The CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, has named its January Teacher Grant of the Month recipients for the 2011-2012 school year. All but two of the awards were presented at the Boise State Men's Basketball game on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
Here's the rundown of the creative goings-on at local schools:
"Latin Jazz" Choir Project for Hillside Junior High School
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, awarded its first January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $300.97 to Ainsley Boan at Hillside Junior High School in Boise.
Boan will use the grant to purchase instruments as part of the Latin Jazz curriculum. Choir students will take the skills they learn from class to the BSU Jazz Festival and use these instruments in competition. Also, the special education music students will learn to play these instruments as they learn about the countries they come from, and famous musicians who have played them.
Boan explained, "All students will benefit from becoming more culturally aware of different music styles and instruments from around the world, which is becoming increasingly more important as the refugee population at our school increases."
Mountain View High will "Give a Gnome a Home"
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, awarded its second January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $350 to Cassie Shelton at Mountain View High School in Meridian.
Shelton will use the grant to purchase materials for the "Give a Gnome a Home" Project which will enhance the second year German curriculum by taking a more hands on approach learning the language. Students will craft their gnome, "adopt" them, create a "baby book" for the gnome discussing important milestones in the gnome's life, introduce their gnome to classmates, describe their day-to-day experiences with their gnome in journal and essay format, and construct a home for their gnome out of various materials... All of which will be done in German.
"The second year of German is very heavy on grammar and this can be quite tedious and boring to students. A fun culturally relevant project that disguises the grammar is just the key to creating excitement and encouraging the application of old and new skills," illustrated Shelton.
Cecil D. Andrus Elementary is on a "Feeling Good" Journey
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, in partnership with the Idaho Athletic Club awarded its third January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $750 to Kay Maffey of Cecil D. Andrus Elementary in Boise, Idaho.
Maffey will use the grant toward implementing the "Feeling Good" program, which bridges the gap between the Health classroom and Physical Education. Students will be required to create a nutrition and fitness goal that they can work on throughout the year. They will evaluate their eating content both at school and at home. Once the goal has been set, the family will be asked to be mindful of the student's goal. This will allow nutrition education to reach the home as well.
Maffey detailed, "The nutritional and activity materials requested in this grant will allow the information gained in the health classroom to be reinforced in an active gym setting. The more students are exposed to these resources, the more likely they are to start healthy eating and exercise habits. Most importantly, the resources requested will help bridge the gap between activity and what they put in their bodies. This will also enhance the current physical education program and help students achieve a desirable level of fitness."
Bliss High School will make an "Inquiry into Enzymes"
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, in partnership with the Idaho Athletic Club awarded its fourth January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $750 to Andrea Robbins of Bliss High School in Bliss, Idaho.
Robbins will use the grant toward purchasing the materials for the Inquiry into Enzymes Project for tenth grade Biology class during a unit on cell chemistry. Students will be challenged to use technology like gas sensors and pH and temperature probes to carry out an experiment of their own design to see the effect changing temperature and pH have on enzymatic activity.
"This activity is innovative in that students will be working with real data and using real collection tools. Nothing about what they see will be hypothetical. These circumstances will foster students' natural curiosity, providing an intrinsic source of motivation to learn. Students will develop confidence in their ability to conduct scientific investigations, leading to increased problem-solving and critical-thinking skills," explained Robbins.
"Growing a Garden, Growing a Skill" Program at Gateways Secondary School
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, awarded its fifth January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $269.72 to Tamesyn O'Rourke of Gateways Secondary School in Nampa, Idaho.
O'Rourke will use the grant to help the school build a garden, which will be organized during the science classes. Each science class will be responsible for building and maintaining their own planter box, journals of watering times, fertilizers used, and care given to the plants. Students will also learn about the many ways to incorporate vegetables into their diet.
"Students in Gateways have missed out on science content due to their own behaviors. This garden project will allow them to have a hands on experience with science and teach them skills that can help increase independence will into adulthood. The science and behavioral content they need will be enhanced and retained at a much higher level with such a wonderful project they can be proud of," explained O'Rourke.
Victory Charter's "2012 RAD (Race Against Drugs) Choir Program"
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, awarded its sixth January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $750 to Tracy Edenfield of Victory Charter School in Nampa, Idaho.
Edenfield will use the grant to offset expenses incurred during presentations at other schools. Victory's RAD choir, a performing group comprised of all 5th and 6th graders, has presented for the past six years, a high-energy song, drama, and dance performance that tells, through the eyes of students, the stories of friends who are struggling with peer pressure of substance abuse.
Edenfield went on to say, "The RAD Choir program is an age appropriate comprehensive drug education and prevention program which engages students in drama and singing about scenarios associated with peer pressure and using drugs. The show is fast-paced with humor throughout. The singing and dancing continue to reinforce the messages with multiple styles including rap. While students learn all of the music and premise of the show in class, dances and drama parts are practiced after school."
"A Day in the Life of an Oregon Trail Pioneer" at Peregrine School
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, seventh January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $750 to Kristie Brokaw of Peregrine Elementary School in Meridian, Idaho.
Brokaw will use the grant to invite the "Wagons Ho of Idaho" to their school to present an all day, outdoor experience to 100 fourth grade students about life on the trail. Students learn about wood cutting/sawing, shingle making, bullet making, starting fires with no matches, cooking over a fire pit, fetching water by the pail, branding, butter making, toy making, and then wrap it up with a half hour to an hour of learning games played by pioneer children when there was a break from chores.
Brokaw detailed, "Nothing brings the reality of the printed word to life like actually experiencing it for ones self."
COSSA School gets "A Voice for Every Child"
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, awarded its eighth January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $750 to Leslie Sparkuhl, M.S., CCC-SLP, of Wilder and Marsing School Districts in Wilder, Idaho.
Sparkuhl will use the grant to purchase the "A Voice for Every Child" program, which utilizes new technology to efficiently, and cost effectively, help students with a variety of disabilities learn to communicate.
"The grant will make it possible to help students meet IEP goals for stuttering using "delayed auditory feedback," goals for pushing buttons to deliver a message, goals for articulation covering all speech sounds, and goals for learning language." elaborated Sparkuhl.
The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence at Cecil D. Andrus Elementary School
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, awarded its ninth January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $750 to Shari Carter of Cecil D. Andrus Elementary School in Meridian, Idaho.
Carter will use the grant toward purchasing and implementing the Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Program. The Daily Five is a research based, student driven management structure designed to fully engage students in reading and writing. The program is a series of literacy tasks (reading to self, reading with someone, writing, word work, and listening to reading) which students complete daily while the teacher meets with small groups or confers with individuals. It shows you how to carefully and systematically train your students to participate in each of the five tasks. The Daily Five is a structure that supports learning in any classroom and leads children to become life-long readers.
Carter enumerated, "The Daily Five is about developing shared awareness and instructional routines with students, through specific, focused teaching, while balancing students' needs for choice and independence."
Galileo School Inspires Students Using the TI-Nspire
CapEd, Capital Educators Federal Credit Union, awarded its tenth January Teacher Grant of the Month in the amount of $750 to Stacie Knight and Rick Stoddard of Galileo Math and Science Magnet School in Eagle, Idaho.
Knight and Stoddard will use the grant toward purchasing the TI-Navigator and motion sensors as part of the 6th-8th grade Math and Engineering program. They will implement a more interactive, discussion-based, mathematical and cross-curricular learning atmosphere. Students will be able to compare graphs, equations, and tables in a variety of different real-world situations getting them ready for our high-tech world. The TI-Navigator software allows question and polling capabilities, collaborative activities, document transfer, screen captures, live presentations, portfolios, and has auto-grading features.
Knight and Stoddard went on to explain "Our district is moving towards a more project-based, authentic approach to teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Our school, Galileo Math and Science Magnet School, is built upon that philosophy and supports all uses of instructional technology. Thus, the use of TI-Nspire handhelds and teacher support programs will allow us to be on the cutting edge of project-based, real-life STEM teaching."
