CONTACT INFORMATION School Email (Primary) School Phone 847.202.8035 x461
EDUCATION Degrees(s) B.M., Music Education, Lawrence University
BIOGRAPHY Mrs. Dickerson has been a part of Quest Academy since 1998, when her two oldest daughters entered second grade and kindergarten. Two additional daughters later, she is now the proud alumni parent of four Quest Academy alums from the Classes of ’05, ’07, ’13, and ’17. During the time that her children were in the school, she volunteered in many volunteer positions, including PSA, Auction, as a Room Parent, and as a substitute teacher. She joined Quest Academy as the Development Director in 2018 and is thrilled to be able to devote her time to ensuring the continued success of Quest Academy, the school that she loves!
School Email (Primary) School Phone 847.202.8035 x418
EDUCATION Degree(s) B.S. Illinois State University M.A.T., National Louis University
BIOGRAPHY
Mrs. Tovar’s favorite part of teaching is to watch her students’ faces light up with excitement when learning something new. In her class, students learn how to show kindness to others, work independently, and discover their love of learning. One of her goals is to teach students to explore new ideas while developing their skills and talents. Before coming to Quest Academy, Mrs. Tovar taught kindergarten at Da Vinci Academy for 17 years and Summit School for nine years. Her motto is, “Work hard, dream big, and never give up!”
School Email (Primary) School Phone 847.202.8035 x401
EDUCATION
Degree(s) B.A., Elementary Education, Newport University, United Kingdom
BIOGRAPHY
Mr. Maskell has been teaching third, fourth, and fifth-grade students for twenty years in both the UK and US. This is his eighth year at Quest. He came from Da Vinci Academy where he taught for eight years. Prior to that, he taught at the Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove. He has worked with advanced learners for twelve years and looks forward to continuing being challenged by these kinds of students. Above all, the valuing of children, raising their self-confidence, and enhancing their love of learning are his main objectives.
Teaching Awards
2007 Postive Promotions, Midwest Teacher of the Year Sam’s Club Teacher of the Year 2007
Title Faculty – Second Grade, Primary Team Leader, and DEIB Committee Co-Chair
CONTACT INFORMATION
School Email (Primary) School Phone 847.202.8035 x407
EDUCATION Degree(s) B.S., DePaul University M.Ed., National Louis University
BIOGRAPHY
Ms. Lau-Paredes loves creating challenging opportunities and developing the growth mindset of “loving a great challenge!” She encourages a literacy-rich environment in her classroom and strives to establish a love for reading in all learners. Before coming to Quest Academy, she worked for three years at an independent early childhood school teaching kindergarten and first grade. She loves working at Quest Academy because of the opportunity to provide a creative, challenging, and nuturing environment for gifted learners. There’s no other place that offers children a more personalized learning experience in the most fun way!
School Email (Primary) School Phone 847.202.8035 x430
EDUCATION
Degree(s) B.S., Illinois State University
BIOGRAPHY
Quest Academy is Mrs. Gruzinsky’s teaching home, where she creates a caring and challenging environment for her students based on who each person is as an individual. She uses her talents in music, creativity, and ingenuity to use a strong gifted-focused approach toward guiding her students along their learning path.
School Email (Primary) School Phone 847.202.8035 x463
EDUCATION Degree(s) B.S., Merchandising, Eastern Illinois University M.A., Elementary Education, Roosevelt University
BIOGRAPHY
Mrs. Fiore has been teaching kindergarten, first grade, and second grade gifted students at Quest Academy for the last 20 years. Prior to her teaching career, she was a merchandiser for J.C. Penney. As she proceeded in her different careers, her love of helping others and teaching children took over as she discovered her lifelong dedication to education. She continues to enjoy teaching gifted children the ability to understand themselves as learners, as well as expanding their knowledge in all interests.
School Email (Primary) School Phone 847.202.8035 x492
EDUCATION Degree(s) B.F.A, Theatre, University of Detroit Mercy M.F.A., Performance, University of Texas at Austin
BIOGRAPHY Mrs. Armentrout is passionate about drama and its impact on people’s lives. She remains committed to nurturing people’s gifts and abilities to communicate clearly and creatively. She is dedicated to inspiring others to love the actor’s process and to direct each student toward authenticity through disciplined practice. Mrs. Armentrout performed in the drama ministry at Willow Creek Community Church where she trained and developed student and adult actors and upfront communicators. She has directed and performed for various organizations across the U.S. and the world, with the goal to entertain and demonstrate how the arts can bring clarity to content and engage the listener.
Lake Forest Academy is a co-educational college preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9 through 12. The school is located on the North shore in Lake Forest, about 30 miles north of Chicago. Though they are currently unable to host prospective families on campus at this time, they offer a variety of virtual options for you to get to know them. You may check out thecampus tour andstudent and faculty profiles for a first look into the LFA community.
The Steps of Admission:
1. Inquiry/Application Form
After submitting anInquiry Form, you will then be able to access your application in your online portal. To access the admission portal, pleaseuse link here. The application deadline for the 2022-2023 School Year is January 15, 2022.
Once the Application Form and Fee ($60) are completed in your portal, the other components of your application such as transcript requests, recommendation forms, and essay prompts will automatically appear. If you have any questions, please contact the Admission Office at 847-615-3267 or [email protected].
2. Placement Testing
Lake Forest Academy will be requiring testing as part of the application process this year. 9th grade applicants may choose to take the SSAT, ISEE, or the PSAT. Registration for these standardized test options can be found on the College Board website. Test scores can be sent directly to LFA using the following codes: ISEE: 142525, SSAT: 4450, or TOEFL: 816. Please email or fax a copy of PSAT, SAT, ACT-Plan or ACT scores to the Admission Office.
3. Letters of Recommendation
LFA applicants are asked to provide three letters of recommendations, one from your english teacher, one from your math teacher, and one from the Head of School.
Please note that recommendations are available in theadmission portal to be shared electronically with teachers and school officials once your application form has been submitted. You may forward requests for completion of recommendation forms either directly to the appropriate teacher or to Mrs. Wozniczka for coordination. Please be mindful of our teachers’ time and busy schedule and allow at least two weeks for return of completed recommendation forms.
4. Transcripts
Transcripts and academic records are required from the past two consecutive years of schooling. Official transcripts should be sent directly from the school to LFA’s Admission Office. Please send all transcript requests to Donna Wozniczka at [email protected] along with theConfidential Records Release Form. Please also send a copy to Lake Forest Academy’s Admission Office.
5. Student/Parent Essays
Student essays give applicants the opportunity to tell the Admission Committee who they are and what is important to them. These are helpful for the committee to get to know them and better understand their fit at LFA. Essay prompts can be found in the admission portal.
Parents are also asked to answer two questions on their student’s application, which will provide the admission counselors with another perspective about the applicant. The parents’ essay prompts are also located in the admission portal.
6. Interviews
This year, all student interviews will be conducted virtually with a member of the Admission Office. To schedule your interview, please email [email protected].
7. Arts and Athletic Supplements
You may complete this optionalArts Supplement and/orAthletic Supplement if you have a specific talent or interest that you would like to highlight. Once completed, you may upload the forms to the admissions portal.
Registration for admissions events and campus visits can be foundhere.