August 22, 2008

News Release

Tyler ISD Foundation Announces Fall 2008

Teacher & Campus Grant Recipients

Several teachers and campuses received exciting news at the Tyler ISD Convocation ceremonies on Monday, August 21^st. They learned that their grant proposals for innovative programs will be funded by the Tyler ISD Foundation. Over 40 proposals were submitted in May, and 13 were selected for funding, providing over $25,000 to ten campuses this fall. The Foundation provided over $60,000 in grants to classrooms and campuses during 2008.

“The Tyler ISD Foundation has a long history of providing funds for innovative classroom and campus programs,” said Larry Goddard, Executive Director of the Tyler ISD Foundation. “These grants will be closely measured for successful outcomes and may have ideas that could be implemented district-wide.”

The Junior League of Tyler has continued their support of the Tyler ISD Foundation’s Teacher & Campus Grants Program by providing $10,000 for the 2008-2009 academic year. They have also provided five volunteers who planned and implemented the grant awards at this year’s Convocation ceremonies.

Bank of America, Tyler also provide $5,000 in support of the Teacher & Campus Grants program this year. Other funding for grants is derived from donations the Tyler ISD Foundation receives from area contributors.

The fall 2008 grants are awarded to the following:

Mary Ann Perez and Marcia Trifilio of Douglas Elementary School received $1,160 for their project, Pre-K on the Roll. Bilingual Pre-K students will be taken on various field trips they may not otherwise have due to their socio-economical status. These field trips also promote their pre-writing and communicative skills.

Heather Gentry, Holly Chilek, Elaine Walker, and Kristina Salonen of Bonner Elementary School received $2,500 for their project, Picture This: Phase II. This project is a continuation of a fall 2007 grant that was highly successful. The project will be expanded to include 3^rd-5^th graders in the exploration of the art of photography paired with written and verbal assignments.

DeAnna Molloy of Hubbard Middle School received $1,000 for her project, Let it Shake, Let it Quake. Students will explore earthquake engineering by investigating the effects of varying the placement of a structure’s mass prior to an earthquake by building their very own skyscraper.

Cathy France, Lisa Brown, and Jane Bidlack of Bell Elementary School received $2,905 for their project, The Big 6 Cyber Café. This project sets up an information problem-solving process center and provides resources to teach six research strategies and technological applications that will allow children to learn the content of a topic and to express that knowledge through writing, projects, or a creative product of their choice.

Mary Ann Post and Ila England of Clarkston Elementary School received $2,715 for their project, Diamonds in the Rough Writers. At-risk students will conduct research and write about their findings. Their research will be published in book form and sold to support a local literacy organization. The books will also be donated to local hospitals and to the school’s library. This project emphasizes writing and the importance of community service.

Jana McWain of Dixie Elementary School received $1,000 for her project, Read Me a Story. This project will provide a collection of children’s books to families with children with disabilities. The purpose is to increase language skills by supporting language development at home and at school. At the end of the semester, parents will be invited to share a special reading celebration with their child.

Annette McGuffee, Cindy Robinson, Kristi Harris and Sara Lundy of Robert E. Lee High School received $5,000 for their project Health Science: Operation Certification. The Health Science program at Robert E. Lee provides industry-recognized certification at the postsecondary level and now has 350 students enrolled in the program. This grant will provide funding to train students for the hands-on skills of phlebotomy, medication administration, ambulatory lab testing and compounding for Pharmacy Tech students.

Ginger Pippin and Dawn Hudson of Jack Elementary School received $972.76 for their project, Litter Critters Going Green. The mission of this project is to make a positive influence and reduce the amount of waste that their school and community produce through a campus recycling project.

Eulogia Ramirez, Ines Suanzes and Susana Martinez of Griffin Elementary School received $1,402 for their project, Don’t Throw It, Reuse It. Students will learn the relevance of taking care of the environment in an entertaining and educational way through recycling.

Patience Jones and Cynthia Johnson of Ramey Elementary School received $964.53 for their project, Keyboards to Success. Children will experience a musical journey through this program which allows children to explore their musical talents by learning to play the keyboard.

Derek Johnson, Johnnie Patton, Laura Field and Dana Sepko of Caldwell Elementary School received $2,500 for their project, Kids in the Jungle. This grants provided funding to produce the Broadway Junior musical, “The Jungle Book.” The production will engage two casts of students in kindergarten through fifth grade in theater arts, music and dance.

Kaye Kraus of the TARGET program received $1,000 for her project, Proud Pals. This project teams gifted students with students with disabilities in shared learning and cooperation.

Angie Tellman and Allison Rogers of John Tyler High School received $2,500 for their project, S.M.A.C. - Students Making A Change. This grant provides funding for a student initiated leadership team motivated to change the perception of their school and lead their peers by example.

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