Jill Wright delivers a grant check to Bammel Middle School teacher Itzelda Lascano from the Spring ISD Education Foundation.
Teachers at some Spring ISD campuses got an early holiday surprise on Tuesday when the Spring ISD Education Foundation entered their classrooms, bringing funding for innovative learning projects.
Bammel Middle School teacher Itzelda Lascano couldn’t stop smiling when she was presented with a check for $5,000 to help her begin a program that will increase Spanish comprehension skills for her class.
“Oh, I was surprised! I couldn’t believe it,” said Lascano, when the foundation’s “Grant Express” arrived with her check.
The scene was repeated throughout the day at nine other campuses across Spring, as foundation members handed out a dozen checks to district educators totaling nearly $40,000.
One grant had special meaning to David Crawford. He and his law firm, Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott, are long-time donors to the foundation and he dedicated the grant award at Reynolds Elementary to his mother, Dorothy Crawford.
“She taught here for 20 years, she dedicated her life to the kids,” said Crawford, who was one of several community members who joined the foundation Tuesday in presenting the checks.
The grant at Reynolds is going to teacher Vickie Bacon to purchase technology that will allow her to actively monitor the progress of her students during her lessons. Bacon said she expects that the devices will help her to quickly identify when a student needs extra help.
The Education Foundation’s president, Ken Grays, said that it’s always a great day when the “Grant Express” takes their donors and members out to the schools to give teachers good news about their grant applications.
“It’s a nice warm feeling, especially with it being cold outside. We really enjoy this,” Grays said.
Over the past 25 years, the Spring ISD Foundation has fundraised in support of the district’s students and teachers. During that time, the foundation has donated well over one million dollars to fund teacher grant requests. Other grants awarded on Tuesday are:
The Sound of Elevated Learning – $4981.75
The Spring ISD Early College Academy received a grant for The Sound of Elevated Learning, which will provide equipment that will offer students opportunities for leadership, public speaking and classroom learning. The application was submitted by Valerie Hassel, Kelly Ellis and Shannon Dwyer.
Great CHARACTER is a Work of HeART – $3612.47
Winship Elementary received a grant for Great CHARACTER is a Work of HeART. The program is a collaborative effort between the counselor and art teacher to help develop positive character traits and social emotional learning within our school community. The schoolwide initiative will include counselor lessons and art projects as well as visual displays focused on increasing awareness of the district character education plan. The application was submitted by Lisa Hayes and Deanna Wesner.
Small Group Flexible Seating – $479.94
Winship Elementary also received a grant for Small Group Flexible Seating, a project that will help to provide a flexible seating option for students. This will allow the students limited freedom of movement, while allowing them to maintain better focus while working in small groups. The application was submitted by Allison Saurage.
WATCH 1: Police Mobile Learning Center – $8,134.28
Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, along with all elementary and middle school campuses, received a grant for the Watch 1: Police Mobile Learning Center. The purpose of this project is to create a mobile training center for police and emergency services that can reach at least 18 elementary and middle schools for recruiting and educational purposes. This application was submitted by Keith Underwood, Mary Scherzer, Anthony Jones, Waylon Randolph and Katerina Wingfields.
Children’s Museum of Houston Field Experience – $2000.00
Major Elementary School received a grant for a Children’s Museum of Houston field experience. Students will be able to participate in action-packed, hands-on programs in science and technology, history and culture, health and human development, math, literacy and the arts through interactive exhibits and innovative workshops that align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and national standards. This application was submitted by Crystal Gosselin, Maria Trujillo, Zuriel Rubio, Ashley Wall and Arleisha White.
Children’s Museum of Houston Field Trip – $1244.69
Major Elementary School received an additional grant for a Children’s Museum of Houston field trip. The purpose of the experience is to expose 2nd-grade students to real-life experiences at the museum with hands-on activities. As a result, these students will have the opportunity to exercise high-order thinking skills related to content areas such as science, math and writing. The application was submitted by Giana E. Diaz, Patricia Gonzalez, Yasmin Hamilton, Shashauna McIver and Chairty Gallien.
Reading Music for the 21st Century – $549.00
Twin Creeks Middle School received a grant for Reading Music for the 21st Century. This technology will allow students to read music and mark their music appropriately. It will also allow the choir department to incorporate technology on a daily basis. This application was submitted by Stephanie Barrett-Summerson.
I-READ – $995.00
Heritage Elementary received a grant for I-READ that will allow 4th-graders to hear fiction and content-related non-fiction that they are not yet able to read independently by using iPods. Experienced readers will provide them with a model that will help them improve their fluency, phrasing, word accuracy and reading rate. Content-related texts will provide students with access to academic vocabulary and higher-level concepts. Students who are learning English as a second language will be able to hear books read in English that will help them improve their English language proficiency and vocabulary development. The application was submitted by Khristina Hogan.
Clark Primary Readers Under Construction – $2947.00
Clark Primary School received a grant for Readers Under Construction. This grant will provide a take-home reading program for students to improve their reading skills. The application was submitted by Brittany Joseph and Bridget Harrison.
Read To Success – $4369.54
Beneke Elementary received a grant for Read to Success. The purpose of this grant is to provide reading intervention for our students to improve reading skills. This application was submitted by Danita Birdow and Allison Boyer.