(L-R) Jon Woodworth and Kathi and Brad Goll continue working on the sand sculpture in front of LVES.

Beginning a new school year is always exciting; however this year has seemed even more electric. The recent Exemplary rating from the Texas Education Agency has students, staff and community all abuzz.  The Lago Vista school district is excited about the opportunity to showcase a local sand sculpture artist, Brad Goll. His donation of time and talents has the students at Lago Vista Elementary School anticipating a historic event.
Goll became involved in sand sculpting through numerous sand sculpting competitions at the beach. After winning numerous contests, it was inevitable he would become an important part of the emergence of professional sand sculpture. After several years of experience in the field, or rather at the beach, Brad along with his two partners formed Sandscapes in 1992. Every year he competes at the World Sand Sculpting Championship at Harrison Hot Springs in British Columbia, Canada.
Goll and his team have won 10 world team titles. In 2008, after the break up of the Sandscapes partnership, he started his own company called Sandpile Creations. His next project will be an opportunity to break the Guinness World record for the tallest sand sculpture of more than 80 feet in China.
Students at LVES are not being informed of the final product and will have to use their imagination to guess what the sculpture will become. The sculpture will begin early in the week and will continue through Friday. Art classes will be visiting the sculpture daily and will be involved in a media rich documentary regarding the sand sculpting process.
Lago Vista and Jonestown Area Chamber of Commerce President Chuck Wills was the driving force behind the event and has graciously donated the sand and materials necessary to promote the project and our schools. Please take some time to visit the sand creation located in the front of LVES on Dawn Drive. We would also like to extend our most heartfelt thanks to both Chuck and Brad for their donation.
—Matt Underwood, LVISD Superintendent

—Steven W. Elder, LVHS Assistant Principal

Jordon Atel said he can be a little shy at times.
But the eighth grade Lago Vista Middle School student said his shyness has lessened after attending the Lone Star Leadership Academy this summer. The weeklong program has students visiting historical, scientific and educational sites to see first-hand the possibilities that lie ahead for possible future careers.
Atel said he visited numerous places in and around Austin during the program, including the Bob Bullock Museum, the Texas Cemetery, Inner Space Caverns and the LBJ Library. During a visit to the Capitol, he met and talked with Rep. Donna Howard and Sen. Kirk Watson.
“You had to be social. You couldn’t be shy,” Atel said about the visit with his representatives.
Outside visiting sites, students were given exercises each day to broaden their communication skills. On the first day, Atel said one exercise was getting to know his fellow students in the program. Being the only Lago Vista student in the program, he got to meet quite a few new faces.
Atel said one of his favorite exercises involved a “spider web” of students who worked together in order to untangle each other. He said the exercise helped him work well within a team setting.
“You couldn’t talk at the same time, or you’d get confused,” he said.
Atel attended his first LSLA program after his fifth grade year when his school counselor recommended him for the program. In order to participate, a student must have an 85 or higher grade point average and be involved in extracurricular activities.
He left for Dallas that summer and got to visit several museums and tourist sites. Atel said the Dallas Zoo was his favorite stop.
“It’s probably the largest zoo I’ve ever been in,” he said, adding, “I learned a lot that year.”
Jennifer Pasteur, an LSLA executive director, said the inspiration to start the program came from an idea that students would learn more if they actually experienced firsthand the places they studied in classrooms.
“It is experiential, so they have an opportunity to see what they’re learning,” she said.
But Pasteur also began to notice how students benefited from being active with other fellow students. Part of the program teaches students regular social skills like shaking hands and introducing themselves.
“I heard someone say their student didn’t talk much before, and they learn they can do it,” she said. “They get the confidence.”
Atel is already excited about going to the next program, he said, which he thinks has helped him be more friendly and outgoing to fellow students.
“I just want to be a good role model for people,” he said.
For more information on the Lone Star Leadership Academy, visit educationinaction.org.

—Superintendent Bret Champion

—By Lori Lind, LVMS Technology Instructional Specialist, and  Trisha Upchurch, LVMS Principal

Many things have changed since Sheryl Doyal started her job as an administrative assistant at the Lago Vista Independent School District 25 years ago.
“When I went to work there, our budget was like $1.2 million or something like that,” she said. “Our tax rate was 25 cents.”
Now that she is retiring, Doyal said she wouldn’t give up a single day at LVISD.
“I have loved my time at Lago Vista.  I have worked for the finest five superintendents that Texas has to offer,” she said. “I would not be the person I am today without leadership and guidance of Marion Czaja, Virginia Collier, Jess Butler, Barbara Qualls and Matt Underwood. I thank them all.”
Twenty-five years ago, the district hired someone to manage its emerging technology department. After a week on the job, he stopped showing up to work and mailed his keys back.
Doyal’s mother was the district’s only science teacher. Doyal said her mother would have to drive between the two campuses (one for first through sixth grades and the other for seventh through 12th). For the high school, she would rotate between teaching chemistry and biology every other year.
At her mother’s suggestion, Doyal called to inquire about the now-open technology position. The secretary told her it was not going to be opened to new applicants.
“My dad suggested that I just get up and get dressed and drive out to Lago on Monday morning and ask to speak with the superintendent,” she said. “I did and she hired me as the administrative assistant.”
The superintendent at the time was Dr. Maria Czaja, who handed Doyal a four-inch thick book detailing the accounting procedures for Texas schools.
“That was all I had to do the entire first week,” she said. “By Friday I was ready to quit.”
But the following week, Doyal got her first look at the new computer system.
“The computer was a blank slate and I was responsible for putting all financial and student records into electronic form,” she said. “I loved it.”
Doyal said she had to transition the district from having a stack of purchase orders on a filing cabinet for teachers to take at will to creating an electronic record of all the district’s expenditures and a proper approval process for all purchases.
The next year, all the school secretaries got computers for entering attendance, and the district passed a $4 million bond package to build a new middle school. She said at the time they had 90 middle school students, but new students were coming to the district in droves.
“The kids just came and came,” she said. “Things got busy quick.”
At the same time, the district built a new administrative building. She said only three people moved in initially – Doyal, Czaja and Czaja’s secretary.
The state was also overhauling the law governing school finance. As new mandates were passed, Doyal started to take responsibility for transportation, food service, maintenance and human resources, in addition to managing technology. Czaja promoted her to business manager.
As her responsibilities continued to grow, the district split her position into two: business manager and technology director. Doyal said her decision was easy.
“From the time I first put my hands on a computer, I loved it,” she said. “I really never thought about not being the technology director.”
In that role, she helped transition teachers to use e-mail, an electronic grade book and, more recently, electronic white boards. She said her successor’s focus will be extending technology to students, allowing each student to use an individual computer.
“It really does make a difference for the kids because they get so engaged in their own learning,” she said.
And though she said she would love to come back to the district as a volunteer, Doyal’s next step will be spending time with her grandson and husband. She said she would like to put her new travel trailer to some good use.
“It’s a bittersweet departure,” she said. “It’s been my life. I don’t know how to not go to Lago Vista every day. I will very much miss it.”

LAGO VISTA—Matt Underwood showed the crowd at K-Oaks Clubhouse Friday that it’s all in the numbers.
Lago Vista Independent School District’s superintendent gave a short but informative “State of the District” speech during the Lago Vista and Jonestown Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon. Using a slideshow listing facts and figures, he touched on the academic success of the district before focusing on the economic and educational climate of the district now and in the future.
The biggest accolade the district may have is its recent rating of Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency.

Underwood pointed out the designation is a first for LVISD. He added only two other districts were Exemplary in the greater Austin area.
Underwood was quick to explain the rating occurred through the hard work of teachers and staff.
“It had nothing to do with me, I just showed up,” he said. “You had good schools before I got here.”
Underwood said he joined a school district with high marks in education and financial stability despite economic hardships.
The district is feeling a 20 percent drop in property taxes, Underwood said, which will have to eventually affect taxing entities. But by using money in the interest and sinking (I&S) funds, he said the district is able to keep the tax rate the same this fiscal year. He said the district may have fewer options next year.
“Do we know what’s going to happen in 2011, 2012? No, we don’t.” he said. “But I’ll tell you this: It doesn’t look good.”
Underwood went on to explain the Target Revenue System, which assesses what each district is allowed in total funding, both state and local. LVISD receives $6,369 per child, regardless of what the district raises through taxes. With the help of PowerPoint slides, Underwood showed LVISD’s TRS is slightly above average, but significantly lower than the highest rates.
Underwood said a $200,000 home pays about $1,700 to the district through property taxes. This year, the district lost about $300 million in property values—a drop Underwood said is difficult to understand.
As for enrollment, Underwood said the district projects about 30 new students will join LVISD this year—a larger projection than first estimated.
“I don’t know what that’s about, but maybe it’s a good sign,” he said, adding state sales taxes are “in the black” for the first time in a year.
Looking toward the future, Underwood said the district will begin a comprehensive facility review funded through a bond passed several years ago for maintenance and improvements to school facilities. The first step begins this week, he said, which has district teachers completing a survey on class sizes, classrooms, athletics and technology. The completed review will determine the district’s growth plan.
“Whichever way that long-term plan goes, that’s the way we’re going to go,” he said.
Other goals brought up by Underwood were raising scholarship funding, preparing junior high students for high school testing and creating more school programs dedicated to technology. He added creating a larger band program could pay off in the classroom.
“Band participation is a big deal for academics,” he said, “and there is lots of research and studies that show those that are musically inclined have higher SAT and ACT scores.”
Before closing, Underwood described the changing dynamics of the classroom, where the teacher’s focus is on creating “leaders, team builders, innovators and problem solvers.”
“What Americans need tomorrow is not what they needed yesterday,” he said.