laker Marching Band triumphed again and received an overall I rating for the tough judging panel. Their theme of Video Games was a hit with the crowd. Great job, Laker Marching Band and Director Samantha Corrion! Read more
Superintendent Mr. Keim gives update on bond project October 5, 2018 Click here for an update on the Laker Bond Project from Superintendent Brian Keim, along with some drawings and floor plans. Pictured above is the proposed Innovation Center, and below are the proposed auditorium and all sports center (which will be able to be used by much more than sports programs). Some very exciting progress… Read more
Laker Elementary receives $14,500 grant September 27, 2018 Laker Elementary is a recipient of a $14,500 grant from the 10 Cents a Meal for School Kids & Farms program! We are the only district in the county to receive this grant. This food program is a state-funded pilot program providing schools with match incentive funding, up to 10 cents per meal, to purchase… Read more
Laker Leaders ready to serve September 27, 2018 Pictured above – sixth grade Laker Leaders. Pictured below, seventh (left) and eighth grade Laker Leaders. Congratulations to the 2018-19 Laker Leaders! This group is made up of about 50 junior high students, each one hand picked by junior high teachers. They were picked because of leadership skills they already possess, but these students will… Read more
Lakers receives close to $100K for Farm to School project June 22, 2018 One of only two districts in state to receive funds Laker students will be able to enjoy more locally-grown produce in their lunches and have their own greenhouse to grow produce, thanks to a $99,849 Farm to School grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. Laker Schools was one of… Read more
STEAM-ing ahead – Lakers adding more STEAM activities to curriculum June 20, 2018 Photo – Laker Elementary and Junior High teacher Jamie Schaefer is pictured with some of the Project Lead the Way and VEX Robotics materials she’ll be using in the elementary STEAM Studio next year at Laker Elementary. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math, and Laker Elementary students and seventh graders will be doing… Read more
Generation Connection a big hit with second graders June 20, 2018 Laker Elementary second graders embarked on special field trips on Fridays – they traveled to Scheurer Long Term Care and Country Gardens or Country Bay to play games and make crafts alongside residents. This program was called Generation Connection, and it proved to be a big success. The field trips were rotated between the four… Read more
Eighth graders design games for sixth graders June 15, 2018 As a project-based learning activity, Julie Stoyka had her eighth-grade English students design their own game that sixth graders would play. The eighth graders surveyed the sixth graders to see what types of games they enjoyed. With the survey results in hand, the eighth graders worked in groups to come up with their game idea.… Read more
6th graders create world maps June 13, 2018 They’ve got the world in their hands! Well, sort of. Sixth graders spent a couple of weeks on a big year-end project, which involved drawing a world map and putting in all of the countries on each continent and all of the islands around each continent. That’s close to 200 items to include! Wow! They… Read more
Smithers ready to serve as security officer May 31, 2018 When Darren Smithers retired after 23 years with the Bay City Police Department, he didn’t plan on ever being in a police uniform again. Things have changed. He’s now looking forward to wearing a Huron County Sheriff’s Office uniform to serve as the school security officer at Laker Schools. “I’m very excited to have this… Read more
2018 Laker Prom – many memories made May 16, 2018 The 2018 Laker prom was a huge hit with all who attended. Many great memories were made as the students danced, played games, socialized and enjoyed a delicious meal at the Pasta House in Kinde. Here are some photos provided by the Huron Daily Tribune and the Laker yearbook staff. Read more
Laker Archery team qualifies for world competition May 15, 2018 Congratulations to the Laker Archery Team! The team, which consists of Laker Elementary, Thumb Homeschoolers, Cross Lutheran and St. John’s Lutheran students, did well at the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky last week in 3D and Bullseye events. Our team achieved enough points as a team to qualify for the World Competition. The team is… Read more
Laker bridge building teams rank well at competition May 11, 2018 The two Laker High School bridge design teams ranked well during the Michigan Bridge Challenge recently. Both teams designed and built replicas of cable-stay bridges and they were tested for strength and durability. The bridges had to be light in weight, but still sturdy. The team “Bad Bridges” (Keegan Binder, Hunter Keim, and Aaron Baranski)… Read more
Voters approve Laker “Next Generation” bond, sinking fund May 9, 2018 Note – This article originally appeared in the Huron Daily Tribune on May 9, 2018. PIGEON — Voters supported the “next generation” of Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker students by passing the district’s bond and sinking fund proposals, according to Tuesday’s unofficial election results. Voters said “yes” to Lakers’ bond proposal 677 to 589. They also passed… Read more
Four FFA teams are state winners in ag skills contest May 4, 2018 Congratulations to the four Laker FFA teams that are the state winners in the ag skills competition! Two teams in the poultry division, along with ag communications and land conservation, achieved this great honor. The teams will be headed to the national competition in the fall. Here are the state winning teams. Top – The… Read more
Laker FFA members earn officer titles April 26, 2018 The Laker FFA had 3 candidates run for the Region III Officer team and all of them have made the team! Congrats to Andrew Davis, slated for President, Andrew Smith, slated for Secretary, and Clara Tait, who will be serving as a representative! Read more
Lakers hosts crisis planning training for staff April 13, 2018 Dep. Ryan Swartz and Det. Daryl Ford, of the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, provided crisis planning training for Laker Schools staff April 12 in the afternoon. The staffers learned about ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. It is the current approach to crisis planning for most schools. It focuses on actively… Read more
Laker Elementary hosts Family Fun Night April 8, 2018 Just before spring break in late March, Laker Elementary hosted a Family Fun Night for parents and their children. The evening started with a fun-filled performance from Guy Louis, who invited all of the children to the gym floor to dance and play instruments. He also had some of them sing a few songs of… Read more
Lakers hiring school security officer March 20, 2018 At the March 19 board of education meeting, board members unanimously approved a recommendation from the Student Safety Committee to hire a part-time school security officer, to be identified and hired as soon as possible. “We have been working with the sheriff’s office on some possibilities, and hope to have a candidate in place in… Read more
Laker bands, choir show strong performances at festival March 16, 2018 The Laker Bands had a really fine showing March 14 at the TFOTA Band Festival. The Junior High Band had a good performance and received an overall II rating. The High School Band earned straight I ratings and was only one of three bands to earn that honor at the festival. Great job, Laker bands!… Read more
Laker JH Underwater ROV team takes second place March 15, 2018 The Laker Junior High Underwater ROV team made a big splash at competition March 10! The hardworking team took second in innovation and design and honorable mention for going above and beyond in their design of their robot. Great job, team! Don Manchester is the coach. Read more
Academic Games math team places third March 15, 2018 In mid-March, Laker High School students took part in the Academic Games competition at SVSU. All students had a great time and had a valuable learning experience, said Coach Deb Hasselschwert. Congratulations to the math team that took home a third place trophy! The team, pictured above, includes Aaron Baranski, Grant Gascho, Tyler Bishop, and… Read more
Laker Archery team right on target! March 13, 2018 The Laker Archery Team has had a season full of on-target successes! At the regional tournament in February, the Laker Elementary team won nine of the possible 10 medals and they won the regional tournament! Many of the middle and high school members qualified for the state tournament, too. Lakers took first place at the… Read more
Laker FFA shines at 2018 state convention March 13, 2018 The 90th Michigan FFA Convention in early March was one for the books for our chapter! Jr High Conduct of Meetings-State Champions (pictured above) Prepared Public Speaking -State Runner Up (pictured below) Greenhand Conduct of Meetings Penfold team-3rd Wisenbaugh team-4th Ag Issues- 5th place Proficiency Awards Andrew Davis- State Gold Halle Keim-State Silver Andrew Smith-State… Read more
Laker seniors practice job interview skills March 7, 2018 Seniors in Karen Smith’s Senior Strategies class dressed to the nines March 6 for job interviews, but they weren’t actually applying for a job. Community members volunteered to do mock interviews with the seniors so the soon-to-be-graduates would get a taste of what a real-life job interview would be like. They also had to create… Read more
Science Olympiad team succeeds at regionals February 26, 2018 Even during a break from school, Laker students still accomplish awesome feats! The Laker Science Olympiad team had an outstanding day of science at the regional competition Feb. 24. The team placed fourth overall and qualified for state competition on April 28 at MSU. Awesome job, Laker Olympiads! 1st place events: Experimental Design (Clara Tait,… Read more
Manufacturing efficiency – Laker teachers learn tips from local factory leaders February 15, 2018 Pictured above, Laker Secondary School staffers work as teams to create paper airplanes. There were three sessions, and efficiency practices were added to each session to increase productivity. This was part of the staff’s Lean Manufacturing professional development training in January. On the surface, it may seem as if manufacturing and education have… Read more
Laker VEX IQ team qualifies for state competition February 12, 2018 Congratulations to the 6th grade VEX IQ team! On Friday, Feb. 9, the team earned a place at the state competition. They received first place in the qualifying round and earned first place in the teamwork finals. The team includes Gavin Smith, Kenzie Blackstock, Trenten Ulfig, Brooklyn Hayes, Payton Graves and Luke Potter. Both of… Read more
Lakers receives perfect score for fiscal wellness February 12, 2018 Laker Schools is one of 36 districts in the state – and the only district in the Thumb – to receive a perfect fiscal indicator score of zero for three consecutive years from a company named Munetrix. This means that the district is being very responsible with its finances, especially during changing economic climates.… Read more
Laker Dance Team performance Coming Home 2018 February 9, 2018 Click here to see excerpts from the 2018 Coming Home performance, filmed by the Laker Media Class. Read more
Laker FFA has great success at district competition February 1, 2018 A big congratulations to our Laker FFA for its success at district competition, which took place Jan. 31 in Bad Axe. We have seven teams/individuals moving onto regionals, which will be Feb. 15 in Alma. Everyone who competed got a gold rating, even if they didn’t advance to the next level. No other school did… Read more
Laker band members earn high ratings at solo and ensemble January 30, 2018 Laker Music students had a fine showing at the TFOTA Solo and Ensemble Festival held at Bad Axe on Monday, Jan. 29. Thirty-three students from grades 7-12 in both vocal and instrumental events performed for adjudicators to score ratings and receive helpful comments to help improve on their instrument. The Laker Music students walked away… Read more
Laker One Act Team succeeds at districts January 29, 2018 Congratulations to our Laker One Act Theater team! The group had a moving performance of the play “Abominable” on Saturday, Jan. 27 during district competition. The team earned scores of 82, 84, and 88 from the judges, with 100 being the highest score. The team advances to regional competition on Feb 10 in Bay City.… Read more
Science Olympiad team earns 2nd place January 15, 2018 The Laker Science Olympiad team had great success at an invitational hosted at Perry High School Jan. 13. The team took home its very first trophy at an invitational, ranking second place overall. Lakers was the only school at the invitational to compete in all 23 events and place in 22 of those events. Another… Read more
LHS FIRST Robotics program receives donation from Rotary November 30, 2017 Thank you to the Pigeon Rotary and Rotary International District 6310 for the $2,000 donation to the Laker High School FIRST Robotics program. Each organization donated $1,000. Pictured here, from the left, are Pigeon Rotary Vice President Matthew Schaefer, Pigeon Rotary Vice President; FIRST Robotics team member Madison Hubert, FIRST Robotics Coach Scott Lebsack, Pigeon… Read more
Laker JH girls win Laker Code of Civility challenge November 28, 2017 Earlier in the fall, Laker Superintendent Brian Keim proposed a challenge for all secondary school students – create a professional looking display for the Laker Code of Civility. The challenge was posed to each first hour class, or homeroom. Students could use any artistic medium they wanted – paint, print, photography, computer graphics, etc. –… Read more
Laker JH VEX IQ team headed to state November 20, 2017 Congrats to the 7th/8th grade Vex IQ Robotics team, which earned a spot at the state competition in Charlotte, Michigan! The team placed first in the teamwork challenge at a Nov. 17 competition. This team is made of Alex Smith, Charlie Csanyi, Parker Graves and Lindsey Steele.They’re pictured here with Coach Don Manchester. The 6th… Read more
Laker student wins local essay contest November 16, 2017 Laker High School sophomore Isiah Gray-Shivley was chosen as the Elkton VFW first place winner for his essay about American history. His essay, entitled “Our Hopes for the Future,” is about how today’s youth should consider the country’s past while continually pushing forward to address important issues and make the U.S. an even greater country.… Read more
Laker boys and girls soccer teams complete service project November 14, 2017 Click here for more information on what the teams did for their project. Great job, soccer teams! Read more
Laker football program commended by game official November 9, 2017 Another reason why we have lots of Laker Pride: Our Laker varsity football coach, Steve VerBurg, received the following letter from the head of officials at last week’s Laker-Cass City game. Kudos to both schools, players, and coaches for making it such a memorable and classy experience! Go Green! Steve, I wanted to touch base… Read more
Laker FFA team earns silver award at nationals November 8, 2017 The Laker FFA recently celebrated another big win for our hard-working chapter! Congratulations to our National Silver Poultry Evaluation CDE team – Emma Irion, Haley McArdle, Kaylee Maust and Kaitlin Brown! Their impressive accomplishment at the FFA National Convention shows that hard work, dedication, studying and practicing pay off in spades! Awesome job, ladies! Read more
Mason Williams qualifies for state cross country meet October 30, 2017 A big congratulations to Mason Williams, who placed in the top 15 at the Cross Country Division 4 Regionals at Wagener Park in Harbor Beach. By doing so, he qualified to run at the Cross Country State Finals meet in Brooklyn at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 4. Mason is one of the top… Read more
Girls STEM Workshop and Robot Roundup at Lakers October 16, 2017 In October, Lakers hosted two STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) events. The first was a Girl-Powered STEM Workshop, which brought 20-plus girls from Lakers and other area schools to Laker High for some awesome science, technology, engineering and math activities. in one science room, the young ladies heard from Lindsay Fry, of Gemini, about… Read more
Laker Marching Band earns straight I ratings at festival October 10, 2017 Congratulations to our stellar Laker Marching Band! The band gave an awesome “Dancing Through the Decades” performance at the Oct. 9 band festival – so much so that the audience sang along to the songs the band was playing! The band rocked the house and earned I ratings (the highest rating) in all three categories:… Read more
Laker food service sees healthy boost September 26, 2017 Pictured above – Laker Food Service Head Cook Cinamon Marker makes smoothies for breakfast-goers at Laker Secondary School. Pictured below, Laker Secondary School students enjoy a variety of breakfast items, such as bagels and cream cheese and a yogurt bar, as the breakfast menu has expanded this school year. More choices, fresher options, delicious… Read more
Lakers hosting three foreign exchange students September 25, 2017 Pictured above are Maria (left) and Danii (right) with their host mom, Stephanie Segroves, who is a teacher at Lakers. Pictured below the article is Angel, who is staying with the Michael and Mary Tait family near Elkton. This year, Laker High School is hosting three foreign exchange students through the International Student Exchange… Read more
Laker Leaders to be peer mentors for junior high students September 25, 2017 Lakers is starting a new program this year for Laker Junior High students called Laker Leaders. These students will take the role of peer mentors and they’ll assist fellow junior high students who are struggling in one or more classes. Students applied to be Laker Leaders, and the leaders were announced last week for sixth,… Read more
Laker teachers receive $1,300 in grants September 22, 2017 Congratulations to Laker Elementary teacher Michelle Fritz and Laker Secondary School teacher Brenda Smith! They both received two grants from the Meemic Insurance Foundation through the Gentner Agency in Mayville. Mrs. Smith will be using the $100 grant for classroom supplies that will be used for student projects. The larger grant will be used to… Read more
Laker parent, board member develops sports app for Lakers September 20, 2017 Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker parent and school board member Keith Hatfield wanted to have Laker sports-related information at his fingertips, rather than having to search for it through other avenues. He took action. Now he can say, “Yep, there’s an app for that,” because he created one. Hatfield developed Sportscard for Laker parents and fans. It… Read more
Laker staffers receive HCCF grants September 11, 2017 At an early September Huron County Community Foundation (HCCF) event, Laker staff members were honored with grants! Laker Secondary School teacher Deb Hasselschwert and Laker Elementary teacher Jamie Schaefer partnered on a $1,021 grant to support the upcoming “Girl Powered STEM Workshop” Oct. 11 and the Robot Roundup Oct. 14, both at Laker High School.… Read more
Lakers performs well on 2016-17 M-STEP September 8, 2017 The M-STEP is the state assessment that many grade levels take each school year, and the subjects include ELA (English Language Arts), math, social studies and science (not all grade levels take all subjects). The overall goal for Laker Schools is to improve every year in every subject and grade level. Improving means to have… Read more
Lakers hires new staff June 29, 2017 Pictured top from the left – Shannon Popham, Kim Rathje, Josh Fritch. Pictured in bottom row – Coach Eric Wissner The Laker School District will have some new faces on its staff this fall, as the board of education approved the hire of three teachers and one coach at a June meeting. Shannon Popham… Read more
Laker Elementary students enjoy a flurry of field trips June 15, 2017 This spring, Laker Elementary students embarked on a wide variety of field trips. Many grades had more than one! Here is an album that shows some of the trips. Thank you to Laker Elementary teachers and staff members for sharing these awesome adventures! Our students are very fortunate to have these experiences.The pictures here represent… Read more
Lakers hosts cooking classes, competition for jh, hs students June 8, 2017 Laker Secondary School students recently had an opportunity to take weekly after-school cooking classes, taught by the Laker Farm to School Coordinator Cinamon Marker. The classes started in late April and continued through early June, and students learned a variety of cooking techniques and created many dishes, from stir fry, soups and mango salsa to roasted… Read more
Peer mentors lend a hand in elementary classrooms June 6, 2017 Laker High School offers a year-long peer mentor program for juniors and seniors to get involved in. Each mentor spends one class period a day with an elementary classroom. The mentors work one-on-one with students on various projects and provide support for the classroom teachers. The elementary students love having their peer mentors visit –… Read more
Laker 8th gr Washington, D.C. trip June 6, 2017 Each year, the Laker 8th graders set out on a week-long, action-packed adventure to Washington, D.C. It’s a tradition that’s been going for more than four decades. Students visit a wide variety of monuments, historical sites, museums and more. it’s a trip that they’ll remember for many years to come. Here are some photos posted… Read more
Laker Secondary School receives Michigan School Wellness Gold Award May 30, 2017 Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker Secondary Schools recently became a Michigan School Wellness Gold Award recipient because of the work the school does every day to ensure students’ health now and into the future. “Laker (Secondary) School is a shining example of what it takes to build healthy school environments,” stated an email from Lonias Gilmore, of… Read more
Laker senior projects give back to community May 30, 2017 As part of Karen Smith’s Senior Strategies class at Laker High, seniors worked in small groups or on their own to complete various community service projects in May. The seniors came up with their own projects and they presented them to school administration for approval. Some projects benefited the school, while others helped local communities… Read more
Laker Fine Arts shine at Fine Arts Night May 22, 2017 The Laker Fine Arts show brings together the variety of visual and musical art programs that Lakers offers. The evening includes an art show, featuring junior high and high school student artwork from throughout the year. All of the bands perform, from fifth grade to high school, along with the violin club, choir, theater performers… Read more
FFA banquet raises $8,500 May 16, 2017 The Laker FFA spring banquet is one of the biggest events at the high school during the school year. This year, about 630 people attended, and between the silent and live auctions, the event raised $8,500 for the FFA program. Many awards and scholarships were given to hard-working FFA students throughout the evening, and the… Read more
Laker students excel at Delta College’s STEM event May 5, 2017 A group of Laker students attended the STEM conference at Delta College May 4 Students heard presentations from Dow, MTU, Ford, and Delta College representatives about STEM careers (science, technology, engineering and math). There were over 30 student research posters presented at the conference that were evaluated on science, engineering and popular vote. The team… Read more
Spanish concert unites students in music, fun May 4, 2017 ¡Qué concierto tan impresionante! For those who have no idea what that phrase means, it says “What an awesome concert!” and we’re referring to the Emir Sensini concert Wednesday at Laker High School. Students in Mrs. Segroves’ Spanish classes attended, and Spanish classes from Ubly, Vassar and Owendale-Gagetown schools made the trip for the event.… Read more
2017 Hueschen Scholarship recipients announced May 2, 2017 Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker seniors Jake Bushey and Kaylee Wiese recently received very good news – they were selected as recipients of the Gordon W. and Loyse B. Hueschen Science Scholarship. The two seniors will each receive a four-year scholarship to Michigan State University (MSU). The scholarship covers tuition, fees, room and board. Jake,… Read more
Laker Elementary cast excited to present “Annie – the Musical” April 28, 2017 Laker Elementary students have been working hard during rehearsals for “‘Annie, The Musical.” This production, directed by Samantha Corrion, features an all-elementary school cast. The performance dates are May 5 and 6 at 7 p.m. and May 7 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students in DK-12th grades. Tickets are… Read more
Laker Robotics Team achieves runner-up spot at district competition April 10, 2017 Our hard-working FIRST Robotics Team achieved some great success at a competition in Livonia over spring break. The team was the runner up in the Livonia District Competition, along with the team’s alliance partners from Novi and Livonia,. Lakers came very close to winning! The last match game scores were 306 to 305, with the… Read more
Two Laker band students will join all-star honor band March 30, 2017 Congratulations to Laker band members Joy Bonke and Megan McGehee. They gained entrance by audition to the Steve Bryant All-Star Honor Band, which includes 120 band members from across the state. The band will perform April 13 at Western Michigan University. Our talented band students have succeeded again! Great job! Read more
Laker soccer teams go to Flint for community service project March 23, 2017 The Laker varsity soccer teams travel to many areas in the state for soccer games, but for a Saturday in March, the teams took a trip to Flint for a very different reason. Several members of the boys and girls teams, along with coaches, visited the Shammah Outreach Center March 11 and worked for three… Read more
Laker senior named FFA State Star March 16, 2017 For his last trip to the FFA State Convention as a Laker FFA member, Jake Bushey experienced some very exciting and rewarding moments. For one, he was named the FFA State Star in Agricultural Placement. Secondly, he was named Sentinel on the 2017-18 FFA State Officer board. These achievements were the culmination of five years… Read more
Laker FFA has many success stories at state convention March 13, 2017 The FFA State Convention took place March 8-10, and our Laker FFA team had another great year to put into the history books! Results: State Star in Agriculture Placement – Jake Bushey (he also was selected as the State Sentinel and is part of the FFA state office team) Jr High Conduct of Meetings Hannah… Read more
Senior wrestler advances to state wrestling competition March 7, 2017 A big congratulations to senior wrestler Tristin Bruce, who made it to the state wrestling championship in early March. He is the son of Orla Bruce and Penny Bruce. Penny is very proud of her son’s accomplishments. “I told him, ‘You did this on your own,’” Penny said. “He made it farther than most other… Read more
Secondary school students receive important info about cyber-bullying February 14, 2017 Laker Secondary School students attended an important assembly February 13. The assembly focused on cyber-bullying and sexting, what constitutes both, and what the serious consequences are for both. Michigan State Police Trooper Mark Swales shared this information, along with some distressing true stories of what can happen to those who are victims and to those… Read more
Laker FFA harvests wonderful success at competitions-UPDATED February 7, 2017 Kudos to our awesome FFA! At the Feb. 1 district leadership competition, many Laker FFA members received 1st and 2nd place, and they qualified for the regional contest Feb. 15 at Delta College. At regionals, five teams qualified for state competition. Congrats to all competitors. We are so proud of the competent, well spoken leaders you… Read more
Laker Science Olympiad team receives many medals at regional competiton January 31, 2017 The Laker Science Olympiad Team put forth a great effort at the regional tournament Feb. 25. The competition was fierce, with 11 teams working toward three state qualifying spots. The overall team scores were only points away from each other. Unfortunately, Lakers did not qualify for state competition this year. However, we did score the most 1st and 2nd… Read more
A class act – the Laker One Act Team – UPDATED with state results January 30, 2017 On Jan. 28, the Laker One Act Theater Team traveled to Bay City for the district competition, and they did very well in their performance of “Miss Nelson is Missing,” a musical comedy. The following awards were given to Lakers: Excellent in acting: Lance Gascho Excellent in acting: entire Ensemble Excellent in set design Superior… Read more
A doggone great reading pal January 26, 2017 Whenever Maggie visits Laker Elementary, big smiles appear on students’ faces. Even though she’s calm and quiet, she draws plenty of attention. Students love reading to her as she patiently sits by them, appearing to be very content. Maggie is a 9-year-old golden retriever, and she is a trained therapy dog. She visits Laker Elementary… Read more
Lakers hires new varsity football coach/PE teacher January 25, 2017 Starting Feb. 6, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Lakers will have a new high school teacher/coach joining its staff, but he is anything but new to teaching and coaching. Laker High School is excited to welcome Steve VerBurg, who will be a physical education Instructor and head varsity football coach. He is replacing Adam Grybauskas, who left to… Read more
Chef Ann grant allows students to taste fresh produce December 14, 2016 Once a month, Laker students receive a special school snack – and it’s not your typical snack. It’s made from fresh, local produce and prepared by Cinamon Marker, the Laker Farm to School coordinator. The monthly produce snack is the result of a $7,500 Chef Ann Foundation Project Produce grant. Some examples of snacks so… Read more
Laker JH VEX Robotics teams succeed at competition December 5, 2016 On Dec. 2, the Laker Junior High VEX Robotics teams competed at the Huron Area Tech Center in Bad Axe. The competition hosted 21 teams from nearby schools. During the evening, the students competed in six cooperative matches for the qualifying event. The top ten teams moved on to one final match. Both Laker Longships… Read more
FFA students chosen to attend prestigious international event October 18, 2016 Laker sophomore Andrew Smith and senior Kaylee Wiese traveled to Des Moines, Iowa in October to take part in the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute. They were chosen to attend this prestigious event because of research they performed and presentations they gave as part of the Michigan Youth Institute. Andrew and Kaylee, both Laker… Read more
Laker Robot Roundup a big success October 13, 2016 Approximately 300 people attended the Laker Robot Roundup Oct. 11, including adults and children from other schools. A variety of robotic activities kept attendees busy, and Lakers was well represented with our underwater ROV, VEX Robotics, and FIRST Robotics teams. The evening also included speakers who shared information about careers in engineering and science. The action-packed… Read more
Laker Wellness Clinic featured in statewide magazine September 29, 2016 Many school districts do not have nurses, and this can be a serious problem for students who need medical care during the school day. Lakers is fortunate to have a great partnership with Scheurer Hospital, and this has resulted in the Laker Wellness Clinic at the secondary school. Our clinic has been featured in Bridge… Read more
Laker FFA shines at Project RED September 14, 2016 Imagine giving a presentation in a large barn in front of about 500 children. This was no sweat for our Laker FFA! A group from our FFA gave the opening presentation for the Sept. 13 Project RED in Bad Axe, and the presentation focused on ag careers, such as veterinarian, mechanic, meteorologist, scientist, sales, agronomist… Read more
Laker science teacher receives grant for VEX Robotics September 8, 2016 Laker High School science teacher Deb Hasselschwert has received a $4,500 grant from the Huron County Community Foundation to start a VEX Robotics program! Some of the VEX Robotics activities will be during school in the high school lab science class, and other activities will take place after school, including an all girls VEX Robotics… Read more
OK2Say aims to curb crimes, violence against students, school staff, schools August 9, 2016 OK2SAY is the student safety program which allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at school students, school employees, and schools. It uses a comprehensive communication system to facilitate tip sharing among students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services,… Read more
