Link Leaders hosted some virtual Q & A Panels over the past couple of years. Due to technical difficulties, the recordings from this spring did not record. The videos below are from the 2019-2020 Link and still have a ton of great info and insight!
Can you explain the Block Schedule a little more?
Students attend their blocks 1 through 4 on ORANGE days. They attend their block 5-8 on BLACK days. Orange and black days flipflop everyday (if Thursday is an orange day, Friday is a black day & Monday is an orange day). There are even little hints around the school of what day it is- for example, there is either a black or orange flag underneath the American flag at the East enterance of LHS. The Counseling Center even has a sign that is flipped back and forth depending on what day it is.
What do off hours look like?
An off block is a free period meaning you do not have a class during that specific block. Off blocks are a great time to do homework, make up tests/quizzes, get extra help from a teacher or in the tutoring center, or to just give your brain a break! Freshmen are not allowed to go off campus so find a nice space in the library, atriums, tutoring center, or outside to get some work done or hang out with new people.
Whatever you do, make sure you’re making good decisions! 90 minutes can either be a great time to catch up and get ahead or can end up being a complete waste of time.
Helpful tip- Tutoring Center: great place to get help with an assignment for makeup a test. Library: great place to work on homework by yourself or with a group. Atriums: still can do homework but it’s a little noisier or go there to eat your snack/lunch and hang out. Outside: great to do homework, eat, and hang out with friends on a nice day plus fresh air can help you clear your head. ((Answered by Link Leader, Ari))
How long are blocks and passing periods?
Blocks are 90 minutes classes on Monday, Tuesdays & Fridays and 82 minutes on Wednesday & Thursdays (because of Keystone). Passing Periods are 8 minutes long.
What is Keystone?
Keystone is similar to a homeroom, enrichment or advisement class. All students are assigned to one. Freshman will use this time to watch the TigerTV announcements, meet with Link Leaders and work on academics. Students also get a chance to go get help in a specific subject on FLEX days.
Is Marching Band a P.E. Credit?
While marching band is a great activity, it does not directly count as a PE credit. In some cases students can take an online independent study class with a physical component to obtain the PE credit, and marching band can be used to fulfill that physical attribute, though the availability of that class is not guaranteed and usually reserved for people who do not have the ability to get the PE credit any other way (ie your course load is already full). Try and take one of the intro classes in your underclassmen years to get it out of the way, but if you need to you can try and enter that independent study or figure something out with your counselor. ((Answered by Link Leader, Zane))
What are AP classes like?
AP classes depend on what class you are taking, what your interests are, and what the teachers are like. In Freshman year your AP class availability is limited so you don’t get many options, but as you move up in grades you’ll get an understanding of what your strengths are and teachers will work hard to make sure you are in the right class. A typical AP class consists of taking notes for homework most classes with the occasional project. Most physical class time is taken up by lectures, discussions, or activities to support your outside learnings. The assessments often resemble the real AP test, though it depends on the teacher for how they are formatted and graded. ((Answered by Zane))
Are we going to repeat a class if we fail it?
If you don’t pass a class and don’t receive credits for that specific class you may have to do credit recovery which is basically taking extra time after school to cover the topics you might’ve missed in that specific course and it cost extra money. This shows that it is important to try your best and put in effort in each of your classes that way you don’t have to do credit recovery. ((Answered by Davianna)).
Can my student make changes to their classes?
Changes to a schedule will only be changed prior to 8/12 if there is a mistake (wrong level of math, etc.). Counselors will communicate a plan in August so students have the opportunity to change classes.
What is the biggest difference going from Middle School to High School?
For me the biggest difference was the size and freedom to choose different electives. I came from a class of 30 students in a K-8 with only 300 students overall. Our “specials” were the same for everyone so getting to choose classes that I was interested in was huge. Getting to have an off block was also a big change, I definitely wasn’t used to having free time during the day and I didn’t always use my time wisely. ((Answered by Link Leader, Ari))
Going from middle school to high school, I entered a different culture and system with a basically maintained essence. Mostly, the change to high school introduces a greater level of freedom as you gain the ability to choose from more classes, allocate your time of free periods/off-blocks, and involve yourself in a greater diversity of extracurricular activities (for example, the amazing Students Visiting Seniors Club). As such, it becomes important to prioritize your time and energy with set goals, for while there are adults there to help you, now you are the one choosing the twists and turns in your path. Basic Idea: In high school, you need to take ownership of your education and set clear goals for yourself. ((Answered by Link Leader, Blake))
Is Freshman Year Hard?
In my opinion being a freshman is not necessarily hard. Everyone’s experience as a freshman is different and factors such as what middle school you went to, what classes you choose to take and what extracurricular activities you choose to do have a big impact. My best advice to having an easy freshman year is to learn to ask questions and get help from your teachers when you need it. This makes the transition from eighth grade to ninth grade as smooth as possible. I don’t think freshman year is necessarily harder than other years but again, it depends from person to person. Someone taking IB or AP classes will probably have a harder high school experience than someone who doesn't take those classes. ((Answered by Link Leader, Sonya))
How can I be successful at Lakewood?
Make sure to attend class!
Going to class is so important. In class, you are able to learn the information, ask questions, and get work done. If you skip class, it is much more difficult to do make-up work. Also, often teachers give you time to work on homework in class, so you may be able to finish it before you get home!
2. Join a sport and/or club!
Being a part of an activity is a great way to meet new people and relieve stress that may be formed by school. There are many options from theater to volunteering to sports! I know for me it was overwhelming to figure out which activity to do. Explore your options and try to find members in those clubs/ sports to see if it is an activity you would want to participate in.
3. Communicate!
In high school, you will learn how to advocate for yourself and ask questions. Everyone is human and makes mistakes from time-to-time! Teachers will understand as long as you communicate your needs and the situation.
4. Use resources available to you!
There are so many resources at Lakewood to help with transitioning to the high school environment and having success here. Academically, there is an amazing peer Tutoring Center! Here, you can go get help on various assignments with the assistance of a student tutor or tutors who have the skills to help. Also, teachers have planning periods in which they might invite you to go see them and answer questions you may have. Socially, you will be assigned Link Leaders your freshman year. They are upperclassmen who will be a mentor and resource to you throughout the year. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions! All Link Leaders can provide advice based on their experiences which is super helpful.
High school is overwhelming at first, but by becoming involved and being responsible it can make it seem manageable! ((Answered by Link Leader, Taryn))
What are teachers like at LHS?
In my opinion the teachers at LHS are awesome! They are very encouraging and helpful, I would just advise that you respect them like you would the teachers at CMS. Make sure you communicate with your teachers in high school and I don’t think they will be rough on you. ((Answered by Link Leader, Davianna))
How is the current Covid-19 situation going to affect next school year?
We are all doing our best to move through this situation as best we can, but truthfully we don’t know what the future is going to look like right now. The final decisions will ultimately be left up to the district, but our teachers are currently preparing for any possibilities. We could be returning to school like normal in the fall, we might have strict rules within the school, we could be launching the year with remote learning, or it could be a combination of those possibilities. Whatever happens, the teachers and administration will keep us in contact as much as possible and do their best to support our learning. ((Answered wonderfully by Link Leader, Zane))
How do I set up lunch for my student?
Log into your Jeffco Connect account and enter payment. The application for Free & Reduced meals in also in Jeffco Connect (left hand side of LHS homepage website).
How do I pay my fees? Jeffco connect is also where you pay any fees that you may have. IMPORTANT: if there is a fee with OPT next to it, that means it is optional (ie. if your student is not playing a fall sport, you do not have to pay the OPT sports fee). If there is a concern with the payment amount, payment plans can be arranged with our financial secretary, Sue McElroy @ 303-982-8217. Please don't hesitate to reach out.
What else do I need to do on Jeffco Connect?
It is crucial that you make sure that you sign the agreement on Jeffco Connect. If you are unable to pay fees or apply for free and reduced lunch, it probably means you need to sign the agreement. Please also make sure that your contact information is accurate. If it is not, you should update before the start of school!
Do students have IDs?
Yes! Students will be provided with their IDs at the beginning of the year and the expectation is that students carry their ID with them at all time when in the building.
When do students get their schedules?
Student's schedules will be released in August and can be accessed through parent/student portal.
Are there any special school events?
Yes! There are tons of school events at Lakewood all throughout the year. Homecoming is the first major event that happens towards the beginning of the school year (first month or 2). It goes for a whole week and everyday at school there is a spirit day which we can dress up for. The Sunday before this week we hold a 5k called the Tiger Prowl which everyone can participate in. There’s lots of fun activities during and after school leading to a picnic and powderpuff game on Friday with the homecoming football game after that. Then on Saturday is the dance which is lots of fun.
Throughout the year there are games you can go to and cheer on our tigers. Every season has some sort of event each week. A lot of the games are played at or right by the high school so they are easy to get to.
Lakewood also has a great music and theatre department which puts on shows throughout the year. The theatre program puts on 3 shows a year which are all really great. You’ll be able to see previews of the shows during some of our assemblies.
There will be lots of freshman only events throughout the year as well which will help you become acclimated to the school and deal with studies. There is a freshman only tailgate outside of Jeffco Stadium before the Homecoming game. We also host a Cocoa-and-Cram before 1st semester finals where we get together, eat cookies, drink hot chocolate, and study.
Towards the beginning of 2nd semester we have something called ROAR week in which the whole school chooses a charity to raise money for and throughout the week we have tons of fun activities and challenges. We’ll have an opening assembly and a closing assembly which introduces the charity and then we get to see if we hit our goal.This is also the week of our Winterfest dance, so there will be spirit days every week. The Winterfest dance will be on Saturday and is a lot more low key than the Homecoming dance.
Prom is in April, but that is only for Juniors and Seniors. Still, there are spirits days where everyone can dress up. ((Answered by Link Leader, Clifton)
How often is swim team practice and at what times?
The swim team practice schedule has changed around quite a bit over the past few years. Last year the policy was two days a week for club swimmers as long as every other day was spent with their club team and six practices for everyone else. I can’t say for sure what it will be like next year but I expect it will be pretty similar to last year. On top of this, there are weight training practices in the gym at school a few days a week after school and before swim practice. Because of the times that pool space is available, practice is usually later in the day from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Pre-season training is a little different because the practice times are shorter and they are earlier in the afternoon. More information about the practice schedule for swimming will be available when we have our pre-season informational meeting.
This answer is a little confusing so if you want more clarification or have more swim team related questions email us. Sonya - 2182841@jeffchoschools.us Lila- 2038582@jeffchoschools.us
Can I play sports and do marching band?
Yes you can absolutely play other sports and do marching band. Marching band’s season is in the fall and ends before winter and spring sports start. It might be harder to do marching band and another fall sport but it might be possible to work something out with Mr. Melaragno, the band director. If your other sport is a winter or spring sport then you should have no problems! ((Answered by Link Leader, Sonya))