By Jo Ann L. Groeger
We finally had a taste of spring, and even if it was just a tease, that spring feeling has the power to make you sing or hum a song. Speaking of music, Lawrence Township Public Schools has been named one of the 2014 Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for outstanding commitment to and support of music education in schools. This is the sixth year the district has received this prestigious designation. Let’s sing praises to our music staff!
Not to be outdone by their artistic counterparts, students from our intermediate, middle and high schools had a strong showing at the annual Mercer Science and Engineering Fair held in mid-March at Rider University, winning several awards in all divisions. In fact, LIS won a special award for having the most award winners in the Elementary Division.
With a flair for expressing themselves with the written word, seven Lawrence High School students were selected to have their work published in Aspirations, the literary magazine of Mercer County Community College. High schools are invited to participate in a competition from which the very best in original art and writing are chosen for publication. The following students’ pieces were submitted for consideration: “Life of a Universe” by Battulga Amarbat, “Men vs. Women in Othello” by Shaye Lipskind, “Day in the Life and Winter Love” by Kevin Quis, “Pencil Pointe” by Leanna Smith, “The Computer is a Bicycle for the Mind” by Ethan Surdykowski, “Juan Fatal Mistake” by Zach Weyand, and “Phillipians and Reflecting Denial” by Christa Wisniewski.
The district is fortunate to have staff dedicated to providing our students with a first class educational experience. Annually, representatives from each school are selected for the Governor’s Teacher Recognition Program. The 2014 recipients are: Timothy Scott (LHS), Margaret DiTommaso (LMS), Joseph Jamison (LIS), Patricia Finn (Slackwood Elementary), Jennifer Barrett (Eldridge Park School), Karen Sine (LES) and Elizabeth Conover (Ben Franklin Elementary). We are so proud of all of you. Great job!
The success of the students in the LTPS is due in large part to the commitment of all the administrators, educators and other professionals. The Mercer County Professional Counselors Association selected Connie Stanger, LHS guidance secretary, to receive the “Merit Award” for 2013-2014. The award recognizes someone who is not a counselor or member of MCPCA but has shown dedication and support to the counseling profession on a daily basis. Stanger will receive her award at the MCPCA recognition dinner later this year.
Did you ever want to check the LTPS website for the time of the next basketball game or the date of the next presentation at the middle school, but didn’t have immediate access to your computer? Now, all you need to do is download the free mobile app for iPhone or Android, and you will have access to the LTPS website at your fingertips wherever you might be.
You too can be a part of the LTPS team, as a member of the Board of Education. With the change to November elections, the new filing date deadline for school board candidacy is July 28, the last Monday of July. Please think about joining our team; it is so rewarding and eye-opening to be involved and active with the school board. We all have gifts to share to make up a well rounded Board of Education.
Jo Ann L. Groeger is a member of the Board of Education. Email: askaboardmember@ltps.org.
