MEF Round 28 Awarded Grants – May, 2016

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Round 28 Grants – May, 2016

Increase Student Engagement
Goal is to purchase stability cushions to improve student focus. In addition, they provide children with vestibular movement input and tactile stimulation without ever leaving their seats. Not every child learns the same way, and brain research is demonstrating that educational environments need to adapt the way instruction is being delivered in order to maximize learning.
Terri Crusen, Wood, K-4, 15 students, $500.
Introduction to industrial Engineering through Theme Park Development
The introduction to Industrial Engineering through Theme Park Development STEM Project initiative will expose students to some of the intricate behind-the-scenes production cost and science-related influences of theme parks so that they can become a different type of consumer and determine for themselves if the value of admission cost and it scientific impact is fair. They will gain exposure in writing a business plan, estimating cost, projecting income based upon multiple variables while experiencing hands-on application of science, technology, engineering, and math in an area which they are the traditional consumers.
Zella Garron, MHS, Ninth Grade, 75 students, $499.99
Current Events in the Classroom
The fourth grade teachers at Miller are requesting funds to purchase materials to supplement English and Language Arts curriculum through educational, nonfiction magazines. Scholastic News is a nonfiction magazine designed to enhance language arts skills through current events. These magazines engage student learning through maps and charts, photographs, and fascinating captions with close reading questions and text marking activities.
Heather Barshich, Miller, 4th grade, 90 students, $500.
Caring for the Courtyard Memory Garden
The purpose is to involve the entire student body in a school-wide initiative to improve the courtyards at Fieler School. The purpose of this grant is to put the finishing touches on the year-long project. The smaller courtyard features a Memory Garden with stones engraved with names of students who have passed while at Fieler. Each grade level will adopt a portion of the courtyard with birdhouses, hummingbird feeders, flowers and a deck which has just been completed. This will also facilitate learning situations.
Fieler, Student Body, $300.
Game On!
The purpose of this grant is to fund the purchase of a variety of comprehension strategy board games to enhance and enrich Miller School’s 4th grade students’ English Language Arts experience. Not only will playing board games better prepare students for ISTEP+, it will help students build teamwork and classroom community, learn the values of playing fair, thinking ahead, actions and consequences, making tough choices, mental agility, discourse, and most importantly fun while applying higher level thinking skills.
Miller, Kim Naspinski, Grade 4, 64-75 students, $592.
Game On!
The purpose of this grant is to fund the purchase of a variety of comprehension strategy board games to enhance and enrich Miller School’s 4th grade students’ English Language Arts experience. Not only will playing board games better prepare students for ISTEP+, it will help students build teamwork and classroom community, learn the values of playing fair, thinking ahead, actions and consequences, making tough choices, mental agility, discourse, and most importantly fun while applying higher level thinking skills.
Fieler, 4th Grade, 112 students, $517.
Circle the School with Literature
This project aims to build a literature library that will provide enough titles for a successful literature circle program in grades 5 and 6 at MIS. The money will be used to purchase the books. As one literature circle is completed, another title can be checked out and a group formed. Having all students involved in literature circles will allow students to develop a love of literature and deeper understanding of book discussions. This will be advantageous on ISTEP.
MIS, Kristina Shultz, 5th and 6th grade, 999 students, $970.56.
Purdue Science Express
This is a program through the College of Science at Purdue University. It gives teachers access to research-grade equipment that is delivered to our classrooms on Tuesdays when requested. Many of the pieces of equipment are those students will use in college laboratories and industry. Such units are available including freezing and melting water lab, uncommon properties of common items, Liquid Nitrogen Demonstration, Graphing Analysis, Chromatography lab, Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions, and Conductivity of Solutions.
MHS, Ronda Waters, 9-12, 1500 students, $1000.
Reading + Mathematics = Success!
The purpose of this grant is to partially fund the purchase of a collection of math literacy books to enhance the teaching of math concepts for students K-4 at Fieler. Many students struggle with math concepts. This is especially true when it comes to the applied skills portion of the ISTEP+. Using math read-alouds in the classroom will allow teachers to differentiate their teaching and reach more students through real life scenarios found in literature. More students will be engaged as they listen to and react to the mathematical situations the characters in the stories experience.
Fieler, Rebecca Stevenson, K-4, 501 students, $517.16.
Salk Sensory/Calming Area for Students
This project creates a place where students with a wide range of sensory, self-calming, and stimulation needs can self-advocate and regulate emotions without leaving the instructional environment. Students will have the opportunity to use items provided in the sensory areas to calm down, self soothe, release anger, and work through frustration in a positive, nonjudgmental climate. These potentially decrease the amount of special education referrals, decrease referrals leading to out-of-classroom suspensions, decrease classroom disruption while fostering independence, increasing student instruction and learning time, and facilitate an environment that is safe and comfortable for all students.
Salk, Alison Petralia, K-4, 709 students, $500.
One School, One Book
One school, one book hopes to increase family reading time by allowing parents to read to and/or with their children on a regular basis. Increased reading at home will help students in fluency and comprehension. Having all children in a home reading the same book will allow parents to spend quality reading time with all children at one time.
Miller, Lynn Shoback, K-4, 360 students, $400.
Get Academically Fit with Interactive Notebooks
This project would implement the use of interactive notebooks beginning 2016-17 school year. The purpose is to bring a more engaging way for students to learn in the classroom versus the traditional note taking. It allows the students to obtain the same type of information while establishing their own creativity and ownership of their product.
Pierce, Allen O’Connor, Math, Grades 7 and 8, 1050 students, $330.
Interactive Notebook
This project would implement the use of interactive notebooks beginning 2016-17 school year. The purpose is to bring a more engaging way for students to learn in the classroom versus the traditional note taking. It allows the students to obtain the same type of information while establishing their own creativity and ownership of their product.
Pierce, A. Augustyn, Grade 8, 260 students, $330.
Coordinating Units Using Inquiry Math
This school year, all first grade teachers were given access to a math coach to guide us in using the teaching style of Inquiry Math. This will encourage students to become high level thinkers and be able to produce multiple strategies when solving a problem.
Iddings, Jennifer Pozdzal, 1st Grade, 120 students, $700.

TOTAL ROUND 28 GRANTS: $7,656.71

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MEF Round 28 Awarded Grants – May, 2016

All Awarded Grants