Hailmann Elementary School students rolled up their sleeves for the school's second annual Fourth Grade Corn Husk-Off, an educational event that pairs friendly competition with hands-on lessons in sustainability.

Maria Amor's fourth-grade class took the title, out-shucking their classmates to claim bragging rights in the event's second year.

The competition, organized through a partnership between La Porte Community School Corporation Director of Food Service Cindy Vondra and NWI Food Council's Veronica Jalomo, challenges fourth-grade students to race the clock while shucking fresh corn.

The event serves several purposes. The husks are donated to local horses, while the corn itself is cleaned and prepared for service in school lunches throughout the week, ensuring no part of the harvest goes to waste. Students who shuck the corn in the morning see it on their trays within days.

The Corn Husk-Off reflects La Porte Community School Corporation's ongoing commitment to farm-to-school programming, which connects students directly with local food sources while promoting healthy eating habits and environmental stewardship. Now in its second year, the event has become a fixture on Hailmann's fall calendar.

The partnership with the NWI Food Council demonstrates how community organizations can strengthen educational programming while supporting local agriculture.

Students again participated enthusiastically, with the event emphasizing teamwork, sustainability, and the connection between agriculture and daily nutrition.

Thank you to the Play for Jake Foundation and to an anonymous local family for a combined $26,000 gift that is replacing and adding AEDs across our schools.

The number is not a coincidence. Twenty-six was Jake West's football number.

AEDs expire, and when a district buys them all at once, they all come due at once. This gift means we could replace every unit that needed replacing without cutting back on how many devices are available to students, staff and visitors.

In sharing the gift with our school board at the August meeting, foundation founder Julie West said: "This donation represents so much more than the purchase of equipment. It represents preparedness. It represents hope. Most importantly, it represents the opportunity to save a life."

We are grateful. Jake's legacy is in every one of our buildings.

Photo credit: LPCSC. Caption: Julie West, founder of the Play for Jake Foundation, joins the LPCSC Board of School Trustees after presenting a combined $26,000 donation for new and replacement AEDs. From left, board member Jim Arnold; board secretary Monica Beaty; board member Nate Loucks; board member Tucker King; West; Superintendent Dr. Sandra Wood; board member Jennifer Farlie; board Vice President Amy Jackson; and board President Ryan Seaburg.

Power was restored to all of our school buildings over the weekend. Our teams have spent Monday and today preparing classrooms and systems, and we cannot wait to welcome students back for the first day of school tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Our phone service is back. The provider outage affecting inbound and outbound calls at our schools and the transportation department was resolved this morning. Thank you for your flexibility while we worked through it. You can now reach your child's school directly by phone again.

Buses. Bus routes will run tomorrow, though pickup and drop-off times will vary as our drivers navigate road conditions and debris. Please expect some delays. Our drivers are doing everything they can to get students to school safely, so please plan for a little extra time those first mornings. New requests for transportation that were not received before this week will be processed as quickly as possible, but may take a few days to assign in our routing system.

Meals. Menus for the week will not change, aside from minor produce substitutions. Breakfast and lunch will be served as usual.

We know some families in our community are still without power and are managing real difficulties at home. Our staff will welcome every student tomorrow with compassion and flexibility. If there is anything your child's school should know about your family's situation, please call and let them know.

This has been a long and difficult stretch for our community, and we are grateful for the patience, kindness, and flexibility you have shown one another and us. We are ready for a great year.

Sandra Wood Superintendent

Following months of collaborative review in which all options were considered, the Kiwanis Committee presented its recommendations for the future of Slicer football to the LPCSC Board of School Trustees this evening. The committee, made up of representatives from La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC), Preserve Historic La Porte, and community stakeholders, recommends renovations and upgrades to Kiwanis Stadium at its current location.

The committee has met regularly since October 2025, working with Schmidt and Associates architects on a feasibility study assessing the 75-year-old stadium's condition and restoration needs. Stakeholder input was gathered as part of the process of looking ahead to future needs of the school and the community. Should the board move forward with the recommended plan, the school corporation would work with Schmidt and Associates to see the renovations and improvements through to completion, contingent on securing the necessary funding.

"Kiwanis Stadium has been home to Slicer football for 75 years, and thanks to this partnership, it will continue to serve our students and community for generations to come," said Ryan Seaburg, President of the LPCSC Board of School Trustees. "While the next steps will depend on funding, we are grateful for the collaboration with Preserve Historic La Porte as we work toward securing the future of this community landmark."

"This stadium is more than a football field. It is a landmark that has brought our community together for decades," said Mark Kurth, President of Preserve Historic La Porte. "We are proud to partner with La Porte Community School Corporation to preserve this piece of La Porte's history while ensuring it meets the needs of today's student-athletes."

Today our teachers and staff are back in the buildings, and we are especially glad to welcome the new teachers joining La Porte Community School Corporation for the 2026-27 school year.

You chose La Porte, and we are grateful. You are stepping into classrooms where students will remember your name for decades, into buildings where colleagues are ready to help you find your footing, and into a community that shows up for its schools.

To every returning teacher, instructional assistant, bus driver, custodian, food service worker, and office professional welcoming a new colleague this week: thank you for making La Porte a place people want to stay.

Here's to a great year, Slicers.

Annual re-registration is now open for returning students. Please complete this update as soon as possible so your student is ready for the first day of school on Friday, August 14, 2026.

What You Need to Do

Log in to Skyward Family Access and complete the Student Information Update for 2026-27. You will see an alert for each student in your household that walks you through the required steps. Only one guardian needs to complete the reregistration steps for the household, but reregistration must be completed for every student.

During the update, you will verify your student's current information, update emergency contacts, and complete the forms required for the coming school year. Finishing this now ensures that school messages reach you, that your student's records are accurate and complete, and that required forms are on file for schedules, transportation, and program applications.

Students whose re-registration is not complete may experience delays with schedules, bus assignments, and device distribution at the start of the year.

If You Need to Change Your Address or Update Medical Information

Address changes and other demographic corrections cannot be made online. Please visit your student's school office in person and bring proof of residency (utility bill, mortgage statement, or lease agreement).

Health information also needs to go through the school office rather than the online update. Please contact your school office or nurse directly so the information reaches your student's health record before the first day.

Trouble Logging In

If you have forgotten your password, use the "Forgot your Login/Password?" link on the Family Access sign-in page. If you have never activated an account or are not sure whether you have one, contact your student's school office, and staff will assist you.

Questions

Your school's main office is the best place to start. You can find phone numbers for every building on the school web page, which can be accessed from the district website at https://www.lpcsc.k12.in.us.

As we prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, we are launching our Back-to-School guide to provide the essential information needed to start the year, including important dates and enrollment details, as well as information on transportation, school supplies, and more. View the ParentSquare message here.

Last night, La Porte Community School Corporation was proud to recognize the La Porte High School Class of 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian at the July Board of School Trustees meeting.

Valedictorian Brendan Maas, son of Jayson and Katie Maas, will attend Purdue University Indianapolis to study motorsports or mechanical engineering. A member of National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society, Brendan also founded Maas Auto Care, a mobile mechanic business, and spent years giving back by coaching the elementary wrestling program.

Salutatorian Ava Godwin, daughter of Melva and Prentiss Godwin, is a Posse Scholar who earned a full-tuition leadership scholarship to Case Western Reserve University, where she will major in nursing and minor in Spanish and bioethics. A student apprentice with the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, Ava is also an anticipated AP Capstone Recipient and a member of the National Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society.

Congratulations to Brendan, Ava, and their families!