October 11 is "Texas Education HR Day"

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 was designated as “Texas Education Human Resources Day” in recognition of our human resource professionals across the state. From recruiting, selecting, resourcing, and retaining highly-qualified staff, no one does it better than our very own HR department.

Now more than ever in times of change and challenge—as they continue to provide critical resources and support for more than 1,400 employees across our District—it is important to recognize our amazing team and the critical roles each of them fill:

• Shena Crawley - HR Specialist

• Dolma Diaz - HR Specialist

• Kim Heinen - HR Manager

• Valerie Lemak - Administrative Assistant for Employee & Community Relations

• Evalene Murphy - Assistant Superintendent of Employee & Community Relations

• Adrienne Murray - Certification Specialist

• Tiffany Toomey - HR Specialist II

• Myra Wright - HR Specialist II

October 9-13, 2023 is "National School Lunch Week"

Our elementary and middle schools will celebrate "National School Lunch Week" October 9-13.

The Texas Department of Agriculture's theme for the 2023 campaign is "Level Up with School Lunch," intended to engage students and encourage them to eat healthy school meals by linking nutritious foods to video games that resonate with them. Students will gain health points with fruits and vegetables to get “Powered Up” with protein in their school café!

October 6 is "Instructional Coaches Appreciation Day"

Friday, October 6 is designated as “National Instructional Coaches Day.” At Lake Travis ISD, we employ a total of 16 instructional coaches districtwide (7 elementary, 4 secondary, 3 Special Education, and 2 Instructional Technology). These hard-working individuals perform a number of critical functions to support teaching and learning. They not only coach teachers and provide professional development, they also write curriculum, analyze data, model lessons, review and provide instructional resources, and assist with team planning at multiple levels.

These coaches are also responsible for the planning and execution of multiple districtwide conferences. They supported us through virtual learning, and they helped our teachers design and deliver our second Summer Learning Academy for grades K-8.

The following LT instructional coaches deserve a big shoutout:

Elementary:

• Tasha Briseño

• Wendy Gorfain

• Meagan McGarrity

• Jaime Nair

• Amy Puga

• Karen Purdy

• Diana Williams

Secondary:

• Tara Banton-Foxhoven

• Jessica Barr

• William Davis

• Dana Schrader

Special Education:

• Lyndsey Ackerman

• Clare Birdsall

• Megan Butler

Technology:

• Anna Catherine Alvis

• Haley Rivera

October 5 is "World Teachers' Day"

With the theme, "The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage," Lake Travis ISD proudly recognizes Thursday, October 5 as “World Teachers’ Day,” a global event launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994 to share appreciation for educators and the teaching profession.

Locally, the Bee Cave city council passed a resolution in September, proclaiming October 5 as “World Teachers’ Day.” Together, LTISD supports the #TeachersCan initiative to recognize and celebrate all educators across our Lake Travis schools. #TeachersCan is a statewide movement led by educators and supported by more than 125 partnering businesses and organizations committed to elevating the teaching profession and honoring the critical role teachers play in public education.

October is "National Physical Therapy Month"

To celebrate the impact of physical therapists, the American Physical Therapy Association has designated October as National Physical Therapy Month.

At Lake Travis ISD, school-based physical therapists (PTs) are part of a team of service providers who support a student’s ability to access his or her educational environment. As specialists in movement, PTs assist a student’s physical participation in a variety of settings throughout the school day. Using their unique expertise in movement and function, our school-based PTs ensure a free and appropriate education for students with disabilities to prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.

The following physical therapists (pictured below) serve students across LTISD:

• Christine Urban (left)

• Heather Amitrani (right)

October is "Dyslexia Awareness Month"

In recognition and support of October as Dyslexia Awareness Month, Lake Travis ISD and the International Dyslexia Association share a vision of a world where students with dyslexia are understood and have the tools to succeed.

According to the website Reading Rockets, dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels. People who are very bright can be dyslexic. They are often capable or even gifted in areas that do not require strong language skills. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.

At LTISD, our campus dyslexia specialists work directly with identified students. Additionally, these professionals support their campuses to increase understanding and care for struggling readers:

• J.D. Aguirre - Lake Travis High School

• LuAnne Ainsworth - Itinerant Teacher

• Michaella Buddle - Serene Hills Elementary

• Claudia Carpenter - Rough Hollow Elementary

• Missy Giambruno - Bee Cave Middle School

• Sally Hernandez - Lake Travis Elementary

• Alice Johnson - Lakeway Elementary

• Amy Ledbetter - Bee Cave Elementary

• Sharon McMichael - Hudson Bend Middle School

• Erin Modde - Lake Pointe Elementary

• Colea Podoloff - West Cypress Hills Elementary

• Diane Tilley - Lead Dyslexia Teacher

• Monica Wommack - Lake Travis Middle School

October is "National Principals Month"

Now more than ever, so much is expected of our school principals. They are instructional leaders, assessment experts, disciplinarians, campus safety coordinators, community builders, budget analysts, and guardians of policy mandates and initiatives. And they do this while navigating a constantly-changing landscape.

For these and many other reasons, we join the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals in recognizing October as National Principals Month across Lake Travis ISD:

• Kim Kellner, Bee Cave Elementary School

• Karen Reich, Lake Pointe Elementary School

• Lizeth Thompson, Lake Travis Elementary School

• Sam Hicks, Lakeway Elementary School

• Vanessa Randels, Rough Hollow Elementary School

• Keegan Luedecke, Serene Hills Elementary School

• Amy Russ, West Cypress Hills Elementary School

• Melanie Beninga, Bee Cave Middle School

• Laura Keogh, Hudson Bend Middle School

• Rebecca Hudson, Lake Travis Middle School

• Debbie Garinger, Lake Travis High School

October 2 is "National School Custodial Workers' Recognition Day"

Monday, October 2 is designated as "National School Custodial Workers' Recognition Day." This day is set aside to show appreciation for the men and women who keep our classrooms and workplaces clean and running smoothly. Considering the challenges and demands of recent years, these members of the LTISD family are true superheroes who personify "One Community. One Purpose. All Heart."

Our custodial workers operate behind the scenes, many of whom work evenings, weekends, and highly demanding schedules. They deliver outstanding services, and they contribute to important first impressions while continuing to meet the high expectations of our staff, students, and parents.