February 23, 2023
LANCASTER, Texas -- Congratulations to the Lancaster ISD Communications Department on winning Star Awards at the annual Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) state conference! The department won eight awards, including the prestigious Crystal Certificate of Merit award for District Special Event and Celebration for the "Life is Best When You're a Tiger” employee celebration held in May 2022.
Under the direction of Kimberly Simpson, the Lancaster ISD Communications team has worked tirelessly over the past year to communicate important district information. They have also planned and produced special events and, most importantly, highlighted students' academic success along with the outstanding teachers and staff within Lancaster ISD.
In addition to winning awards during the state conference, the Communications team utilized the three-day event to present valuable information to conference attendees with three roundtable sessions and one main workshop session.
The roundtable sessions were 20-minute discussions that allowed communications teams across Texas to collaborate and share ideas. Multimedia Coordinator Typhani Bartholomew presented a roundtable discussion on sharing the good news for your school district. In addition, she shared some of the tips she utilizes daily with conference attendees.
Lead Communications Coordinator Sonja Brown's roundtable covered the importance of exceptional customer service in school districts and school communicators' role in providing that customer service.
Branding and Design Coordinator Rodrigo Martinez’s roundtable covered graphic design 101. During his session, he shared design tips on utilizing Adobe Illustrator to create fantastic graphic designs. He also walked attendees through his creative process and provided design tips, tricks, and advice.
Finally, the Communications team closed the concurrent workshops with an hour-long presentation called “Don’t Major in the Minors.” It explored ways to keep the spotlight on student and district success even when outside influences may want to focus on the negative. Through real-life examples, the presentation covered the team's methods to “keep the main thing the main thing” while staying focused on its strategic communications plan and avoiding burnout.
“Don’t Major in the Minors” was a baseball-themed presentation. To add to the experience, the communications team donned customized baseball jerseys and distributed branded stress balls, in the shape of baseballs, for all session attendees. It was a high-energy, informative, and well-received presentation.
The Lancaster ISD Communications Department is already looking forward to next year’s Texas School Public Relations Association state conference.
2023 TSPRA Star Awards:
Communications Department:
Crystal Certificate of Merit Award for District Special Event and Celebration for "Life is Best When You're a Tiger” Employee Celebration, May 2022
Rodrigo Martinez:
Two Gold Star Awards for Flyer Design
Typhani Bartholomew:
Three Silver Star Awards, One Bronze Star Award for Published News or Feature Article
Kimberly Simpson, Sonja Brown, Typhani Bartholomew:
Silver Star Award for “Save Your Seat” Social Media Campaign
