Lakeshore Excellence Foundation Projects
The Holocaust: Making It Real (Innovation Grant)
Each year 8th graders at Lakeshore Middle School spend several weeks reading The Diary of Anne Frank and studying the Holocaust. This year their study was enriched with two high-quality videoconferences made possible by the purchase of new VC equipment using a grant awarded by the Lakeshore Excellence Foundation.
Prior to their reading, students were introduced to the unit by Charles Sacavage, an educator and Holocaust expert who teaches these topics in Pennsylvania at the secondary and university levels. In December, each 8th grade class met with him via videoconference to help establish their background knowledge of this historical event. In these invaluable sessions, Mr. Sacavage was able to answer in detail every question the students had about World War II and the Holocaust prior to reading. He also shared a wide variety of photographs, documents, and other historical materials from the time period, which were immediately at his fingertips.
During and after their reading, the students watched the Oscar-winning documentary One Survivor Remembers. The film recounts the experiences of author Gerda Weissman Klein, a survivor of several Nazi work camps and a 1943 death march from Germany to Czechoskovakia. Then, on January 14th, the students connected with Ms. Klein live via videoconference to hear her speak with about 20 classes nationwide. Selected participants were able to ask Ms. Klein questions about her Holocaust experiences, and in the end of the session she challenged the students to organize a service project to help improve the lives of others. Connecting her own experience to current events, Ms. Klein spoke of the recent disaster in Haiti as an example of a people in grave need of compassion and assistance. The experience was inspiring and meaningful, and left our students with insight into history that only realworld connections can give.
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Assets Advisory Committee – Students Taking Action
The AAC is an active group of high school students sponsored by the Lakeshore Excellence Foundation. The group is always taking an active role within our schools as well as within our community. Here are just a few of their more recent projects, as well as future projects.
In December, AAC had an opportunity to help 5 local families going through difficult times by “adopting” them for the holidays. The students and their families along with a group of helpers from United Federal Credit Union provided gifts and food for the adopted families. The group’s generosity was overwhelming and greatly appreciated. Some of the AAC kids are also helping at the elementary schools by mentoring young students after school. In March, they will run a contest among the high school’s 1st hour classes to collect gently used books which will be donated to some deserving local children’s programs and libraries. Looking ahead to Spring, in April and May, the group will focus on helping our environment. Beginning in mid-April, they will kick off their 3rd Annual NIKE Reuse-A-Shoe Recycling Drive. They will be collecting worn out athletic style shoes at all Lakeshore schools. Please start saving your old shoes for the drive….look for more details soon. In May, the AAC will be cleaning Lincoln Twp. Beach Park for the 5th year. They will enlist the help of their fellow high school students to help make the beach and park a cleaner environment for the community to enjoy. These kids are working hard to make a difference in our schools and in our community.
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A SOGGY FAMILY FUN RIDE
The Lakeshore Excellence Foundation held a family bicycle outing this fall. It was supposed to be a fun-filled morning with family, friends, and exercise in fresh air and sunshine. However, the weather did not cooperate for us that day, in fact it was a cold, windy, downpour that drove away many of our participants. There was a patch of sun in the sky around 10 A.M. and a few families hopped on their bikes and completed the five and 15-mile courses (no takers for our 30 mile course). This was our first attempt at this kind of event (now that we got our feet wet), plans are underway for next year! We believe it has the potential to be an annual FUN FAMILY event. Many thanks to our sponsors, volunteers, and hardy riders!
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Foundation Project Grant: A New Award Program
Last fall, LEF launched a new grant award program, Foundation Project Grants. This program is designed along the same lines as our Lakeshore Innovation Grants. Both grant programs are open to all Lakeshore staff, students, parents, and community members to apply. The big differences are the amount of money that may be awarded, and the time frame in which to use the money. The Innovation Grants are typically up to $2500 and the project is completed during that school year. The new Foundation Project Grants are aimed at higher ticket projects over $2500 and the project can take up to three years to complete. LEF received nine applications for our first submission deadline in November. We were pleased to see the number and scope of the applications. The projects ranged in cost from $3000 to $18,000. After careful consideration and research on each project application by the committee, LEF is pleased to announce they have awarded $25,100 to five of the grant applicants.
The following are our first recipients:
Hollywood PTO – install an accessible path surface for their Holly Woods project and funds toward their educational tree identification signs.
Middle School Media Center, Angie Johnson – provided funds for the purchase of Video Conferencing equipment.
7th grade Science classrooms, Kim Stover & Tracy Knaack – funding for two document cameras, two video projectors, two laptops, and one set of 32 response clickers.
High School Dance Program, Theresa Graziano – partial funding for a week-long Artist in Residence by a professional New York dance troupe with all dance classes, plus community Master Classes and a performance.
Stewart PTO – funding for two document cameras and two video projectors.
Congratulations to all our Foundation Project Grant recipients.
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Lakeshore Auto Shop and Welding Students Helping Out
Thanks to the group effort of the auto shop and welding students of Mr. Carr and Mr. Haygood at Lakeshore High School, the new Holly Woods Nature Loop has been created and connected to the existing walking track. These high school students donated time to assist in the preparation and the hauling of the stone under the guidance of Creative Landscaping. It was a muddy job, and their service was greatly appreciated!
With funding through a Lakeshore Excellence Foundation grant, the crushed stone path will allow handicapped accessibility to the Holly Wood Nature Area. Since the early 90’s, classes at Hollywood have planted native Michigan trees to be used for nature study. More recently prairie plants have been added to extend learning. The trees have now matured, and the area is being developed for “hands-on” nature study experiences for our community. Signage, benches, and a teaching station are in the future plans. The plan also includes wildlife habitat supports such as bat and owl houses, a bluebird trail (installed by Michael Bakos as an Eagle Scout project), and critter boards to enhance learning about animals as well. What a tremendous team effort! Come and enjoy nature in the Holly Woods!
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Shoe Recycling Drive a HUGE Success
The Assets Advisory Committee would like to thank the Lakeshore students and community for donating their old worn out athletic shoes to the Nike Reuse-a-Shoe Recycling Drive. Every school had a collection box in their lobbies for 4 weeks last spring. There were over 600 pairs of shoes donated. The high school had the largest number donated… 237 pairs! The AAC along with LEF Coordinator, Lori Dogget, would like to thank Allied Van Lines for donating the collection boxes for the drive. A big thank you also goes to Express-1 for transporting the boxes to the recycling center in Lansing. The AAC appreciates their generous support of the recycling project. Thanks to your donations, we can help Nike create playgrounds, running tracks, and basketball courts for deserving kids around the world. Plus, we are helping the planet by keeping all these old shoes out of the landfill. It’s never too early to start saving your old shoes in anticipation of next spring’s shoe drive.
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GETTING READY FOR KINDERGARTEN
The Lakeshore Excellence Foundation once again welcomed the new Kindergarten classes to Lakeshore by presenting the children with a classic book … Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten. The presentation to the children was made possible through a generous donation, making this the fourth year of LEF giving books to incoming Kindergarten children. The books were presented to Roosevelt, Stewart and Hollywood Elementary Schools on the first day of school.
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MUSICAL PRODUCTION - Beauty and the Beast
Students, staff, and community combined to make this year’s musical one for the record book. With standing-room-only, audiences were WOWED! Applause goes out to the Lakeshore Performing Arts Department staff, student cast, pit orchestra and crew for their hard work and varied talents. The musical was six months in the making from auditions to opening night for cast members with many months pre-planning by the staff. The production was made possible by Lakeshore Public Schools, and grants from the LEF and the Frederick S. Upton Foundation. The monies from the foundation grants provided the students direct instruction from professionals in the entertainment industry in the form of Master Classes and Artists-In-Residence. The experiences and knowledge gained from these artists have greatly inspired and enriched our students and staff.
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GILMORE KEYBOARD FESTIVAL CONCERT
Lakeshore band students in grades 7-12 were provided a stimulating musical and cultural experience by exposure to world-renowned musical artists at the LEF-sponsored Gilmore Keyboard Festival Concert on April 28, 2008. LEF invited other area schools and community members to “jazz things up” with acclaimed Cuban pianist, Nachito Herrara, and his three sidemen in a concert at the high school auditorium. The audience was indeed wowed by the sheer power of this amazing pianist.
Students enjoyed the lively music and also the opportunity for Q&A with the featured musician, Nachito Herrara, who lived up to having “monster technique, bottomless energy and infectious enthusiasm for the eclectic rhythms of his Cuban homeland.” Mr. Herrera was a child prodigy in Cuba, having performed classical music at the age of 12 with the Havana Symphony Orchestra. From a classical background, he gravitated toward the traditional Cuban rhythms of top jazz performers, and became the musical director at the famous “Tropicana” in Cuba before becoming the lead pianist, arranger, and musical director of Cubanismo. His explosive style of Latin Jazz is an amalgam of his classical training, cultural back drop, and his remarkable talent.
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HIGH SCHOOL LANDSCAPING - “Growing Lakeshore Pride”
Welcoming – that is what the Lakeshore School system wants to be! Our high school hosts many events for Berrien County, from sports and theatre to meetings and dinners and everything in between. As a central community hub, it is vital for our building to look attractive. What better way to accomplish this than by beautifying the high school grounds?
The front of Lakeshore High School has been enhanced with a tiled patio, stone flower boxes, landscaping boulders, flowering plants, bushes and trees. The school sign was moved and enhanced with plantings. The LEF project to install major landscaping, where before stood just a few trees and smaller planter boxes, has greatly improved the curb appeal of our high school. Now the quality of our school students and staff on the inside are better reflected by the quality of the environment on the outside.
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ILLUSTRATOR AND AUTHOR LAUREN STRINGER
In our continued pursuit to bring excellence to the Lakeshore schools and community, LEF hosted multi-talented book illustrator and author Lauren Stringer during the National Young People’s Poetry Week in April, 2007. Ms Stringer presented to students in 1st-5th grade at each elementary school and gave a poetry book illustration workshop in each 5th grade class. Students and their families were offered a ”Meet the Author” opportunity after school for book signing and photographs. In addition, an adult-oriented evening workshop with Ms Stringer was offered to those interested in illustration and writing processes for children’s books.
All presentations included props, originals, slides and music to tell the tale of book illustrating and writing. Many students were familiar with the delightful book, Fold Me a Poem, written by Kristine O’Connell George and illustrated by Lauren Stringer. It features a series of poems brought to life by a menagerie of origami animals created by a young boy. Ms Stringer has also illustrated several other popular children’s books, including Our Family Tree by Lisa Westberg Peters; Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant; Red Rubber Boot Day and Mud by Mary Lyn Ray; and Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs by Linda Ashman. Most recently she wrote and illustrated Winter Is the Warmest Season and illustrated Snow by Cynthia Rylant.
Lauren Stringer told about creating her stories, paintings, and sculptures in a huge old Victorian house in Minneapolis, MN. She has exhibited her art work in museums and galleries in New York City and has taught as an Artist-in-Residence. Ms Stringer’s first painted children’s book, Mud, won the Minnesota Book Award for Illustration, the IRA Children’s Choice Award, and Crayola Kids Best Book of the Year Award. The Lakeshore Excellence Foundation was pleased to bring such an accomplished artist and published illustrator and author who provided valuable insight and enthusiasm for the visual arts and written word and inspired our students, teachers and greater community.
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ECONOMIC CLUB STUDENT PROGRAM
This LEF project, now in its third year, provides an opportunity for high school students from six local schools to attend a closed circuit television viewing of the speakers at the Southwest Michigan Economic Club meetings. The goal is to enlighten, inspire and motivate students by listening to internationally-known speakers and discussing important economic and social issues in a small group setting. This project has provided LEF an occasion to support a supplemental learning opportunity not only for Lakeshore students, but also to extend our reach to other area students.
Last year the Economic Club of Southwest Michigan featured speeches by Tom Ridge, Carly Fiorina, Bob Schieffer, Dean Ornish, Peyton Manning and John McCain. This year’s speakers are Karl Rove, Mike Huckabee, Richard Reeves, Steve Kroft, and possibly President Bush and Condoleezza Rice in the spring.
Following the speech and Q&A, LEF leaders guide a discussion of the students’ thoughts and impressions of the speech.
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LINCOLN EXHIBIT: “FOREVER FREE – LINCOLN’S JOURNEY TO EMANCIPATION”
History students from 8th, 9th, and 10th grades toured a national exhibit on display at the Lincoln Township Library December, 2007 to February, 2008. This supplemental learning experience provided an in-depth look at Lincoln’s own words describing his slavery and emancipation beliefs and supported instruction in research and use of source material through exposure to rare documents, letters and broadsides. The exhibit was organized by The Huntington Library and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History with grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Only 60 other public libraries in the country hosted this special exhibit.
Students also viewed local Civil War artifacts and heard a presentation about Sojourner Truth and the Underground Railroad in Michigan.
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