LT Inside Out April 2018

APRIL 2018

Dear Lawrence Township Faculty & Community Members: Spring Brings Celebrations to LT Schools!

2018 Honored Alumni Congratulations to the 2018 Lawrence Central and Lawrence North High Schools honored alumni, recognized at the Top 30 banquets held on April 10 th and 11th.

Lawrence Central High School 2018 Honored Alumni

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Steve Collier, Mayor of Lawrence Indiana, Vince Epps, Vice President and Senior Retired LT Schools teacher, coach, and Environmental Scientist for Metric athletic administrator Environmental

Judge Robyn Moberly, Chief Judge of the Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Indiana

Dr. Jill Robinson Kramer, Vice President for Operation Strategies at Strada Education Network Read Dr. Robinson Kramer’s Bio.

Dr. Nikki Woodson, Superintendent of Schools for the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township Read Dr. Woodson’s Bio.

Mr. John McDonald, CEO of ClearObject, Inc.

Read Mr. McDonald’s Bio.

The District of Destination MSD of Lawrence Township

Lawrence Education and Community Center Dr. Shawn A. Smith, Superintendent 6501 Sunnyside Road Indianapolis, IN 46236 317-423-8200 Visit us on the web at www.LTschools.org

Dr. Smith and BOE Present at Conference Dr. Smith and the MSDLT Board of Education recently presented at the National School Board annual conference. Learn more about how Dr. Smith and the board work together and have created an ongoing and transparent process for communication to build a shared vision.

A System of Servant Leadership - An Effective School Board/Superintendent Partnership

From left to right: Dr. Shawn A. Smith, Superintendent; Mr. Shawn Denney, BOE Member; Mrs. Carol Helmus, BOE Member; Mrs. Wendy Muston, Secretary; Mr. Richard Freije, Jr. Vice President; Mr. Reginald McGregor, President

Profile of Excellence

Mrs. Margaret Powell Mrs. Margaret Powell is a lifelong educator. A native of Evansville and graduate of Indiana University and Indiana Wesleyan, she began her career 34 years ago in Bloomington. In 1989, she was a was part of the opening staff at Amy Beverland Elementary and has taught the first grade (in the same classroom!) for 29 years. Both of her own children, Phillip (26) and Katherine (21), are products of Lawrence Township, having attended Amy Beverland, Belzer, and Lawrence Central. Powell shares: I feel very fortunate to have been able to have my children attend where I taught.

It was important to me for them to be a part of the school system I was teaching in. Many of their friends were children I had in class throughout the years. I was able to watch them grow up with my ‘school family’.

I was able to teach, parent, be a team mom, volunteer, and support to many children and families, including my own. I became “Momma Powell” along with Mrs. Powell.

Late principal Susan Jordan’s leadership, encouragement and friendship was the foundation for my continuous professional growth. Her belief that all children can learn was my foundation for creating a first grade environment that nurtures the special qualities that makes each child unique. I develop a bond with each child so that I am not just a teacher, I can also be a parent, neighbor or a confident.

In her distinguished career, Ms. Powell has been honored with the following awards: IPALCO Golden Apple recipient 1997 Top 30 Honored Educator – 2010 & 2016 Teacher of the Year –2015 Shining Star Nominee Channel 13 – 1993 Above and Beyond Award - 2017 Mrs. Powell will be retiring at the end of the school year.

She hopes to spend more time on her hobbies, which include reading, golf, attending sporting events, and spending time with family and friends. She shares that one of her greatest joys is when past students come to see her, all of whom have a first grade memory to share.

MSDLT Celebration Snapshot Celebration Snapshot for March 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.”

March 12, 2018 Board of Education meeting recognitions

Lawrence Live!

In this edition of Lawrence Live, Dr. Smith chats with Lawrence Central senior football player, Cameron McGrone, about his experiences and the work ethic necessary to succeed. We also meet Mr. Troy Knoderer, Director of Curriculum, Instructional Programs, and Professional Development. We invite you to listen in to learn more about spring ISTEP testing and upcoming initiatives in the classroom.

Video Recording by Communication Studies Students at Crestview Elementary. Editing by Mr. Randy Tomes, Communication Studies Teacher, Crestview Elementary.

Indiana Principal Leadership Institute Congratulations to the MSDLT principals who recently completed the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute!

Pictured from left to right are Mr. Andrew Harsha, principal at Belzer Middle School; Ms. Tierney Anderson, principal at Sunnyside Elementary; Mr. Kevin Kemper, principal at Indian Creek Elementary.

Blue Ribbon Facilities Project Updates Our Blue Ribbon Facilities work continues, with the Board of Education approving the 2019 renovations of both Amy Beverland and Sunnyside Elementary Schools. Work continues at Indian Creek Elementary (IC), Skiles Test Elementary (ST), and Harrison Hill Elementary (HH), and will be completed by the start of the 2018 -2019 school year.

At both Lawrence Central (LC) and Lawrence North (LN) High Schools, complete renovations of both auditoriums are underway with anticipated completion this summer. Also approved by the Board of Education for completion in 2019 are new softball stadiums at both high schools.

Renderings of both auditoriums can be viewed below: Lawrence Central High School

Lawrence North High School

The Blue Ribbon Plan came to fruition five years ago, as the district reviewed and analyzed both the current state of its facilities, as well as its growth. The MSD of Lawrence Township has grown by over 1,200 students in the past four years. This growth has led to an influx of dollars from the state that have been used to support our schools. Growth, along with responsible fiscal oversight, have resulted in four consecutive years of raises for our staff.

Visit our website for more information about the Blue Ribbon Facilities Plan.

Computerized Admittance Process The MSD of Lawrence Township CAP (Computerized Admittance Process), for those residing within the MSD of Lawrence Township boundaries, will open on Saturday, March 31st and will remain open through Sunday, May 20th. This process is only for MSDLT students who wish to apply to attend a school other than their current assigned school.

Families must complete the CAP for incoming first graders wanting to join an older sibling who attends a different school from the school assigned to the first grader.

Additional Information regarding the CAP process: 

March 31: CAP application opens for ALL current MSDLT families

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April 29: Deadline for submission of CAP applications to be consider for the 1 st run to take place midMay. This first run will ONLY be for kindergarteners applying to Forest Glen, and for 1st-graders applying to any/all schools. A separate run will take place for all other grade level placements (1–6) in Late-June.

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May 20: CAP application closes at midnight.

Week of June 25: School placements finalized for the 2017-2018 school year. Families will receive e-mail notification regarding placement in early July.

Click here to complete the online computerized application process.

Return to Neighborhood School If you wish to transfer your elementary student from his/her current elementary school to his/her neighborhood elementary school, please complete the application below by June 8th.

Once the application has been verified and confirmed, you will receive an email regarding the transfer.

Return to neighborhood school

Preschool and Kindergarten Enrollment Preschool and kindergarten enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year is now underway. Please call the Office of Early Childhood Education at 317-423-8363 for information. Or, click here to provide some brief information and we will contact you within 3 business days of your inquiry.

New Families-Click here to visit Skyward to create an account and begin the enrollment process.

Families that already have a Lawrence Township Skyward Username and need to enroll a new student for the 2017-2018 school year can enroll by clicking here to go to the skyward website and completing the enrollment online.

Early Entrance to Kindergarten According to policy set by the Indiana Department of Education, a child must be five years of age by August 1, of the year they enroll, to enter kindergarten. The MSD of Lawrence Township gives parents/ guardians the option of requesting early entrance to kindergarten if a child’s birthdate falls between August 2nd and October 31st of the year they enroll, but the Early Entrance Request Process must be followed.

If your child was born in 2013, and will be turning five years old between August 2 and October 31, 2018, and you want your child to attend kindergarten, you must request Early Entrance to Kindergarten Assessment for the 2018-2019 school year. Applications must be submitted no later than April 20th.

Click here for more information.

RSVP—Returning Student Verification Process The Returning Student Verification Process (RSVP) facilitates the transition to a paperless online verification of a student’s return for the next school year. This process is completed through Skyward Family Access and is mandatory for all families. In order to complete this process, you must be able to log in to Skyward Family Access. If you do not have your Skyward Family Access account information, please visit your child’s school with a valid ID to obtain the information. This process must be completed for each student enrolled in the district and returning for the 2018-2019 school year, as all forms for the new year are included. Please complete this required information no later than Wednesday, May 30th.

Visit the website for more information.

Before and After School Childcare for the 2018-2019 School Year Enrollment is now underway for before and after school childcare for the 2018 - 2019 school year. Childcare is available for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Our program is a state licensed child care facility, and a CCDF provider.

Rates are subject to change: AM Only ($25*/week) 6:30 - 7:30 am PM Only ($65*/week) 2:30 - 6:00 pm Both AM and PM ($70*/week) 6:30 - 7:30 am , 2:30 - 6:00 pm Click here to enroll online.

Blood Mobile at Crestview Crestview Elementary will be hosting a blood drive on May 2 and we invite all from the community to participate in this worthy cause.

Click here to sign up and reserve a spot.

Eligibility Donors must be 17 years old (16 with signed parent permission slip), meet height /weight eligibility requirements, be in good general health, and present a photo I.D. at registration.

Not sure if you are eligible? Visit the eligibility page of our web site, or email specific questions to Eligibility.

More questions? Click here to email Kristine Pierce at the Indiana Blood Bank.

LN North Star Recognized in State High School Journalism Competition Congratulations to the LN North Star staff . They have been recognized with multiple awards from the Women's Press Club through the annual Indiana State High School Journalism Competition.

First place winners are automatically sent to the NATIONAL competition with results released in May. Congratulations to our LN North Star staff and Mrs. Klopfenstein, the North Star advisor.

1ST PLACE in News: Jared Rigdon & Claire Settlemyre for their "Defending DACA" story 1ST PLACE in Sports Photo: Jared Rigdon for his picture of Taylor Erschen 2nd PLACE in News: Tony Reeves, Ashlee Goodpaster, Santiago Madrigal for their Sexual Harassment story 2nd PLACE in Sports: Jared Rigdon for his story about Coach Jack Keefer Tony Reeves, Jared Rigdon, Keelen Barlow, Ashlee Goodpaster and Claire Settlemyre were all honored at the Women's Press Club HS Journalism Competition.

(Not pictured--Santiago Madrigal)

Enrichment and Academic Opportunities for Summer 2018

Summer Childcare Camp Summer Childcare Camp for children ages 3 - entering kindergarten is available at two locations this summer, the Early Learning Center at Brook Park and the Early Learning Center at Amy Beverland.

Click here for more information or to register.

Summer Childcare Camp for children in first grade and older is available through the Benjamin Harrison YMCA. Click here for more information or to register for children ages 5 - 12.

Information on the opportunities listed below is available through your child’s school.

Elementary Spanish Summer Camp This camp , for grades 1 through 6, focuses on Spanish Language Development through Science and the Arts.

Camp will be held at Forest Glen Elementary from June 4 through July 27. Before and After Care is available.

Accelerating Learning Elementary Summer School For current students in grades 1 through 5, the Accelerating Learning Summer School is designed to bring students up to grade level achievement. Located at forest Glen Elementary, it runs from June 5 through June 28. Students will be identified for this program by their classroom teacher.

Camp Kaleidoscope Camp Kaleidoscope will provide enrichment and hands-on activities for students in grades Kindergarten through Grade 12 with cognitive and/or medical disabilities. Held at Fall Creek Valley Middle School, camp is from June 18—21 and June 25—28.

Middle School Graduation Pathway Jump Start This program is for incoming seventh and eighth grade students identified by their teachers. The focus will be on English and Language Arts aligned with the new ILEARN assessment. The program will be housed at Fall Creek Valley Middle School June 5—June 28.

High Ability Jump Start High Ability Jump Start is for students enrolled in high school Honors/AP/IB classes for the first time. The group will meet three days in June with an evening parent component.

Lawrence Township ECampus Summer School (LTeC) A select number of high school credit courses in English, Mathematics, PE/Health, Science, Social Studies, and World Language are available during summer school through Canvas, our online content management system. Courses not offered by LTeC Summer School may be available through the Indiana Online Academy.

Click here for complete details and to register online.

Athletic and Extra-Curricular Opportunities In addition to the academic opportunities above, there are a wide range of athletic and enrichment camps.

Visit the Community Activities page of our website for complete details.

Project SEARCH Reverse Job Fair March 20, 2018 was the first annual reverse job fair hosted by Project SEARCH at Easterseals Crossroads. This was an opportunity for the Interns to create a "storyboard" highlighting their gifts, talents and jobs skills. Also they created a resume and business cards. Each Intern was assigned a table to set up their display. Businesses were invited to send their recruiter(s) to interview each of the Interns.

The group spent the days and weeks prior creating their boards, resumes and practicing interview skills. They also took time to review and plan what to wear for an interview and how to behave in a professional manner.

Each Intern sat at their table and waited to be visited by a recruiter. The recruiters each had a different starting point and visited the students at their table. It was explained prior to the beginning of the event that the interviews would be 4 minutes in length and a buzzer would sound indicating it was time to move to the next person.

There were more Interns than recruiters so the Interns were expected to sit quietly and patiently while they waited for the next interview. Al;l interns had the opportunity to interview with every recruiter.

Overall the feedback from businesses was very positive. The recruiters from YMCA and JW Marriott have expressed an interest in hiring a few of our interns. The recruiter from Kroger requested that a few of individuals apply directly to her.

Content provided by Mrs. Jill Rusk.

LT Winter Percussion Wins State Congratulations to our LT Winter Percussion on winning their 2nd State Championship! The Guard also placed sixth at the Winter Guard Nationals in Dayton, Ohio with a score of 92.138 That’s the highest score and placement ever for the LTWP.

Riley Hospital Benefits from Dance Marathon Both Lawrence Central and Lawrence North High Schools recently held dance marathons to benefit Riley Hospital for Children.

In its fourth year, Lawrence Central raised $41,433. Lawrence North, in its inaugural year, raised just over $5,500 for a grand total of $55,062 from both schools.

Sixth Grade Basketball Champions Congratulations to the Lady Globe Trotters of Mary Castle and the Indian Creek Exploders Boys’ Basketball teams for winning the championship in the annual 6th Grade Basketball Tournament!

Winding Ridge Crown Mentoring Scholars Crown Scholars at Winding Ridge elementary had the opportunity to visit the University of Indianapolis for a college tour and basketball game experience. Our scholars had the opportunity to high five the team during the pregame introductions, see senior night and explore the campus and see themselves as college students.

LT Schools Qualify For State Robotics Championship and Beyond

Of 900 elementary teams in Indiana, 150 qualified for the state championship and six of those teams were from Lawrence Township.

Forest Glen Elementary: Team 10525A won the Think Award for programming and 2 nd place in Indiana Robot Skills. Team 10525B won the Teamwork 3rd Place Award. Team 10525D on the Teamwork 4th Place Award. All three teams have qualified for the VEX IQ World Competition.

Indian Creek Elementary: The girls team (Cute Pandas) finished 37/50 in the state competition. They added over 30 points to their average score from the regular season and had the opportunity to meet both Mayor Hogsett and Superintendent, Dr. McCormick.

Mary Castle Elementary: While neither team advanced to the finals, Team 12150A (Cyber DrAgons) finished 37th in Alliance matches in their division and 38th in Robot skills. Team 12150B (Splitz Chickens) finished 40th in Alliance matches and 15th in Robot Skills.

Secondary Competition: Fall Creek Valley Middle School: The FCV Gearcats Team 1024X won the State Championship for their STEM project: The Roles of Robots in our Society. That victory places them in the World Championship in April and marks the third State Championship for the team.

McKenzie Center for Innovation & Technology: The Kil-a-bytes (Team 1024) along with 3357, and 74 won the Indiana district event in South Bend. They were 16-2 for the weekend.

Lawrence Central Announces New Varsity Girls Basketball Coach Lawrence Central High School (LC) is proud to welcome new Varsity Girls Basketball Coach, Mr. Antoine Wynne. Mr. Wynne currently works in the district at Brook Park Elementary, where he serves as the Behavior Mentor.

Prior to his new role at Lawrence Central, Coach Wynne served as the varsity girls basketball coach at Arlington High School (2016-2018) and T.C. Howe High School (2013-2014). He also brings with him officiating experience.

Click here to read the entire press release.

Lawrence North Announces New Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Lawrence North High School has hired Mitchell Holden as the head coach of the girls’ soccer team. Holden was the head coach at Mooresville High School the previous two years. The 2017 team went 5-1 in conference play and were the Mid-State Co-Champions, including 5 All-Conference selections and one All-District first team selection. Coach Holden has also been assisting with the Marian University women’s team and coaches for USF Real soccer club.

Click here to read the entire press release.

Lawrence North Senior Kevin Easley Named Indiana All-Star Lawrence North senior Kevin Easley was named to the 2018 IndyStar Indiana All-Star basketball team. He went over a 1,000 points for his career and averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots during the 2017-18 season, leading the Wildcats to an 18-7 record. Easley was also named All-Marion County, All-MIC, and IBCA “Supreme 15” All-State.

Click here to learn more.

Lawrence North Receives National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School Award Lawrence North High School is the recipient of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School award for its Lawrence North Wildcat athletic program. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes. The award reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment.

Click here to learn more.

Click here to purchase tickets to the LC Bears Bash online.

Fore the Kids Golf Outing Registration is now open for The Fore the Kids Golf Outing which will take place on June 4, 2018 at Old Oakland Golf Club. Entry fee includes green fees, cart rental, continental breakfast, driving range practice, and lunch. The 18-hole round will be played as a Florida Scramble with a shotgun start. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 teams, closest-to-thepin, and longest-drive winners.

Register Online Paper Registration Sponsorship Opportunities

Honor an Educator The Honor An Educator program is a great way to personally thank the teachers, administrators, coaches, bus drivers and staff members who have encouraged, influenced, and inspired your students to be the best they can be. When you make a gift to the Honor An Educator Fund, the Foundation sends the recipient a custom designed card with your special sentiment and notifies his/her supervisor of the recognition. All proceeds benefit Foundation programs in Lawrence Township Schools that empower children to tap into their unlimited potential.

Recognitions will be accepted until May 11, 2018, so that the honored educators receive their cards before the end of the semester.

Honor an Educator online form Honor an Educator paper form

Geist Half Marathon Start getting in shape now by registering for the 11th Annual Geist Half Marathon, May 19, 2018! A portion of the proceeds is donated to LTSF for the MSD of Lawrence Township Kids Up & Running Club.

Click here to register .

Operation: Celebration!

A record breaking $112,000 was raised during the Light Their Future Celebration this year. Thank you to everyone who participated and made the MISSION POSSIBLE!

Where men of all ages will come together through interactive workshops to break generational curses to become better accountable for their actions and to be challenged to increase value for education.

Click here to learn more and to register online.

McKenzie HOSA Brings Home Top Honors Congratulations to the McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) who competed in the state competition who will now advance to the International competition this June in Dallas, Texas. Aubrienne Boyd and Natalie Rowland won first in CPR & First Aid; Jayda Graham and Lillian Griffin took first place in Medical Innovations; Natalie Beyfuss placed first and Eleni Vogas Barnette second in Clinical Specialty.

Congratulations to these students and their HOSA Advisors: Amy Hinshaw, Biomed; Carolyn Gauen, Charise Dunlap, and Kristen Ziegler, Health Sciences. Visit the HOSA website to learn more.

MSDLT Music Education Program Receives National Recognition The MSD of Lawrence Township has been honored once again with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the MSD of Lawrence Township answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

Brook Park Elementary Chooses Kindness Brook Park students received a wonderful message from Dr. Michael Goodman about kindness!

Board of Education News Go to BoardDocs to access board meeting agendas and minutes.

The Board of Education will meet on April 16 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.

Food Service On April 20th the cafes will be celebrating with an Earth Day menu. Ovens will not be turned on to save energy. To save space in landfills, the menu will allow for no spoons and forks on this day.

We hope our efforts encourage our students to have a positive impact on the planet.

Bus Tracking App Lawrence Township Transportation is working with My Stop to provide GPS tracking information for our buses and give families more exact information about their child’s bus arrival.

My Stop can be utilized two different ways; via the My Stop website or via the app on your smartphone device.

Click here for instructions on how to download and set up the App for your student's bus stop.

Click here for instructions on how to use the My Stop website.

Anderson University Graduate Studies Lawrence Area Cohort Join Anderson University for an interest meeting on Wednesday, April 25 at 6:30 pm at Yeager Office Suites (Fort Harrison), 9165 Otis Avenue, to explore Anderson University's 23-Month Master of Business Administration program. Click here for more information or to register.

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!

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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.