Aim higher Go further Experience more

SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
A Message from the Superintendent
As I shared in my back-to-school meetings with all 21 buildings, Lawrence
Township Schools are “On The Move!” Our district is on an upward trajectory,
and it is important that our patrons and employees are aware of some of our
current initiatives. We continue to celebrate the class of 2016, who was awarded
over $37M in awarded scholarships and who pushed our district graduation rate
to 92 percent!
Follow Dr. Smith on Twitter
At the end of August, our Board of Education approved our Strategic Plan. This
plan was developed with representation from the entire Lawrence Township community. Over 150
stakeholders were involved in its development. This plan is a living document, and will guide us through
the year 2020 in our vision of being a district of destination. The plan includes nine different focus areas, all
of which are committed to: student access to a quality education, student opportunity for exploration and
growth, and student preparation for life after graduation. The plan can be viewed here, and is also
available on our website.
Our community is powerful and is committed to the success of our students and our district. This group
demonstrated their support of Lawrence Excellence on September 2nd at our Lawrence at Lucas event. This
event highlighted students of all ages, and brought 7,761 patrons together for a fun evening of athletics
and performing arts. We have much to be proud of in Lawrence Township!
The pride we have in our students and in our community is reflected in our facilities. Our Blue Ribbon
Facilities initiative is well under way as we continue to Build Excellence in Lawrence Township! McKenzie
Center for Innovation & Technology, Mary Castle, and our high school football stadiums are presently
under construction. Detailed updates of current construction with photographs can be viewed on
subsequent pages. We are also pleased to announce that architects have been selected for 2017
construction at Indian Creek, Skiles Test, Harrison Hill, and Belzer.
With our Strategic Plan as our guide, we will continue to grow and excel, in and out of the classroom. We
are truly a district “On the Move!”
Sincerely,
Dr. Shawn A. Smith
Superintendent of Schools
Aim higher
Go further
MSD of Lawrence Township
Experience more
Lawrence Education and Community Center
6501 Sunnyside Road Indianapolis, IN 46236
317-423-8200
Visit us on the web at www.LTschools.org
Blue Ribbon Facilities Plan Update
Work gets underway at Lawrence Central High School’s end zone, pictured below.
The renovation to both high school stadiums includes locker room and concession upgrades, replacing
old concrete bleachers and upgrading the site, parking lots and walkways.
Mary Castle Elementary sports new lockers as the hallways are updated. Renovations for Mary
Castle include boiler and HVAC upgrade, driveway expansion and site upgrade, and interior
renovation, including relocating the main office.
Renovations for McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology include new carpet and paint, boiler
and HVAC upgrade, and expansion of the Cosmetology area, additional storage, addition of a
restroom and secure entrance to Bernie’s Place, and site upgrades.
Naming Rights for Lawrence Central & Lawrence North Stadiums go to Ed Martin
Automotive Group
The Ed Martin Automotive Group has been involved with and supportive of the MSD of Lawrence Township
for many years. They have furthered their commitment to the district with a $500,000 gift to the district in
exchange for naming rights to the two new high school stadiums currently under renovation and scheduled
for completion by the start of the 2017-2018 school year. The gift was approved at the August 29th school
board meeting and a check was presented to Dr. Smith and the Board of Education at the Lawrence Central
vs. Lawrence North football game at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 2 nd. Read the complete press release.
Pictured below are Reginald McGregor, Board Secretary; Carol Helmus, Board President; Kathy Martin Harrison;
Mark Harrison, President of Ed Martin Automotive; Wendy Muston, Board Vice President; Nancy Martin-Pressley;
Mark Pressley; Dr. Shawn Smith, MSDLT Superintendent.
MSDLT Celebration Snapshot
Click here for the Celebration Snapshot for August 29, 2016
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 August 29, 2016 Board of Education meeting recognitions
Please welcome our newest administrators!
Damon Watts
Carl Blythe
Assistant Principal
Brook Park Elementary
Assistant Principal
Mary Castle Elementary
Lawrence Live!
In this edition of Lawrence Live, Dr. Smith talks with MSDLT teacher of the year for 2015-2016, Lawrence
Central science teacher, Mr. Alan Burrell. In the second half of the show, Dr. Grant Nesbit, MSDLT
Director of Athletics, outlines the events planned for the September 2nd Lawrence at Lucas day.
We invite you to listen in.
Video Recording by Communication Studies Students at Crestview School of Communication. Editing by
Mr. Randy Tomes, Communication Studies Teacher, Crestview School of Communication.
Vaccinations Needed to Stay in School – Exclusion Day, October 11, 2016
Indiana state law requires all students to meet minimum required immunizations to attend school. If your
child is missing any immunizations for this school year, please plan to make an appointment as soon as
possible to get your child up to date. A copy of your child’s updated immunizations must be given to the
school nurse no later than Monday, October 10. Students without the required documentation for
immunizations will be excluded from school beginning Tuesday, October 11.
Visit the website for more information.
MSDLT Blood Drive
The MSD of Lawrence Township will host a blood drive on Friday, October 21, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00
p.m. at the Lawrence Education and Community Center (LECC), 6501 Sunnyside Road.
Eligibility
The donation process takes less than an hour. It is recommended that donors have a light snack before donating. Most people are eligible to donate. There are very few causes for deferral and very few medications
that are not acceptable.
Not sure if you are eligible to donate? Email Eligibility.
Indiana Blood Center must see 550 individuals each and every day in order to meet the patient needs at the
60+ hospitals it supplies.
More questions? Click here to contact: Chandra Cowen, Blood Program Consultant at the Indiana Blood Bank.
Looking Forward
September 15—PREP—A Conversation About District Safety Initiatives
October 12—Parent/Teacher Conferences—No School
October 13 & 14—Fall Break—No School
October 17—Classes Resume After Fall Break
October 21—MSDLT Blood Drive
October 26—PREP—Everything you always wanted to know about high school
but were afraid to ask!
Check the district and your child’s school website for more information and upcoming events!
Lilly’s Creative Award Winners—Follow Up
Two Lawrence Township teachers, Wendy Cole and Eddie Mathews, were recipients of the Lilly
Endowment’s Teacher Creativity award last spring. The program gives Indiana educators the financial
support and encouragement to renew their commitment to the profession of education.
Wendy Coles, Winding Ridge Elementary
Her Project: “My Paper Chase”
She created unique paper objects and studied
ancient Asian paper making techniques in Japan.
In July I attended a week-long paper arts workshop
in Door County, Wisconsin where I made marbled
papers and then used those papers to create handbound books, decorative boxes, cards, and origami
creations. I will be using these skills to help my students create their own papers and writing journals.
In August I spent two weeks in Japan. I spent time
in Tokyo where I visited several arts-related sites
including a kite museum and a Kabuki theater performance. In Tokushima I attended the annual Awa
Odori, a national dance festival, and then headed to
the Awagami Factory for an intensive one-week
papermaking workshop. In addition to making the
paper -- starting
from the actual
tree limbs -- we
also made journals
using hand-dyed
papers we created, and learned
about the art of
indigo dying. From my experiences, I'm
looking forward to
sharing music and
dancing with my
students, as well
as a modified
papermaking
experience.
Eddie Mathews, McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology
His Project: “Recording my Imagination”
Mr. Mathews recorded a professional-quality
album on jazz guitar.
I was a 2016 Lilly Creativity Fellowship grant winner
and achieved my dream of making a record. The
grant afforded me a producer, musicians, studio
time, professional mixing and mastering, and
culminated in a big celebration downtown, held on
the 5th floor patio of the Regions Tower- a space operated by John & Patty Stowers, Lawrence Township
parents!
“Liquid Brick: North American Mammal”, a mix of
jazz, blues, and rock, is available on iTunes, Spotify,
and Amazon Music.
Olympic Results
We are so proud of our Lawrence North alumni, Ashley Spencer and Felisha Johnson who competed in the
Rio Olympics! Ashley brought home a bronze medal in the Women’s 400m Hurdles. Felisha competed in
the Women’s Shot Put. Congratulations to both athletes for an outstanding performance!
The #6 ranked Lawrence Central Bears celebrate their victory over the Lawrence North Wildcats last Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Board of Education News
Go to BoardDocs to access board meeting agendas and minutes.
The next regular Board of Education meeting is on September 26, 2016 at 7:00 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.
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 School Foundation News
Bridge Fund Golf Outing
Registration is now open for the Friday, September 23, 2016 “The Bob” Golf Outing.
Register Online
Paper Registration
IndyDo Day
IndyDo Day is September 30 this year. Watch the Foundation website for ways to get involved.
The Marching Pride of Lawrence Township is Pasadena bound!
On January 2, 2017, approximately 250 LT students will experience the
thrill of being part of this long standing tradition known as the Rose
Parade. We invite you to support this important event!
Skiles Test Teaching Garden Scores at the State Fair
The teaching garden at Skiles Test Elementary earned seven ribbons at the Indiana State Fair this year!
(Thirty-one Indiana State Fair ribbons over the past three years) The garden produced over 500 pounds of
food that was harvested and eaten in the school cafeteria in 2014 and over 750 pounds in 2015! Skiles
Test STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teacher Dave Shafer, pictured below) oversees the
garden and works with students who learn the basics of growing and eating fresh vegetables. Click here to
learn more about this student-designed and operated venture.
Skiles Test isn’t the only school in our district to maintain garden space and schools across the district are
serving up local produce. Students are far more willing to try new food when part of the growing and
harvesting process. Click here to learn more about the “local foods” initiative.
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!
Visit the Market at Hague every Saturday through October
8:00 am—noon
Lawrence North High School
7802 Hague Road
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.