Maureen Wickline LPIE INCOMING PRESIDENT

Summertime is here and most of us are planning time off. On July 1st, however, Maureen Wickline begins working as the new President of LPIE, taking over the position from Juleen Lapporte. For the next year Maureen will lead LPIE as it builds upon its successes, funding and providing the programs that help maintain the excellence of Lafayette schools.

Maureen began her volunteer work with LPIE as the classroom rep for two years at Burton Valley Elementary and then joined the LPIE Board in 2010 as the Stanley School Chair. Maureen was so inspired by the progress that the education foundation was making that she volunteered as the Annual Giving Campaign Chair in 2011-12, and is the Vice President for the current school year. Her volunteer experience also encompasses five years with Lafayette Juniors, including Co-Chair of The Lafayette Kitchen Tour and President. She co-chaired the Stanley PTA Ways and Means in 2008-09, spent two years on the Lafayette Swim Conference Board, and is a member of the Acalanes Chapter of the National Charity League. A graduate from UCSB, Maureen has worked in hospitality, conference and events planning, and with non-profits. This is all experience she will use while setting the tone and direction for LPIE and leading its officers in the coming year.

Maureen's personal mission is to communicate to parents that LPIE donations are responsible for many of the learning enhancements in our schools that public funding alone doesn't cover. Maureen says, "A contribution to LPIE is a strong and impactful investment in your child's education. I really believe in what LPIE is doing and I am grateful to the parent and business community in Lafayette for supporting education with their generosity."  

By communicating just how critical a role LPIE plays for all 4,800 students in the Lafayette public schools, Maureen hopes to rally everyone around LPIE. "We invite volunteers. We invite suggestions. We invite participation. The more our community is involved, the more we can do for student learning."

When asked about the incoming LPIE Board, Maureen commented, "I am excited and honored to be working alongside such a smart and committed group of volunteers on the board. We have a productive year ahead of us."

Thank you doesn't begin to express my gratitude to the LPIE volunteers and the over 40 members that have served on the LPIE General Board this past year. Our strength as a foundation is a direct result of your dedication, creativity, thoughtfulness, hard work, and often a much needed sense of humor.  Along with our generous donors, we celebrate LPIE's strength in supporting education in Lafayette and collectively share the successes of over 4,800 students in the six schools that we serve.  THANK YOU!

Congratulations to the Incoming 2013-14 LPIE General Board.  We have a powerful lineup of volunteers and I hope you are as excited for next year as I am! 

*Additional sections that LPIE and APC support during 2012-13 include Social Science, English, Psychology, Sports Medicine and Foreign Language.

The Lafayette School District has seen a tremendous shift in math instruction over the last few years. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Rachel Zinn, has fostered the development of a broader culture of "math power" within our district.

The decision to hire a district math coach has proven to be a fruitful one. Kids are no longer simply learning algorithms and what formula is needed to complete a math problem. Instead, students are being asked to dig deeper and to understand not only the "what" but also the "how" and the "why". Happy Valley 4th grade teacher Kitty Hellman said solving multiplication and division problems using partial product and partial quotient "makes sense to the students. They realize they have to solve the problems using 100's and 10's. There is never just one way to solve problems anymore."

"I find it really helpful when Mrs. Mara works out a problem with us instead of just telling us how to do it," said Morgan R, Stanley 8th Grader.

"Andy makes it so easy for you to understand. Doing double digit addition starting with 10's instead of 1's was kind of scary at first since it was new. But it really worked and you can see a difference in the kids' attitudes toward math. Second graders are now taught to use the open number line - they can make their own. They can see their jumps going back and forth to add and subtract on that line. It gives them a real visual and you can almost see a light go on - they get it," said

Hellman.

Fifth grade student Olivia T has found the shift in math instruction to be very engaging. "I really like math talks because you can learn different ways to solve a problem and it helps when you want to check your work if you are not sure about an answer," she shared.  Math talks are an instructional method in which students gather with peers and share multiple strategies to solve the same problem .

Stanley Middle School has also benefited from Andy's math coaching. "I met Andy as a coach for the first time this academic year. I appreciated his enthusiasm and the way he modeled best teaching practices for us to observe. Andy demonstrated number talks and silent math, as well as games and engaging group activity work.  He is very knowledgeable about mathematics and mathematics education," said Stanley math instructor, Rich Cordes. Eighth grader Morgan R appreciates the interactive approach of her math instructor, Linda Mara. "I find it really helpful when Mrs. Mara works out a problem with us instead of just telling us how to do it," said Morgan R. Morgan was a 2012 recipient of AAUW California's Tech Trek! Science & Math Camp for Girls scholarship. She appreciated the opportunity to attend the hands-on camp at Stanford University and plans to enter a science field after college. Morgan said, "I want to be a biologist - I want to do really well in math and science because I think it will really help me with my future."

The alignment to the Common Core Standards is a huge  undertaking and, due to our LPIE supported math coaching, Lafayette is well ahead of the curve. "There is a lot more explaining to do; students must show their thinking. We are in such good shape in math for Common Core," said Hellman. "As we transition to the Common Core standards, these techniques and practices will help us to go deeper while keeping students engaged," added Cordes. "With my assistance, all K-5 teachers and the Stanley math teachers have been actively honing their math instructional practices in the process of moving to Common Core Standards. Teachers are coming together at each grade level to investigate student achievement data and to discuss student learning," said Schipper. In fact, district STAR scores in math have risen exponentially during the last couple of years. Zinn said, "There is a direct correlation between the math coaching and the increase in scores."

Schipper is impressed with the math enthusiasm of teachers throughout the district and he sees that same enthusiasm flowing to the students. "Any time we get an opportunity to grow as professionals, it is a good thing," shared Cordes. "Working with Andy over the past few years has deepened my understanding of math and has made me a better math teacher," added Stanley Math Department Chair Cooper Howard. "Teachers are collaborating to make math more engaging and understandable for students and there is a real focus on empowering students and deepening the cognitive demand and rigor we expect from them. When I visit classrooms across the district, I see students eager to explain their thinking, reasoning in powerful ways, and taking an active interest in mathematics," said Schipper. Not all teachers feel like they are naturals at math and working with Schipper has enabled them to feel more comfortable teaching the subject. "I never thought I would be someone who is so into math. I didn't like math, I was a reading and writing person," said Hellman.

For more information on math in the Lafayette School District, please visit the district website

From Van Gogh to Pollock, pastels to clay, and Impressionism to Cubism, LPIE art instructors unleash student creativity at the elementary schools. Each year, kindergarten through 5th grade students receive a series of hands-on art lessons resulting in a collection of individual works or art. The LPIE Art Fairs showcase these impressive portfolios of creativity.

For one evening - Thursday May 23, 2013 - the cafeterias throughout all four Lafayette Elementary schools are transformed from bustling multi-use rooms into exquisite art galleries. The walls are lined with black paper, display boards are positioned throughout each room and over 2,000 pieces of student art are exhibited throughout the Lafayette schools.

Coinciding with Open House at each school, the LPIE Art Fairs are a highlight of student artistry and achievement.  Thank you to our Art Fair Chairs and the over 100 parent volunteers that made the LPIE Art Fairs a huge success! 

Burton Valley Elementary LPIE Art Fair Art Fair Chairs: Tina Sebree and Jamie Smith Overheard at the BVE Art Fair: "I think LPIE art is really fun with all of the pictures we draw and  especially I liked doing hand prints!"- Katelyn T, Kindergarten "Without LPIE our children would   not be learning so much about art history and different genres of art" - Millie Tooker, BVE LPIE School Chair Click for More BVE Photos

Happy Valley Elementary LPIE Art Fair Art Fair Chairs: Charlotte Archer, Amy Sofield and Stephanie Tompkins Overheard at the HVE Art Fair: "I loved the bug lesson!" - Zachary,    Kindergarten    "I like where you put a lot of paint on yarn and then make squiggly lines like spaghetti."- Ella, Kindergarten     "I love LPIE because we get to learn   different art techniques." - Natalie,    3rd Grade    "I like LPIE art because it just lets  your creativity show!"- Olivia, 4th Grade    Click for More HVE Photos

Lafayette Elementary School LPIE Art Fair Art Fair Chair: Sheryl Platt Overheard at the LES Art Fair: "LPIE Art is FUN!" - Megan H, 1st Grader Click for More LES Photos

Springhill Elementary LPIE Art Fair Art Fair Chairs: Joan Toney and Kelly Yiannikos Overheard at the HVE Art Fair: "It made me feel like an artist when we made these ones (points to artwork)" - Sofia, 2nd grade "This was my best try and my Mom really likes it (smile)." - Nick, 1st grade "OMG...I feel like I'm in an art gallery, it's so fancy in here!" - Lauren, 5th grade Click for More SPH Photos

To meet the K-6th grade LPIE Art Instructors, click here...