LPEF awards 32 ‘Gold Star Grants’ supporting innovation in classrooms
Projects in nearly every curriculum area – including teaching about local history, helping students create mosaics for a school garden, and building a portable desalinization machine — are among 32 grants totaling $41,935 announced Dec. 6 by the La Crosse Public Education Foundation (LPEF).
SEE PHOTO GALLERY BELOW OF GRANT DELIVERIES

LPEF Board Member Cari Mathwig Ramseier surprises Lincoln teacher Leah Wyland with a $1,500 grant to provide music enrichment lessons for students in the intellectual disabilities program. The grant is undewritten in part by LPEF’s McGavock Endowment for Music Education.
Also among this year’s Gold Star Grants are projects to: provide simulation goggles to help students see how alcohol and marijuana can impair vision and judgment; support all-school assemblies at all three middle schools focused on creating a compassionate school culture; and training for two teachers who will in turn train District staff on self-care techniques to remain healthy while helping children who are dealing with trauma in their lives.
The 32 grants were chosen from among 45 applications totaling more than $76,000. Grants are selected for funding based on creativity, ability to engage students, and the total impact or reach of the project. This is the first round of grants awarded this school year, with a second set of applications due Feb. 26, 2018.
“These teachers deserve a ‘gold star’ for innovation and dedication to providing students with quality learning experiences,” said Shawn Dutchin, LPEF Board President and a practice operations director for Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare.
Grant recipients, along with recipients of grants awarded last spring, will be honored along with school and community leaders Jan. 22, 2018 at LPEF’s annual Grants Award Luncheon, presented by Festival Foods. This year’s special honors go to:
- Corporate Partner in Education – Coulee Bank for its long-running support for LPEF and children’s causes in our community.
- Leadership Award – Joe Ledvina, supervisor of buildings and grounds for the School District of La Crosse, for his work on behalf of the District and for LPEF.
- Margaret Dihlmann-Malzer Distinguished Service Award – Tom and Judy Sleik, longtime volunteers with LPEF.
Three of the 32 grants were underwritten through special support from Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare:
- $2,000 to support transportation and equipment rental for a new Hiking Club at Central High, introducing students to outdoors experiences and helping relieve stress, address mental health issues, and increase overall health. Recipient: Isaac Pischke.
- $1,200 to purchase six Fatal Vision Alcohol Impairment Goggles, and six Fatal Vision Marijuana Simulation Goggles, plus videos and associated lesson plans and materials for use at all three middle schools and both high schools. These goggles simulate how a person’s vision is impaired while drinking or using marijuana, and would be used as part of a two-day learning experience for middle school health classes, and for a deeper dive during high school health classes. Recipients: Melissa Norman, Matt Kitzerow, Jen Schieldt, Kelly Kline, Tia Teske, April Young, Tony Aguado, and Chester Janke.
- $600 to buy 200 books that will be distributed free to families using the Spence Elementary Food Pantry. Books will help families build home libraries with age-appropriate books, and will be supplemented with tips on how to read and effectively discuss books with children. Recipients: Deb White and Dori Bertilson.
Here is a brief summary of the other 29 grants announced in surprise visits to recipients:
- $6,480 for two teachers to attend a four-day training program, allowing them in turn to provide training to District staff on topics related to Trauma Informed Schools, particularly self-care techniques for teachers and others to remain well and healthy as they help children who are dealing with adverse childhood experiences. Recipients: Summer Elston of Emerson Elementary and Jocelyn Buxton of Spence Elementary. This grant is underwritten in part by Fowler & Hammer.
- $3,510 to support all-school assemblies at Lincoln, Longfellow and Logan middle schools featuring nationally-known motivational educator Craig Hillier, focusing on creating a more compassionate school culture. This repeats a successful event first held in March 2014, but with a completely new set of students. Recipients: Rick Blasing and Paula Johnson. This grant is underwritten in part by Gundersen Health System.
- $3,000 to support a visit by JusTme (Timothy Scott Jr.), a hip-hop artist who combines music with mindfulness exercises to help students learn self-regulation and calming strategies. With added support by the schools, JusTme would spend two days each at Northside/Coulee Montessori and Hamilton/SOTA I elementary schools. Recipients: Beth Waldron and Amoreena Rathke. This grant is underwritten by Festival Foods.
- $2,000 to support visits to Longfellow and Logan middle schools by singer-songwriter Luke Callen, who joins 6th-graders in social studies classes and helps them express their ideas and feelings about the subjects they are studying by creating songs they then perform in concert. Recipients: Teri Kendhammer and Katherine Storlie. This grant is underwritten in part by Trust Point.
- $1,991 to purchase materials and install a permanent Story Walk at North Woods Elementary, integrating the enjoyment of reading a picture book with the benefit of being active in the outdoors. The project creates a series of stations with pages from books, and students walk/run/jump/climb in a progression to read the whole book. Recipients: Sara DePaolo and Jeanette Schams. This grant is underwritten in part by Coulee Bank.
- $1,900 to create 10 durable and customized books to assist non-verbal students in communicating thoughts, ideas and needs by pointing at symbols and words. Some Pragmatic Organizational Dynamic Display books would be part of a library for use by multiple students at Summit Elementary and other schools, while other books would be personalized to one student. Recipients: Megan Meyer and Vicki Burritt. This grant is underwritten in part by Mathy Construction.
- $1,875 to purchase materials for Logan High students to design and build a Desalinization Machine to purify brackish (salt) water into contaminant-free water safe for drinking. The machine will be designed to be mobile and solar-powered, making it suitable for use in remote areas. Recipient: Steve Johnston. This grant is underwritten in part by the Judy and Randy Eddy Sr. Fund.
- $1,750 to support classroom visits by artist Sherry Beames to help Spence Elementary students create nature-themed mosaic art for display in the Spence GROW Garden. Students will research forms of animals and insects of the garden and create colorful mosaics to be displayed outdoors. Recipients: Ronnah Metz, Sherry Beames and the Spence Garden Committee. This grant is underwritten in part by Modern Crane Service.
- $1,604 to purchase more than 120 picture books with only illustrations and a limited number of words to express a storyline. The books will allow Lincoln Middle School students to express creativity, imagination, details and organization as they develop literacy skills through different writing experiences. Recipient: Ruth Baardseth. This grant is underwritten in part by Independent Cycle & ATV.
- $1,500 to provide music enrichment sessions for students in the Intellectual Disabilities program at Lincoln Middle School, helping students adapt and develop skills, while providing a more inclusive experience, including participating in year-end talent shows. Recipient: Leah Wyland. This grant is underwritten in part by the McGavock Family Endowment for Music Education.
- $1,200 to support development of lesson plans for local teachers to use to teach La Crosse history. Specifically the project ties into the oral history project Hear, Here, which features first-person narratives about historical experiences in the exact spot they occurred in downtown La Crosse. Curriculum will be created for 4th-grade students and high school students, supplementing lessons previously created for 8th-graders. Recipient: Ariel Beaujot, UW-La Crosse. This grant is underwritten in part by Dairyland Power Cooperative.
- $1,158 to purchase materials and sets of Story Stones, which have characters, objects and events painted on them and can be used to tell stories without a script. The stones will be used by English Language Learners and other students at Summit Elementary to increase language proficiency, including retelling stories they have read or heard. Recipient: Mary Zong.
- $950 to buy two Osmo Kits, plus related software, for use at Hamilton/SOTA I Elementary. The game system is used in concert with school iPads and will be integrated with curriculum for various subjects (art, spelling, reading, coding, music, etc.) to inspire creativity, creative thinking, communication and collaboration. Recipient: Carrie Wuensch-Harden. This grant is underwritten by Mooresmiles.
- $838 to purchase more than 60 books for use by 5th-grade students at Spence Elementary, providing them with accurate, culturally responsive picture books and chapter books reflecting indigenous voices and history. This helps address Wisconsin standards for the studies of federally-recognized Native American nations and tribal communities. Recipients: Alyssa Gray, Katie Gudgeon and Peter Schmitz. This grant is underwritten by the Duane and Carol Taebel Fund at the La Crosse Community Foundation.
- $810 to buy a one-year site license for use of software that includes word prediction, specialized subject vocabulary with definitions, and support with spelling, helping Central and Logan high school students with writing assignments. Recipient: Anika Paaren-Sdano. This grant is underwritten by State Bank Financial.
- $800 to provide a one-day training program for up to 60 District elementary teachers on the use of the Circle of Security, a conceptual approach for teachers and caretakers to work with children to build and maintain relationships and overcome behaviors that get in the way of their learning and other students’ learning. Recipients: Jocelyn Buxton and Shelly Long. This grant is underwritten by the Richard Swantz Endowment Fund, created by and in honor of the former school superintendent to support staff development.
- $800 to buy collaborative learning games, art supplies, puzzles, problem-solving centers and STEM activities for use by 1st-grade students at North Woods Elementary, giving them stimulating and enjoyable opportunities to start off their morning, as opposed to photocopied morning seat work used while the teacher is greeting students, taking attendance, etc. Recipients: Sarah Kratt, Tara Schuttenhelm, Leah Justin and Nicole Brudos. This grant is underwritten by Wells Fargo.
- $720 to buy 30 sets of four Spanish readers, providing materials that are culturally relevant and level appropriate for Logan High language students, including those in the Global Scholars program. Recipients: Katie Beyer and Rhonda McGowan. This grant is underwritten by LHI.
- $697 to buy trees and related signage for a Tree Walk at Longfellow Middle, creating a park-like setting and outdoor learning space. QR codes will allow students to link via iPads to unique web pages that students can maintain with notes, photos and related school projects. Recipient: Elizabeth Ramsay. This grant is underwritten by Altra Federal Credit Union.
- $640 to buy multiple mats made of durable anti-slip materials and containing colored liquids that move under a clear surface in response to pressure. The sensory floor tiles will be used in every Emerson Elementary classroom, providing a “think spot” for students in need of behavior modification, helping them regulate emotions and stimulate sensory development. Recipients: Nancy Wettstein-Weaver and Alicia Place. This grant is awarded in honor of Susan Paudler, who retired from the School District last June after 34 years of teaching, most recently as a 2nd Grade teacher at Emerson. Grant support was provided by Fowler & Hammer.
- $560 to provide training for a North Woods Elementary teacher in a program that helps pre-K and kindergarten students develop skills to succeed in school. The Stimulating Maturity through Accelerated Readiness Training focuses on helping students who come to school unprepared, including many from homes of poverty or trauma. Recipient: Jeanette Schams.
- $548 to buy various materials, including a movable table with a plastic bin that can be filled with sand, water or other materials, allowing for sensory experiences for Summit Elementary students with autism, intellectual disabilities and visual impairments. Recipient: Kasey Pomeroy.
- $531 to purchase lighting kits, tripods and other equipment for two, portable mini-sets for students at Longfellow Middle and Logan High to use as workspaces to create quality stop-motion style animation and other original video content. Recipient: Lisa Lenarz.
- $500 to provide a clinic for Logan High, Logan Middle and other District coaches in an approach that emphasizes three dimensions in developing student athletes: physical development; mental aspects (confidence, emotional control); and heart (character and values). Recipient: Jordan Gilge.
- $420 to buy sets of two novels, plus other materials, for use in 7th-grade social studies at Logan Middle School, helping students understand refugees and global refugee crises. Recipients: Kristi Moulton, Christina Fenton, Jesse Martinez and Heidi Jones. This grant is awarded in honor of Terri Johnson, who retired from the School District last June after 33 years of teaching, most recently as a social studies teacher at Lincoln Middle School. Grant support was provided by Fowler & Hammer.
- $400 to purchase a variety of hand-held manipulatives (tweezers, tongs, putty, pop beads, etc.) for use by Spence kindergarten students to help them develop fine motor skills. Recipient: Julie Wilson.
- $341 to purchase a Qball, a wireless microphone inside a soft ball, designed to help amplify the voice of quiet speakers, and also as an interactive tool for students to use in order to participate in classroom discussions while moving around. The Qball will be tested in a 4th-grade classroom at State Road Elementary. Recipient: Amanda Faust.
- $339 to provide lanyards, buttons and other materials for students at Hamilton/SOTA I Elementary to earn badges for completing lessons and learning technology skills. The goal is to encourage students to properly use devices, and also to help support peers and staff with technology issues. Recipient: Carrie Wuensch-Harden.
- $273 to purchase Mindflex games for use by North Woods Elementary students, teaching them how to focus and calm their own brains in order to guide a ball through a series of obstacles. The goal is to help students overcome emotional issues caused by trauma, anxiety or depression. Recipient: Amanda Wolfgram.
In addition to about $70,000 in annual Gold Star Grants to classrooms, LPEF provides other support for La Crosse public schools, including nearly $25,000 for Random Acts of Kindness to meet needs of students in areas such as nutrition, hygiene, clothing, and transportation. In total, through the support of generous donors, LPEF will provide more than $350,000 in aid to the District this year. The La Crosse Public Education Foundation’s mission is to enhance learning opportunities for students in the School District of La Crosse and to promote community understanding and support for public education.
For more information, contact the LPEF office at 787-0226, or email David Stoeffler at: david@lacrosseeducationfoundation.org.
- Julie Wilson, left, with LPEF Treasurer Tammy Larson and Julie’s kindergarten class at Spence Elementary. Julie received a $400 grant to buy hand-held manipulatives, such as tweezers, tongs, or putty, to help students develop fine motor skills.
- Lincoln Middle School health teacher Melissa Norman, left, with Ashley Santolin and Teri Wildt from Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, which is underwriting the $1,200 grant for Melissa and other health teachers to buy goggles to simulate the effects of alcohol and marijuana.
- Emerson Teacher Summer Elston received a $6,480 grant for training on Trauma Informed Schools. Summer and another teacher will receive intensive training that will allow them in turn to provide training to all District staff on self-care techniques to remain well and healthy as they help children who are dealing with adverse childhood experiences. This grant was underwritten in part by Fowler & Hammer.
- Logan High Teacher Steve Johnston, left, receives an $1,875 grant from former Superintendent Richard Swantz, who is an honorary member of the LPEF Board. Johnston’s grant will allow him to work with students to build a desalinization machine designed to be mobile and solar-powered, making it suitable for use in remote areas. The grant is undwritten in part by LPEF’s Judy and Randy Eddy Sr. Fund.
- Paula Johnson, left, and Rick Blasing, of Lincoln Middle School received a $3,510 grant on behalf of the Student Council. The grant will fund all-school assemblies at all three La Crosse middle schools with a focus on compassionate behavior. The grant is underwritten by Gundersen Health System.
- Amanda Wolfgram, left, with LPEF President Shawn Dutchin. Amanda received a $273 grant to buy Mindflex games for use by North Woods International students.
- Logan High Teacher Anika Paaren-Sdano, with Dick Swantz, former superintendent and honorary board member of LPEF. Anika received an $810 grant to buy software to help students at Logan and Central high schools with writing assignments.
- Ariel Beaujot of UW-La Crosse received a $1,200 grant to develop lesson plans for local teachers to use to teach La Crosse history through the oral history project Hear, Here, which features first-person accounts about historical experiences in the exact spot where they occurred in downtown La Crosse. Her grant is underwritten by Dairyland Power Cooperative.
- Northside Elemementary teachers Beth Waldron, left, and Amoreena Rathke, received a $3,000 grant to combine with school funds for a visit by hip-hop artist JusTme, who combines music with mindfulness exercises to help students learn self-regulation and calming strategies. JusTme will visit both Northside and Hamilton elementary schools. The grant is underwritten by Festival Foods, the presenting sponsor of LPEF’s annual Grants Award Luncheon, to be held Jan. 22, 2018.
- Carrie Wuensch-Harden, left, with LPEF Board Member Cari Mathwig Ramseier. Carrie received a $339 grant to buy materials for students at Hamilton/SOTA I Elementary to earn badges for completing lessons and learning technology skills.
- Carrie Wuensch-Harden at Hamilton/SOTA I Elementary received two grants. Her second grant for $950 allows her to buy two Osmo kits for the library. The kits are used with iPads to inspire creativity, communication and collaboration across many subject areas. This grant was underwritten by Mooresmiles.
- LPEF Treasurer Tammy Larson, left, with Dori Bertilson and Deb White at Spence Elementary. The teachers received a $600 grant, underwritten by Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, to provide books distributed free to families using the school’s monthly food pantry.
- Central High Teacher Isaac Pischke, left, with Ashley Santolin and Teri Wildt from Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare. Mayo is underwriting a $2,000 grant for Isaac and students involved in a new Hiking Club at Central.
- Former Superintendent Richard Swantz, an LPEF honorary board member, presents a $500 grant to Jordan Gilge at Logan High. Jordan will use the grant to provide a clinic for coaches.
- Julie Wilson, left, received a $400 grant for materials to help her Spence kindergarten students develop fine motor skills. Presenting the grant was Tammy Larson, LPEF’s treasurer.
- LPEF President Shawn Dutchin, left, presents a $548 grant to Kasey Pomeroy at Summit Environmental Elementary. Kasey will use the grant for materials to provide new sensory experiences for Summit students with autism, intellectual disabilities and visual impairments.
- Logan Middle School Principal Jay Pica, left, accepted a grant on behalf of Katherine Storlie from Brad Quarberg, a member of the La Crosse Board of Education who also serves on the LPEF Board. Katherine and Teri Kendhammer of Longfellow Middle School share a $2,000 grant to support visits by singer-songwriter Luke Callen, who helps sixth-graders in social studies classes make memorable songs about subjects they are studying. The grant is underwritten in part by Trust Point.
- Longfellow Teacher Teri Kendhammer received a grant along with Logan Middle Teacher Katherine Storlie to support a visiting artist. The $2,000 grant – underwritten by Trust Point – will pay for visits by singer-songwriter Luke Callen, who will help 6th-graders compose memorable songs to express ideas and feelings about the subjects they are studying in in social studies. Songs they create will be performed in concert.
- From left are Logan Middle School teachers Jesse Martinez, Christina Fenton, Kristi Moulton, and Heidi Jones with Brad Quarberg representing LPEF. They are holding the book, “How Dare the Sun Rise” that they will be buying for middle school students, along with other books, using a $420 grant aimed at helping students understand the refugee experience and global refugee crises. The grant is supported by Fowler & Hammer, and is awarded in honor of retired teacher Terri Johnson.
- Summit Environmental Elementary Teacher Mary Zong, left, with LPEF President Shawn Dutchin. Mary received a $1,158 grant to buy sets of Story Stones, which have characters, objects and events painted on them and can be used to tell stories without a script. The stones will be used by English Language Learners at Summit.
- Nancy Wettstein-Weaver, left, and Alicia Place at Emerson Elementary received a $640 grant to buy mulitple mats made of durable anti-slip material that contain colored liquids. The mats change color in response to pressure and will be used as a “think spot” for students in need of behavior modification. The grant is supported by Fowler & Hammer and awarded in honor of retired teacher Susan Paudler.
- Spence fifth-grade teachers received a $838 grant to buy more than 60 accurate, culturally responsive books reflecting indigenous voices and history. From left are Peter Schmitz, Katie Gudgeon, LPEF’s Tammy Larson, and Alyssa Gray. The grant is underwritten by the Duane and Carol Taebel Fund at the La Crosse Community Foundation.
- Logan High teachers Rhonda McGowan, left, and Katie Beyer, right, received a grant presented by former Superintedent Richard Swantz. The $720 grant will buy 30 sets of Spanish readers, providing culturally relevant materials for Logan High language students. The grant is underwritten by LHI.
- Spence Elementary Teacher Ronnah Metz, left, with LPEF Treasurer Tammy Larson. Ronnah and the Spence Garden Committee received a $1,750 grant for a visiting artist to help Spence students create nature-themed mosaics for display in the Spence GROW garden.
- LPEF Board member Cari Mathwig Ramseier presents a $1,604 grant to Ruth Baardseth at Lincoln Middle School. Ruth will buy more than 120 picture books with limited words to express a storyline. Students use creativity to develop a story and improve their literacy and writing skills. The grant is underwritten in part by Independent Cycle & ATV.
- LPEF President Shawn Dutchin presents a $1,991 grant to Sara DePaolo and Jeanette Schams at North Woods International School. The grant will allow installation of a permanent Story Walk, integrating the enjoyment of reading a book with the benefit of being active in the outdoors. The grant is underwritten in part by Coulee Bank.
- North Woods International 1st-grade teachers received an $800 grant to buy collaborative learning games, art supplies, problem-solving center and STEM activities for students to use as they settle into class each morning. From left are: LPEF President Shawn Dutchin with teachers Sarah Kratt, Leah Justin, Nicole Brudos and Tara Schuttenhelm. The grant is underwritten by Wells Fargo.
- Up to 60 District teachers will receive training in Understanding the Circle of Security, a conceptual approach to working with children to build relationships and overcome behaviors that get in the way of their learning. Spence teachers Shelly Long, left, and Jocelyn Buxton, right, received the $800 grant from LPEF Treasurer Tammy Larson. The grant is underwritten by the Richard Swantz Endowment Fund at the La Crosse Community Foundation.
- State Road Elementary Teacher Amanda Faust received a $341 grant to buy a Qball, a wireless microphone inside a soft ball, designed to amplify the voice of quiet speakers.