newsdurhamregion.com
RELATED FACTS

Life lessons learned at Lakewoods

OSHAWA - Lakewoods Public School is a safe, comfortable and inspirational school. Our school teaches us about empathy, respect, responsibility and many other things to help us be the best we can be.

What makes Lakewoods safe is that we work very hard to eliminate bullying and keep the school a very safe environment for everyone.

This school is a comfortable place for us because the staff don’t just treat us like students, they treat us like family. As part of a family, we honour special people who have done extraordinary things for the school. We very much appreciate their efforts and will cherish them throughout the years. The staff here work with us to give us a more laid-back learning environment. When we’re in class the teachers are a little strict but they give us a choice to learn and work well with each other.

As part of a family we also give each other special awards for our hard work and dedication. We give awards to honour hard work, citizenship, good leadership and good character. Some special awards for our school are: The Carolyn Alexander Friendship Award given to the primary student who best represents Carolyn’s spirit of kindness, caring, and friendship; Valedictorian Award as voted by the Grade 8 students and Pink sheets, and Legendary Nights which recognize good effort, character, and citizenship. Lakewoods has extracurricular activities and sports teams that include basketball, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, badminton, band, French Club, STAR, and musical plays. Trips at Lakewoods include Claremont, Nonquon, Wonderland, Safety Village, Bark Lake and Medieval Times. These are just a few trips that Lakewoods provides here.

These are the things that make Lakewoods a safe, comfortable, and inspirational school.

Vanessa Kolczuga and Aleena Kazmi are Grade 8 students at Lakewoods P.S.
« Back
Font Size: Default Font Size  Medium Font Size  Large Font Size
Movie nights are picture perfect at Lakewoods


Apr 25, 2007 By: Jillian Follert

Feb. 2, 2007

OSHAWA -- A few nights a year, the gym at Lakewoods P.S. resembles a drive-in.

Students and their families show up with lawn chairs and sleeping bags, some even wearing pajamas, to curl up in front of a big screen and watch a movie together.

They’re called Lakewoods Legendary Nights -- and they’re invite only. Each teacher nominates three students to attend with their family members and it’s a big deal to be on the guest list.

The movie nights are just one of dozens of special events the south Oshawa school organizes to recognize student achievements and make learning exciting.

Principal Linda Warren has been at the helm of Lakewoods for the past three years and says classroom time is important, but so are sports, clubs, special events and all the other ingredients that go into making a complete school.

“We’re a very active school, there’s always a lot going on,” she says. “We pride ourselves on the commitment we have from students, staff, parents and the community to do all these different things.”

Built in 1970, Lakewoods was originally a K-6 school but expanded to include Grades 7 and 8 about 10 years ago. At that time, a bigger library and gym were added. Today, the student population numbers just over 400. When they’re not in class, students can take advantage of a full range of extracurricular activities ranging from sports like track, wrestling and basketball, to band, reading clubs and more.

“You name it, we do it,” Ms. Warren says.

Last year, the school put on its first play and this year a musical was performed just before Christmas with students from all grades taking part.

There’s also the annual science fair, a visual arts showcase for Grade 7 and 8 students in June and the Historica fair in April.

And who could forget the butterfly parade? Every fall, the younger grades gather outside in costumes to release Monarch butterflies that have been raised in the classroom from caterpillars. The butterflies are sent off on their migration to Mexico with chants and cheers.

In addition to being a busy school, Lakewoods is a diverse place to learn with a commitment to tolerance.

The school’s “culture of peace” initiative includes painting flags on the walls inside
the school, reflecting the 70 countries represented in the student body. So far, seven have been added. The goal is to have them weave throughout the entire building.

Students at Lakewoods also know how to help their community. With the help of a very active School Community Council, they regularly participate in initiatives like a recent holiday food drive.

“This was our own kids helping our own kids,” Ms. Warren said, explaining the food collected went to help families within the school. “It was just outstanding to see them give back that way.”