The Laker Educational Foundation
Inspire and Enrich Creativity, Innovation and Excellence in ISD 719 | PLSAS
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2018
Board of Directors
Chair
Lori Frank
Vice-Chair
Adam Tlusty
Secretary
Tim Bell
Treasurer
Kim Tredinnick
Executive Director
Keri Thayer
Development Director
Eldene Rosenwinkel
Directors
Kim Churchill
Dheeraj Erikipaty
Marci Hocevar
Britni Kesselring
Amber Lemna
Dr. Cory Goracke-Postle
Tina Walters
Amy Weimerskirch
Ex-Officio
Dr. Teri Staloch
Endowment
Paul Wick
Advisory Committee
Bob Barsness
Cindy Le
Mary Nagarajan
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Letter from the Foundation Board
Dear Friends of the Foundation:
Another school year has come and gone! Time does not stand still, nor does the Laker Educational Foundation!
We are pleased to announce we have hired an Executive Director! Keri Thayer will assuming this role in July. Keri is well known in the community and will be a real asset to the foundation. We will post more details on our website when we have them!
We welcomed five new board members recently and we are very excited to add their talent to mix! Their pictures and bio's are included in the newsletter!
Our spring grant cycle ended with some innovated grant approvals. We are planning our 5th annual bash featuring Casino Night on November 3, 2018 (details in this newsletter) and we have announced our LEF Klima Scholarship Awards/Math and LEF Klima Scholarship Award/Science recipients. We have been busy!
A bit of history about our scholarships. Inaugurated in 2013, the scholarships are named after the late Kari D. Klima, who was instrumental in starting the Laker Educational Foundation and exemplified the purpose, the ideals and the principles for which the educational foundation stands. The annual scholarship selection took place and recipients were chosen by a group of math and science teachers. The students were presented the awards at a ceremony in June at Prior Lake High School. The winners of these prestigious awards are included in our newsletter and posted on our website.
As mentioned above, once again we hosted a very successful Casino Night in October of 2017. We had a fabulous turnout and were able to raise funds to support our educational grant program. We will be hosting our 5th annual bash - Casino Night on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at the Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake. Stay tuned for details! If you are interested in sponsorship or volunteering, make sure to let us know. Contact information is on our website.
Hope to see you at summer and fall events!
The LEF Board of Directors
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Save the Date!
LEF's Casino Night
It's official!
We will be holding our 5th annual bash/fundraiser on November 3, 2018 at the Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake.
We will feature Casino NIght again this year based on last years feedback.
Details along with event tickets and raffle tickets will be available soon.
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Welcome to our Newest Board Members
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Christina Walters has been working in the fields of child protection and family law for the last ten years. Currently, Christina works as a Guardian ad Litem, representing the best interest of children who have been deemed in need of protection or services. Christina has a passion for helping children feel safe and secure. Christina grew up in Prior Lake and graduated from Prior Lake High School. Now a wife and a mother of two, her young children are attending school in the district and she is busy watching her children play sports and spending time in the community. Christina is looking forward to becoming more involved in the educational community. She values the mission of LEF, believes in the importance of innovation and being able to give teachers and students opportunities to excel.
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Amber Lemna is a Sales & Business Success Coach for entrepreneurs who are ready to transform their service based business into a profitable and purposeful brand!
She is best known for blending her business acumen with creativity and intuition to help impact driven businesses with creative marketing solutions, sales training, leadership, team building and more.
Amber is also a mom to 4, ranging in ages from 4-23! So when she's not building her business, or working with a client, you will find her at one of her children's baseball games, or enjoying Prior Lake with her family and friends.
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I'm Dheeraj Erikipaty, born and raised in India. I completed my Masters in Computer Science from University of Illinois in 2007 and have been working in Information Technology since then.
I'm a highly ambitious professional and humanitarian with background in Information Technology and experience in bringing diverse cultures together. I have worked with various non profit organizations in the past as a volunteer. This is my first time on being a board so very excited to bring my skills and background here.
During my free time I love to spend time with friends and family, work on art and music.
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Britni Kesselring is a Senior Specialist for Metropolitan Council with an extensive background in HR, Event Planning and Operations. Britni is married and a mom of two, a son, age five and a daughter, age two. When she's not working, you will find her at son's football and baseball games or enjoying the Savage area with her family and friends.
Britni values opportunities for kids to have a chance to succeed. She is ecstatic about becoming more involved with the Prior Lake schools and the community.
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Kim Tredinnick is a retired audit partner with Baker Tilly Virchow Krause CPA firm after a 45 year career. Kim is experienced in not-for-profit organizations and foundations. He was a founding board member and treasurer for 15 years with the DeForest Area Foundation, also member of the grants committee and auditor for the Madison Downtown Rotary Club Foundation. Kim also was a member of various committees, including chair of the Health & Wellness Grants committee of the United Way of Dane County, Wisconsin for more than 15 years.
Kim is a current board member and treasurer of the Trout Run Master HOA and Overlook Sub-Association HOA in Savage as well as a current board member for the Pax Christi Endowment Fund. Among his many organizations he is a member of, he also is a member of the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA) and past committee member of several national committees including the Auditing Standards Board, past board member of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, Past Chair of the Wisconsin Institute of CPA’s Board of Director’s, WICPA Distinguished Career Award winner.
Kim has been married to Toni for 45 years, with two sons and four grandchildren. One grandson currently attending Glendale Elementary School and another grandson will attend Glendale in two years.
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LEF Klima Scholarship Recipients
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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world: Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has! - Margaret Mead
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Approximately fourteen years ago, a small group of thoughtful, committed people gathered to construct a new learning support framework for all of the residents in the Prior Lake & Savage area. The outcome of their collaboration was the then named- Prior Lake/Savage Area Educational Foundation (PLSAEF). Today, the foundation is called the Laker Educational Foundation (LEF).
The foundation’s original mission was simple: Encourage creativity, innovation, and excellence by raising, managing, and allocating financial resources to enhance learning for all who reside in, or are served by the ISD 719 community. It has since been refined to inspire and enrich creativity, innovation and excellence in ISD 719 | PLSAS.
Included in the initial steering committee of residents, was a very dedicated, hard-working woman by the name of Kari Klima. After the foundation was established and during its early years, Kari was one of the key representatives. Eventually, Kari was appointed as the executive secretary and continued to influence the foundation’s growth and its positive impact on learning at all levels within the Prior Lake/Savage Area Schools.
An example of its positive impact, in its thirteen years of existence, the Laker Educational Foundation has awarded grants totaling almost $310,000. Its learning influence has directly benefited many individuals. Indeed, the world of our community has changed for the better, because of thoughtful, committed individuals.
Sadly, in 2011, after a valiant battle with cancer, Kari Klima passed away. She left an indelible mark on our community through her leadership of the Laker Educational Foundation and her passionate causes. She was always a strong advocate for education in any form. She was especially focused on the subjects of science and math.
To honor Kari and her legacy, the Laker Educational Foundation established the LEF Klima scholarships in 2013. After the science and math departments choose their high school senior science and math student winners, we award both students with a $1,000 scholarship to the college or university that they will be attending in the fall.
This year’s 2018 LEF Science Scholarship was awarded to Elise Pfeiffer. This year’s 2018 LEF Math Scholarship was awarded to Alex Zheng. Congratulations to these award winners.
As these students move forward and other people in our community benefit from the programs supported by the Laker Educational Foundation, Kari would be proud of her positive efforts to indeed change the world in which she lived.
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On Friday, June 8, 2018, recipients of the
Educator of Excellence, Outstanding Service and Leadership Awards
were announced. Certified and support staff are nominated by their fellow colleagues for their exemplary performance. The unbelievable hard task of choosing the winners using established criteria is done by past award recipients in each category. The Laker Educational Foundation helps fund these awards!
Congratulations to all who were nominated and to those selected!
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Educator of Excellence Recipients
Elementary
Michael Koppang, Physical Education Teacher
Molli O'Halloran, 2nd Grade Teacher
Secondary
Allison Fasking, Science Teacher
Laura Kuechenmeister, Science Teacher
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Outstanding Service Recipients
Elementary
Heather Hartman, Building Secretary
Renee Whiteis, Special Education Para
Secondary
Andrea Milan, Special Education Para
Angie O'Brien-Greywitt, Student Support Para
District
Gina Fern, District Facilities Scheduler
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Leadership Award Recipient
Russ Reetz, Activities Director
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This award is one that is very dear to the foundation. Debbie Jondro was a board member at LEF and served on the grant committee for several years. She was passionate about excellence and creativity in education and volunteered in many different roles over the years in the district. Unfortunately, she passed away after a several month battle with cancer in 2015. In honor of Debbie Jondro, the Laker Educational Foundation created an award in 2016 for the most innovative and creative grant request for the year.
The award for 2017-18 goes to St. Michael’s Art Teacher Rachel Olmanson for her grant application for “Fly More Combo Drone."
The drone can be used to teach students how artists use drones as photographers and videographers. It would also include lessons that would touch on how drones are changing the world and being used in the world today from search and rescue missions to mapping projects.
Congratulations to Rachel!
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Fly More Combo Drones Grant Showcase
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Thank you, Laker Educational Foundation, for the Fly More Combo DJI Mavic Pro Drone grant. The students and I are excited to start fully using the drone at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year.
After receiving this grant, I have learned so much about drones. Because, to me, it doesn’t seem like too many schools are using drones currently, I have been learning as I go and learning about many things I need to know and learn before flying the drone with students. To keep all the resources together that I have discovered and to share what I have learned, I created a website that I hope might be of some benefit to other educators who might be interested in incorporating drone use in their classrooms.
We purchased the grant items and are now actively learning how to get started. (I didn’t realize how much there was to learn so we are taking it step-by-step to make sure it is done right.) The first step I took was to have Logan, from Maverick Drone Systems in Savage, come to school and talk to our fifth graders about drones. He showed the students a couple different types of drones, flew a drone for the students to see, and answered student questions about drones. Logan shared some ways that drones are being used in the world today. Students were able to see, on the control panel, an aerial view of the school as the drone flew overhead. (We don’t have drone pictures to share from his visit; we will take our own pictures later.) Students were very excited and had lots of questions. We will try to discover answers to some of those questions at the start of the school year as they will put the drone we purchased into use.
My next plan is to go to Maverick Drone Systems in Savage over the summer and have them teach me how to use the drone and accessories we received with the grant money. From there, I plan practice flying the drone as much as I can over the summer so we are ready to use it in the Fall.
Another goal I now have is to possibly get trained to become a commercial drone pilot. I have been looking at some classes through DartDrones. I applied to see if I could win a scholarship for a Professional Flight Training Package where I could get hands on training to become a professional drone pilot. If I receive the scholarship, I would have extensive In-Person Pilot Training and I would learn what I would need to know to pass the Part 107 Drone License Exam. I think this would allow me to teach the students to use the drone in ways that I haven’t even thought of when I first applied for the grant. For now, these are just some of the ways I intend to use it:
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I plan to teach students about careers related to drones.
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Students will learn about the operation of the drone and legal requirements for drone use.
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We will discuss current social issues regarding drone use and how drones are currently being used to help people.
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Students will learn about drone photography and videography.
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I plan to have students create art lessons in which the drone will be used to see the big picture. One project I plan to do is incorporate art and math in gridding a subject on the sidewalk using sidewalk chalk and then using the drone to see the completed image.
I am excited to start the year. I cannot wait to teach my students about drones next year. They are as excited as I am to get outside and use the drone.
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Outdoor Learning Equipment
Amy Alpaugh, Jeffers Pond kindergarten teacher was recently awarded this grant.
We were awarded the LEF grant last year and the weather has finally cooperated enough so that we can use our new materials. We were given to opportunity to purchase a hand water pump and some tubing/ramps with our grant. Wow! So many great skills have already come from these tools. The Kindergarten Engineers at Jeffers Pond have been using their skills of cooperation, problem solving, planning, and communicating effectively to build ramps that will carry water from one area to another. These tools have also helped them with the executive functioning which is one major component of the developmental process of a 5 and 6 year old. We can't thank you enough for funding our request. These kids are able to do some BIG social and academic learning because of you!
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Other Recently Approved Grants
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Active Seating/Flexible Learning
The grant provided an assortment of active seating/flexible learning options for the benefit of all students in the classroom. It included 24 active seats and two student standing desks. Students can maintain low-level physical activity which is linked to higher academic performance.
Studying Speed in in Science with Stopwatches
6th grade science curriculum includes a speed standard at Hidden Oaks Middle School. The use of stopwatches is very important to determine the time lab objects take to travel a certain distance. This way we can reach our standard learning goals by computing for speed for various STEM and lab activities in class. The use of quality working stopwatches will be very valuable to our learning.
Optional Seating Choices
This project is intended to provide kindergarten through fifth grade students, options of alternative seating in the classroom. The items requested in this grant (wobble chairs, scoop chairs, boundary chairs, weighted lap pads, and chair band) are all items that can help promote calmness, focus, body organization, self-regulation and sensory related inputs, which in turn promotes optimal learning in the classroom.
Classroom Environment Upgrade
This project will include painting a 4-foot wide band around the gym at WestWood Elementary School with different words and figures inside the band. The colored band will serve functions for our physical education class. It will serve an area for Volleyball, Soccer, and a net for racket sports. The words will remind students to follow directions and to be good sports as well as inspirational quotes.
Elementary Garden Project
The intent of the project is to help educate students of the importance of eating healthy foods and how to grow your own produce. By making this project fun and educational, Jeffers Pond Elementary will also include many individuals from the community and make a positive impact on others.
Elementary Music Ukulele Pilot Project
Redtail Ridge Elementary School fifth graders will experience the opportunity to learn to play the ukulele in their general music class. It will give students the opportunity to learn to read notes and get the experience of learning to play a string instrument.
High Lexile Novels
This will challenge 7th grade readers at St Michael's Catholic School to use Socratic questioning methods to discuss their reading (often reserved for high school students) and by writing five-paragraph essays including multiple textual justifications for their literary claims. This group of students is ready to be challenged with additional high school texts (and beyond), and they are excelling.
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Annual Bash - Casino Night
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Join us for our 5th annual bash/fundraiser on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at the Wild's Golf Club. We will feature Casino Night, similar to last year. Details will be shared soon!
Check out the 2017 highlights below!
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Additional Ways to Support LEF
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If you shop at Amazon, you can help support LEF simply by shopping on Amazon through AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support us every time at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the same prices, selections and shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to LEF. Directions and link can be found our our website: www.lakerfoundation.org
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It's not just for holiday greetings...it's good throughout the year!
Laker Educational Foundation is thrilled to announce two new fundraising opportunities. The first is with Shutterfly, the leader in personalized photo products, offering a wide range of photo books, gifts, home décor collections, and unlimited FREE photo storage. The second is with Tiny Prints, the leader in personalized stationery, offering luxury designs from top stationery designers. For each purchase you make from either one of these brands, 13% will be donated to our organization.
How To Support Us:
- Go to our Storefront URL here – lakeredfoundation.ShutterflyStorefront.com
- Click through to Shutterfly.com or Shutterfly.com/Tinyprints and start shopping
- Make a purchase
That’s it, it is that easy AND you can still use any promo’s that are being advertised on the Shutterfly site.
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- The Laker Educational Foundation offers teacher tributes and gratitude greetings for teachers and support staff twice yearly. We are fortunate to be able to partner with local businesses to offer this incentive.
- The foundation holds two grant cycles each year. One is held in the fall and the other in the spring. For details and application materials, please visit our website at www.lakerfoundation.org or give us a call at 952.226.0063. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
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Laker Educational Foundation | 952.226.0063 | [email protected] | www.lakerfoundation.org
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The foundation is located in Prior Lake and Savage, and its mailing address is P.O. Box 840, Prior Lake, MN 55372.
The foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt public charity under the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions are tax deductible, subject to limitations in applicable law.
No goods or services are provided to any donor in exchange for contributions. Unless otherwise specified, contributions to the foundation will be used for its general charitable purposes and endowment.
This disclosure is made under Minn. Stat. 309.556.
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