A Message from the Superintendent

Dear Lawrence Faculty & Community Members,

2016 has been filled with great success. As we close out the semester and

calendar year, I ask that we take a moment to thank the faculty members who

support and protect our students. Without their loyalty we would not have great

schools. Recently, we had a very difficult election season, filled with questions

about the future of public education. As I travel to meetings with state legislators,

I am hopeful for the future of public education. On behalf of myself and the Board

of Education, we are committed to the continuous improvement of our local,

public schools.

Our greatest assets as a community are our children and the staff who work with them. Please take a

moment this season of giving to thank and give back to our educators who give so much to our children.

As we close out 2016, I want to pay a special tribute to a few retiring educators. Congratulations and

thanks to Mr. Donald Lain and Mr. Randy Greenwell for a combined 63 years of service to our district.

Don Lain is in his 40th year as a Band Director and Performing Arts Department Chair

at Lawrence North High School. Mr. Lain graduated summa cum laude from Indiana

State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in instrumental music and a

Master of Science degree in education. Graduating in 1976, he interviewed for only

one position with Dr. Hyatt from the MSD Lawrence Township. The band teaching

position at the new “yet to be completed” Lawrence North High School was offered

and accepted at the conclusion of that interview. Since that time, and for the past 40

years, Lawrence North has been Don’s home. Mr. Lain initiated the first LT

competitive marching band program in 1977, leading the LN marching program over the next 20 years to

20 district and regional gold ratings, 18 top 10 State finishes, four State Championships, two Bands of

America Midwest Championships, and placement in the Nation’s Top 10 all five years that LN competed in

the Bands of America National Championship competition. Click here to learn more about Mr. Lain’s career

and accomplishments.

Currently in his 23rd year as the Director of Bands and tenth year as Performing Arts

Department Chair at Lawrence Central High School, Randy Greenwell graduated with

high honors from Illinois State University and holds a Masters in Wind Conducting

from Ball State University. In 2008 he received his Master in Educational

Administration degree from Butler University.

During his tenure at Lawrence Central, Greenwell’s marching bands have received

numerous honors including being named the 2001 and 2004 Bands of America Grand

National Champion as well as the 2002 National Runner-up. They have also been

ISSMA Marching Band State Champions on four occasions (1997, 1998, 2000, 2008), and have finished in

the top six of the ISSMA Marching Band State Finals every year since 1994. Click here to learn more about

Mr. Greenwell’s career and accomplishments.

DECEMBER 2016

MSD of Lawrence Township Lawrence Education and Community Center

6501 Sunnyside Road Indianapolis, IN 46236

317-423-8200

Visit us on the web at www.LTschools.org

Follow Dr. Smith on Twitter

A District of Destination

Our sincerest thanks to Mr. Matt Brown for his service as a Board of Education member. We appreciate his

four years of dedicated service and commitment to our community.

Video Recording by Communication Studies Students at Crestview Elementary. Editing by Mr. Randy Tomes,

Communication Studies Teacher, Crestview Elementary.

I am pleased to share that our 2016 United Way of Central Indiana Employee Campaign has concluded for the

year. Our goal was $32,000. Due to your generosity, we raised a record $36,896 this year.

Best wishes to the Marching Pride of Lawrence Township as they prepare to march in the Tournament of

Roses parade on Monday, January 2nd. LT, please be sure to watch as they perform on this national stage.

Thank you for reading this special edition of LT Inside Out. I offer my best wishes to you and your family for a

safe, happy holiday season and a successful 2017.

Sincerely, Dr. Shawn A. Smith Superintendent of Schools

MSDLT Celebration Snapshot

Click here for the Celebration Snapshot for November 28, 2016

Click here for the Celebration Snapshot for December 12, 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 November 28, 2016 Board of Education meeting recognitions

Click here for the December 12, 2016 Board of Education meeting recognitions

Lawrence Live! Focuses on our High School Band Directors

Lawrence Live!

In this edition of Lawrence Live, Dr. Smith speaks with the four directors of the Marching Pride of Lawrence

Township as they prepare for their trip to the Rose Bowl.

Text MPLT to 74121 to donate.

Video Recording by Communication Studies Students at Crestview Elementary. Editing by Mr. Randy Tomes,

Communication Studies Teacher, Crestview Elementary.

Winter Break Hours

All district and school offices will be closed Friday, December 23; Monday, December 26; Friday, December 30 and Monday, January 2 in observance of Christmas and New Years.

The Lawrence Education and Community Center will be open to the public Tuesday, December 27 through Thursday, December 29 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm.

The district's Welcome Center will be CLOSED the week of December 26th.

The Lawrence Education and Community Center and the Welcome Center will resume regular hours on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.

Weather Related School Closing Guidelines and Procedures

We know that winter weather is approaching.

Click here for information about weather related school

closing procedures.

If you haven’t already done so, download our app to get notifications on your

phone or mobile device!

Click here to access the app in the Apple Store.

Click here to access the app on Google Play.

PREP Parent Engagement Series

February 16th. Let’s Talk About Getting the Most out of Middle School!

Our third Parent and Family Resource Engagement Program of the 2016-2017 school year will be held at

Fall Creek Valley Middle School, 9701 East 63rd Street, at 6:30 pm. Mark your calendar and watch for details.

It's a bird! It's a plane! Nope! It's the "Super" sixth grade team from Indian Creek, using their

superhero powers to celebrate spirit week!

Lawrence North staff participate in No Shave November to promote awareness of

men’s health issues.

Study Hall monitor, Eddie Tucker won the competition for having the longest beard!

Meet Niko

Meet Niko, LT Schools newest canine! Click here for the feature on FOX 59 and find out how the MSD of

Lawrence Township is using proactive measures to keep our schools safe.

Niko’s handler, Officer Matt Brandenburg of the Lawrence Police, with Niko (left) and Officer Brandenburg

and Niko with Gabby Gonzalez and Fox 59 photographer at Lawrence North (right).

MSDLT Blood Drive

The MSD of Lawrence Township will host a blood drive on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Lawrence Education and Community Center (LECC), 6501 Sunnyside Road. Click here to schedule an appointment.

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.

High Ability Testing Requests for Out of District Students in grades K and 2

We are currently accepting parent requests for High Ability Testing for students in kindergarten and grade 2 who do not currently attend a MSDLT school. Requests may be submitted between December 12, 2016 and January 6, 2017. The testing will take place on January 19, 2017 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Lawrence Education and Community Center (LECC) located at 6501 Sunnyside Road. Please click here to request this testing for your child. You will be given more information about the testing via email within 2 business days of your registration.

NCAA Team Works

On Friday, December 2, all of the third graders in Lawrence Township travelled to the University of Indianapolis to participate in the NCAA Team Works “Readers Become Leaders” pep rally. Indianapolis universities are partnering with the NCAA for the literacy program, designed to motivate students to achieve reading goals throughout the year and perform better on the ISTEP test in the spring.

Lawrence students and their teachers joined UIndy and NCAA staff, student-athletes and Olympic medalist Ashley Spencer on Friday to kick off the NCAA Team Works' Readers Become Leaders program with a raucous pep rally featuring music, dancing, games and a reading pledge.

Click here to read the article in the IndyStar.

Dr. Smith greets Ashley Spencer, Lawrence North track and field stand-out and Olympic medalist (left below), while NCAA emcee, Colin Bowles, motivates the third graders to get excited about reading (right below).

News From Food Service

New menus are coming to our school cafeterias in January. Watch your school website to see the exciting changes. Our students have taste tested and chosen some of the new entrees. Many of the student favorites will remain.

Breakfast menus will be offering more protein based items at all grade levels.

Click here for a complete list of all of our menus.

Follow MSDLT Food Services on Twitter!

Wildcats to Play in Hall of Fame Classic

The Lawrence North Wildcats have been selected to play in the 2016 City

Securities Hall of Fame Classic in New Castle, home of the Indiana Basket-

ball Hall of Fame. This will be the 4th appearance for Lawrence North in this

prestigious event. Coach Jack Keefer, a 2007 Indiana Basketball Hall of

Fame inductee, coached the Wildcats to Hall of Fame Championships in

1979, 1989, and 2003.

Lawrence North will take on Logansport in the first game. The winner will face the winner of Warsaw and

New Albany.

Tickets to the event on December 30th are $10.00. Anyone purchasing a Lawrence North All-Sports Pass

receives a ticket to the event for free! Tickets can be purchased in the Lawrence North athletic office.

Congratulations to the Fall Creek Valley eighth grade boys basketball team. They are the Marion

County champions for the second straight year!

Three Lawrence Township football players have been named to the IndyStar high school football Super Team: Cameron McGone, Lawrence Central and Caleb Jones and Al McKelleer, Lawrence North

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.

Board of Education News

Go to BoardDocs to access board meeting agendas and minutes. The next Board of Education meeting is the work session on January 9, 2017 at 5:30 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 web-site, 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.

The MSDLT is looking for friendly, hardworking and dedicated people to work in our school district

Click here to view our open positions

Click here to sign up to receive periodic emails with a list of all of our current job openings.

For the latest job postings and MSDLT employment information, click here to follow MSDLT Human

Resources on Twitter! We are now posting job openings weekly, check out what's new!

Food Service Workers Needed

If you are interested in working part-time while your children are in school and you would like to work in a

friendly, student oriented environment, consider joining our food service team! Food Service and

Cafeteria Monitor positions are now available. Click here to apply.

Bus Drivers Needed

Are you interested in a part-time opportunity that would give you holidays off, paid training and variety to

your day? The MSD of Lawrence Township is hiring bus drivers! We offer fully paid training, a flexible

schedule and competitive pay. Contracted drivers earn over $100 per day!

If you love children, enjoy a flexible schedule & want to join a student-focused, safety-oriented team,

click here to apply today!

Substitute Teaching Information

Kelly Educational Staffing is dedicated to helping districts save money and operate at peak capacity by

fulfilling all staffing needs. Kelly Educational Staffing has proudly provided staffing to schools since 1997

with a daily placement rate greater than 98%. To date, over 90 million student learning days have been

taught by a Kelly Educational Staffing substitute teacher. For more information, click here to visit the Kelly

Educational Staffing website.

To apply for substitute teaching positions in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, please

contact the local Kelly Educational Staffing branch office at (317) 917-0159 or 2580@kellyservices.com.

LT School Foundation News

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!

Text MPLT to 74121 to donate or click here to donate online.

Honor an Educator

Behind every successful student is a fabulous teacher! The

Honor An Educator program is a great way to personally

thank the teachers, administrators, coaches, bus drivers and

staff members who encourage,

influence, and inspire your students to be the best they can

be. When you make a gift to the Honor An Educator Fund, we

send the recipient a custom designed card with your special

sentiment and notify his/her supervisor of the recognition.

All proceeds benefit Foundation programs in Lawrence Township Schools that empower children to tap

into their unlimited potential.

Thank those who encourage, influence, and inspire students to be the best they can be. The deadline to

Honor an Educator is this Monday, December 12.

Honor an Educator Flyer

Honor an Educator Online Form

Save the Date for the LT School Foundation “Light Their Future” Celebration On March 10, 2017, the Lawrence Township School Foundation will host its 17th annual “Light their Future” Celebration at The Crane Bay in downtown Indianapolis. It will be a fun-filled evening of dinner, dancing, socializing, and a fantastic silent auction. Join us as we celebrate the successes in our 21 schools and raise money to support our children and give them the tools they need to excel. Check the Foundation’s website at for more information as it gets closer to the date. In the meantime, if you or your company is interested in donating something to be used in the silent auction, please click on the following link for more information - http://www.msdltf.org/docs/pdf/Auction_Donation_Packet.pdf.

Thank you to our generous donors and supporters who made Giving Tuesday a success! With your help, the Lawrence Township School Foundation raised approximately $2,800.

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!

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.

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.