Jackson schools foundation gives out 27 grants

Orchard Drive Elementary School first-grade teacher Lindsay Miller was so excited Thursday when she was awarded a $500 grant from the Jackson R-2 School Foundation a large grin burst across her face.

"I could cry," Miller said after Merideth Pobst, director of foundation/communications and several foundation board members arrived in her classroom.

Miller's award was one of 27 grants -- totaling $11,830.25 -- presented during the foundation's prize patrol. The foundation raises funds year-round for classroom extras.

"I think it's a great way to do some projects that aren't exactly in the school's budget," said Terri Tomlin, a foundation board member and president of the Jackson School Board. "You can see the excitement when we go into their room. They know they've won, so they're really excited."

The funds Miller received will go toward Club Discover, a science club that meets once a month after school. The club includes 50 first-graders and 25 members of Life Club, which Miller said is an after-school program for at-risk children in the first, second and third grade.

Along with the $500, Miller said Club Discover also recently received a $150 contribution.

Asked whether she was surprised by the prize patrol's visit, Miller said, "Heck yeah. No joke. We have funding now for the rest of the year."

"Now we can buy snacks," Miller said, adding that before, parents were donating goodies.

After snacking, club participants watch video clips "talking about what we're going to discover that day." The children then do two or three experiments and write a "reflection piece" about what they've learned, Miller said.

Four other teachers help Miller with Club Discover -- Erica Thompson, Kate Dunaway, Stacie Dotson and Dee Wren.

West Lane Elementary School third-grade teacher Kimber Parks glad to receive a $500 grant which will fund an iPad. Her project is titled "Technology Helps Learning Take Flight."

"Are you serious? Are you serious? Yea!" Parks said. "Let's give all of these people a 10-finger woo. I'll tell you why: They've just given us an iPad.

"I am so excited. I wore my lucky pearls," Parks said.

Justin Keen, president of the foundation board, said prize patrol time is a happy occasion.

"It's always a lot of fun to see the teachers' reactions," Keen said, adding he's amazed to see how far educators can stretch those grant dollars.

Other awards given Thursday included:

* Creative Music in Kids Club, $498, requested by Mandee Stricker; district; 300 students served.

* Date with a Book, $494.07; requested by Kati Miinch, Tracie Nicolai, Angie Jeffers, Danna Bruns, Jackson High School; 75 to 100 students served.

* TI-83 graphing calculators needed, $472.30, 135 a year; Jackson Middle School; requested by Stephanie Turner.

* 360 Degree Math, $450.92, Kelli Guyot, Jackson Middle School; 120 students served.

* iPad for Mathematics, $500, Lindsey Gross, Jackson Middle School; 140 students served.

* THRIVE, $500, Laura Baugh, Donna Bullard, Ruth Mauk, Stacy Taylor, Jackson Middle School, R.O. Hawkins Junior High, Jackson High School, $500; 50 students served.

* Cutting Edge Technology in the Music Classroom, $500, April Reynolds, Jackson Middle School, R.O. Hawkins Junior High School, Jackson High School; 150 students a year served.

* Pedalling Pioneer, $500, Brad Haertling, Rachel Glisson, Jackson Middle School, R.O. Hawkins Junior High; 60 students served.

* Regional History-Summer School 2014, $500, Kyle Mabuce, R.O. Hawkins Junior High; 20 students served.

* Science Materials for Scientific Inquiry, $500, Roni Putz, North Elementary School, 50 students a year served.

* Club Discover, $500, Lindsay Miller, Orchard Drive Elementary School, 75 students served.

* Kindergarten Apps for Classroom iPads, $477, Ali Brakhane, Orchard Drive Elementary, 200 students served.

* Tech Me -- I Am Little But Mighty!, $453, Jennifer Pehle, Orchard Drive Elementary, 25 students per year served.

* Guided Reading, $482.35, Cheryl Hendershott, Jenny Newman, Danielle Farrow, Kathy Jansen, Orchard Drive Elementary, 400 students served.

* Heidi's Songs Sight Word Fun, $250, Racheal Bohnert, Orchard Drive Elementary, 25 students a year served.

* Building Our Way to New Worlds, $429.61, Lesley Todd, Orchard Drive Elementary School, 25 students per year served.

* African Percussion: Part 2, $498, Chris Crawford, Kelly Crawford, Orchard Drive Elementary, Jackson Middle School, R.O. Hawkins Junior High, Jackson High School, 635 students served.

* Hands on Learning, $149, Lori Heuring, South Elementary, 45 students served.

* Positive Pow Wow Grant, $360, Krista Birk, South Elementary, 500 students served.

* Learning is Fun, $400, Christy Greenlee, Liz Hahs, South Elementary, 100 students served.

* Magnetic Letters and Baking Sheet, $96, Kristen Madden, 25 students a year served.

* Counseling, $434, Jennifer Moyers, South Elementary, 550 students a year served.

* Eating from the Garden, $500, Kari Kitchen, Tara Zeller, South Elementary, 100 students served.

* I Learning, $466, Heidi Geiger, South/New McKendree, 35 students a year served.

* Using Non-Fiction Big Books to Broaden Our Brain Power, $500, Kelly Kasten, Staci Glass, West Lane Elementary School, 117 students served.

* Technology Helps Learning Take Flight, $500, Kimber Parks, West Lane Elementary School, 117 students served.

* Apps for Application, $420, Shannon Juenger, West Lane Elementary, 33 students a year served.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address: 614 E. Adams St., Jackson