Lakehill senior Rachel Drazner has been named a National Merit Finalist, an honor reserved for the nation's most academically talented students.

These events engage elementary and middle school students with jumping rope or playing basketball while empowering them to improve their own health and help other kids with heart-health issues.  

Students and their families can raise money for the American Heart Association online at www.heart.org/jump or by downloading the app to a smart phone or tablet (search jump/hoops in the app store). Lakehill will also earn PE equipment that helps keep fitness fun for students.

Kyra Willis found herself in a familiar spot on Friday morning. After finishing as runner-up in both the 2014 and 2013 Lakehill Spelling Bees, as well as runner-up in the 2012 Spelling Bee at Tyler Street Christian Academy, the seventh grader again found herself face to face against a formidable competitor, fifth grade spelling sensation Mara Sandberg, in the final round of this year's Bee on January 16.

But it was Willis's winning combination of the words, papyrus and symphonic, that finally earned her the title of Lakehill's Spelling Bee Champion. After many rounds of competition, Willis edged out Sandberg for the title, with Sandberg going out on staccato.

The competition was so intense that Spelling Bee Coordinator Julie Riggs ran out of words - over 135 of them. "I had a standby list from previous years, but it was just too hard," said Riggs. "They were not getting any of them-- too many were based on foreign words. I spent an hour generating another list, and I had 60-- but only used seven!"

 "Kira and Mara could not be tricked by any words that they had studied," said Riggs. "It was only when they went off the list that trouble ensued."

Last year's champion Tyler McCall, the last eighth grader in the competition, took third place, going out on officious. Eighth grader Kumail Iman took fourth, going out on heiress. Nathan Lewis was the last sixth grader standing, while James McKinney was the last fourth grader in the competition.

Lakehill's  eighth annual Spelling Bee attracted 55 interested students in fourth through eighth grades. Each year students from all over the country compete for the chance to represent their schools and communities in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Willis will now compete on February 17 at the DCS Training Building against winners from other Dallas County private schools.

"The next list contains some of the challenge words I used in our Bee," said Riggs. "They have over 700 words to study!"

Each Tribe consists of students in Lower, Middle, and Upper School as well as two faculty members. Tribe meetings are a fun, stress-free time in which students throughout the school get to know each other, and faculty can bond with the children. 

Tribe meetings occur once every six weeks and the faculty creates an array of fun activities for everyone to enjoy. During the last tribe meeting, students used their artistic abilities to create stocking stuffers for the holiday luncheon such as ornaments and handmade holiday cards. 

Previous activities include decorating teacher's doorways for Homecoming, participating in a school-wide scavenger hunt, and playing games to help students get to know each other. On Thursday, Tribes met for a morning of games. "I loved playing all the games," said Kindergarten student Josie Terstriep. "I have a lot of fun in Tribes."

"It's a fun experience," said senior Jonathan Motes. "I have gotten to know so many people I wouldn't have known before." 

Tribes have become a tradition at Lakehill, and it is exciting to see students of all ages having fun together. It is proof of the family-oriented environment Lakehill has to offer.

"I love our Tribe," said freshman Jakayla Silas. "Tribes make us one as a family, which is what Lakehill is all about." 

Lakehill Preparatory School is accepting applications for the 2015-16 school year. Applications are due January 16, 2015. Campus tours and personal visits may be scheduled with Lisa Bracken, Director of Admission, at 214-826-2931, ext.  118 or lbracken@lakehillprep.org.

Established in 1971, Lakehill Preparatory School is an academic community dedicated to the whole student. This means combining a robust, college preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community engagement.

Small class sizes ensure a supportive learning environment and personal attention. Students at Lakehill have all of the opportunities available in a much larger school, but are able to thrive in a supportive setting where they can concentrate on learning. Students benefit from a rigorous academic environment, while being supported by the strong sense of family, community, and spirit that Lakehill provides. As a result, this small school feels very much like a big family.

Lakehill’s tradition of excellence is not confined solely to the classroom. In keeping with Lakehill’s desire to develop well-rounded citizens, students are encouraged to take advantage of a wide variety of extracurricular offerings. Through participation in a myriad of clubs, student organizations, honor societies, athletics, and community service projects, opportunities for assuming leadership roles abound.

Lakehill students all go on to pursue education at a higher level, and are accepted into Ivy League schools, top research universities, liberal arts colleges, renowned art institutions, and international universities. What is most important, however, is the process of pairing the student with the right school. Through an extremely successful college counseling program, Lakehill works together with every family, discussing each student’s dreams, abilities, needs, and interests when choosing a school.

Prospective families are encouraged to personally experience Lakehill by scheduling a visit or a campus tour. Find out more about the Lakehill Difference at lakehillprep.org.