Lake Station board showcases Bailey Elementary students and clubs

Bailey Elementary students and their coaches took center stage at a short Lake Station Community Schools board meeting, where the school community highlighted extracurricular achievements and student leadership.

Mrs. Kim Hayes, principal at Bailey Elementary School, opened the presentations by introducing club leaders and inviting students forward. "It is an honor. I'm so excited to see the future of what all of these kids bring to Bailey," Hayes said, praising students who volunteered for clubs and after-school activities.

The American Sign Language club, led by Mrs. Birch, led the pledge of allegiance in sign language and was recognized for teaching basic communication signs to fourth- and fifth-graders. Ms. Barnes described the game club as a space for students to "unplug and enjoy community," and named participating students who were recognized by the board.

Coaches Miss Buklavic and Mrs. Krueger introduced Bailey’s first Girls on the Run team, outlining the program’s 10-week curriculum and noting a culminating 5K scheduled for Sunday at Valparaiso High School. Coaches also said the team completed a community service food drive for a local pantry.

Mary Rose and other coaches recognized students who competed in Spell Bowl and Math Bowl — Spell Bowl contestants had to learn roughly 750 words, while Math Bowl problems ranged up to PEMDAS-level operations. A Science Bowl summary described hands-on water-cycle experiments and singled out Arthur King for an impressive near-perfect score on an individual test.

Mrs. Richardson introduced the student council, now in its second year at Bailey, and named officers including Jaylen (secretary) and Ruth (president). Hayes and school leaders emphasized student council contributions such as painting parking spots, organizing spirit weeks and supporting school events.

Board members thanked teachers, coaches and families for their time and support. Mr. Wright, board president, and other trustees expressed appreciation for staff who volunteer for after-school clubs and for the students representing the school.

The board’s recognition of clubs and leaders concluded with applause for students and an encouragement to continue participation at Edison Junior Senior High School as older students transition.

The board then moved on to routine business; no policy decisions related to the club programs were made during the presentations.