La Crosse Public Education Foundation is proud to support students at every school building in the School District of La Crosse through 22 grant projects receiving $51,386 in funding. Through Gold Star grants, educators have the chance to be professionally creative and students get access to experiences that engage them in learning in new and exciting ways. With these grants, middle and high school students will encourage reading and literacy growth directly with elementary students, Central and Northside students will experience live theater, and students will have access to upgraded and accessible physical education equipment.

“LPEF is always so proud to support the innovation and dedication of educators in the School District of
La Crosse who know their students so well and think creatively about how to keep them engaged and
excited about learning so they can reach their full potential,” said Nell Saunders-Scott, Executive Director
of the La Crosse Public Education Foundation. “The La Crosse community cares deeply about public
education and support for programs like Gold Star grants is one of the ways they show it!

Community businesses and individuals provide the funding for Gold Star grants. Projects are selected for
funding based on creativity, collaboration, the ability to engage students, and the total impact or reach of
the project throughout the district. Included below is a summary of the 22 grants announced today:

• Healthy Starts Here: Empowering Students Through Standards-Based PE & Wellness Curriculum. ($5,137) to give all Logan and Longfellow middle school students access to high-quality physical education equipment that supports the district’s comprehensive standards based physical education curriculum. Recipients: Melissa Norman, Chester Janke, Holly Weinberger, Matt Arndt, Aiden Austin, Lisa Boyer, Tony Xiong, Matt Johnson, and Travis Starkey.
• International Baccalaureate Training for North Woods Staff ($5,000) to support a school-wide International Baccalaureate training for North Woods educators. Recipients: North Woods teachers. This grant is underwritten in part by Brauer IB Adventure Grant.
• American Players Theatre Field Trip ($4,955) to give all Central High School English students the opportunity to experience literature come to life at an American Players Theatre performance of a Shakespeare play. Recipients: Kim Butterfield, Erika Gooden, Kyle Guepfer, Jayme Oestreich.
• North Side Reading Buddies Library ($4,660) to establish a Reading Buddies Library with social-emotional themed books that Logan Middle 7th grade students will read to their Northside elementary 2nd and 3rd grade reading buddies. Recipients: Joelle Schreiner, Jesse Martinez, Josie Radle, Christina Fenton, Kate Olson, Deb Sullivan, Amanda Ray. This grant is underwritten in part by Trust Point.
• Holocaust Education – Shoah fund ($4,464) to fund Holocaust education in secondary schools including a trip for Logan Middle students to attend Number the Stars play, and staff and student participation in the Viterbo Holocaust conference. Recipients: Tammy Gruen. This grant is underwritten in part by the Maureen and Robert Freedland-LPEF Fund for Studies of the Shoah,  the Richard Swantz Fund, and the Global Awareness Fund of La Crosse Area Community Foundation.
• Literacy Under the Lights ($3,000) to support a creative literacy collaboration by purchasing books that Logan and Central football players will read to elementary students from across the district under the lights at a local football field. Recipients: Jocelyn Buxton, Michelle Powell, Mitch Olson, Casey Knoble. This grant is underwritten in part by Altra Foundation.
• Cardio Drumming ($2,917) so that all Summit Elementary students can combine music and physical education through Cardio Drumming. Recipients: Rhiannon Baasch, Nick O’Keefe. This grant is underwritten in part by Emplify Health by Gundersen and the Richard Swantz Fund of La Crosse Area Community Foundation.
• Integrating Fine Arts and SEL with The Climb Theatre ($2,800) for Climb Theatre to preform two plays, Olive and the Cosmic Clash and the Dreaded Kneejerk, for all Northside and Coulee Montessori students, giving students an engaging way to deepen social-emotional learning. Recipients: Jessica Ingvalson, Sarah Bradle, Molly Brott, Michele Cook, Alyssa Fecker, Jenny Leren, Larry McMahon, Makayla Nettesheim, Walfsty Pierre, Nikki Rislow, Colleen Sheriff, Maddie Sweeney. This grant is underwritten in part by Hanson & Associates.
• Creative Voices on Display at Logan High School ($2,400) to give Logan High students a visible platform to share their stories and artistic voices and celebrate their creativity through the installation of two permanent display cases in high traffic areas to showcase student artwork throughout the year. Recipients: Allecia Kruser.
• Music with Minis ($2,140) for professional development and ukuleles so that all 4K teachers can bring songs, movement, and music to their classrooms. Recipients: Michelle L. Powell, 4K teachers. This grant is underwritten in part by the Richard Swantz Fund of La Crosse Area Community Foundation.
• Wonderbook Library ($2,000) to provide Central High School students in the Intellectual Disabilities Department more opportunities to experience reading in an inclusive way that allows for all to develop a love for reading through the purchase of Wonderbooks which are embedded with read-a-loud devices. Recipients: Stephanie Mick. This grant is underwritten in part by Fowler & Hammer, Inc..
• East Asian Culture Unit ($1,558) for State Road 4th graders and Emerson 3rd and 4th graders to attend the Drum Tao performance at Viterbo as the capstone activity of a cross-curricular unit studying Japanese and Korean cultures. Recipients: Alyson Glenz, Colin Stiemke, Erin Revels. This grant is underwritten in part by the Global Awareness Fund of the La Crosse Area Community Foundation.
• Longfellow Sing Me A Story Choir Commission ($1,550) so that Longfellow Choir student can participate in unique a “Sing Me A Story” project through which they will learn and sign a song composed by a local composition student based on a story by a local child. Recipients: Mary Stutesman, Alli Langer. This grant is underwritten in part by Mooresmiles.
• Active Inclusion: Assistive Technology for Peer Engagement in Physical Activities ($1,277) to enable Logan and Central High School students with disabilities to actively participate in physical activities alongside their peers by purchasing innovative assistive technology devices. Recipients: Jessa Ellenbecker, Lindsey Shay, Bethany Peterson, Katelyn Koehler, Katie Bakke. This grant is underwritten in part by Marine Credit Union.
• Tinker Totes: Building Curiosity in the Emerson Library ($1,264) to give Emerson students access to engaging STEM activities in the LMC. Recipients: Amanda Pfiffner. This grant is underwritten in part by Dairyland Power.
• Bilingual SEL Author Visit at Family Night ($1,050) to bring author Samira Allvarez-Gretzinger to a Northside and Coulee Montessori Family night for a bilingual story time reading of Así Respiro. which includes social-emotional themes and interactive activities. Recipients: Alyssa Fecker, Jenna Anfang, Walfsty Pierre, Madelyn Sweeney. This grant is underwritten in part by the Global Awareness Fund of the La Crosse Area Community Foundation.
• Young Authors: Publishing Their Voices ($1,000) to engage Northside 4th graders in writing, editing, and publishing a class book that will incorporate every students voice, strengthen literacy skills, foster teamwork, and empower students to see their work celebrated in book form. Recipients: Jessamae Rice, Marcos Cecenas. This grant is underwritten in part by Fowler & Hammer, Inc. in honor of recent School District of La Crosse retirees.
• Catan for Econ ($960) so Central and Logan High 12th grade Economics students can deepen their understanding of supply & demand and other economics concepts using the boardgame, Catan. Recipients: Christina Scoville, Megan Henning. This grant is underwritten in part by Altra Foundation.
• 2nd Grade Regulation Tools For IB Action ($950) to fund a student-designed project that will purchase individualized self-regulation materials for North Woods second graders. Recipients: Sarinity Pendleton, McKenzie Boris. This grant is underwritten in part by Emplify Health by Gundersen.
• Stories Through a 3rd Grade Lens ($820) to engage Emerson 3rd graders in writing, self-expression, and personal storytelling through the purchase of high-quality picture books, and incorporating the exploration of photography as a storytelling tool. Recipients: Jena Jorstad, Riley Terpstra.
• Cause and Effect Switch Activated Fun ($784) to purchase cause and effect games and materials to support Central High special education students’ communication, coordination, and class participation. Recipients: Stephanie Mick.
• An Exciting New Book for La CrosseRoads Students ($700) to support literacy education for La CrosseRoads students by purchasing a class set of Sunrise on the Reaping, a page-turning Hunger Games prequel and new release. Recipients: Kim Butterfield.