At the May 15, 2024 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education the following groups and individuals were recognized for helping to make Washington Township a Superior School District.
Olivia Alvarado is a sophomore at North Central High School who is a member of the Business Professionals of America CTSO through the Business Department offered at J. Everett Light Career Center. Business Professionals of America, known as BPA, is coordinated by the business teachers at JEL. This year, John Albers, Michael Meek, and Kevin Kreinhagen were the three advisors/teachers who guided 24 students in this year’s business competitions. The BPA organization at JEL was fortunate to have Jason Kistler, owner of Kreative Marketing, assist with helping Olivia create her design for her competition. In December, Olivia had her first round of competition, known as the Regional Conference. Her two competitive events were Graphic Design Promotion and Fundamental Desktop Publishing. She did well enough in both events to advance to the BPA State Conference held this past March. At the BPA State Conference, Olivia placed 1st in Graphic Design Promotion and 2nd in Fundamental Desktop Publishing. This past weekend, May 10th-14th, Olivia had the opportunity to travel to Chicago for the BPA National Conference. At the conference, she had the opportunity to compete against other high school students across the nation. Congratulations to Olivia for her hard work and determination!
Congratulations to Lucy Mann, an 8thgrade student at Westlane. Her National History Day project was about the “History of Anesthesia.” She had one of the top projects at Westlane. From there, she competed in the Regional finals, advanced to the state finals, and in April won at the state finals. She will represent Westlane and the state of Indiana at the National finals for National History Day in Washington DC over the summer. Congratulations and best of luck to you.
Dr. Rudy Wilson was Washington Township’s first African American administrator and held numerous leadership roles within the Washington Township School district throughout his career, including principal at both Westlane and Northview as well as assistant principal at North Central High School. As a beloved educator and a sharp, dedicated administrator, Dr. Wilson spent his career striving to assist students inside and outside of the classroom, inspiring students to work hard, focus on their education, and do the right thing. He took pride in developing students and faculty to fulfill their aspirations, influencing and mentoring students and associates to further their academic goals. Dr. Wilson passed away in January 2023. His family, who is here today- from out of state, facilitated two $1,000 scholarships in honor of Dr. Wilson for students from the class of 2024 who have shown a commitment to academic excellence while positively contributing to the student body and the local community.
Congratulations to Aysha Still and Carter Brames.
Aysha (pronounced “Asia”) Still has been recognized as one of the top 25 students in the class of 2024. At North Central she has been involved in International Baccalaureate, National Honors Society, Marching Band, Pep Band, Junior Spec, and Best Buddies. Outside of school, she has worked as a camp counselor at the YMCA and volunteered with the Mozel Sanders Foundation.
Carter Brames is also graduating in the top 10% of the class of 2024. At North Central he has served as the Senior Class President, in National Honors Society, and on the Varsity Swimming and Diving Team. Outside of school, he has worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor in the community, and for two years has helped raise funds to support swimming lesson scholarships.
Congratulations to North Central High School English Teacher, Jocelyn Sisson, for being recognized by one of her former students, Grace Chun-Siao Lee, as the teacher who was most influential in guiding her during the formative stages of her academic career. Grace will be graduating this year from Stanford University’s School of Engineering and was selected as a recipient of the Frederick Emmons Terman Engineering Scholastic Award for distinguished academic performance at Stanford. Grace selected Mrs. Sisson as the teacher to attend the Terman Awards ceremony at Stanford in April. We are very proud of the outstanding influence Mrs. Sisson had on Grace as well as many other North Central students.
This evening, we are excited to honor Fox Hill kindergarten teacher, Susan Henry, who recently received a prestigious Teacher Creativity Fellowship grant from the Lilly Endowment. The Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program offers encouragement and support to Indiana’s K-12 educators working in public and private schools by awarding grants of up to $15,000 to support personal renewal projects designed to help restore a commitment to the education profession and stimulate creativity, which promise to enhance the educational experiences of their students. The Lilly Endowment wishes to honor the talented and dedicated educators who work tirelessly to support the success of Hoosier students each day, and they believe these unique experiences will rejuvenate educators and further strengthen the extraordinary contributions they make to the lives of their students and communities. Ms. Henry’s grant submission is entitled, “From Meager Beginnings to Inspiring the World: A Road Trip Adventure Exploring the Roots of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Walt Disney and Georgia O’Keeffe.” During her upcoming journey, she will discover how the foundational influence of farming, nature and travel sparked the imagination and creativity of these three famous Midwestern storytellers. We are certainly proud for you to receive this opportunity and excited to learn more about your road trip adventure. Congratulations Susan Henry.
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Congratulations to North Central High School Journalism and Student Media teacher, Tom Gayda, for being named the Youth Journalism International’s Journalism Educator of the Year based on heartfelt letters from many of his students. As part of the Youth Journalism International’s recognition of Mr. Gayda, they noted that he has been honored often in his career, which is a sign that his scholarship, teaching, and warmth has been recognized by not just by his students but by his peers around the nation.
Congratulations to Eastwood teacher Kimberly Matsuoka, for having been selected as a state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Kimberly Matsuoka, a K-6th grades STEM teacher is now one of four Indiana middle school STEM teachers eligible to receive a PAEMST award, the nation’s highest honor for U.S. K–12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teachers. The awards program is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. State Finalists represent the most outstanding teachers Indiana has to offer and serve as both a model and an inspiration to students and fellow teachers. Congratulations again, we are extremely proud of you and your accomplishments.
Congratulations to Jeffrey Berry, an 8thgrade math teacher at Westlane Middle School. He was Westlane’s nominee for the Indianapolis Indians’ Teacher Appreciation Game. He was then named as one of the final three awardees and got to be on the field prior to the game. In the May 4 Teacher Appreciation Game at Victory Field, the Indians awarded Mr. Berry with a $300 prize pack as the winning middle school teacher.
Congratulations to MSDWT, Mr. Rick Granlund and the performing arts team as MSDWT earned the Best Communities for Music Education title from the NAMM Foundation for its unwavering commitment to music education! Congratulations and thank you for your outstanding support of music education and enriching the lives of children and advancing student achievement.
The “Student-Centered Support” award recognizes a district that has expanded access to evidence-based supports in the areas of academics and student well-being. Our student services teams have engaged in intensive professional learning to implement comprehensive school counseling and school social work programming that is aligned with the national frameworks for these respective areas. This award and grant funding will allow us to have the resources needed to continue to grow this work. We are thrilled for Mrs. Jen Dodson and her team. This grant will engage the student services teams in collaborative learning and systems work, including continued work with trainers from Hatching Results and other professional learning offerings. Improving students’ social emotional wellbeing will ultimately improve overall academic and wellness outcomes.
The Washington Township Schools Foundation has provided millions of dollars of private support for our schools over the years. Sponsors of their organization serve as a crucial part of making that support possible. The page provided in your board materials and located at wtsfoundation.org shares the full list of business partners providing over $70,000 for MSDWT students and classrooms in 2024. Tonight, MSDWT is recognizing the six companies who are supporting the WTSF at the highest levels of sponsorship, Master and Graduate levels. Schmidt Associates is represented by Eric Broemel, a Principle with the firm. Schmidt has been a loyal and consistent partner of the WTSF since 2018, and generously wanted to increase that partnership this year by becoming the first ever Master level sponsor!
Bose McKinney & Evansis represented by Jon Mayes, a partner with the firm. Bose has provided pivotal support to the foundation as a sponsor for over 25 years, and is one of the WTSF’s longest running sponsor partners.
Business Furniture is represented by CEO Mary Beth Oakes. Business Furniture has become an incredible addition as a supporter of the WTSF in recent years and continues to be a very active partner.
Huntington Learning Center is represented by Lisa Fraser, Bob Mack, and Rachel Hartman. Huntington is WTSF’s newest sponsor partner, and after hearing about The Foundation and the work that they support in the district, they immediately wanted to be a part of that, and signed on at one of the highest levels!
Searles Akers Howard Wealth Management Greg Akers was unable to be here tonight, but Searles Akers Howard has been a sponsor and major supporter of the Foundation for many years. Greg is an NCHS alumnus, past Foundation board member, and all-around champion for the district.
Stifel(pronounced Stee-fill) Endeavor Investment Group Steve Pratt, Senior Vice President of the Endeavor investment Group was unable to be here tonight, but has been involved in foundation efforts for over 25 years. In addition to being a long standing sponsor, Steve served as president of the Foundation board in 2005 and coordinated a class gift from his North Central Class of 1972 in honor of their fifty year reunion.
Allison Transmission focuses its efforts on giving back to local communities through advancing education and STEM initiatives, and after hearing about the MSDWT emphasis on STEM education in the district, they decided to partner as a Graduate level sponsor with the Foundation.
Thank you to these seven Master and Graduate level sponsors and to the other 23 businesses who prioritized MSDWT in their support this year. Our students are benefitting greatly from their generosity.
On behalf of the entire district, we wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your invaluable contributions to the Central Office and Early Learning Center Projects. Schmidt Associates and Smoot Construction– Your dedication and expertise in design and construction services have truly made a significant impact on our facilities. And will impact the students of Washington Township for generations.
The work you have provided with the district has not gone unnoticed. Your attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and commitment to excellence have been instrumental in ensuring the success of these two projects. We understand the challenges and complexities that come with new construction and renovation projects, and your ability to navigate them with professionalism and proficiency has been commendable. Your passion for your work shines through in every task you undertake, and it has been a pleasure collaborating with your teams who are dedicated to their craft. Your contributions have played a vital role in shaping the future of our district, and for that, we are truly grateful. Once again, thank you for your outstanding work and commitment to excellence.
Superintendent Scholarship sponsored by Everwise
This annual Superintendent Scholarship is made possible from generous support from Everwise Credit Union. The District would like to thank Everwise Credit Union and Jeremy Riffle, Holly Galletti, Jana Maull Nakarmi and Lesley Green, Everwise representatives for their Generous Contribution and continued support of Washington Township Schools and in particular for supporting the Superintendent’s Scholarship winners. We are extremely grateful and humbled by your continued support and ask that you join Dr. Woodson at the front as we share this exciting announcement.
This scholarship award is different from others who may look for exceptional academic scholarship for 4 straight years at NC. Instead, Dr. Woodson chooses to focus this annual scholarship on a student who has shown the most improvement during the 4 years at NC.
We are extremely excited to announce this year’s North Central High School recipient, Ms. Yarethzy Contreras Lozano! If you could join Dr. Woodson & Everwise at the front.
Yarethzy Contreras Lozano. Yarethzy has worked diligently the past two school years at North Central and improved her academic performance/school record. Yarethzy has worked her way into earning both the Technical Honors diploma and Academic Honors diploma right before graduation here at the end of May. Yarethzy has accomplished this by re-taking seven core courses to meet the grade criteria for the Honors diplomas. Yarethzy has engaged in a diverse course load over her high school career and has been willing to take on challenging classes outside of her academic comfort zone. In addition, Yarethzy has accomplished this despite working the past two years at local restaurants.
Thanks again Everwise for your continued support of WT Schools and this annual Scholarship. Congratulations to Yarethzy and her family on being named for this honor.
During the “School Spotlight” segment of the Board Meeting, members of the Clearwater Elementary community, were recognized.