School Matters
April 2022
LTISD 2021-2022 Campus Teachers of the Year announced
Lake Travis ISD announced the 2021-2022 Campus Teachers of the Year with surprise visits April 19 and 21. LTISD Superintendent Paul Norton, along with district senior staff and campus principals, delivered the good news to each Teacher of the Year in front of their peers during the school day. Lake Travis ISD is proud to honor these outstanding educators:
Lake Travis High School - Lindsay Brooks
Bee Cave Middle School - Loren Smith
Hudson Bend Middle School - Danielle McCloskey
Lake Travis Middle School - David Taylor
Bee Cave Elementary - Robin Hogan
Lake Pointe Elementary School - Dominic Morace
Lake Travis Elementary School - Debbie Dolmanet
Lakeway Elementary School - Catherine Ruff
Rough Hollow Elementary - Judy Williams
Serene Hills Elementary School - Laura Browning
West Cypress Hills Elementary - Christy Mirizzi
The LTISD administration extends a special thank you to the Lake Travis Education Foundation and sponsors the Hill Country Galleria and Sing Orthodontics for coordinating special tokens of appreciation for our 2021-2022 campus Teachers of the Year. Each honoree received a custom Yeti tumbler and gift cards to shops at the Hill Country Galleria.
Lindsay Brooks
Loren Smith
Danielle McCloskey
David Taylor
Lake Travis Middle School
Robin Hogan
Dominic Morace
Debbie Dolmanet
Catherine Ruff
Judy Williams
Laura Browning
Christy Mirizzi
Early voting underway in Lake Travis school board election
In Texas, local school board members are elected by the registered voters within specific school district boundaries. The Lake Travis Independent School District is one of approximately 1,040 public school systems in Texas and its board members are elected at-large. This means each board member—or trustee—represents the entire school district rather than single-member positions that represent a sub-portion of the district. Each trustee is elected to serve without compensation for overlapping terms of three years each.
Current terms for Place 3, Place 4 and Place 5 on the Lake Travis ISD Board of Trustees will expire in May 2022. Voting dates and local polling centers are listed below:
Early Voting: Monday, April 25 - Tuesday, May 3
Monday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.Sunday, noon to 6:00 p.m.
- Bee Cave City Hall, 4000 Galleria Parkway, Bee Cave, 78738
- Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway, 78734
- Lake Travis ISD Educational Development Center, 607 RR 620 North, Austin, 78734
Election Day: Saturday, May 7
All locations are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.- Travis County Parks Office, 14624 Hamilton Pool Rd, Austin 78738
- Lake Travis ISD Transportation Center, 16101 W State Hwy 71, Bldg A, Austin, 78738
- Bee Cave City Hall, 4000 Galleria Parkway, Bee Cave, 78738
- Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway, 78734
- Lake Travis ISD Educational Development Center, 607 RR 620 North, Austin, 78734
- Travis County Sheriff West Command, 3800 Hudson Bend Rd, Austin 78734
For more information regarding all local elections, including a full list of polling places, visit the Travis County Elections Office website.
Student Intent to Return Form for 2022-2023 school year: parent action requested
As district and campus administrators begin preparing for the 2022-2023 school year, parents of currently enrolled students are asked to submit their child's intent to return to Lake Travis ISD. This information will assist the district with staffing and programming decisions for the upcoming school year.
Please complete the Google form linked below to let us know if your child will be returning to LTISD for the 2022-2023 school year (complete one form per student):
Lake Travis High School men's soccer team wins 6A state championship
LTHS sophomore named state championship MVP
Photo courtesy of Texas UIL.
New principals for 2022-2023 school year announced
Lake Travis Elementary School
Ms. Thompson has served as LTE’s assistant principal since joining LTISD in 2017. Overall, she possesses nearly 20 years of experience as an elementary-level teacher and administrator with an emphasis on bilingual/dual language education.
Hudson Bend Middle School
Ms. Keogh brings 10 years of experience to her new role which includes serving as a teacher and coach on the Buccaneer faculty from 2014-2019. For the past three years, she has served as an assistant principal at Bee Cave Middle School.
Rough Hollow Elementary School
Vanessa Randels will serve as principal of Rough Hollow Elementary School, effective July 1, 2022.
Ms. Randels has served as RHE’s assistant principal since joining LTISD in 2020. Overall, she possesses nearly 18 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in Arizona and Texas. Ms. Randels’ background and experience at RHE will help provide a smooth transition as we end the current school year and prepare for 2022-2023.
Lake Travis Middle School
Rebecca Hudson has been selected as principal of Lake Travis Middle School, effective July 1, 2022.
Ms. Hudson brings more than 20 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and administrator in K-12 and higher education, and she is no stranger to LTISD. Between 2004-2010, Ms. Hudson taught Geography and World History and also served as an assistant coach in tennis at Lake Travis High School. Presently, she serves as Academic Dean at Johnson High School in Hays CISD.
LTHS Tennis student-athletes compete at state tourney
Lake Travis High School student-athletes Adrianna Peradoza and Kael Peterson earned 2nd Place in the tennis regional tournament qualifying them for state in mixed doubles. Additionally, Jacqueline Creel and Valeriya Alexeykina won 3rd Place at the tournament, qualifying them as state alternates.
Peradoza and Peterson competed in the mixed doubles quarterfinals April 26 at the Northside ISD Tennis Center in San Antonio.
LTHS Tennis is coached by Carol Creel, Whitney Johnson, and Nick Dovzak.
LTHS Golf student-athletes earn trip to state
The Lake Travis High School Girls Golf team finished in third place at regionals April 20-21 in McAllen, qualifying for state. The team consists of Kate Pickrell, Emma von Hoffman, Elle Seung, Audrey McIntyre, and Gabby Roth. The state girls golf state tournament will be held May 16-17 at Legacy Hills Golf Course in Georgetown.
Additionally, LTHS senior Brian Comegys qualified for state as an individual medalist. Brian shot 70-76 over the two day regional tournament to finish as the second medalist and third overall. The boys state tournament will be held May 9-10 at Legacy Hills Golf Course in Georgetown.
Girls golf is coached by Paige Lemon, and boys golf is coached by Dustin Payne.
Lake Travis FFA dairy evaluation team advances to state
After earning second place at the Area competition on April 13, the Lake Travis High School FFA dairy cattle evaluation team has qualified for state. Students will compete in the Career Development Event on April 28 at Tarleton State University in Stephenville.
LTHS FFA advisors are Kelly White and Perry White.
LTHS students earn national medals at Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
The Lake Travis High School art department is pleased to announce that seniors Madison Jensen and Chloe Storm have been recognized as National Medalists under the 2022 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.
Madison received a Silver Key for her artwork titled “Promise,” and Chloe earned a Silver Key Portfolio for her collection, “A Twin’s Promise.”
According to the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, these students have been identified by panels of creative professionals as the most talented young artists and writers in the nation. This year, almost 230,000 works of art and writing were submitted and only the top 1% will be recognized at the national level. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have become the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists and writers.
Lake Travis High School art teachers are Amber Forgey, Bohye Na, and Diane Wrinkle.
Lake Travis DECA earns recognition at International Career Development Conference
Eleven students from Lake Travis High School earned top honors at DECA’s annual International Career Development Conference (ICDC) April 23-26 in Atlanta.
Students receiving recognition at the international level were:
- Robert Paine - Virtual Business Retail/ 1st Place Finalist
- Zaid Ahmed & Nausheen Hossain - Virtual Business Hotel Management/Top 10 Finalist
- Meghana Singireddy & Ayesha Haider - Virtual Business Sports/Top 10 Finalist
- Hanna Ngo & Hanny Ngo - Virtual Business Fashion/Top 10 Finalist
- Adithi Rao & Shalini Parepally - Project Management Career Development/Top 20 Finalist
- Andrew Yun - Food Marketing Series/Top 20 Finalist
- Jason Li - Sports & Entertainment Marketing Series/Top 20 Finalist
During the school year, approximately 100,000 of DECA’s 160,000 high school student members take part in the organization’s competitive events program, allowing them to compete for local, regional, and state titles. The competitions are designed to simulate real-life business scenarios and test students’ academic understanding and skills development. The top state winners put their talents to the test during the program’s final round of competition in Atlanta. DECA's ICDC was the pinnacle of competition where nearly 18,000 students vied for international honors. Over $300,000 in scholarships and awards were presented to students and teachers for their achievements. Lake Travis had seven students among the top performers in Atlanta.
Additionally, six students attended DECA’s Emerging Leader’s Series Thrive Academy: Roshan Ahmed, Eva Berry, Jacob Ittycheria, Henry Kelbaugh, Aman Reddy, and Sunagsha Suresh. These students learned to thrive with other high-performing chapters and continue to develop their toolbox of collaboration, communications, critical thinking and creativity skills. Furthermore, Allen Vargheese attended the Elevate Academy which helps students develop the skills needed to become the ultimate DECA chapter leader.
This year’s international conference featured nearly 18,000 members and advisors in attendance. In addition to career-based competition, DECA members engaged in leadership academies and networking opportunities with over 70 internationally recognized businesses and universities.
Additionally, Lake Travis High School’s DECA Mart has been recognized as a Gold re-certified school-based enterprise and one LT DECA member, Ava Stickler, competed among other school’s food operations. School-based enterprises (SBE) are managed and operated by students as hands-on learning laboratories that integrate national curriculum standards in marketing, finance, hospitality or management.
LTHS DECA students, together with program advisors Jill Oates and Tracey Griffith, will be recognized at the Lake Travis ISD school board meeting on May 18.
LTHS students qualify for SkillsUSA national conference
Lake Travis High School formed a local chapter of SkillsUSA earlier this year, and already, students are headed to national competition.
SkillsUSA is an extension of the Career and Technical Education program where students compete in various events in their career pathways. Students earn recognition on district, state, national and international levels. In February, 20 students competed in the first District 10 competition in Waco, and each advanced to the state meet held March 31-April 2 in Corpus Christi. The results are as follows:
Gold - 1st Place (advanced to national competition)
• Entrepreneurship: Coburn Presley, Aanchal Narayan, Alexander Sica, and Andy Villeda
Silver - 2nd Place
• Career Promo Demonstration: Ava Ammerman, Caitlin Chlebos, and Andy Villeda
• Community Service: Hannah Davis, Ashley Girard, and Norah Johnson
• Drone Competition: Evan Olson and Coburn Presley
• Quiz Bowl: Ava Ammerman, Caitlin Chlebos, Huy Nguyen, Annabella Smith, Maeson Wilcox, and Andrew Yun
Bronze - 3rd Place
• Prepared Speech: Zara Sellick
Students who earned first place at state competition have qualified to participate in the SkillsUSA 2022 National Leadership & Skills Conference to be held June 20-24 in Atlanta. Lake Travis SkillsUSA program advisors are Terri Jacobs and Cathryn Merrill.
Registration for Summer 2022 Enrichment Camps is open
Online registration in the LTISD Community Programs Summer 2022 Enrichment Camps is now open. Students in grades PreK-12 may choose from art, STEM, sports, and other exciting offerings.
View our catalog and register at https://www.ltisdschools.org/Page/4537t
April is National Occupational Therapy Month
Occupational Therapists (OTs) are licensed professionals who help improve the quality of life for individuals of all ages and stages. With the theme “Empowering Everyday Living,” Lake Travis ISD joins the American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA to celebrate April 2022 as National Occupational Therapy Month in recognition of the critical role OTs play in both school and clinical settings.
School-based OTs support academic achievement and social participation by promoting occupation within school routines including recess, classroom, and cafeteria time. They utilize strategies for the health and wellbeing of students and prepare them for college, career, and community integration.
The following Occupational Therapists serve students across our district:
- Quina Brown
- Jessica Leung
- Tracy McCracken
- Ashley Mong
- Jenna Olney
- Johann Salas
April 4-8, 2022 is National Assistant Principals Week
From car duty and traffic control, administrator on call for evening and weekend athletic events, to academic support and student discipline issues, assistant principals make significant contributions throughout the school environment. In honor and recognition of these hard-working professionals and the critical duties they perform, Lake Travis ISD joins the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA) to celebrate April 4-8, 2022 as National Assistant Principals Week.
"Our recognition takes on even greater significance as we highlight and celebrate all that assistant principals have conquered amid the pandemic and consider what their ever-expanding and evolving role might look like moving forward," said Paul Norton, Superintendent of Schools. "Through it all, our APs have demonstrated unwavering leadership and resolve."
The following men and women serve students across our district as assistant principals:
- Bee Cave Elementary School - Ashley Nauta
- Lake Pointe Elementary School - Karen Reich (interim)
- Lake Travis Elementary School - Lizeth Thompson
- Lakeway Elementary School - Amy Sharp, Ed.D.
- Rough Hollow Elementary School - Vanessa Randels
- Serene Hills Elementary School - ShaCrista Rideaux-Glasper
- West Cypress Hills Elementary School - Leanna Pesta, Ed.D.
- Bee Cave Middle School - Mak El Hassan, Tres Ellis, and Laura Keogh
- Hudson Bend Middle School - Matt Holley and Julianne Jenkerson
- Lake Travis Middle School - Cristina Rizzoli and Keitha St. Clair
- Lake Travis High School - Roy Hudson (associate principal), Sheri Remore (associate principal), Sebastian Espinoza, Darnell Horton, Ed.D., Angela Hrapchak, Tanda Paske, Brianne Walker, and Mason Whitfield
April 3-9, 2022 is National Library Week
With the theme “Connect With Your Library,” Lake Travis ISD joins the American Library Association to celebrate April 3-9, 2022 as National Library Week in recognition of our school librarians and their unique contributions to public education.
"During the pandemic, our school library media specialists continue to excel, and perhaps more importantly, to adapt resources and services to best meet our students’ needs during these challenging times," said Paul Norton, Superintendent of Schools. "Our libraries offer endless opportunities to transform student lives through education and lifelong learning."
A total of 11 elementary and secondary school library media specialists, and one librarian aide, provide services to more than 11,300 students across our district:
- Bee Cave Elementary School - Ouita Bingham
- Lake Pointe Elementary School - Deborah Foster
- Lakeway Elementary School - Brekka Larrew
- Lake Travis Elementary School - Nicholle Halprin
- Rough Hollow Elementary School - Michelle McMillin
- Serene Hills Elementary School - Krish Stella
- West Cypress Hills Elementary School - Cathy Seidenberger
- Bee Cave Middle School - Andrea Heckler
- Hudson Bend Middle School - Caitlin Hooker
- Lake Travis Middle School - Lori Kelley
- Lake Travis High School - Elizabeth Stearns
- Lake Travis High School - Rosalie Galliver
"Our librarians actively and creatively engage students in developing the most fundamental of skills, collaboratively plan with teachers and other school staff to deliver quality instruction through cutting-edge technology, and work with parents to plan, design, and coordinate book fairs and other special campus events," continued Mr. Norton. "Whether it’s by creating an interest in reading or by helping students connect to the Internet, our LTISD library media specialists have a direct impact on student learning and achievement."
LTHS Class of 2022 commencement ceremony is May 27
Lake Travis High School will hold its commencement ceremony for the Class of 2022 at 7:00 p.m., Friday, May 27 at Cavalier Stadium.
Attendance will be limited to graduates and family members. A livestream of the event will be available for public viewing at https://www.ltisdschools.org/graduationlivestream.
Please note, this webpage will not be active until May 27.
Lake Travis High School Class of 2022 announces top ten scholars
The top ten scholars from the Lake Travis High School Class of 2022 consist of the students who have earned the highest cumulative weighted GPA over four years within their graduating class of 846 students. They have taken the most rigorous courses available throughout all four years of their high school career in order to reach this accomplishment. They will graduate with the Distinguished Level of Achievement which assures them automatic acceptance into any Texas public college.
The Lake Travis High School Class of 2022 Top 10 scholars are:
Back row (left to right):
Akshay Pradeep, Aniket Naravane, Huner Kerrigan, Kate Hennig, and Joseph Kenis
Front row (left to right):
Victoria Cotton, Grace Starr, Allison Still, Bruce Chen, and William Peters
LTHS juniors collaborate with local veterans
The short video below which highlights the collaboration between Vietnam Veterans and our Lake Travis High School on-level juniors which occurred March 29-30. Veterans were able to provide real-life connections for students as a component of their study. The students worked on an English assignment to tell the life stories of the veterans by writing a human interest piece. The lesson helped students understand a pivotal piece of American history while practicing both academic and interpersonal skills. Students worked on developing empathy and conversational techniques through the creation of interview questions and conducting interviews.
District installs new scoreboard at Cavalier Stadium
Through purchasing cooperatives, the committee identified three vendors to interview and request pricing. After conducting multiple interviews and speaking with numerous references, the committee recommended Watchfire Signs with the lowest quote of $458, 949.40 for a larger, higher-quality display board and production capabilities.
By school board policy, trustees delegate to the superintendent or designee the authority to make budgeted purchases for goods or services. However, any single, budgeted purchase of goods or services that costs $100,000 or more, regardless of whether the goods or services are competitively purchased, shall require board approval before a transaction may take place. The superintendent shall not be required to obtain board approval for certain types of budgeted purchases that cost $100,000 or more, but shall subsequently report them to the board. In November 2021, the Lake Travis ISD administration notified the school board of its intent to proceed with the purchase of the Watchfire product. Replacement work began in April and is expected to be completed in May 2022.
The new scoreboard will further enhance the stadium experience by showcasing the success of LTISD students, staff and programs during events at Cavalier Stadium. As in previous year, students at Lake Travis High School will operate the new scoreboard board which will afford them with hands-on, real-world experience as it pertains to radio/TV/film production, graphic/digital arts and other high-tech skills.
LTHS student-athlete signs letter of intent
Five LTHS students awarded NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing
Five Lake Travis High School students have been recognized with a NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. Each year, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) recognizes students and educators for their accomplishments and goals in computing and technology. NCWIT received over 3,500 high school applications and more than 130 educator applications from all 50 states.
Affiliate Winner(s): Kerry Lum, Alline Ayala, and Elise Robertson
Affiliate Honorable Mention(s): Coco Zhou and Neha Dania
According to Aspirations in Computing, the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. By generating visibility for these aspiring technologists in their local communities, the NCWIT Award for AiC encourages their continued interest in computing, builds their identity as “someone who does computing,” and attracts the attention and support of educational and corporate institutions.
Photographed below(left to right):
Kerry Lum, Alline Ayala, Elise Robertson, Coco Zhou, and Neha Dania
Join Superintendent Norton for Friday Facebook Live May 6
Lake Travis Special Olympics has successful run at area competition
The Lake Travis ISD Special Olympics delegation participated in the Area 13 Track and Field competition held April 9 in Leander. Results are as follows:
4x100 Relay - 3rd Place:
- Andrew Murphy (LTHS)
- Reagan Lowman (LTHS)
- Sheriden Gorden (LTHS)
- Austin Speight (18+)
200M Dash:
- Luke Mueller (LTHS) - 4th Place
- Andrew Murphy (LTHS) - 5th Place
- Austin Speight (18+) - 4th Place
100M Dash:
- Mason Beninga (LWE) - 5th Place
- Cash Deville (LWE) - 3rd Place
- Kinsey Deville (BCE) - 3rd Place
- Sheriden Gorden (LTHS) - 1st Place
- Mason Gutierrez (BCE) - 3rd Place
- Jack Halford (LTHS) - 5th Place
- Emelia Holmertz (18+) - 5th Place
- Kylie Kowalewski (LWE) - 2nd Place
- Reagan Lowman (LTHS) - 4th Place
- Mason Lowry (LWE) - 4th Place
- Trent Reszkowski (LWE) - 4th Place
- Mark Theodore (LTHS) - 4th Place
Long Jump:
- Sheriden Gorden (LTHS) - 1st Place
- Mark Theodore (LTHS) - 2nd Place
Softball Throw:
- Mason Beninga (LWE) - 2nd Place
- Kinsey Deville (BCE) - 4th Place
- Mason Gutierrez (BCE) - 3rd Place
- Jack Halford (LTHS) - 3rd Place
- Kylie Kowalewski (LWE) - 2nd Place
- Luke Mueller (LTHS) - 1st Place
- Trent Reszkowski (LWE) - 4th Place
Mini Javelin:
- Cash Deville (LWE) - 3rd Place
- Emelia Holmertz (18+) - 3rd Place
- Mason Lowry (LWE) - 4th Place
Shot Put:
- Reagan Lowman (LTHS) - 3rd Place
Marisa Sodders is Head of Delegation for the Lake Travis ISD Special Olympics program.
The Lake Travis School Health Advisory Council presents "Wellness Watch - Spring 2022"
The LTISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) has published their Spring 2022 issue of their e-newsletter "Wellness Watch."
Read the LTISD SHAC "Wellness Watch - Spring 2022" newsletter.
Interested in a corporate partnership with LTISD?
Keeping Connected
Download the LTISD Keeping Connected PDF to learn about the various ways to receive District and campus-level news, emergency notification, and other information.
Stay in the know on the go with our District mobile app for iOS and Android. Follow LTISD on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Learn about Peachjar, the innovative flyer management system that sends District- and school-approved digital flyers directly to parents via email.
Lake Travis Independent School District
Email: info@ltisdschools.org
Website: www.ltisdschools.org
Location: 3322 Ranch Road 620 South, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-533-6000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltisdschools/
Twitter: @ltisdschools