The Lawrence Township Education Foundation

Lawrenceville School Upper House raises funds to benefit LTEF

ltefnj — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:35:05 +0000

Lawrenceville, N.J. — The Lawrence Township Education Foundation Board of Trustees sincerely thanks the residents of The Lawrenceville School’s Upper House (a senior boys’ dormitory) for their generous donation of $1,200 to the Lawrence Township Education Foundation. The funds will be used to support the “Generation One” program at Lawrence High School (LHS). “Generation One” is a program designed to assist LHS students who will be the first in their families to attend college. The program combines the efforts of LHS staff and Rider University mentors to support and encourage students to develop the expectations of post-secondary studies. The “Generation One” program also helps develop skills that are necessary to ensure successful completion of a college degree. The Lawrenceville School students donated profits from the sale of snacks and from personal contributions. Upper House Director Jason Larson and science teacher Ken Mills helped coordinate the fund drive. History teacher Regan Kerney, director of the senior class, generously matched the students’ donations.

Education Foundation President Pepper Evans says, “LTEF Applauds the spirit of community shown by the students of the Lawrenceville School and the continued generosity shown by their administration. The collaboration of private institutions with LTEF and students in our public schools is yet another example of the ways extraordinary learning opportunities lead to educational excellence in Lawrence.”

Lawrence Township Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that fosters educational excellence, creativity, and achievement in the Lawrence Township Public Schools. The community volunteers who govern the Foundation are committed to helping the Foundation enhance education in the Lawrence Township Public School District by providing grants for projects and programs; generating corporate and private financial support; and encouraging contributions of volunteer time.

The Lawrenceville School’s Community Service Program encourages all students to connect with the greater community, giving them the opportunity to serve — and learn from — a variety of people outside the students’ immediate world. Every student who attends the School for two or more years is required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community service prior to graduation, but many go well beyond that requirement. In 2009-10, 18 students were honored for performing more than 400 hours of volunteer work; 99 were recognized for giving more than 200 hours of service during their time at the Lawrenceville School.

Founded in 1810, The Lawrenceville School offers a comprehensive, coeducational program for 815 students, grades nine through post-graduate, who come from 33 states and 33 countries. The School is located on 700 acres in the historic village of Lawrenceville, N.J. For additional information, please visit www.lawrenceville.org.

Ivy Cohen named Executive Director of LTEF

ltefnj — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:09:55 +0000

The Trustees of the Lawrence Township Education Foundation have hired local resident Ivy Cohen as Executive Director, succeeding Diane Senerth, who retired after 12 years in that position.

Cohen will oversee the daily operations of the organization including the management of communications and fundraising efforts.

“Being executive director of LTEF is a wonderful opportunity. I look forward to working with the dedicated volunteers and the local community to support excellence in public education,” Cohen said. “As a parent of two children in the Lawrence Township Public Schools, I am thrilled to have this chance to make an impact on the education of tomorrow’s leaders by developing donations and broad support for the Foundation’s mission.”

A graduate of University of Delaware with a masters in business administration from Philadelphia University, Cohen and her husband have lived in Lawrenceville since 2004. Prior to joining the Education Foundation, she organized fundraising and volunteer initiatives at the American Heart Association, the National Kidney Foundation and the NephCure Foundation.

To learn more about the Lawrence Township Education Foundation, please visit www.ltefnj.org or call the Foundation offices at 219-0340

LTEF Congratulates Award-winning Teachers

ltefnj — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:12:16 +0000

Jennifer Skorupa's art students at Eldridge Park created a Kids of Character Mural as part of an LTEF-funded project.

Congratulations to Lawrence’s Governor’s Teacher award winners – we are pleased to note that they have ALL particpated with LTEF – writing grant proposals and implementing funded programs – a true sign of excellence in our local schools!

Ben Franklin – Jane Tunnard

Eldridge Park – Jennifer Skorupa

Lawrenceville Elementary – Rosemarie Monteleone

Slackwood School – Lisa Kapp

LIS – Nancy Horvath

Lawrence Middle School – Kari Fitzgerald

Lawrence High School – Cheryl Eng

LTEF Supports School Programs

ltefnj — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:41:18 +0000

The Lawrence Township Education Foundation (LTEF) completed its third grant cycle of the year by awarding eight grants to Lawrence public school teachers to fund innovative classroom programs. That brings LTEF’s contributions to the district to $118,636 during the current school year.

The “New Jersey History Comes Alive” program proposed by fourth grade teachers will bring local author Lisa Willever and photographer Walter Choroszewski to LIS to enhance the social studies curriculum. Support for a community service project – “Crayons from the Heart” – will allow high school special education students to produce recycled crayons that will be donated to local agencies serving children.

Funded programs include a state-of-the-art interactive white table for district preschool classes, reading comprehension materials for 6^th graders, exercise ball chairs to help Ben Franklin students focus, and wordless books to spark imagination and communication skills for elementary students. A professional development grant for speech pathologist Silvia DeLeon rounds out the awards.

In January, the education foundation allotted $43,000 to establish a new computer lab at Lawrence Middle School. The lab will facilitate the start-up of a new course for 7^th and 8^th graders focusing on computer applications, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, multimedia, and web design. Andrew Zuckerman, LMS principal, was thrilled with the award. “A technology course at the middle school level is essential to develop the skills necessary to be productive for the 21^st Century. Providing a technology course during the regular school day will ensure students obtain the necessary skills to be active global citizens.”

LTEF Helps to Fund Grand Piano

ltefnj — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:44:38 +0000

The education foundation recently contributed $2,288 toward the purchase of a grand piano for the Lawrence High School Auditorium. The funds were raised in conjunction with the organizqation’s 2008 gala. Donors were invited to buy a piano “key” for $88 to support music education at Lawrence High. Twenty-six keys were sold at the event and the Lawrence Instrumental Music Booster Organization and the Tri-M Music Honor Society took up the fundraising for a Boston Steinway Grand piano. As the campaign came to a close, the LTEF donation completed the fundraising. Next time you attend a musical performance at LHS, we hope you enjoy the full tones of the new grand piano. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who helped to make this possible!

Foundation Supports Middle School Technology Initiative

ltefnj — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:41:52 +0000

The LTEF has granted $41,000 to fund a teacher-directed student lab to prepare all LMS students for 21st Century technological skills. The grant, which will impact nearly 600 students, funds a course that will include a variety of computer applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases and introduction to HTML and web design. This program is the first to be funded under the LTEF’s new Winter Grant Cycle, where district-wide alternatives were presented to the LTEF board by Assistant Superintendent Crystal Lovell and Grant Coordinator Jen Polakowski . This cycle is designed to ensure LTEF funding helps support system-wide change in keeping with the LTPS strategic plan and LTEF’s mission to foster educational excellence, creativity, and achievement in the Lawrence Township Public Schools.

Foundation Grants Schools $45,879

ltefnj — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:04:08 +0000

LTEF Grant Awards were presented to Lawrence teachers at the December 9 Board of Education meeting.

The Lawrence Township Education Foundation (LTEF) has awarded $45,870 to fund 10 programs in the local public schools. The programs include artist residencies, technology upgrades, a chess program, a history mini-museum and two projects designed to facilitate differentiated instruction. Fifty-five Lawrence teachers will implement the programs that will involve students in all seven district schools.

Choral music Students in grades 3-12 will participate in an Arts Festival that will culminate in a community performance of an original choral composition. Ben Franklin students will create self-portraits inspired by exposure to artists using diverse media from Young Audiences of New Jersey. Technology purchases include headsets and laptop computers for LIS and TI-Navigator handheld devices for Lawrence High students. LIS will start an intensive chess program with LTEF funding for indoor and outdoor (giant) chess sets. Sixth graders studying ancient history will have access to museum replicas of Roman weaponry and other realia. Fourth grade “Mini-Lessons” will allow students to use classroom materials geared to their reading levels and a library of “lexically” leveled readers will be available for all LIS students. In addition to student programs, LTEF is supporting professional development training for LIS house leaders.

Faculty/Staff Campign Begins

ltefnj — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:40:49 +0000

The education foundation launched its Faculty/Staff campaign today. Employees of Lawrence Township Public Schools are offered the chance to invest in where they work by making a one-time donation to LTEF or by signing up for a district-administered payroll deduction program. Annually the campaign attracts the support of a third of the district’s teachers and staff. “The Faculty/Staff campaign is important to us,” says LTEF Executive Director Diane Senerth, “not only for the money that it generates, but because it sends a message to our other contributors. And that message is that the people in the schools value the work of the foundation.”

This year’s campaign theme is “You are KEY to the success of LTEF.” To kick off the program, each school received campaign materials and complimentary keychains.

Math Out of the Box Hits Halloween

ltefnj — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:40:52 +0000

LES kindergarten teacher Jeff Berry brought Math Out of the Box, a curriculum initiative supported by LTEF, into the Halloween spirit. Dressed as the Box, Mr. Berry paraded with his students at the LES holiday event.
Math Out of the Box is a hands-on math curriculum that is used in Lawrence classrooms in grades K through 5. The education foundation partnered with Merrill Lynch to bring $20,000 to train district teachers to implement the novel approach to mathematics instruction.

New look, new faces- Same deep commitment to Excellence in Education

ltefnj — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:08:17 +0000

Meet the new face of Lawrence Township Education Foundation. Along with a newly redesigned logo, the LTEF has added to their talent pool with four new trustees.

Paul Schindel, who designed the new logo, brings cutting edge marketing expertise to the board. Reinforcing the community connections is Terry Bannon, himself the son of teachers, who adds his skills in fundraising and event planning to the LTEF mix. One of the LTEF’s greatest supporters has always been the Lawrenceville School. New trustee Cara Hyson, a Lawrenceville History Master and the mother of LTPS students, will negotiate shared resources and ideas between schools. And while the district must miss newly retired fifth grade teacher Jane Fetter, LTEF is pleased to have her insights from the teachers’ perspective on the board.

Vice President Pepper Evans says, “The success of the LTEF depends upon the commitment from the community, we want to put your skills and resources to work for us. There has never been a better time to invest in education, and the dividends couldn’t be higher. Being involved in education is like being given the opportunity to look into the future and preparing our children for what it holds. “