LTEF Prize Patrol Surprises Teachers With $172,500 In Grant Funding

LTEF Awards Grants to LTISD Teachers

Lake Travis Education Foundation Grant Chair Amy Still congratulates Helen Dawkins of Serene Hills Elementary as a recipient of grant funding for an Outdoor Classroom.

May 22nd was a special day for teachers across the Lake Travis Independent School District. Armed with balloons and congratulatory letters, directors from the Lake Travis Education Foundation descended upon campuses, surprising teachers with the news that their grant proposals had been approved for funding.

Across the district, schools received funding for reading, math, social studies, and science programs, along with physical education, fine arts, character education, and technology.

A total of $172,500 was awarded for submitted proposals and contingency grant funding for the year ahead.

The Prize Patrol day is fun for the volunteer directors of LTEF, who have worked hard all year raising the majority of the money through special events such as the Casino Royale Gala and the annual "Fore" the Kids Golf Tournament. Giving it away, and seeing how their work impacts the students of the Lake Travis ISD, makes it all worth it. Before the fun, though, came the painstaking task of deciding which proposals would be funded. Directors serving on the Grant Committee reviewed the proposals "blindly," without knowledge of who submitted the requests.

The first step in the evaluation process is to rule out those proposals that are incomplete or do not follow the stated guidelines. The committee then meets with district administration to be sure that proposals meet district guidelines and goals and there is no other funding available within the district. Once that process was completed, the Grant Committee was pleased to be able to fund 52 of the submitted proposals.

"As the need in our district grows, so does the amount requested," explained LTEF Grant Chair Amy Still. "Our Grant committee carefully evaluates all of the submitted proposals and takes into consideration which grants allow for the greatest benefit to the most students. It is a grueling process to determine which grants make the cut. Obviously, greater income to the Foundation would allow for awarding of more grants. When you witness firsthand the difference these grants make for our students and teachers, you understand the true value of contributions to LTEF."

LTEF funded grant requests to schools throughout the district.

Lake Travis Education Foundation Prize Patrol members present a check to Dr. Brad Lancaster, LTISD Superintendent of Schools.

2012 Grant Awards

Please join us in congratulating these educators and thanking them for their extra efforts to expand the learning environment for the students of Lake Travis ISD.

CHARACTER EDUCATION

Angela Frankhouser - Lake Travis Elementary
Enrichment Clusters

Tina Peña - Lake Travis Elementary
Have a Ball Building Relationships

FINE ARTS

Cha Asokan - Hudson Bend Middle School
Advancing Art Education: The Ceramic Wheel and the Artist

Steven Hopkins - Hudson Bend & Lake Travis Middle Schools
Smart Music in Our Schools

HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES

Minka Judson, Elizabeth Anstey, Jen Hansen, Kitty Fleming, Maggie Bauer - Lakeway Elementary
Historical Figures TEKS

MATHEMATICS

Davina Angeli & Debbie Dolmanet - Lake Travis Elementary
Flipping for Place Value and Fencing It In
Math-U-See

Denise Demco - Lake Travis Elementary
Box Cars and One Eyed Jacks Math Fun

Gina Dodson - Lake Travis Elementary
Facts in a Flash

Esther Peckover - Bee Cave Elementary
Student Engagement with VersaTiles

Kristen Raines - Serene Hills Elementary
Mountain Math

Thomas Seabolt, Mark Benthall, Adam Benthall - Lakeway Elementary
Think Like a King

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Cindy Allen - Lakeway Elementary
Cardio Fitness Steps

Kathleen Hassenfratz - all district elementary and middle schools
Coordinated Approach to a Child's Health (CATCH)

Tina Peña & Kaye Dowell - Lake Travis Elementary
Team Building and Cooperative Games
Skillistacs is Fantastic

Connie Wallace - Lake Pointe Elementary
Lifelong Sports

READING/LANGUAGE ARTS

Davina Angeli & Debbie Dolmanet - Lake Travis Elementary
Building Great Readers One Step at a Time
Slam Dunk Vocabulary for All Learners

Tara Ewing - Serene Hills Elementary
Primary Phonics Reading Books

George Fazzio, Julie Wilson, Shari Heath, Cathy Pankonien, Adam Benthall - Lakeway Elementary
Children's Classic Novels

Erika Garrett & Helen Dawkins - Serene Hills Elementary
Creating Access to Literature through Audio Books

Tammy Grovatt - Lake Travis Elementary
Risas y Sonrisas Spanish for Kids

Sharon Halloran - Lake Travis Elementary
Read It Once Again...Building Language and Literacy Skills for the Young Learner

Nicole Hundley & Team - Lakeway Elementary
Pair-It Turn and Learn

Phyllis Hunter-Webb - Lake Travis Elementary
Risas y Sonrisas

Minka Judson, Elizabeth Anstey, Jen Hansen, Kitty Fleming, Maggie Bauer - Lakeway Elementary
Classroom Novels

Keegan Luedecke, Alison Rockenstein, Kelly Rees, Megan Kelly, Bonnie Beeson, Nancy McDonald - Lakeway Elementary
Listening Centers & Novels

Jennifer Monshaugen - Bee Cave Elementary
Weekly Reader & Weekly Reader Connect

Myles Naso & 1st Grade Team - Lakeway Elementary
Learning A-Z (Reading A-Z and Raz Kids)

Jennifer Neuse - Lakeway Elementary
SPED Listening Library

Maria Padilla & Claudia Cabrera - Lake Travis Elementary
Leveled Readers

Becky Preslar, Shannon Hardwick, Lauren Pearce, Brooke Lane, Linda Holt, Faye Inglis - Bee Cave Elementary
Reading Enrichment

Lauren Wittek, Erika Garrett, Patty Cowan, Becca White, Colleen Hite - Serene Hills Elementary
Supporting Reading Comprehension Through Hands-On Enrichment

Kathy Wynn - Lakeway Elementary
Phonological Awareness Chipper Chat

SCIENCE

Lea Bertsch - Lake Travis High School
You Can Run But You Can't Hide
Lend Me A Hand

Helen Dawkins - Serene Hills Elementary
Outdoor Garden

Caryn Jannasch, Sammy Seidenberger, Cha Asokan - HBMS
Sustaining Our Learning Garden

Minka Judson, Elizabeth Anstey, Jennifer Hansen, Kitty Fleming, Maggie Bauer - Lakeway Elementary
Weather Station

Brekka Larrew, Mark Benthall, Sabrina Long, Leslie Morton, Michele Whites - Lakeway Elementary
STEM Scopes Trade Book Tie-ins

Lisa McFarlane - Lakeway Elementary
Science and Social Studies Content Leveled Readers

Barbara Patterson & 1st Grade Team - Lake Travis Elementary
Terrific Terrariums

Becky Thorp & Michelle Flinn - Lake Travis Elementary
Total Engagement Jeopardy

Les Vaughan - Lake Travis High School
Short Wave Ultraviolet Light

Kim Wood - Lake Travis Elementary
Learning Oasis

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Katie Schwarz - Bee Cave Elementary
Reading Pens

TECHNOLOGY

Sheri Bonds & Jill Siler - Hudson Bend & Lake Travis Middle Schools
Robotics for Tomorrow

Stephanie Cardarella & Heather Anderson - all district elementary schools
A Window to the World

Justin Hollenberger - Lake Travis High School
Engineering Lab Equipment

Caryn Jannasch - Hudson Bend Middle School
Camera Crane

The directors of the Lake Travis Education Foundation encourage all members of the community to make a direct impact on the future of children throughout our school district by partnering with LTEF. Established in 1985, the Foundation has supported our schools with over $2.8 million in grants and scholarships.

The Foundation depends on the generosity of the community to continue its work. Sponsor a fundraising event, or register to attend. Join as a Friend of the Foundation by sending a tax deductible donation. Set up a named scholarship or contribute to an existing fund. Show your appreciation for a teacher who has made a difference in your child's life. However you choose to partner with LTEF, know that contributions to the Lake Travis Education Foundation are NOT subject to Robin Hood recapture - all contributions remain in the school district to benefit the school district.

The teachers and students of Lake Travis ISD thank you for your support!

Lake Travis Education Foundation
PO Box 340759 | Austin, TX 78734 | 512-533-6095

www.LakeTravisEducationFoundation.org

To excel, every student needs a good foundation.