Spring 2018 Grants

Congratulations to our 2018

Spring Grant Recipients!

Edgewood Elementary

 Assistive Technologies for Reading and Writing

This grant will provide a Smart Pen and a C-Pen Reader for use by students and teachers in 3rd through 5th grade. The Smart Pen is an assistive technology that allows students to record audio while writing and is also able to transcribe written text. The C-Pen Reader can scan individual words or lines of text and transcribe the written text into audio.

Unlocking Comprehension

This grant will provide reading assessments for Grades 3 – 5 to better understand each student’s comprehension strengths and weaknesses. Along with assessments, the resource material will also help teachers design and direct instruction based on each student’s needs.

Next Steps in Guided Reading Instruction

This grant will provide the Next Steps Guided Reading Assessments kit from Scholastic for use in kindergarten classrooms. This will allow all kindergarten teachers to use the same books to assess student progress and reading level.

Hall Kent Elementary

 Students Coding with Students

This grant provides resources to teach students in grades three through five the basics of unplugged coding activities. Once these students have mastered the basics of coding they will go into kindergarten through second grade classrooms to help teach these activities to younger students. All students will have a chance to learn various plugged and unplugged coding activities.

Second Grade Scope and Sequence Project

This grant will provide a professional learning day for second grade teachers to map out math instruction for the year. This will allow for the creation of a calendar including learning targets, number talks, math games and which math curriculum resources will be used.

RISE (Risk Taking Individuals Striving for Excellence)

This grant will provide an engaging, curriculum-based summer program for low-income students to help alleviate learning loss. This six-week program will focus on intense academic intervention services. The Foundation is funding Extended Day Program services to make the program convenient for working parents while allowing the students to participate in enrichment activities with other students.

Shades Cahaba Elementary

Now “U See” It! Making Abstract Concepts Concrete

This grant will provide Math “U See” Integer Blocks and training on teaching abstract mathematical concepts. These blocks allow students to visually learn about concepts such as place value and can be used to teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions.

Summer Reading Grant

This summer reading program will provide struggling readers and ELL students books at the end of the school year. Participants will attend a summer book swap and keep a journal about what they are reading. By keeping students engaged in reading throughout the summer break as well as by providing them with easy access to books, the program hopes to empower students to increase their confidence in literacy skills and their love of reading.

Learning with All of the Lobes

This grant will provide multi-sensory materials for phonics instruction in first grade classrooms. The grant will also provide literature for small group instruction for students who read and comprehend texts above grade level.

The Future Ready K-5 Classroom

The foundation is funding the purchase of an interactive panel to be used in a second grade classroom. This new technology is a replacement for the interactive boards that are currently used in many classrooms. This pilot project will allow the system to determine if transitioning to interactive panels in the future makes sense.

All Elementary

 Specdrums for the Music Classroom

Specdrums are app-connected rings that turn colors into sound. This technology allows students to create beats and melodies by tapping on anything with color. Specdrums will be used to reinforce the teaching of music elements and to allow students to put their learning into practice through creating their own compositions. This grant will provide Specdrum rings for each elementary music classroom.

Art Kits and PRO Status

This grant will provide materials for the creation of specialty art kits for activities such as styro printing, monoprinting, screenprinting, drawing, weaving and clay. The grant will also provide a subscription to Art Ed PRO, a database of professional development videos and tutorials aimed at art teachers.

Homewood High School

 ACTFL- Where World Languages Collaborate

This grant will provide funding for teachers to attend the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Conference. The conference will provide professional learning experiences focusing on innovative programs, best practices, and cutting-edge technologies.

Colorado Education Initiative AP Summer Institute

This grant will provide funding for the Colorado Education Initiative AP Summer Institute. This course will bring together AP teachers from around the country to learn about best practices and to gain intensive training in how to teach students the skills necessary for success on the AP exams.

Student of the Sport

This grant will provide heart rate monitors to allow coaches to create training plans targeted to their athletes. This will increase student understanding of sport science, their own personal training and the physiological transitions that take place.

All Schools

 NBCT Applicants Embrace Twenty-first Century Learning

The National Board certification process requires teachers to film lessons so that they may be submitted for analysis. This grant will provide Swivl cameras for each of the five Homewood schools to allow teachers to easily record their interactions throughout the classroom. The grant will also assist teachers pursing National Board certification by providing access to a database of exemplary lessons to facilitate professional learning.