OCTOBER 2018
A Message from the Superintendent Dear Lawrence Faculty & Community Members,
TOP TEACHER BELONGS TO LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP! Ms. Tamara Markey, Engineering teacher at McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology has been selected the Indiana State Teacher of the Year! Ms. Markey is the MCIT Teacher of the Year MSDLT Teacher of the Year Indiana State Teacher of the Year
Follow Dr. Smith on Twitter
She was selected as #1 out of 75,000 teachers from Indiana.
Pictured above with the Board of Education, Shawn Denney, Board Member; Reginald McGregor, President; Wendy Muston, Secretary; Tamara Markey; Carol Helmus, Member; Richard Freije, Jr. ; Vice President; Dr. Shawn Smith, Superintendent
Dr. Shawn Smith, Tamara Markey and City-County Councilman Michael J. McQuillen, District 4
Ms. Markey will be formally recognized on Friday, November 16th at the Indiana State Teacher of the Year banquet. The next stop for Ms. Markey – She will compete for the title of National Teacher of the Year. Sincerely,
Shawn A. Smith, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools
The District of Destination MSD of Lawrence Township
Lawrence Education and Community Center 6501 Sunnyside Road Indianapolis, IN 46236 317-423-8200 Visit us on the web at www.LTschools.org
Tamara Markey Selected as Indiana Teacher of the Year! Tamara Markey, 2018 McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology and LT Schools Teacher of the Year, is the 2019 Indiana Teacher of the Year! Ms. Markey teaches Project Lead the Way Pre-Engineering at MCIT. Each year, the Indiana Department of Education conducts the Indiana Teacher of the Year program to recognize outstanding classroom teachers from across the state. One person, in accordance with National Teacher of the Year guidelines, is chosen to represent Indiana teachers at the national level. Click here to read the DOE press release.
Watch the surprise unfold! Click here to watch the IndyStar video. Click here to learn how being a black woman in engineering shaped Ms. Markey's classroom career.
Ms. Markey shows her surprise at the announcement!
Ms. Markey poses with her family.
Dr. Shawn Smith, Superintendent; Ms. Markey; Ms. Mari Swayne, MCIT Director; Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
ISTEP Results October 24, 2018 Dear Lawrence Township Families, Recently, the Indiana Department of Education released the 2018 ISTEP scores for individual schools and school districts. While there was a slight statewide drop in ISTEP pass rates from 2017 to 2018, I am pleased to report that Lawrence Township schools actually saw significant growth in either math or English/language arts at every grade level, grades 3-8. Specific ISTEP highlights for Lawrence schools include:
Increased math pass rates in 5 of 6 grades, th Increased English/language arts and math pass rates for nearly every demographic sub-group in 4 and 8th grade, Increased pass rates for English Language Learners in both math and ELA at every grade level. th Improved Marion County Ranking - improved to 4 in Marion County (of 11 Public School Districts) in the percentage of students passing both math and ELA in grades 3 through 8. I celebrate the hard work and diligence of Lawrence students and teachers and congratulate them on a job well done. If you have questions about your child’s academic performance, please contact your child’s teacher for information. Sincerely,
Shawn Smith, PhD Superintendent of Schools
PREP—Parent Resource and Engagement Program Chaucie's Place: Mental Health: Suicide Prevention and Awareness Our third Parent and Family Resource Engagement Program of the 2018—2019 school year will be held on November 28th at 6:30 at the Lawrence Education and Community Center, 6501 Sunnyside Road. Chaucie’s Place works passionately to empower the community to end child sexual abuse and youth suicide by offering evidence-informed and evidence-based, high-quality prevention programs so all children can live free from harm and to their highest potential. Learn more about Chaucie's Place Childcare, Spanish translation available. ASL translation available upon request.
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township Board of Education Goals 2018-2019
1. Student Achievement
Graduation rate at each high school of 93% or higher
Increase in Advance Placement test takers (10%) and average test scores (.5 points)
Maintain highest career and college readiness rating for any public school system in Marion County
Grade 10 ISTEP proficiency growth of 5% for first time test takers and 10% for retesters
Achievement gap will decrease between all ESSA identified subgroups plus each subgroup will continue to show improvement
Growth of 5% in the number of students meeting grade level benchmarks in both Star Math and Reading at mid-year and year-end assessments
Rigor diagnostic growth greater than the national average of 1.8
Composite WIDA score growth of .5 or greater for ENL
Student attendance at 96% or greater
2. People Value and empower employees to positively impact student achievement.
Retain highly effective teachers.
Recruit highly qualified employees with emphasis on increasing the staff diversity.
Administer district wide teacher culture survey each year
Inform and educate stakeholders regarding district and school information.
Increase percentage of Lawrence Township residents who attend Lawrence Township schools.
3. Operations and Finance
The MSDLT School Board will ensure a strong and stable financial outlook by maintaining a cash balance of $10M inthe education fund at the end of each calendar year.
All taxing funds will maintain a positive balance at the end of the fiscal year.
4. Safety and Security
Commit to Safe and Secure Learning Environments
Meet and exceed safety and security guidelines in all aspects as set by the State of Indiana. Meet our Board of Education Wendy Muston, Board Secretary Shawn Denney, Member Richard Freije, Jr. Vice President Dr. Shawn Smith, Superintendent
Reginald McGregor, President Carol Helmus, Member
Congratulations to our National Merit Scholars! Jason Gorney, Lawrence North High School, was named a National Merit Semi-finalist and will continue on in the scholarship competition. Lawrence North students Sami Coffman, Rachael Hinshaw and Jessie Miller and Lawrence Central student Alex Butrum-Griffith were named as Commended Scholars--an impressive achievement in a competitive scholarship program.
Jason Gorney
Sami Coffman
Rachel Hinshaw
Jessie Miller
Alex Butrum-Griffith
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition for recognition and scholarships that is open to all U.S. high school students who meet the published entry requirements. The program is conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a not-for-profit organization established in 1955 that operates without government assistance. Semifinalists named in each year’s Merit Scholarship competition show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Those who meet the requirements to advance to the Finalist level compete for National Merit Scholarships supported by independent sponsor organizations and by NMSC’s own funds. Currently, about half of the Finalists are chosen as award recipients and honored as Merit Scholar designees.
Notable Measures Donated $1,000 to Winding Ridge Band Program Notable Measures paid a visit to Winding Ridge Elementary and donated $1,000 to their band program. Notable Measures is a nonprofit started by students to help support youth music education. They are Zionsville students, and have donated to several schools in Indy over the last few years. They are all musicians themselves who just felt compelled to give back in a big way! Members of the Notable Measures who visited Winding Ridge are pictured here.
Lawrence North High School Gospel Choir Sounds of Praise to Present Sharing is Caring Thanksgiving Concert The Lawrence North High School Gospel Choir Sounds of Praise invites the community to their first annual Sharing is Caring Thanksgiving Concert Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m. in the newly renovated Lawrence North auditorium, 7802 Hague Road. This night is set aside to give thanks for all the blessings we often take for granted and will feature some of Sounds Of Praise special friends, The Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church choirs, Brighter Day, Lawrence North Dance department and other community friends. We are asking for two small, or one large non perishable food or canned good item per guest for entry. All donated food will go to support the Lawrence North Food Pantry to help our families in need. This night is also special because Sounds of Praise will be debuting music from their first recording project entitled Thank You! Pre-release CD's will be available the night of the concert for only $5.00. CD Proceeds go to support Sounds Of Praise as well as a scholarship to a well deserving senior at the end of our school year.
Crestview Nurse Lynn Wirick Selected for Nursing Excellence Congratulations to Crestview nurse Lynn Wirick who was nominated and selected by Community Health Network as the Nursing Excellence winner for Patient Focused care for 2018! Every year, the Society for Nursing Excellence pays tribute to Community Health Network nurses who exemplify excellence in five different categories: therapeutic relationships, facilitative leadership, patient-focused care, art and science of nursing, and evidence-based practice. Click here to watch the video.
Principal and Teacher Go “Over The Edge” for Students Brett Crousore, Lawrence North High School Principal, and Jason Williams, Project Lead the Way teacher at Fall Creek Valley Middle School, participated in the Indy Over the Edge on September 28 th. They had the opportunity to rappel 17 stories down the Barnes & Thornburg building. Together they raised over $2,500. Proceeds from this event are used to help stop youth violence in Indianapolis.
Mr. Crousore, left and Mr. Williams, right, are joined by LT Campus Life Sponsor, Chris Rickelman as they prepare to go “Over the Edge”.
One Kidney Unites Two Employees of Same School One is a school psychologist; the other is a classroom instructional assistant. These two women work in the same school district but never met until one needed a kidney and the other became her donor. Meet Karen Murphy and Beth Williams and read their remarkable story.
Former Lawrence Central Football Standout, Tre Roberson, is Making a Mark in the CFL Lawrence Central graduate Tre Roberson has put together a terrific first year in the Canadian Football League and deserves serious consideration for the league’s Most Outstanding Rookie! Click here to meet Tre and learn more about his success.
Profiles of Excellence Jennifer NcNamara Kindergarten Teacher and eCoach, Early Learning Center at Mary Castle Ms. McNamara is a dedicated educator and loyal employee of the MSD of Lawrence Township. She has served young children for over 10 years at the Early Learning Centers. She prides herself on creating learning experiences that give students "just-right" practice on the necessary skills. She goes above and beyond to meet the needs of even the most challenging students. Outside of being an AMAZING kindergarten teacher, Ms. McNamara serves as the school eCoach, Box Top Chair, and on the Marzano leadership team.
Bruce Nelson Robotics & Design Teacher, Indina Creek Elementary Mr. Bruce Nelson was recently awarded the distinction of LEGO Master Educator. He is the only certified LEGO® Education Master Educator in the state of Indiana. Throughout his career, Mr. Nelson has taught every elementary grade in some fashion, either as a classroom teacher or as a subject area specialist. As the Robotics and Design teacher at Indian Creek, he teaches over 700 students the basics of engineering and design. His students put their knowledge of coding and programing to work as they design and engineer.
Shelia Patterson Allen Guidance Counselor and Department Co-Chair, Lawrence North High School Ms. Patterson Allen earned her B.A in Communications at the University of Michigan and her M.S. in Counseling/ Counselor Education at Indiana University. She has been a school counselor since 1995 and worked in IPS and Warren Township prior to moving to LN. Ms. Allen works with 9th grade students and coordinates the 8th -to9th grade transition each year. She also works as an adjunct professor at IUPUI, preparing aspiring school counselors.
Connie Sivertson Guidance Counselor and Department Co-Chair, Lawrence North High School
Ms. Connie Sivertson has been a Lawrence Township educator since 1996. She was a School Counselor at Craig Middle School before becoming a WILDCAT in 2010. Mrs. Sivertson taught science at Grand Forks Central High School in North Dakota and taught math at Crane Jr. High in Yuma, AZ, being named the “Educator of the Year” in 1994, 1995 & 1999. Mrs. Sivertson also works as an adjunct professor for IUPUI in the summer, teaching future counselors. She goes above and beyond to help all stakeholders in the LN community. Time is never a factor and she is always willing to help.
Richard Torres World Language Teacher, Lawrence Central High School
Mr. Torres uses World Languages to provide a platform for our Latino students to be leaders and give back to their school community! His diverse way of thinking and leadership has a huge impact on the Lawrence Central school community.
LT Schools Participates in United Way of Central Indiana Campaign The MSD of Lawrence Township is proud to participate in the United Way of Central Indiana workplace campaign. Because of our employees’ gifts, our district has helped address needs and improve lives throughout the community. Below is a graph of our campaign performance over the past five years.
As we have in previous years, the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township will be running a 2018 UWCI workplace campaign, because we recognize the importance of our school district giving back to the community – and the United Way of Central Indiana provides a way to help the community in so many ways.
2019-2020 Spanish Immersion Early Application for Skiles Test and Forest Glen Preschool and Kindergarten ONLY Early application for BOTH Skiles Test and Forest Glen Preschool - Kindergarten, for the 2019-2020 school year will be open November 1 - 30, 2018. The application will be available on the Enrollment Page of our website. Unique to the Skiles Test expansion is the blending of the immersion program with the current stateaccredited STEM program. Not only will students receive core instruction in Spanish, but they will continue existing programming in robotics, coding and environmental science. Grades 1 - 6 at Forest Glen and Grades 1 and 2 at Skiles Test may apply for admission in either Spanish Immersion program by submitting a CAP (Computerized Admittance Program) application. The CAP will be open Monday, April 1 - May 17, 2019.
Be A Bear Or Wildcat For A Day Find out what it's really like to be a Lawrence Central Bear or Lawrence North Wildcat! Eighth graders and potential transfer students are invited to spend a day in the life of an LC or LN student with your personal tour guide and experience our environment, tour our state of the art facility, meet students and teachers, enjoy a complimentary lunch, and experience high school life first hand. Students also have an opportunity to shadow at McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology. Please note that in order to take classes at McKenzie, a student must be enrolled at either Lawrence Central or Lawrence North.
Click here to request your personal Shadow Day at Lawrence Central. Click here to request your personal Shadow Day at Lawrence North
High School Fall Open House Dates
Flu Shots for Students MSDLT has partnered with Healthy Schools to administer no cost, in-school flu shots for students in grades one through 12 this fall. Healthy Schools is one of the nation’s largest school vaccine providers to offer flu shots to students during the school day, with the goal of ensuring flu shots are available to 100% of students. LT Schools is excited to be able to offer this program as an option for our students and busy families. Shots will be administered in our schools the week of November 27 th. This is a date change due to limited availability of the vaccine. SCHEDULE November 27
November 28
November 29
Lawrence North
Lawrence Central
Indian Creek Elementary LAA
Crestview Elementary
November 30
Oaklandon Elementary
Sunnyside Elementary Winding Ridge Elementary Belzer Middle School
Fall Creek Valley
Skiles Test Elementary
Forest Glen Elementary
Mary Castle Elementary
Amy Beverland Elem
Brook Park Elementary
Forest Glen Elementary
Harrison Hill Elementary
Food Service The week of October 15th was National School Lunch Week. The theme was “Lots to Love”. Our school cafeterias are offering local pork tenderloins and emoji fries. Students have had the opportunity to vote for their favorite school lunch as well. In keeping with the theme of the week, love was shared with our custodial staff by way of a free lunch. Fall Creek Valley Assistant Principal Corey Graham and Indian Creek Principal Kevin Kemper are pictured below dishing out the love!
Winners Drink Milk! Winding Ridge was a finalist in the Winners Drink Milk contest sponsored by the American Dairy Association.
Students Get Hands-On Learning at Job Spark On September 26th and 27th over 1250 students from Belzer and Fall Creek Valley Middle Schools took park in the Junior Achievement Job Spark initiative at the Indiana State Fair Grounds. The Job Spark event brings together educators, students and industry leaders throughout the Indianapolis area, filling the Fairgrounds with hands-on learning experiences designed to align with what industry will need from its employees in the future. When a student has a real idea of what they want to do after high school, they are much more likely to stay in school and graduate. Click to learn more.
Congratulations to Lawrence North Sectional Champions
The Lady Cats won their second straight IHSAA sectional championship!
The Wildcat Tennis team won their eighth straight sectional title!
Lawrence North and Lawrence Central both had several runners who advanced out of their sectional and moved on to regionals, where they ran extremely competitively and had a number of personal bests.
Blue Ribbon Facilities Plan Welcoming. Safe. Secure. Engaging. Energizing. Lawrence Township is investing in every building to better meet student needs and foster achievement. All academic, athletic, & performing arts programs will benefit from enhanced learning communities and operational upgrades. Building community pride in Lawrence Township by building excellence! Work on our high school auditoriums has been completed!
Lawrence Central Auditorium
Lawrence North Auditorium
Renovations have wrapped up on Harrison Hill, Indian Creek and Skiles Test Elementaries. There will be a dedication ceremony at all three of these schools on Sunday, December 2, 2018: Indian Creek at 1:30; Harrison Hill at 2:30; Skiles Test at 3:30.
Indian Creek Elementary
Harrison Hill Elementary
Skiles Test Elementary Work continues on our Blue Ribbon Facilities Plan. The next phase for 2019 will be: Amy Beverland Elementary Sunnyside Elementary The Transportation Facility. 2020 Renovations will include: Lawrence Central and Lawrence North High Schools, Oaklandon, Forest Glen, Winding Ridge, and Brook Park Elementaries The four Early Learning Centers. 2021 Renovations: 6th Grade Academies 2023 Renovations: Belzer and Fall Creek Valley Middle Schools Upon conclusion of our Blue Ribbon Facilities Plan, every school in our district will be updated and renovated!
Lawrence Live!
In this edition of Lawrence Live, Dr. Smith chats with our Teacher and Administrator of the year for 2018. Listen in and meet Ms. Tamara Markey, Project Lead the Way teacher at McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology and Mr. Rodger Smith, Chief of Operations.
In this edition of Lawrence Live, Dr. Smith chats with Steve Collier, Mayor of the City of Lawrence. Listen in and get to know Mayor Collier, a Lawrence Central grad, former Lawrence North teacher and respected community leader. Video Recording by Communication Studies Students at Crestview Elementary. Editing by Mr. Randy Tomes, Communication Studies Teacher, Crestview Elementary.
School Safety On August 23rd a team of district and community safety experts responsible for keeping LT students safe and buildings secure held a parent meeting to discuss LT School’s commitment to safety, including the comprehensive initiatives and collaboration with local law enforcement. Click here to watch the video and learn more.
Seventy volunteers from the Community Health Network’s Board of Directors joined forces with LT Schools and Lawrence Township School Foundation to complete a service project during their All Boards Retreat. They packed 500 food bags and 500 snack bags for LT families in need. Community donated all of the food and bags.
Cori Korn, Executive Director of the Lawrence Township School Foundation, coordinated volunteer efforts at our schools for Indy Do Day on September 28. Volunteers from 12 area business worked at 15 of our schools, mulching, enhancing our grounds and other various tasks in and around out buildings. Thank you to everyone who helped!
581 Lawrence Township students participated in the Up and Running Club, sponsored by the Lawrence Township School Foundation, and ran in the 23 rd Indy Half & 5K at historic Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park. Congratulations to all of those students and their mentors and running coaches for a great race!
LT School Foundation News Light Their Future Celebration is March 8, 2019
Lawrence Township Superheroes share their superpowers in so many ways. 72.4% of the certified staff generously donate to the Lawrence Township School Foundation through payroll deduction. Thank you to ALL who participate in this program. Your Superhero T-shirts are currently in the lab and will be ready for #GivingTuesday. Watch for more details about this special jeans day for payroll deduction participants.
The annual Bridge Fund Golf Outing had a record breaking year, raising $26,000 to bridge the gap for Lawrence Township students. Thank you to all who helped make the event a huge success.
Click here to visit the Lawrence Township School Foundation to learn more about the Foundation and how you can get involved or follow them on your favorite social media platform!
Board of Education News Go to BoardDocs to access board meeting agendas and minutes. The Board of Education will meet on November 12, 2018 at 5:30 pm at the Lawrence Education and Community Center, 6501 Sunnyside Road. Click here for a complete listing of Board of Education Meetings and Work Sessions. Information from current and past School Board meetings can be found at our MSDLT public BoardDocs site below.
Audio Recordings from regular Board of Education meetings are available in BoardDocs, however, for easy access, they can also be found on their own webpage. From the School Board section of the website, just click on the link to Board Meeting Audio on the left side of the page. Click here to access the Board Meeting Audio Recording webpage.
MSDLT Celebration Snapshot Click here for the Celebration Snapshot for October 2018
Board of Education Recognitions—Celebrating Excellence Each month the Board of Education recognizes individuals and groups for outstanding achievement and
for going “Above and Beyond.” Click here for the September 24 Board of Education meeting recognitions. October 15 Board of Education meeting recognitions
Kelly Educational Staffing Make a difference in your schools & community! Kelly Educational Staffing is always looking for substitutes for Lawrence Township schools. All you need is a high school diploma to get started as an Instructional Assistant Substitute! With 60+ college credit hours in any field of study you are qualified to be a Substitute Teacher for the entire classroom! Lawrence Township pays substitute teachers $90 a day and Instructional Assistant Subs $11 an hour. There are also opportunities to work every day that school is in session. Call Kelly at 317-537-9715 to get started. Let us know you heard about us through this newsletter!
Marching Pride of Lawrence Township Finishes High in Competition Congratulations to the The Marching Pride of Lawrence Township! MPLT finished sixth in the Bands of America Super Regional competition on Saturday, October 20th!
For more MSDLT News: Be a Fan on Facebook, Follow Dr. Smith on Twitter Follow MSDLT on Twitter Follow MSDLT Human Resources on Twitter Stay in touch with LT School Foundation MSDLT Social Media Directory Check out our Blog! Follow us on Instagram! Watch Lawrence Live! On YouTube!
Check out the Community Opportunities and Information page on our website for a list of local cultural and civic events, scouting opportunities, academic opportunities, youth sports teams and camps, and music and performing arts classes. The Lawrence Township Schools post this information as a community service. We do not necessarily endorse any of the programs, services, events listed. Bookmark this site and visit it often to get the latest news! Visit our Community Opportunities and Information webpage to learn more.
LT Inside Out is our electronic newsletter designed to share information about our school district with parents, community members, and stakeholders. Parents who have registered their email in Skyward will be included in our electronic mailing. We are working to build an email list of community members and friends of MSDLT. Interested parties can sign up by going to our homepage, https://www.LTschools.org. Click on List Serves on the right side of the screen and select LT Inside Out. Or click here to go directly to the listserve webpage. Before printing this newsletter, please think green and conserve paper.