lakelands Park Middle School

File:LPMS Sign.jpg

Lakelands Park Middle School 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 the Montgomery County Board of Education and superintendent Dr. Jerry Weast,[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001023511/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/979805141.html?dids=979805141:979805141&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=FEB+02,+2006&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Milestones,+Goals+and+a+Request+for+Residents%27+Input&pqatl=google "Milestones, Goals and a Request for Residents' Input"], The Washington Post, February 2, 2006 at a cost of $21 million.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121105204534/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-57363.html "Gaithersburg's New School"], The Washington Post, August 25, 2005 Lakelands was designed to accommodate up to 1,200 students and is located amongst local housing to enable the students to be able to walk to school.{{cite web|url=https://www.grimmandparker.com/our-projects/project/lakelands-park-middle-school/|title=Lakelands Park Middle School|publisher=Grimm and Parker|accessdate=November 24, 2018}} The building is {{convert|153588|sqft|m2}}, and includes three floors, a full-size gym, auxiliary gyms, two computer labs, and rooms for art, music and technology. The media center has a collection of more than 18,000 print and non-print materials, including books, magazines, videos, DVDs and CD ROMs. The Research Learning Hub includes 32 networked computers.

The school set ambitious academic targets, including 100% of the students reading at or above grade level by the time 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 However, the school was soon placed on the state watch list due to poor results.[http://www.gazette.net/stories/07222009/montsch235500_32523.shtml "Elementary schools progress, but not middle schools"], Marcus Moore, The Gazette, July 22, 2009.

Following the decision of the Montgomery County school board to allow cell phones in schools other than high schools, Lakelands was one of four selected to trial this arrangement in August 2007.[https://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

In the 2018 annual assessment for Maryland schools, Lakelands Park received four stars out of a possible five as a measurement of overall effectiveness.{{cite news|url=https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcps-middle-school-rankings-based-on-maryland-report-card/|title=MCPS MIDDLE SCHOOL RANKINGS BASED ON MARYLAND REPORT CARD SCORES|last=BYRNE|first=DEIRDRE|publisher=Montgomery Community Media|date=December 11, 2018|accessdate=June 26, 2019}}

After students graduate from 8th grade, the high school they go on to depends on the elementary school they attended. Students move to Quince Orchard High School if they went to Brown Station or Rachel Carson Elementary schools, and those who went to Darnestown Elementary School attend Northwest High School. If students went to Diamond Elementary School, they either attend Quince Orchard High School if their home is south of Great Seneca Highway, or Northwest High School if their home is north of Great Seneca Highway.

Montgomery County Public Schools are pioneering a pilot, in Lakelands Park, for autistic students using the controversial Rapid Prompting Method.{{cite news|title=Parents want to give their autistic children a voice in schools, but scientists call their technique 'false hope'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/parents-of-autistic-children-are-pushing-schools-to-allow-controversial-communication-techniques/2017/02/28/1bd33da2-ed6a-11e6-9973-c5efb7ccfb0d_story.html??noredirect=on|work=The Washington Post|last=Chandler|first=Michael Alison|date=February 28, 2017|accessdate=November 24, 2018}}

Lakelands Park has competitive teams in boys' and girls' softball, boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' soccer, and coeducational cross country team which is full of very talented runners. Lakelands Park's rival (Ridgeview) has given Lakelands Park a lot of competition over the years in all sports available.{{cite web |url=http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakelandsparkms/students/athletics.aspx |title=Athletics |date=2014 |accessdate=19 July 2014 |publisher=Montgomery County Public Schools}}

The city constructed a synthetic turf sports field, at a cost of just under $950,000, in the adjacent Lakelands Park.{{cite news |url=http://www.gazette.net/article/20140620/NEWS/140629798/1080/construction-to-begin-soon-on-turf-field-at-gaithersburg-park&template=gazette |title=Construction to begin soon on turf field at Gaithersburg park |last=Davis |first=Jenn |publisher=Maryland Gazette |date=20 June 2014 |accessdate=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726195214/http://www.gazette.net/article/20140620/NEWS/140629798/1080/construction-to-begin-soon-on-turf-field-at-gaithersburg-park%26template%3Dgazette |archive-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} The field opened in October 2014.{{cite news |url=http://www.mymcmedia.org/lakelands-park-turf-field-may-be-locked-to-all-without-a-permit/ |title=LAKELANDS PARK TURF FIELD MAY BE LOCKED TO ALL WITHOUT A PERMIT |last=Brick |first=Krista |publisher=Montgomery Community Media |date=6 October 2014

|accessdate=4 November 2015}} Initially there was no public access but, in May 2015, it was announced that the field would be available to the community on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.{{cite news |url=http://www.mymcmedia.org/gaithersburg-opens-lakelands-synthetic-field-for-public-play-on-weekends/ |title=GAITHERSBURG OPENS LAKELANDS SYNTHETIC FIELD FOR PUBLIC PLAY ON WEEKENDS |last=Burke |first=Sonya |publisher=Montgomery Community Media |date=2 May 2015

|accessdate=4 November 2015}} However, due to on-street parking because of the absence of car parking facilities and litter issues, the use of this facility has caused what residents call "quality of life issues".{{cite news|title=LAKELANDS COMMUNITY RAISES QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH GAITHERSBURG'S TURF FIELD|url=https://www.mymcmedia.org/lakelands-community-raises-quality-of-life-concerns-living-next-to-gaithersburgs-synthetic-turf-field/|first=Sonya|last=Burke|publisher=Montgomery Community Media|date=July 5, 2016|accessdate=November 24, 2018}}

Student Sara Mercer was selected to represent the United States in China at the 2016 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.{{cite news |url=http://towncourier.com/assignment-education-84/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926143113/http://towncourier.com/assignment-education-84/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=September 26, 2017 |title=LPMS Student to Compete in China |last= Schipper |first=Pam |publisher= The Town Courier |date= 3 February 2016 |accessdate=7 February 2016}}

They have an annual flag football tournament near Memorial Day, called Bittner Day, honoring Matthew W. Bittner, a teacher at the school who died in 2011.

The Lakelands Park Theatre, the school's drama club, wrote and gave a public performance of an original drama, Pirate School!, in February 2008.{{cite news |url=http://www.gazette.net/stories/020608/montsch60211_32365.shtml |title=Ahoy there, Lakelands Park Middle School mateys |first=Patricia M. |last=Murret |publisher=Maryland Gazette |date=6 February 2008 |accessdate=19 July 2014}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakelandsparkms/}}
• [http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schoolodex/schooloverview.aspx?s=03522 Lakelands Park statistics from MCPS]
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901192421/http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakelandsparkms/ |date=September 1, 2006 |title=Lakelands Park Middle School }}

{{Montgomery County Public Schools}}

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Category:Public middle schools in Maryland

Category:Public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland

Category:Educational institutions established in 2005

Category:2005 establishments in Maryland

Category:Buildings and structures in Gaithersburg, Maryland