Lakelands Park Middle School

Infobox_School
name = Lakelands Park Middle School


imagesize =
motto =
established = 2005
grades = 6-8
district = Montgomery County Public Schools
type = Middle school
principal = Joseph Sacco
enrollment = 1,700
faculty =
ratio =
teamname =
conference =
colors = Blue and Silver
mascot = The Falcon
publication = The Falcon Times,
The Falcon Flier
location = Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
rival = Ridgeview Middle School
website = [http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakelandsparkms/ Official site]

Lakelands Park Middle School is a middle school located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. Named after Lakelands Park, which is located next to the school and, with 1,700 students, this is the second largest public school in Montgomery County Public Schools and educates in grades 6-8, with grade 8 added for 2006-07. It has a high local profile with the premises being regularly used for community events. The principal is Joseph Sacco. [ [http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakelandsparkms/general%20information/staff3.shtm "Lakelands Park Middle School Staff Directory"] , Montgomery County Public Schools]

The School

Lakelands Park was built in 2005 to resolve overcrowding in other schools in the County, [ [http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4637582/Academic-challenges-Area-s-schools.html Area's schools cope with additional students] , Washington Times, August 28 2005] as a result of a unique collaborative effort between Montgomery County Board of Education and Dr Jerry Weast, [ [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/979805141.html?dids=979805141:979805141&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=FEB+02%2C+2006&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Milestones%2C+Goals+and+a+Request+for+Residents'+Input&pqatl=google "Milestones, Goals and a Request for Residents' Input"] , The Washington Post, February 2 2006] at a cost of $21 million. [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-57363.html "Gaithersburg's New School"] , The Washington Post, August 25 2005] It is 153,588 square feet, and includes three floors, a full-size gym, auxiliary gyms, three computer labs, music, technology, and art rooms.

The school has set ambitious academic targets including 100% of the students reading on or above grade level by the time that they leave the school. [ [http://my.highschooljournalism.org/md/gaithersburg/qohs/article.cfm?eid=3973&aid=55679 "New Lakelands Park Middle School plans for excellent year"] , Parisa Karimi, The Prowler, September 30, 2005]

National contributions

A teacher at the school, Carol Nezzo, was invited by the "National Capital Language Resource Center" to jointly present a paper entitled "Learning Strategies for Young Learners - Playing among the 5 Cs" on June 20, 2007. [ [http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/newsline/archives/2007/01/nclrcs_2007_sum.html "NCLRC's 2007 Summer Institutes"] , Office of English Language Acquisition, US Department of Education, January 29, 2007]

Cell phone experiment

Following the decision of the Montgomery County school board to allow cell phones in schools other than high schools, in August 2007 Lakelands was one of four selected to trial this arrangement. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/26/AR2007082601245.html "Schools Ease Off Cellphone Restraints"] , Daniel de Vise, Washington Post, August 27 2007]

Lakelands Park Theatre

The Lakelands Park Theatre, the school's drama club, wrote and gave a public performance of an original drama "Pirate School!", in February 2008. [ [http://www.gazette.net/stories/020608/montsch60211_32365.shtml "Ahoy there, Lakelands Park Middle School mateys"] , Patricia M. Murret, Gazette.net, February 6, 2008]

tudent awards

* Bria Mirante-Howard - winner of the Afro American Newspapers Character Essay Contest, 2007. [ [http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/fms/docs/Bulletn38.pdf "The Bulletin"] , Montgomery County Public Schools, June 4 2007]

References

ee also

* Montgomery County Public Schools

External links

* [http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakelandsparkms/ Official site]