Lawrence Kids Autumn, 2019
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Lawrence Kids Autumn, 2019
A Letter from the President
08
Trying to Tell Everyone’s Story
10
Seasonal Essentials w/ Amy Cloud
14
At School w/ USD 497
22
Lawrence Schools Foundation
34
Get Outside: Fall Foliage
38
cover photo: Amber Yoshida a project of Four Birds Media info@lawrencekidsmagazine.com (785) 766-5669 / lawrencekidsmagazine.com Thank you for reading.
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A Letterfrom the President photo by Amber Yoshida
Greeting fellow Lawrencians. This is Melissa Johnson, your proud USD497 School Board President. I’m so excited to be able to write you a message through Lawrence Kids Magazine. I’ve been a part of this community for more than 14 years. Having one daughter graduate from LHS and a current senior (Chloe) and sophomore (Jassiem) at Lawrence High, I know a bit about raising kids in Lawrence. There are so many things I love about Lawrence and our public schools and I’m excited to share a few: 1. Community Involvement - It is not uncommon to see teachers, staff
and families out in the community volunteering for an event, advocating the rights of others or fundraising. We have great resources all around us and I hope we will continue to form these partnerships. This is how we’ll maintain and promote a thriving community. 2. Nature and the Arts - We are so lucky to have some amazing nature
parks, walking trails and art galleries in town. We try to take advantage of both the natural beauty in Lawrence but also the works by so many talented artist that live here. 3. The Food - I love being able to try various foods from around the world and
experience the venues as well. 4. Serving on the School Board - I’m beyond honored to be on the school
board. Although my intentions for running was to be a voice for marginalized scholars, their families and to bring a primary education perspective on issues; I’ve reaped some benefits as well. It has helped me become a better teacher and have a greater appreciation and determination for my community to succeed. I am proud of the new partnerships between the school district and community establishments such as LMH (in which under represented populations were able to experience the medical field beyond nurses and doctors). The partnership between KU which will allow scholars who wish to continue their education beyond high school to take college courses prior to graduating at a reduced cost. 5. The Educators and Staff in Lawrence Public Schools - We have some
amazing teachers who genuinely want to do what’s best for students. One of our goals in our strategic plan is for every scholar to have a trusted adult in their schools. I believe we have a great selection to choose and learn from. There have been plenty of up and downs during my time in Lawrence; however, the new leadership and the scholars of Lawrence Public schools bring a new sense hope and pride to LFK. I am glad I get to be a part of it. Melissa w/ Jassiem & Chloe
Trying to Tell
Everyone’s Story
The Lawrence Public Library is Working to Diversify the Books Available to Families in Town...
“I was watching the great PBS series Chasing the Moon and was really enamored with the story of Ed Dwight,” Dan Coleman, a Collection Development Librarian with the Lawrence Public Library, explains. “Mr. Dwight was the first African-American astronaut and he grew up in Kansas. I really thought his story was fascinating.” Coleman summarized Dwight’s story on the library’s blog: “In the early 1960’s, Ed Dwight was an African American test pilot with similar qualifications to those of the men who would eventually go to the moon. He endured the same rigorous mental and physical training as his peers at Chuck Yeager’s famous astronaut school at Edwards Air Force Base in 1962, but while he was publicly celebrated as America’s first black astronaut, behind closed doors at Edwards, Dwight was subject to coordinated mistreatment intended to break him. He stuck it out and completed the course, only to be left behind when NASA chose its 14 final Apollo astronauts.”
the library. Even more surprising was that there weren’t any books about Dwight available anywhere.” That simple problem, not being able to find a book about an African-American astronaut (from Kansas!), was just another piece of motivation for Coleman and his crew at the library. They are actively working to increase the diversity of books available in the children’s area of the library. “We’ve been at it for some time,” Coleman says. “The Dwight story is just another example of the type of books we’re looking to put on our shelves for families to read.” While the library prides itself on being a place where all walks of life are welcome, Cataloging Librarian Emily McDonald says that the books available should promote the same ideals.
Coleman was excited to read more about Dwight at the library and hoped to find a children’s book to add to the collection.
“We want people, all people and especially kids, to be able to see themselves on the shelves,” McDonald explains. “Kids should be able to see stories about other kids that look like them or celebrate like they do. We’re working towards that, but we understand it’s an evolving process.”
“I was a little embarrassed that I didn’t already know his story,” Coleman says. “He’s a groundbreaking scientist and he’s from Kansas and we didn’t have a single book about him in
Coleman estimates the children’s section houses upwards of 65,000 items and he is confident the shelves have room for more stories that reflect a diverse community.
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“The best way for us to add books to our shelves is by having the public request them,” Coleman says. “If someone requests a book that we don’t have, we do everything we can to get it. We spend a lot of time researching books written from a voice of experience in different cultures, but the most effective way for us to bring in books that represent the diversity of our public is for the public to let us know what books they want.”
all young people. They recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. WNDB strives to create a
One simple step the library has taken is changing where some books are placed in the collection. “We’ve reclassified a lot of books from the folktales section to the religious section,” McDonald explains. “It may not sound like a big deal, but if you’re a kid and your library views your religious beliefs as a folktale, that probably won’t make you feel very good. It is a small move that can go a long way in our efforts to increase inclusion.” Both Coleman and McDonald cite the work of We Need Diverse Books as a strong blueprint for future book acquisitions. We Need Diverse Books is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and a grassroots organization that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry. The group aims to help produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of
world in which all children can see themselves in the pages of a book. “We Need Diverse Books is doing a lot of great work identifying childrens books that give a voice and tell the stories of all types of kids,” Coleman says. “Between their suggestions, community requests and our own internal work, I think we’re on our way to accomplish a more diverse catalog of children’s stories for our community.”
Seasonal
Essentials
Amy Cloud and her crew are a busy bunch. Lucia (15), Lola (13) & Max (10) have full days & Amy owns Malula Kids Resale on Mass Street. Together, the four make the most of the season. photos by Amber Yoshida
1. Lazy Sunday morning walks to the Merc for breakfast 2. Driving out to Schaake Pumpkin Patch! Max always has to find his own “Braille” pumpkin (a pumpkin with bumps) 3. Smelling, and buring, Pumpkin Spice candles from Waxman Candles 4. Outfitting the kids for fall at Malula Kids Resale (of course!)
5. Long boarding on cool autumn evenings around the parking lots of West Middle School 6. Evening strolls at Clinton Lake. We love throwing rocks into the lake and watching the sunset 7. Wednesday night pizza night from Rudy’s Pizza 8. Stopping at Scooter’s Coffee drive through to get coffee and smoothies for those days when the back-to-school run around has us all in a foul mood 9. Taking family walks at the dog park with our boxer, Sadie
s e g A ll A r fo
In Class with
USD 497
A Snapshot of Lessons in Lawrence Schools.
Students were given the opportunity to explore, with a partner, our number parade tiles. Blue/Red tiles will be used throughout the year to construct mathematical understanding and vocabulary. It is fun to observe and listen to kids engaged in mathematical thinking and math talk. Leslie Downing - Kindergarten, Langston Hughes
Teaching soft skills is important, and as a building we have decided to work on these in small steps. We want to show students what being creative can and will look like as they work together collaborating on bigger projects throughout the year. The Big Idea was: Work together with ateam to turn a box into something it is not. Students planned in their creativity teams the day before by coming up with three ideas and deciding together on one. They presented their products to their classmates the next day and used the strategy of likes and wonders to reflect on their work. Jessica Brown - 1st Grade, Hillcrest
Every morning the students come in the classroom we always start with a Morning Meeting. There are four parts to our Morning Meeting: greeting, share, activity, and morning message. Doing a Morning Meeting every day allows my students and I to take time to build strong relationships. Shane Heiman - 3rd grade, New York
We start our day with a morning meeting. Students greet each another, we have a sharing piece, play a game and we read the morning message. The greeting is a simple handshake and good morning with one another’s name. This ritual helps us build our classroom community because relationship are key to a successful and thriving learning environment. It’s one way to build trust with one another so when we need to have tough conversations or discussions, we feel like we can trust one another and speak openly. It’s a great way to start the day. Lauren Mitchell - 4th grade, Kennedy
Mrs. Le’s class was working to design a boat out of one piece of alumni foil that was 8x8. The goal was to collaborate as a team to build and design an alumni boat that could hold the most pennies before sinking. The highest group got 69 pennies in before it started to sink. Amy Le - 5th grade, Sunflower
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LawrenceSchools Foundation
How the School District and Community Leaders Work Together to Support Lawrence Education
The idea was simple enough. Former USD 497 Superintendent Carl Knox was set to retire and wanted a simple way to help a few teachers continue their education by attending a conference. “My dad was adamant that he did not want a retirement party or gifts,” recalls Carladyne Conyers, Carl Knox’s daughter. “He asked friends and community members to donate to a fund that would be used to help Lawrence teachers pay for conferences and education. That was the start of the Lawrence Schools Foundation.” Fast forward to 2019 and the Lawrence Schools Foundation is preparing to celebrate its 35th year of supporting the teachers and staff of USD 497. “In January 2020, the Foundation will be celebrating 35 years, which is fairly unusual in terms of a Foundation that is strongly tied into the district,” explains Dena Johnston, Lawrence Schools Foundation Executive Director. “We don’t take for granted all the support the community has provided for the past 34 years.” The Lawrence Schools Foundation is committed to enriching the education provided to all students by the Lawrence Public Schools. The Foundation provide resources that inspire learning, enrich teaching and enhance opportunities for all students, educators, and staff in USD 497. “To summarize, we’re here to support the teachers in the district,” Johnston says. “We work with our outstanding community to help fill any gaps in budgeting teachers might face. We help with everything from providing bottles of glue to relieving the stress of continuing education costs.” Johnston says the majority of funds the Foundation provide to teachers is in the form of grants. Funds from community donations and local businesses are pooled and awarded to teachers to help offset their cost and help inspire them to grow as educators. For example: • Innovative Teaching Grants are awarded to teachers who implement innovative and unique programs or projects for their students that enrich learning, result in increased student achievement, and engage students in critical thinking and problem solving. Two years ago 10 grants were awarded, totaling $20,249 • School Assistance Grants fund defined areas of use for needs that are not being met with state or federal monies. Six grants totaling $9,890 were awarded in 2017.
What Carl Knox started as a nice retirement gesture has grown into a major force in Lawrence education with 3 staff members and an active board of directors. The organization hosts multiple fundraisers, most notably the annual Community Education Breakfast. The breakfast event provides an opportunity for local businesses and community members to demonstrate their support for public education, features an address from a notable USD 497 alum, recognition of student champions and a performance by local students. The Foundation also partners with the Lied Center to host a district-wide talent show for middle and high school students. All proceeds from each event benefit the Foundation. Lawrence USD 497 Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis says the stability and influence of the Foundation is unlike any other he’s ever known. “Without question the Lawrence Schools Foundation is a major asset to the students and teachers in Lawrence,” he says. “I’ve served in a number districts and none of them had the type of support that our Foundation provides. It is really a testament to Lawrence’s commitment to our public schools. Our community’s support for our teachers is remarkable.” Johnston says the future for Lawrence schools is bright, and the Foundation is excited to be a part of the district’s plans. “We’re almost 35 years in and we really feel like we’re just getting started,” she says. “We have dozens of ideas of ways we can continue to support our teachers and, though it will take some work, we know we count on the support of our business community.” Carladyne Conyers is confident her father would be thrilled with what the Lawrence Schools Foundation has become. “You know, I don’t think my dad would believe it,” she says with a laugh. “I know he would be proud to see the town he loved working hard to support the schools he loved. That would make him very happy.”
Get
outside story/photos: Rebecca Zarazan Dunn
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” said L.M. Montogmary’s famous literary heroine in Anne of Green Gables and EVERYONE IN LAWRENCE. After enduring months of heat advisories and nursing bug bites, October is not only a reprieve from summer but a technicolor parade of turning leaves rivaling that of New England’s. When the season tips over into shorter days and cooler temps, the city is set ablaze in fall foliage. It’s a time when adults with or without children can’t help but pick up and admire a newly fallen leaf. We live in a beautiful city and this is one of the best times to get outside and admire it. Listed below are not-to-be-missed foliage sightseeing destinations. Go for a stroll with the family, or alone. Throw a pile of leaves in the air, smelling their spicy scent. Lay under a maple tree and watch it’s glowing leaves softy fall to the earth. That’s right, I’m telling you to possibly lay in someone’s yard and enjoy their tree. It’s Lawrence! We love our trees. Lawrence is declared by the Arbor Day Foundation a Tree City USA. So, it’s perfectly normal behavior.
Best Neighborhoods to View Fall Foliage Old West Lawrence: Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana Street between 6th-9th street Pinkney: Ohio, Louisiana, and Indiana Street north of 6th street East Lawrence: New York and New Jersey St. from 7th - 15th street, Rhode Island St between 12th - 14th street Barker: New Hampsire St and Vermont St between 15th-17th street Centennial: Vermont St between 21st -23rd street My one wish for you this autumn is that one blue sky October morning, after the leaves have started to turn, you find yourself with a few minutes to spare and you go for a walk in one of these neighborhoods. Find wonder in the canopy of ephemeral color, waning from one season to the next. After a year of heavy rainfall, hold onto your pants, you’re in for quite a show.
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