MEF Round 33 Grants – October, 2018

Return to Awarded Grants Directory…

Round 33 Grants – October, 2018

Sensory/Calming Strategies
On behalf of the entire staff at Iddings Elementary School, I would like to implement this calming environment to assist our students in learning to control their bodies, minds, and attention. We would like to purchase some items for students to utilize in the classrooms to help them focus their attention on learning. These items give students an outlet to their energy that reduces distraction to others while letting students move while learning. We also would like to create a calming/sensory room where teachers can take students to distress and learn yoga. It is our goal to teach students how to calm their minds so they can focus on learning.
Teri Crussen, Iddings Grades 4-6, 530 students, $400.00
Wiggling, Wobbling Bristlebot Robotics
With no experience necessary to build these robots, the teacher can assist her students with this easy way to explore science and engineering. Students will explain how forms of energy and technology play a role in real world events. This opportunity and experience alone will be engaging, meaningful, and enjoyable as the students further acknowledge the importance of working together for an outlined cause. These completed projects may even be used in the school’s science fair in May.
Sandra Collins, Iddings Grade 4, 26 students, $406.45
Hands On Math
The Hands-on Math project includes many activities to introduce, teach, reinforce and master kindergarten skills including, but not limited to, counting, sorting, one to one correspondence, patterning, simple addition and subtraction, fine motor skills, and listening. The purpose of this project is to introduce, teach, reinforce and master many kindergarten math skills by using hands on materials in small math groups while learning how to cooperate and share.
Nicole Olson, Fieler Grade K, 43 students, $250.00
Guided Math Manipulatives for Kindergarten
Guided Math manipulatives for kindergarten will provide differentiated practice in a kinesthetic manner for our Fieler Kindergartners. Students will be able to both see, manipulate and discuss numbers, shapes, place value and more using these tools. We believe that small groups/centers are a developmentally appropriate way for students to learn and for teachers to more easily get informal assessment done.
Kathy Machura, Fieler Grade K, 50 students, $250.00
Reading Is a Real Treasure
The goal of our project is to provide new and exciting books and bags to our pre-kindergarten through fourth grade students that will enhance the development of their reading skills and promote recreational reading over the summer months. By providing our students with their own books they will be able to develop their own home libraries. Approximately, 2,267 students will benefit from this project. In each bag, students will receive three books, a reading log/Bingo sheet, summer reading information and a bookmark. Providing students with an economy book bag to store their materials in will allow them to read at home or on the go this summer. Students will be encouraged to bring in their reading logs/Bingo sheets to share with their new teacher. When the students return the log and Bingo sheet to their teacher they will be entered into a drawing to win a $15 gift certificate to their school’s bookfair later in the year. Students will be able to start their own home libraries.
Janelle Bowen, All Elementary Schools Grades Pre-K through 4, 2,267 students, $1,441.00
Simple Machines Are Not That Simple
STEM education creates critical thinkers and strong problem solvers. Adding construction sets to our fourth grade classrooms will help make math and science fun and interesting while sparking a passion for a future career in a STEM field. With the addition of just four construction sets, the concepts of simple machines can be turned into real-life opportunities for the entire fourth grade.
Dave Demmon, Iddings School Grade 4, 105 students, $259.96
Plant, Study, Harvest, Eat!
This project would be a multi-discipline project whereby students would learn various standards throughout several disciplines and pathways. Students would plant various seeds in different mediums, make observations about the plant life cycle, study cell structure, practice measuring skills, learn about agriculture, agribusiness, ecology, job skills, food product development, supply and demand as well as food production. “Plant, Study, Harvest, Eat” facilitates Merrillville High School’s mission statement by implementing the highest quality education built upon a strong foundation of relationships, experiences, and opportunities that empower students and prepare them for their future roles in a highly competitive and adapting world.
Patti Tubbs, MHS Grades 10-12, 300 students, $1,139.28
African American History and the College Experience
The presentation of the Divine Nine organizations during Black History Month gives MHS an opportunity to engage students not only about their own cultural history, but it also connects them to a college pathway that promotes academic achievement, social responsibility and lifelong networking. Many students have seen these organizations, but have not been given the opportunity to truly understand why they became so important in African American culture. This event is an opportunity to celebrate a history that is still very relevant and vibrant. Students whose parents may not have attended college, will have an opportunity to make connections with adults in the community who are vested in seeing more minority students positively involved in the local community while they are in high school and then connecting them with young men and women in college when they graduate. It is a win-win opportunity for our high school students, parents and the Merrillville community.
Zella Garron, MHS Grades 11-12, 700 students, $150.00
Inclusion Dance
FCCLA’s Inclusion Dance is very beneficial to many people. The Inclusion Dance is held for special needs students from seven local schools. This dance helps these students by allowing them to interact with other teens. It makes them feel special because they have a school activity created just for them. There is no cost to the special needs students and young adults to attend the dance. We have learned that some live in group homes and are from low income families. We do not want any special needs students or young adults to be excluded from this activity because they could not afford to come. The Inclusion Dance does not only benefit the special needs students. When FCCLA members see these students interact, it gives them a new respect for these students. They realize that special needs students aren’t different from any other teenager – they just have some special needs. FCCLA wants to see this very important and much needed high school dance continue.
Carol von Behren, MHS Grades 9-12, 350 students, $500.00
Reaching All Students Through Audio
Reaching all Students Through Audio is a grant application that has been created with the intention of helping to effectively differentiate classroom instruction and make every lesson truly student-centered. Although this application provides great detail as to how the headphones can be used in text-to-speech programs and EdPuzzle, their uses are endless. Since one of our goals is to help students transition from consumers of digital content to creators, the funding of this grant will allow all students to participate in the development and editing of their own creations. No technology is being purchased with this funding, but the materials will take the existing technology to new levels.
Lauren Morando, Pierce Middle School Grade 8, 550 students, $89.99
Enriching a Student’s Experience Through the Use of Chroma Key Technology
“Enriching a student’s Experience Through the use of Chroma Key Technology” is a grant application that has been created with the intention attaining new materials to make the most of technology being purchased for our Merrillville students. Students will be able to use the Green Screen Kit to create dynamic video projects that demonstrate gained knowledge in nearly any content area. The applied for materials are flexible in the sense that they provide a blank canvas for students, teachers, and administrators to take ownership of projects being created. No technology is being purchased with this funding, but the materials that will take the existing technology further.
Christine Wheeler, Pierce Middle School Grades 7-8, 1,100 students, $175.09
Preparing to Tackle iLearn Math with Success
The goal with Preparing to Tackle ILEARN Math with Success is to increase students’ chances of achievement a passing rate on the new ILEARN assessment. The declining passing rates on the state statements at Iddings and Salk shows that some sort of intervention is necessary. This intervention would be the use of small flexible groupings every day during the math instructional time for every teacher. The objective is to supply the students with support to meet their individual needs. This in turn would guarantee that they would be more successful when taking state mandated assessments (ISTEP).
Jennifer Pozdzal, Iddings and Salk Schools Grades K-4, 1,200 students, $600.00
Breakout EDU
Breakout EDU School Kits will help make learning a fun and memorable experience for not just my students, but for every student in 6th grade at MIS. With the help of these kits, I hope to help students learn problem-solving skills and strategies, communication skills, and how to work as part of a team. These kits take escape rooms to the next level, and make learning fun and engaging for students. I plan to use these kits at the end of units to help prepare them for their tests. These kits also have the ability to let students create their own breakouts and have other students try them out. Breakout EDU kits have over 800 different activities and the possibilities are endless.
Danielle Kowalewicz, Merrillville Intermediate School Grade 5, 500 students, $800.00

TOTAL ROUND 33 GRANTS: $6,461.77

Return to Awarded Grants Directory…

MEF Round 33 Grants – October, 2018

All Awarded Grants