Lakewood Elementary students and neighborhood groups recently presented Dallas Police Sgt. Tony Crawford and his wife, Pat, with a $5,000 check to be used as a scholarship fund for their 18-month-old daughter, Meredith.

The scholarship fund was initiated by Friends of Lakewood, an organization comprised primarily of Lakewood Elementary student fathers, following Crawford’s shooting near the school in November.

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Contributions ranged from $1 from many of the children to $650 from an anonymous donor. In addition, students sent get-well cards and letters to Crawford during his hospital stay and recuperation.

“We wanted to do something positive for Sgt. Crawford,” says Tom Crabb, Friends of Lakewood president. “The (Dallas) police department will take care of his personal needs, but we wanted to do something that would ensure a college education for his daughter.”

Crawford remains partially paralyzed from the shooting and currently uses a wheelchair. He has regained movement in his hips and continues therapy with hopes of a full recovery.

In a brief, but emotional speech during a school assembly, Crawford thanked the students for their support and asked that they keep his family in their prayers.

The presentation was part of the school’s “Stop the Violence – Keep the Peace” program, a month-long crime prevention and awareness campaign.

Artist in Residence Fills Creative Void

In a new program called “Arts Alive,” Lakewood Elementary students are learning about various art media from prominent Texas artists. So far, the students have learned first-hand about theater and acting, painting and drawing, sculpture and mixed media.

The artist-in-residence program began last year as a result of parental interest in bringing art to the school. Lakewood had been without an art teacher for more than a decade, due to DISD budget restrictions.

“One of the primary goals in bringing a professional artist to the school was to generate creative thought processes in the children,” says Cathy Brittingham Nihill, one of the parents instrumental in initiating the program.

“We wanted a curriculum that was more well-rounded, and we wanted an art program that would teach the children that there is more to art than just painting a picture,” Nihill says.

Last year’s artist-in-residence was Karl Schaeffer, a resident actor of the Dallas Children’s Theater. The current artist-in-residence is Charlotte Lindsey, a Lakewood resident whose expertise includes print making, lithography and watercolor monoprints. Lindsey has set up shop at the school, teaching daily for 10 to 12 weeks.

“My goal is to provide opportunities for the students to discover the natural creativity within themselves,” Lindsey says. “This creativity, the ability to think of new ideas…to problem solve…is something that can be a tool for life.”

The children’s creations relate to what they are learning in school and include designs for Indian blankets, imaginary solar systems and visions of weather-related phenomena.

In addition to Lindsey, three other prominent Texas artists will spend two days at the school to work on their art while students watch and ask questions.

Lakewood applied for and received a $3,600 grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts to help fund the program. The grant proposal was written by Lakewood parent Carol Thoman, with assistance from Nihill.

Matching funds were provided by the Lakewood PTA, Lakewood Preschool PTA and Friends of Lakewood. A grant request has already been submitted for next year’s residency, for which Lakewood would like to host a writer or a poet.

Calendar

April is Carnival Month for most Dallas schools. The carnivals are significant fundraisers for these schools. Check with your neighborhood school for its carnival date and time.

St. John’s Episcopal School: Grandparents Day, April 5. Carnival, May 2.

William Lipscomb Elementary: Carnival, April 24, 12-4 p.m.

Lakewood Elementary: Carnival, silent auction and raffle, April 25, 2-6 p.m.