2023- 2024 Grant Awardees
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2023- 2024 Grant Awardees 〰️
Spring arts education grants program awardees
Yesmine Thompson & Emily Berry, Dyer Kelly El
Stage furnishings to create a learning/presentation space for a growing arts program
Peter Mancina, Mesa Verde HS
Percussion Instruments for the Band Program
marina Alba, Cottage Montessori, arts ed grant: college Montessori theatre
The purpose of this project is to bring theater into our school. I have been working here for seven years and there have been no musicals or plays. This year we no longer have a music teacher, leaving us with no music at all. This project will encourage students to step out of their comfort zones, express themselves and work, sing, and dance with a group of their peers. This project will get their bodies moving, and teach commitment. We will build community by having our first musical. Families will be invited to help by working on sets, students will be our stars and teachers will support our musical in any way they can.
melissa benke, Cambridge heights elementary, Project grant: Sutter's Fort Environmental Living Program
Students will spend the day and evening at Sutter’s Fort participating in a living history program. They make candles, bake bread, churn butter, cook in a "period" kitchen, make rope, stamp leather, do laundry, weave cloth, and observe trapping, wagon, and blacksmith demonstrations. Later, they enjoy dinner they helped make, dessert, dancing, and live entertainment with their families.
rebecca duditch, del campo high school, STAR Grant: Creating Independence through technology
My project is to bring IPAD's to our classroom to help create independence and foster learning. Many of my students struggle with the fine motor, or intellectual abilities to use Chromebooks. They are much more fluent with touchscreen devices and it is so much easier for them to log themselves in. There are so many learning activities and education games that can help them with their sight words and tracing, and counting money. This purchase would allow many of my students to integrate within their own classroom. They can feel confident and able, knowing that they can access their individualized curriculum. I believe strongly that a class set of Ipads will increase participation and learning outcomes.
rebecca hickey, Del Dayo Elementary, PROJECT Grant: STEM Lego Project
My students are hands-on learners. I would like to buy 3-4 sets of the educational Lego BricQ Motion Essential sets to bring into my classroom for hands-on learning of Force and Motion. These sets are specially designed for use in the classroom and include standards-aligned projects with the manipulatives. We will build pulleys and levers with the LEGO sets to help them understand our Force and Motion science standards unit. The included standards-aligned projects will help the students to understand how different motions and forces affect the objects involved. The students will have the opportunity to build engaging pulleys levers and interactions.
heidi jones, starr king k-8, learning experience grant: Cesar Chavez B Street Theatre Experience for SK 4th-6th Graders
This project will fund all of our 4-6 graders to allow them to experience a shared day at B Street Theater to see the Cesar Chavez play. This would be the first time that many of our students have been to a theater and the very first time all of our 4-6 grade students would be able to go on a field trip to have a shared 4-6 experience ever! Not only will this enrich student learning by experiencing a play, but it will allow for deeper connections to California history and explore historical figures that shaped our country.
kristen mendez prieto, northridge elementary, PROJEct grant: Reading is Fundamental with UFLI
Northridge Elementary is passionate about early literacy. In our attempt to streamline our phonics instruction in our primary grades and intervention we would like to implement the curriculum UFLI. This curriculum is amazing as it was written with a science of reading approach to literacy. It is streamlined for grades K-2 as well as upper-grade intervention. The amazing thing about this project is that if granted we will be able to provide UFLI instruction with the manuals from this curriculum for the three primary grade levels. As we are two classes per grade level as well as a manual for intervention this will be a minimum of 180 students. Within this manual, a scope and sequence is provided for the entirety of primary phonics instruction. This approach is science of reading based and will provide all students reading instruction in an equitable manner by teaching phonics explicitly and specifically. The manual provides teachers with all of strategies needed to implement this curriculum as the additional materials are all available online.
Karl prochazka, starr king K-8, LEarning Experience Grant: Soccer Friends
The purpose of this project is to provide a free after-school soccer program for students at school. We will be meeting once a week starting in March and finishing in June at the end of the school year. The program will be open to all grades from 2nd to 6th grade. Students will be learning the skills of the soccer game as well as the application of respect, responsibility, and safety. Beyond these three foundations of our school students will be also learning the importance of Fair play and hard work. Students will be working in their grade level groups and for grades 3 to 6 they will participate in the end-of-year tournament play against other schools in our area. This will provide them with the chance to represent the school, learn teamwork, and give them a sense of belonging to a community. Through physical activity, students will also increase their endurance and develop lifelong healthy habits including exercise healthy diet, and rest.
Alice Fellos, Del Campo HS
New hardware and software to support a digital media arts program
Karmala Sherwood, Gold River Discover Center
Purchasing new kiln, throwing wheel and heat press to upgrade the art curriculum/art programming
becky anderson, katherine Johnson MS, Project grant:
Sports Circuit Training
The purpose of this project is for my students to further their skills in basketball, volleyball, and soccer. My students will focus on skill-building activities for each sport listed. My students enjoy all three of these sports but lack the basic skills. They need to develop the basic skills so they feel confident to play competitively during physical education class. I will need enough equipment for each student for full student engagement. They will be able to learn how to dribble a basketball and soccer ball using their ball. They will be able to practice serving a volleyball over and over using their ball.
samantha carson, greer elementary, PROJECT GrANT: Headphones and an Inclusive/Enthusiastic Reading Culture
I do not currently have enough headphones that work to provide for all of the students in my classroom which makes testing difficult. I have 27 students and I would love to be able to purchase comfortable headphones for all of them and this will help future online testing. I also want to create a reading nook and an area for students to be able to post their book recommendations for classmates.
darcy faitel, arden middle schooL, PROJECT Grant: Organization Kits for Smooth Transition
The purpose of this project is to provide organization kits with needed supplies for all sixth graders who are unable to purchase these for themselves. These kits will have all the items the sixth-grade team at Arden desire for each student to have to complete their work and stay organized.
Chris horner, casa roble high school, project grant: AVID Classroom Library
The purpose of this project is to get students reading for pleasure. Research supports having classroom libraries in secondary classrooms. (Holly Rice and Eileen Richardson sum up classroom library research in their 2022 article "One for the Books!" in The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin.) Classroom libraries increase access and amount of books to students which means they are more likely to pick up and read a book. Classroom libraries with better quality books motivate students to read more. Classrooms with well-stocked libraries manifest students who read 50% more than classrooms that do not. The purpose of these funds would be to enlarge the classroom library to include more books, and to make sure these books include a variety of genres as well as new and popular books that our students are really interested in.
julia kushnirenko, carriage drive elementary, project grant: Embroidery Art
The purpose of embroidery is to teach kids that in a world with modern technology rising, "handmade work are like whispers of love." I want students to understand the value of joy and pleasure we can receive by spending time and effort on making our own design. Teaching embroidery improves students concentration and develops preservance. I believe that each student will benefit from learning embroidery skills, even if just the basics. We will have bright creative thinkers with good planning skills that follow through to the result of creating something beautiful. Students need to believe in themselves again and embroidery builds that confidence in them!
elaine paul, del dayo elementary, project grant: Everyone Reads: Part 2
Our Resource program serves a wide range of learners including dyslexic students, those with various learning challenges, and former inclusion students. Many of our students need extensive help with reading, especially since common core math incorporates a high level of language into the math instruction. To help struggling readers, our school has implemented the Sonday System.
Books are just part of our second phase of putting together a program to help students read. We are finding that not all students can excel from the curriculum provided. Therefore we would like to add Snap Words. A Flash card-based system that is multi-sensory. This will support students who need a multimodal approach to reading high-frequency words. In addition we need MP3 players and headphones. This will allow us to use Read Naturally with our students to increase fluency and comprehension. These additions to our RSP program will support students in further excelling their reading ability. Not just this year but for years to come!
theresa rameriz, Lichen k-8, learning experience grant: Ukuleles in Every Hand
The purpose of this project is to provide an opportunity for every general music student at Lichen to play ukulele as part of an ukulele ensemble. This experience will develop students' musical knowledge. Music instruction will include (but not limited to) learning chords, playing and singing simultaneously as a part of a group, development of fine motor skills that they can transfer to various other instruments, and the history of ukulele and its cultural impact. This project will build community through a shared performance experience, where students will rehearse and prepare for the performance together, and share in the celebration of their accomplishment after the performance.
Shannon Fox, Cowan Fundamental El
Sound system to effectively perform concerts and theatrical shows
Dianna Rodriguez, Lichen K-8
Purchasing microphones, transmitters, and receivers to support theater performances
kelly bencken, kingswood K-8, learning experience grant: Kingswood Native Pollinator Garden and Outdoor Classroom
The purpose of this project is to create a sustainable, drought-tolerant, CA native-plant garden which will be a natural habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, in order to integrate, supplement, and enhance Next Generation life science standards for all grades PreK-8.
michael Dittmer, Learning experience grant: Harris Center LIVE theater experience
An opportunity of a live theater experience for Title one 3rd and 4th graders will add to the students’ awareness of the arts in the community. Being able to see the production as a collective of peers is a valuable shared opportunity. This funding will offer transportation for many students and provide them a memorable experience that may inspire students to further arts investigation.
ashley green, trajan elementary, project grant: Behavior and Goal Support
The purpose of my project is to be able to support my special needs students with items that will help them reduce their behaviors as well as meet their classroom goals. A lot of my students struggle with things out of their control in my classroom. For example, the fluorescent lights may be too bright, or the chairs they sit in are too static. This in turn can make it difficult for them to concentrate and have positive behaviors. I would like to make their learning environment as easy and comfortable for them as possible by providing better seating, sensory items, and tools to increase learning.
megan hurley, laurel ruff transition school, project grant: Beautification Behind 11
The purpose of this project is to have the students plan, construct and upgrade a neglected space outside of a classroom. There is an area that was previously a play structure/playground. It has been unused and an eyesore for many years. There are 2 gardening classes on campus where they learn gardening skills and taking care of their school. With this grant, students will help beautify and enhance this area of their school. Students will benefit from the process of building the area, keeping it fresh and be able to enjoy it once it's done. It will make the school look nice and students can use the restored area for a peaceful break area.
sarah Lamb, Deterding Elementary, Arts Ed Grant: Ukuele club
The Deterding Ukulele Club will be open to 5th and 6th grade students who are interested in learning how to play the ukulele as well as learn about the culture behind the instrument! Students will need ukuleles to play and this grant will offer them an opportunity to have an instrument dedicated for them! There are many advantages to learning to play the Ukulele. It is considered to be a smaller instrument and elementary school children typically have smaller hands so it's an ideal string instrument for them to learn on. Their learning can transfer over to playing guitar chords if they choose to do that in the future or they can just enjoy playing on a ukulele. With just 4 strings the chord patterns are fairly simple and the nylon strings are typically gentler on the fingertips. The Deterding community will have the opportunity to hear our Club perform for them at our end of the school year Open House.
ahtziri pena martinez, thomas edison language institute, STAR Grant:
Improving Student Literacy
The purpose of this project is to improve student literacy. I teach at a title 1 school in the Arden Arcade community with a large newcomer and EL student population. As a first grade teacher, students begin the school year at different reading levels and many times, students enter 1st grade not knowing how to read yet. With large gaps to fill and to ensure that all students are reading at grade level before they leave my classroom, I need all the support that I can get. This project will benefit my students' learning experience because they will have access to leveled readers that already have the levels on the front cover of every book. Not only will I use these leveled readers for guided reading instruction, my students will also be able to take ownership of their learning by choosing 3 readers to place in their book bin every week. They will get to choose a book that is an easy read for them, a reader that is at their current reading level, and a book that is at the next reading level they are working towards. Having access to readers with the levels already on the front cover will allow my students to see their progress from where they started to the end of first grade.
cheryl russo, carmichael Elementary, Learning experience grant: Marshall Gold Field Trip
Our scheduled Marshall Gold field trip will allow students to see firsthand where gold was discovered. They will learn about the indigenous people native to the area and the groups of people that came to Coloma in search of gold. This field trip meets both fourth and fifth-grade standards. Outside experiences broaden learning beyond the classroom. This field trip will be a wonderful culmination of their learning about California history as well as learning about the westward movement. We hope to receive enough funding for students to engage in the extra experiences of panning for gold and the poke program if possible. Our main goal is to pay for the charter buses for 150 students, plus teachers, instructional assistants, and chaperones.
We also hope to take these same students on a the Roller King STEM field trip. This field trip not only provides physical activity, but the STEM portion has lessons that include motion, force, friction, sound waves, Doppler Effect, light waves, design and geometry. We plan to pay for admission and transportation for all six classes with this grant.
Fall 2023 Grant Awardees
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Fall 2023 Grant Awardees 〰️
Sarah Ochoa, MIRA LOMA HIGH SCHOOL, ARTS ED GRANT: PRISIMS: A Creative Student Magazine
Mira Loma's student-run literary magazine has been around for over 20 years. It was most notably attached to the creative writing program at the school, and students enrolled in the class would submit entries for publication. At various times, there was money budgeted for the magazine for printing, and the district would even print the publication for distribution.
Unfortunately, the creative writing classes are not offered at Mira Loma at this time. The magazine has gone to a digital platform in the past recent years because there is no money for printing. But, we are trying to revamp the magazine as an official club on campus. This club would be open to all students who are interested in creative writing and art.
We are hoping that with some start-up money, we can print hard copies of the magazine to sell. If we can make some kind of profit off those sales, we can use that money for future publications.
Creative writing and artwork is a significant outlet for students, allowing many an opportunity to explore their interests reflectively. As a club, Prisms is also planning to host lunchtime writing workshops where students can write together and give feedback to one another. Many students use creative writing and artwork as a stress reliever or a way to temporarily escape the challenges of their daily life.
MOLLIE Zuehlke, LIchen Elementary, STAR Grant: hamburger farm field trip
The purpose of this third grade field trip to Hamburger Farm is so that my students have the opportunity to see locally grown produce and agriculture. This will provide an engaging and educational experience that connects them with the source of their food and fosters a deeper understanding of agriculture and sustainability. By visiting this farm, students can witness firsthand how crops are grown, learn about the importance of healthy soil and pollinators like bees. This will also help them discover the hard work and care that goes into producing the fruits and vegetables they consume. This experience not only promotes an appreciation for local agriculture but also teaches valuable lessons about the environment, nutrition, and the role of farmers in our communities. I believe that it enriches their curriculum with real-world applications and sparks curiosity about the world around them.
My goal as a teacher is to foster a love for learning within each individual student, within the school and ultimately in their community and world.
susan morrison, lichen & Oakview ElementarY, STAR GRAnt: Clay around the world
The students will learn the four basic clay-building techniques. They will learn about the history and how many cultures around the world create clay objects for art and household purposes. This project will benefit students with an amazing hands-on experience (each student will be allowed to create something in clay). The historical and cultural significance will also provide an enriched learning experience where students can relate personal cultural backgrounds to current artworks. Student voice will be heard through the artist’s statement at the end of the project.
michael zysk, el camino fundamental high school, Arts ed grant: Student Anthology
The power of a published, hard copy collection of writing and art validates student voice and agency, and archives a history of youth culture. By coordinating a professionally designed and published anthology, the adult world shows (more than tells) young people that they are artists and truth-speakers.
In my many years coordinating and manifesting such publications, I've seen the impact it makes, even the life direction it changes, when those who've often felt invisible are valued and promoted by a larger community of stakeholders.
Anthologies last into the future, even becoming mentor texts to future writers and artists of the school community. An intentional document of this kind is the most tangible affirmation of our young people for their peers, families, and community.
CORRINE howell, carriage drive Elementary, Arts ed grant: microscope art
I will introduce my students to the "microscopic" world. I will create art lessons, using microscopes. Students will work with a partner, viewing various items under the microscope and then creating drawings and paintings from what they see. This will introduce them to an entire new world and maybe spark the imaginations of our next generation of scientists and doctors.
shelby medlin, Grand Oaks Elementary, ARTS ED GRANT: Bringing THEATER to Disadvantaged Youth
Grand Oaks Elementary is working to create a theater program that can provide students with access to the performing arts as a way to help students, per the California VAPA standards, "gain mastery of important skills, from public speaking to collaboration." Our students struggle to effectively recognize and communicate their feelings with peers and school staff. Creating a viable theater program will help our students to "develop: imagination and creativity; insight and empathy into human situations; awareness of emotions; new ways of thinking and problemsolving; appreciation of cultural heritage, their own and others'; confidence; and as future artists and audience members."
“As a first-year teacher in at Del Campo High School, it is so amazing to know about supports like the San Juan Education Foundation, and getting these books in students hands has been so exciting. Not only are they reading stories with diverse representation but the foundation made it possible for students to check out these books and enjoy reading and discussing them with their peers, since we have multiple copies. Thanks again!”
paula ryken, Starr king k-8, Project grant: Take a Kindergartener to the Museum
Many of our students do not get the opportunity to go on field trips due to the cost. A ten-dollar cost of admission and the bus cost together make for an expensive outing. Most of our children are on free or reduced lunch and have multiple children in their household. Many of our students are English Learners and some are even refugees. Experiences like field trips are so important to their learning. I would really like to offset the cost for them by paying part of their admission to a field trip to the Rancho Cordova Science Museum. This would make the cost much more manageable for families.
elisa nieves, mira loma high school, project grant: Spanish 1 Literacy Challenge
Reading in the target language is a powerful tool for acquiring language. It must be captivating and understandable in order for it to be effective. Most material made for a language class can lack engaging topics that relate to our modern-day students. However, I am hoping to provide access for all of my students to the website ''Garbanzo'' which offers levels of readings for students that are learning Spanish as their second language. It is interactive and provides feedback to students so that they can read and acquire language at their own pace. I would like to incorporate the website in a reading challenge for my students that can be rewarding both academically and personally.
Michelle Bunney, Trajan Elementary, PRoject Grant: Kindergarten Centers
We want our kindergarteners to have the best opportunities to use hands-on manipulatives and supplies to practice with fun and engaging ways. We want to make the most out of their kindergarten experience and create lasting memories.
susan sloan, bella vista high school, project grant: Life after high school
Do you remember when you wondered what you wanted to be when you grew up? Was there a place you could go to explore possible career options? Our College and Career Center is the perfect location for students seeking help with planning their lives after high school. Our goal is to provide the entire student body of Bella Vista High School with the opportunity to participate in a 4-year program of career exploration and discovery. We want them to really dive into what is takes to prepare for life after they graduate. We are asking for funds to purchase current college and career print resources for our College and Career Center.
bonnie sedgwick, coyle avenue elementary, ARTS ed Grant: Outdoor Performance Stage
I teach at a title 1 school. Many of our students struggle academically and come from challenging backgrounds. We have students who are refugees from places like the Middle East and the Ukraine. We also have students who are homeless. They do not have access to the arts that many students have. We have brought in a program called Starstruck that allows each class to learn a dance and perform it for the school and for families. It is such an important opportunity for these children to have access to music and dance. It is amazing to see students who struggle academically get a chance to shine on the stage. We have a stage, however, we are missing 2 panels for the stage. We need to buy 2 more panels to give our students a proper stage and a chance to shine.
Matthew schupp, pasadena ave elementary, project grant: Panther Paw Garden Project
Within our 5th grade community, gardening and food to fork has only scratched the surface. We are eager to grow our garden by researching native plants to provide pollinators with places to grow. Students work weekly in our garden space to maintain and care for our plants. 5th grade science focus has a large emphasis on plant needs and water-wise choices that affect our community and environment. This project will support a hands-on opportunity for students to research and choose native plants for our campus, plant and care of plants, and clean up our planter boxes on campus creating a great sense of purpose and belonging.
angel luna, thomas edison Language Institute K-8, BOOKS & HEADPHONES
This is my first year at Thomas Edison Language Institute and the classroom library lacks robust, engaging reading materials at the students' independent reading levels. The purpose of the project is to build the classroom library into a trove of interesting reading materials where students can peruse titles that spark immediate interest, are accessible via independent reading and cultivate a lifelong love of reading and learning. It will benefit my students' learning experiences by providing rich literacy experiences while building empathy through narrative text and additional learning through expository text to supplement our core content areas. The prevalent, persistent focus on STEM in education is great but it also detracts from the humanities, which we need in order to cultivate empathy for others among our students. Reading classic, award-wining, narrative pieces such as Bridge to Terabithia and The Giver are essential to helping our students grow into compassionate humans able to work with and befriend people from all backgrounds.
Shannon Fox, Cowan elementary, ARTS ED GRANT: SCHOOL MUSICAL
I will be working with students to create a school musical. The purpose is to create interest in performing arts and help students find their talents in creating a show they are proud of, whether it be as a lead character or behind the scenes.
We will work on leadership skills, directing, acting, memorization, choreography, set design and building, painting and creating costumes, as well as cooperation to help them excel at their parts and feel good about themselves and the final production.
We will incorporate engineering for set props and design, art for backdrops, make-up, and costuming. Students will learn songs and choreography, as well.
april nell, casa roble fundamental high school, ARTS ED GRANT: Supporting literacy through art
The purpose of this project is to encourage literacy and library use through group craft classes in the library and independent art literacy. This is to be accomplished by inviting guest craft teachers to the library to teach students how to create dream catchers, jewelry, fashion design, and more. These sessions will also be complemented by how to craft books available in the library for students to independently study art, as well as books on artist biographies and fine art subjects.
All of this is to encourage two main things: literacy and creativity. Our students need a wide variety of books on subjects that interest them like art and will therefore get them reading. I also want to encourage creativity and fun in the library to draw students in and get them engaged in activities that are positive and create community. Craft classes are a great way to do so as it is a small time investment for our students that students are more likely to be interested in, but could launch an interest that they can take further with independent study or the creation of a whole new club.
Angela Nicholas, Carmichael Elementary, STAR Grant: 2nd Grade's Wonderful, Amazing, Very, Very Good Day!
This year our 2nd grade classes will have the opportunity to experience a theatre production at the Roseville Theatre Arts Academy. They will watch a production of "Alexander Who's Not Not Not Not Not Going to Move"; an interpretation of the classic children’s book. Staying aligned with our grade level goal of providing more STEAM opportunities for our classes; we agreed attending this production would engage students in an area of the arts many have not experienced. It is our hope that this experience will not only open our students’ eyes to the talent and courage needed to perform, but also to the 'behind the stage' talent and mechanics that goes into creating a live production.
tiffany hart, whitney ave elementary Project grant: Reading and writing for Kindergarten
I want our students to be able to use journals to learn how to put thought on paper and increase their writing proficiency. My students will benefit from the independent journaling time and collaborative whole-class journaling. It will grow their independent working skills and the routine will give them the confidence to understand the assignment.
kristen soejoto, san juan high school, project grant: Bringing reading to the classroom!
Having diverse, inclusive, and fun reading options easily available in the classroom is vital for getting books into the hands of students. I want to use the funding to create a class library for students to easily and quickly find fun reads that connect with them. A classroom library would create an easy and quick opportunity for students to start reading or continue their reading journey. I also want to bring in several class sets of novels to bring in that are new, diverse, fun, and rich in learning opportunities! Class sets allow me to expand the literary analysis to include novels my school does not currently have and update the novel list available.
roldolfo garcia, Encina high school, project grant: project uniform
We will be using these funds to purchase more PE uniforms for students to use while dressing out. We will also use some of the funds to purchase locker room locks as well as some sports equipment. This will benefit our students so that they have a lock to store their PE clothes when changing in the locker room for class.
patrick pavelchik, mesa verde high school, project grant: Lunch Time Sports Intramural Program
This project will provide students the opportunity to be active, competitive, and social while playing a variety of sports throughout the year. The program will provide benefits for students to have an outlet and learn to work well with other students while also being active and learning healthy ways to stay active at school. The program will provide ways to identify students on campus who also can use some peer socialization. The program can also link adults on campus to meet with students who need to connect with individuals to ensure they have safe spaces.
larry edgemon, Del Dayo Elementary, PROJECT Grant: Field Trip To MOSAC
The museum offers a full-day academy program focusing on Ecosystem Investigations which is aligned directly with the 5th grade standards and would be an excellent hands-on extension to the curriculum and provide students with science experiences that I could not provide in the classroom. The full-day academy includes an exhibit tour, a digital dome show, labs, and engineering challenges.
erik knight, Carnegie middle, arts ed grant: upgrading student media
Andrew Carnegie Middle School has an award winning media program that produces a daily morning show for school announcements, The Carnegie Connection. The media classes are advanced technology, visual & performing arts classes that apply knowledge and skills to produce our daily student news broadcast. In order to successfully produce a quality program, students learn public speaking skills, photography, videography, and digital audio, video, editing, & production techniques. In addition, students learn cooperative work skills as a member of a production team that will work together to produce creative and compelling multimedia pieces.
As one can imagine, students are not always gentle on equipment used in class and we are constantly working to replace outdated and/or broken equipment. The purpose of this project is to ensure that students have access to the tools they will need to learn the many skills and techniques involved in video production.
Bianca Jaime, Deterding Elementary, Arts ed grant: WE Make the SParks fly 3rd grade play
Third graders at Deterding Elementary have traditionally put on a musical every year for the whole school and for families/community. Since the COVID-19 closure, we were forced to take a three-year break from performances. The new musical "It's Electrifying" supports the Next Generation Science Standards which have not been fully embraced. The new play refers to and builds on students' familiarity with electricity. Students will be immersed in the study of science in a very engaging way. Under this project, the four classes will sing, speak, and dance. Through the performance, they will touch upon cause-and-effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
Heidi jones, starr king k-8, STAR Grant: lined whiteboards for ela instruction
The goal of this project is to make sure every student TK through 2nd grade has a lined white board for systematic ELA instruction. Our Literacy Team of teachers are providing ELA curriculum training for our teachers and want to ensure they have the materials needed in order to teach lessons not only in small groups, but whole class with opportunities for students to work on their handwriting with the lined whiteboard. These whiteboards, markers, and erasers will ensure we have full class sets and that teachers can be at ease that they have exactly what they need to implement structured PA instruction, while also using materials for Tier II supports for student learning as well.
chris langton, Mission Ave Elementary, Arts Ed Grant: MISSION PIANO LAB
The piano is one of the most iconic and beloved instruments on Earth, but it also presents young musicians with some of the greatest barriers to access. They are expensive, heavy, and too large to meet the needs of the modern music education experience. As such, most students never have the chance to learn even the basics of piano.
The Mission Piano Lab will use student Chromebooks paired with a class set of digital piano MIDI keyboards to provide students with access to fundamental piano education. Modeled after a successful Piano Lab that was presented by John Stebbe at the 2023 Indiana Music Educator's Conference (Using USB-MIDI Keyboards with Chromebooks in the Elementary Music Classroom), I hope to replicate his tenured success with modifications to meet the needs of our diverse students population at Mission Avenue Open Elementary.
rachel schottky, ottomon elementary, STAR GRANT: B-Street "Tis the Season" For Ottomon 1st and 2nd Graders
The purpose of this field trip is to expose the children to quality theater, as well as increase their awareness of how other cultures celebrate the holiday season. "'Tis the Season: Around the World which will focus on holiday and endof- year traditions that are celebrated internationally and here in the US. This piece is devised and written by the B Street company around core curriculum, historical and global themes, while also being a lot of fun and very comedic" (from B-Street Theater Informational description).
Ottomon Elementary is an Artful Learning school, which means that our students learn through the arts. Each day, students learn about math, science, reading, and writing using the Experience, Inquire, Create, and Reflect framework. Artful Learning is a hands-on, engaging, and dynamic experience for our students. Through Units of Study, which include a Masterwork, a Learning Concept and a Significant question, our students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Through experiencing Live Theater, the students will gain an understanding of diversity and inclusion when it comes to Holiday and End-of-Year celebrations in several cultures.
erika rudd, trajan elementary, project grant: Kindergarten Centers
We know that centers is a time of the day that is fun for students to practice our concepts. Kindergarten requires many manipulatives and hands-on experiences that can engage students in our learning goals. When we want to create literacy or math centers, we don't have the funds to supply these opportunities. Often, the supplies have to come out of my own pocket. I want my kindergarteners to have all the opportunities to practice in fun and engaging ways. These are the experiences that will help kindergarteners remember their concepts.
april nell, casa roble fundamental high school, project grant: Supporting Student Mental Health
The purpose of this project is to support student mental health by providing access to nonfiction books that help students to navigate situations that impact their mental health, and fiction books that help them see mental health through another person's story. These books can act like mirrors, reflecting the students' experiences themselves. Books can also act as windows for our students, giving them access to a taste of what other people with mental health situations feel like and how to respond.
kathleen records, del dayo elementary, project grant: MOSAC (Museum of Science and Curiosity) Field Trip
MOSAC is a fairly new museum available to our learning community. The museum works closely with the local electric and water companies to make the community aware of the importance of our resources and human impact on them, making the learning relevant to our students. MOSAC takes an inquiry-based approach to allow all students to engage and interact with science.
aaron silberman, pershing elementary, project grant: Disc Golf Course
The purpose of my project is to give all of my students a reason to get outside and enjoy a fun outdoor activity, by teaching the students the sport of Disc Golf. I plan on setting up a course on campus that the students can use during recess and Physical Education class. The students will learn the rules and etiquette of the sport. This will ideally lead to the students, becoming lifelong participants and athletes in a very social and affordable sport. Ideally, the students will bring this newfound love for a sport home and create an activity that their parents/guardians can start to participate in.
emily edmond, encina high school, project grant: Dari books at Encina
The purpose of this project is to purchase books in languages that students speak, which are hard to find. It will benefit the students by increasing their reading comprehension in their own language, which positively affects their English comprehension.
Also, it will connect them with their culture and language (the books written in Dari) as well as their American peers' culture (the American books translated into Dari). It helps them maintain and develop their language skills, fostering multilingualism, which is an asset in today's globalized world.
jennifer warner, arlington heights elementary, project grant: Math games and Manipulatives
Since this is our first year doing math intervention at our school, we need to bolster our teaching materials. I see 10 groups of 6 students each throughout every day and need learning activities to focus on the gaps in their education. If they are excited about coming to my group because of highly engaging materials and instruction they will be more like grow in their learning. I would like to make math learning more conceptual and concrete. This requires students to be able to manipulate materials. There are also many fun math games that present as games but are all about learning. These high-interest activities will keep these frustrated learners going. I work with grades 1st through 5th grade so there is a wide variety of things needed.
Amy Labson
I am so grateful to the San Juan Education Foundation for the $500 grant to help start our new College & Career Center at Casa Roble High. The money will be paired with other site funding to purchase college, career, and AP materials for our students here at Casa. Our students will now have a room in the Student Union to visit and explore their future schooling and careers.