Education is a community venture. Lake Highlands High School produces young people who are prepared for the challenge of the next level of learning whether it be in the work force or on a college campus. We live in a great neighborhood to raise children, but education begins with loving and caring families and friends.
Not every student can be a National Merit Scholar or a champion athlete. This year LHHS has an abundance of National Merit Scholarship finalists numbering 13, and LHHS continues to live up to its reputation for producing championship athletic teams. But all of our students will be successful after graduation – Merit Scholars or not – because they are prepared to continue to learn.
Learning is a process that begins at birth and continues throughout life. What parents do to help their children learn is more essential to their academic success than how well-off the family is. Children are more apt to learn if their parents read, talk and listen to them on a regular basis. Research on both gifted and disadvantaged children shows that home efforts greatly improve student achievement.
Children who attach importance to education are likely to have higher academic achievement and fewer disciplinary problems than those who do not have these ideals. Parents can improve their children’s chances for success by installing the importance of education, hard work and responsibilities in their child at an early age and by encouraging friendships with peers who have similar values.
As a community, we become a part of the education process in one way or another – we cannot leave education to parents and educators. We must find ways to encourage and support parents in their efforts and promote learning. We must honor and respect our educators for acting as catalysts in the chemistry of learning and find ways to recognize them while holding ourselves accountable lest we fail to give them the resources needed to prepare our children to succeed.
As a community, Lake Highlands is called upon to be a lighthouse to show by example the way to better education.
The RISD is our beacon. This years’ SAT scores are the highest they have been in more than 20 years. We have the largest number of exemplary schools in Texas, and 12 of our campuses have been selected as National Blue Ribbon schools.
Our beloved Lake Highlands neighborhood is filled with many people and organizations who have gone above and beyond their call of duty. For their perseverance we are grateful. Our journey has only just begun. Let us put aside our differences and hold our course straight and true toward education of the highest quality for all our children.
