At a recent School Board meeting students from LPOHS shared their thoughts and experiences about Lake Pend Oreille High High School. Following are the word they wrote down to share.

Katelyn Healy

Hi my name is Katelyn Healy, I came to LPO because I knew I needed to further my education. Before LPO I had dropped out of school twice. The last time I dropped out, I lost all motivation. I didn’t think I would graduate, until my sister who previously graduated from LPO told me about the school. Throughout my time at LPO I have not only furthered my education, but developed as a person. LPO has a lot to offer students, and it turned out to be the perfect fit for me. At LPO I was able to get the academic support I needed. I found that with the smaller classes teachers could dedicate more time towards each individual. Not only do the smaller classes help me, but here at LPO we don’t have homework. This is not to say LPO is easier than a traditional high school, but learning in class ensures that a teacher is always present to guide us. This encourages me to show up and not fall behind. I am now happy to say I am on track to graduate with my class, and for this I’m thankful with all the help of the caring staff, that helped me accomplish my goal of graduating high school.

Makayla Bennett

Hello, My name is Makayla Bennett and I am currently a junior at lpo.One of the reasons why I came to lpo was too find somewhere a little more structured.My sister, Tailor, has been attending to the Lake Pend Oreille High school for only her senior year and it has helped her tremendously by working with her reality.My sister and her fiance has blessed my family with my beautiful niece and is now currently pregnant again with a boy.The school has helped my sister by making sure she is achieving her goals and getting closer to graduating.When you think of family, what examples or words come to your mind? When I think of lpo I think of the staff and teachers as caretakers and student’s as trees. The teachers and staff help us stay grounded and they help us connect with your roots. They find common grounds (interests) with students to connect with us more. They turn over a new leaf for us as if they are turning the next chapter in our lives. They bend before we break and allow us to embrace our  natural beauty. They keep us growing by making sure all students are achieving our goals and help us Pursue our future. LPO has shown me that family doesn’t need to be someone that shares the same last name or someone who has the same DNA. The word “Family” is defined by commitment and by love. All students branches grow in different directions but our roots at lpo will forever remain as one. The staff and teachers help our dead leaves drop so our new ones can grow . No storm is able to take us down. They just make our roots grow deeper. LPO has definitely helped me grow my roots a little deeper by being more structured. The school has helped me overcome a lot of my struggles and has helped me improve in various ways. Lpo is a school where attendance is important because no matter how you feel, you gotta get up, dress up, show up, and never give up. I want to say that it has been an honor to be here today and to be able to express my view point about Lake Pend Oreille High School.Thank you.

Jordyn Owens

I have been fortunate enough to be able to attend a school with so much love and support. The trust and respect among us all has promoted so much student growth. And because of this trust, we have respect for each others differences and everyone works together, going above and beyond to improve and strive as individuals. The level of trust in this school is exceptional. It gives us purpose. Which inspires us to strive for great things. It builds close relationships with not only the staff, but also the students. Because we’re a small school we work together and support each other like a family- A family away from home. This is what makes our school special. This is true for all students. As far as my own experience, I developed a heart condition and as I got older it progressively got worse and was left undiagnosed and untreated. Due to my physical ailments, I began missing a lot of school, which resulted in poor grades and low attendance. This rendered it impossible to catch up at my formal school, so I began searching for an alternative which led me to Lake Pend Oreille High School. I was skeptical coming to this school because of its unfounded reputation, but when my very first day started here I was shown so much love and support. I opened up here, something I was never able to do before. Because of the never ending support I have received her I’m even considering teaching, and coming back to LPO to pursue my life’s goal.

Abby Daily

Hello, my name is Abby Daily and I am a senior at Lake Pend Oreille high school. I joined this school’s community as a Junior and the school really stole my heart. Unfortunately, I had suffered a few health issues the first two years of my high school career which set me back horrifically and I was told my sophomore year that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to graduate on time and at that point I felt hopeless. Until I found this incredible school, and I was told that LPO would not be the right fit for me and that it was where the “trouble youth” go, however those statements were far from true. This high school is something like no other, filled with a bunch of students who are given another chance just as they deserve, because this staff cares so dearly for each and everyone of us. I am so blessed to be a part of the LPO family who welcomed me with open arms, and who have helped work one on one with me to get the A’s I knew I could achieve. I am now graduating early and going to college thanks to all of my incredible staff. Thank you.

Hi I’m Izzi Peterson and I switched to the Lake Pend Oreille High School my sophomore year.  At the high school I struggled with my grades, attendance and motivation. I finished my freshman year with a 1.3 GPA. Since switching to LPO I haven’t failed any classes, I raised my GPA to a 2.6, and I’m back on track to graduate. One thing that got me through was the structure at LPO. Having the same classes everyday helped me focus more in school and better manage my time. I owe a huge thanks to the incredible staff at at the school.  They have not only given me the support I need, they also helped me develop the skills I need to succeed.

Mason Deal and Andrew Stovall also spoke at this presentation. However, they had no words written down they spoke from the heart.