LPEF’s Dawn Hemker, center, with Longfellow Middle School teachers Kelsey Ferkingstad, left, and Liz Ramsay, right.

Students in Longfellow Middle School 7th-grade classrooms are getting some challenging new math games and materials due to a special grant awarded Dec. 10 by the La Crosse Public Education Foundation.

Teachers Kelsey Ferkingstad and Liz Ramsay received the $250 grant from LPEF Administrative Assistant Dawn Hemker. The grant was made possible by LPEF’s Board of Directors in recognition for the excellent work Dawn Hemker has provided in five years as the part-time administrative assistant for the foundation.

Hemker chose the grant from among applicants whose proposals had not been funded during the recent round of requests for LPEF Gold Star grants. She selected the grant in part due to her interest in seeing students develop stronger math skills and in part because she has a grandson in 7th grade in another district, and she could see him being motivated to learn by the types of games and materials that will be purchased through the grant.