2023-2024 Grant Awards

2018-2019 Grant Awards

Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction Picture Books to Enhance All Subjects:  Ms. Laura Fornero and Ms. Lisa Traiforos, reading specialists from Meadowview and Prairieview, were granted funding to provide all district 2nd grade teachers access to high-quality literature that they can use and reuse in their classrooms to help students explore a variety of subjects. Teachers will use authentic, engaging fiction and non-fiction picture books to teach the Next Generation Science Standards, while incorporating reading and writing skills and strategies to create an integrated curriculum. The project will empower teachers to create engaging lessons using authentic texts that promote critical thinking and connections to the real world.

Pocket Lab Voyager Wireless Sensors:  Ms. Jenny Ersler, Ms. Tracy Bratzke, Ms. Ellen Bergstrom, Ms. Abby Brosio, and Ms. Samantha Amidei were awarded funds to acquire Pocket Lab Voyager wireless sensors.  The sensors would be used for 7th and 8th grade students at Park and GMS (approximately 800 students). This technology will allow students to learn to use more advanced technology for data collection, along with their Chromebooks, making their science experience more closely aligned to what scientists are actually doing in the real world. The sensors can be used to measure and record a wide variety of functions, including position, velocity, acceleration, magnetic fields, light intensity, and weather conditions (ambient temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, dew point, heat index).

Discovering Multicultural Instruments through Hands on Experience with Ukuleles:  Ms. Julie Tiojanco at Park received a grant to provide ukuleles for the general music classroom at Park Campus.  Students in grades 4th through 6th grade general music as well as 7th and 8th grade choir will have access to using these instruments during the school year.  All students in 5th and 6th grade will be using the instruments during their general music quarter, learning to play and write their own ukulele music and using their Chromebooks to record the music they create to share with their peers and parents.  The ukuleles will enable students to make connections to other cultures and perform music from around the world.

Protein Synthesis Modeling Kits:  Ms. Kathy Vierck, Ms. Jamie Smart, Ms. Kim Kraus, and Mr. Ryan Bong received funding to purchase protein synthesis modeling kits for the GMS and Park science classrooms. The model kits are magnetic manipulatives that allow students to simulate the many differents steps of protein synthesis from start to finish.  The teachers will be supplied larger versions of the models that can be placed on the classroom whiteboard as students follow along with smaller versions at their tables. The 3-D models are important visualization tools for students to comprehend the concepts of protein synthesis.

STEAM Labs:  Ms. Krista Miller was awarded a grant to purchase equipment and supplies for two STEAM Labs at Park. The STEAM Labs will be used to help design creative spaces for the K-8 classes to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math.  The STEAM Labs will provide a place for teachers to lead preplanned, guided content that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math standards. Students will be engaged in an innovative curriculum that empowers them to control their learning and development by strengthening their critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creative skills.

Versatiles for Math Practice:  Ms. Cherie Jacobs was awarded a grant to purchase Math Versatiles for use at Frederick.  Math Versatiles are independent, self-checking activities for students to reinforce and review the math concepts they are being taught in class.  Providing students the opportunity to practice math in an additional modality will enhance students’ learning and mastery of math skills.

GAIN Project:  Dr. Stephanie Diaz and the Newcomer Curriculum Committee were granted funding for the GAIN Project.  The GAIN Project will provide Newcomer students who are within their first 3 years in the country with diverse experiences needed to understand and participate in the school and social culture in America.  These experiences will help Newcomer students create networks, contribute and engage in school culture, and increase their understanding of the unwritten cultural norms. Ultimately, the GAIN Project will increase Newcomer students’ comfort levels with local culture and enable them to take academic risks in the classroom.

Google Expeditions Virtual Reality Kits at GMS:  Ms. Amanda Hull, Ms. Nikki Blackburn, and Mr. Quinn Ribordy were awarded funds for Google Virtual Reality (VR) kits. This funding will provide teachers the ability to bring content and learning to life for the students. The VR kits will provide rich, immersive learning opportunities that give students access to places, events, and artifacts that they may never see in real life.  Taking virtual field trips will be highly motivating to students, grabbing hold of their attention and increasing learning.

Stop Motion Stations at Meadowview:  Ms. Dorothy Kle Trahan at Meadowview received a grant to create 7 portable stop motion stations.  The stations will be used by students of all grade levels at Meadowview to create their own animations as part of a wide variety of curriculum-based projects.  The stop motion stations will provide students with opportunities to enrich, extend, and share student learning by designing and creating videos and presentations that go beyond typical slideshows or posters.  Students can develop skills in technology, photography, basic graphic design, storyboarding, sequencing, script writing, costume and set design, editing, and theater vocabulary.

Flexible Seating for Reading at GMS:  Ms. Judy Spector and Ms. Natalie Kulig received funding to add to the flexible seating arrangement at GMS.  Flexible seating improves student engagement by allowing movement throughout a class period. The students are free to choose where they would like to sit with various options already in place in the classroom, the additional items will add to the choices.

Demonstration Table/Lab Cart at GMS:  Ms. Kathy Vierck was awarded a grant to purchase a science demonstration lab cart. The lab cart can be used for lab demonstrations, allowing students to more closely observe scientific concepts being taught.  The cart can also double as a means to transport and distribute lab equipment and supplies.

Mentor Texts: Multiple grants were awarded toward the purchase of mentor texts at D46 schools, including:

• Books, Books, and more Books!  Using Mentor Texts at Park…Ms. Michelle McCall, Ms. Debbie Brown, Ms. Kim Scott, and Ms. Tami Singer received funding to purchase mentor texts for 1st grade students at Park;
• Lifting the Level of 4th Grade Reading Through Mentor Texts…Ms. Michele Knott, in conjunction with the teachers serving 4th grade english language arts (ELA) professional development teams (PDT) in D46, were awarded funds to acquire mentor texts for routine use in the classrooms throughout D46 4th grade classrooms; and
• Mentor Texts at Frederick…Ms. Laura Golden, Ms. Rebecca Payleitner, and Ms. Coye Flores were awarded funds to purchase mentor texts for the 5th grade students at Frederick.

Mentor texts expose students to literature that they may not have picked up on their own and allow students to more fully explore and assess plot, theme, and character development.  The books not only extend learning to traditional reading and writing, but can also be tied to other subjects like science and social science. Well chosen mentor texts help students develop critical thought and spark their curiosity.

2017-2018 Grant Awards

Engage, Educate, Empower!: The District 46 Instructional Coaches Ms. Laura Golden, Ms. Sarah O’Connell, Ms. Jennifer Ersler, Ms. Amy Schneider, Ms. Tami Singer and Ms. Barbara Zaras were awarded funds for Engagement Structure Tool Kits. With this funding they are able to provide every teacher in the district with the tools they need to consistently implement engagement structures in their classrooms. What are engagement structures you might ask? They are a series of simple steps that structure how students interact with each other towards a specific goal. This will create a common language across the district for engaging students while increasing a students ability to appropriately and successfully interact with peers to achieve a common goal, share ideas, or respectfully disagree.

Engineering Solution Implementation at GMS:  Ms. Joyce Van Laeke and Mr. Marcus Smith were awarded funds for a 3D printer that will work with their Solidworks software and an upgrade to an additional 25 computers. This funding will help them to continue their efforts to introduce engineering to middle school students. This enables the entire school to have access to this engineering cad programming system. This will be offered in the form of an engineering club as well as being offered during study hall. Through this work, the students will learn how to approach problems and solve them as an iterative process, by way of repeating rounds of analysis and problem solving bringing them closer to their desired result with each trial.

Robotics and Coding at Prairieview: Ms. Kirsten Innes was awarded funds for robotic and coding equipment to add to the curriculum. Teaching robotics to young students throughout their schooling can increase their ability to be creative and innovative thinkers and more productive members of society.

Family Reading Night at Avon with Author Duncan Tonatiuh: Ms. Stephanie Wall and Ms. Jen Jacobs were funded for an exciting multicultural experience with Author Duncan Tonatiuh. The award winning author and illustrator came to the school during the day to visit with students and then as a guest speaker that evening at the Family Reading Night.

Summer Book Project at Park Campus: As a kick off to summer reading, Ms. Christine Pederson received a grant so each Park Campus student kindergarten through 4th grade could receive 2 books and meet an author. No “summer slide” allowed with this reading program! Two dates throughout the summer were set for students to meet and trade books.

Yoga at Woodview: Mr. Patrick Burns was award funds for a Basic ClassPlus Yoga Set with yoga mats and blocks. Every student at Woodview will be able to participate in Yoga lessons in PE and Morning Movement. This will aid students in strengthening their upper body, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility and core strength. By improving student fitness levels and consistently stimulating the brain via movement children will learn to refocus attention, develop body awareness, manage stress through breathing and healthy movement, and build concentration and confidence.

STEM Bins at Park School: The second grade teachers led by Ms. Cathy Wachowiak were granted funds for Comprehensive STEM Bin kits containing engineering manipulatives. This will be available to four second grade classrooms impacting about 100 students. The Stem Bins were chosen to supplement the science standards and offer hands-on learning for early finishers, morning work, centers, fine motor practice, and indoor recess.

Flexible Seating Choices at GMS: Ms. Rachel Pacheco received funding to add to her flexible seating arrangement. 2 standing desks and 2 exercise ball rolling chairs were purchased to improve student engagement by allowing movement throughout a class period. This will help increase students’ learning and memory.

Math Task & Cooperation Mats at Frederick School: Math Specialist, Ms. Cherie Jacobs, received funding for a full library of math tasks for grades 3-8 and 32 cooperation mats. The math tasks challenge students to use models and manipulatives to develop a deeper understanding of content through the problem solving process. The mats provide an engagement structure that reminds students of the problem solving process, as well as to provide a space to record individual thinking.

Interactive Presentation from author Aaron Reynolds: Foundation46 is pleased to have funded a grant from Avon teachers Allison Wahlberg, Jen Jacobs, Shirleen Thomson, and Loren Lascon to bring respected author Aaron Reynolds to Avon Center School for three presentations to students.  Over 375 students will have exposure to popular and charismatic author, Aaron Reynolds, and his hands-on interactive presentation which incorporates diversity and social emotional learning due to the themes of his books.

Exercise Bike to Support Attention and Other Executive Functions:  Given a review of the research that suggests that physical exercise enhances learning and behavior Courtney Doninger, Program Assistant, and Breanne Garcia, Resource Teacher, applied for a grant to purchase an exercise bike to be used by students in the resource room. This portable cycle will help students who have challenges with sensory regulation and executive functions such as planning, organizing, and sustained attention to use their problem-solving skills and to stay on task by increasing blood flow to the brain.

2016-2017 Grant Awards

Makerspaces: A grant was awarded to Avon and Prairview Schools  to create Makerspace areas in both schools! These spaces offer students access to various types of materials related to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. In these spaces, students might find building materials, complex craft items, and robotic gadgets they can play with while developing coding skills. Exposure to these activities builds proficiency in STEAM fields, which is essential to the continued and future success of our students. This grant was presented in honor of Joyce Campbell of State Farm, a valuable supporter of Foundation46.

Google Expedition: The foundation provided a grant for the purchase of 3D virtual reality Google Expedition technology. The technology will  provide virtual field trips and experiences for students attending Frederick. This grant was presented in honor of The Freeze, a valuable supporter of Foundation46.

OsmoExplorer Kits: The foundation awarded funds to Annie Orlov (Park Kindergarten teacher), Michele McCall (Park 1st Grade Teacher), Tami Singer (Park Instructional Coach), and Tim Timmons (Park Technology Teacher) to purchase Osmo Explorer Kits to be used with the iPad techonology already in the District. The kits will be used to teach children creative problem solving, basic computer coding skills and involve students in STEM activities while exploring math concepts.

Family Engagement Lending Library: The Foundation awarded funds to Jana Donahue, (Prairieview PreK/Early Childhood Coordinator) and Roxanne McClyman-Schmitt (Prairieview Occupational Therapist) to purchase resources and books on relevant topics for the early childhood population and their families, with special attention in the area of math, reading and science.  Bilingual resources will also be included.

HUE HD Pro Classroom Camera: A grant was awarded to Jill Steffens at GMS for a HUE HD document camera. These cameras offer the opportunity to project, take notes on screen, and show clips and videos related to content. Teachers can record both video and sound and save movies locally, email or upload to YouTube. They can use the cameras to demonstrate a science project or other experiments and skills and replay it to the class. These cameras even allow classrooms to chat with remote schools in other countries with software such as SkypeTM.

2015-2016 Mini Grant & Project Grant Awards

Robotics and Coding in 3 buildings AND Summer School: Prairieview Information Specialist, Kirsten Innes, received a grant to develop a coding and robotics course that is available to all district students as a summer school course. In addition, Frederick and Park Schools receive a grant to enhance their robotics and coding offerings through which students will learn both basic and more advanced computer programming techniques.

Ukuleles: Frederick received a grant to purchase ukuleles that will be used to enrich the music education of 5th and 6th grade students who are not enrolled in band beginning in the fall of 2016.

3D Printer: Frederick was been awarded a grant to purchase a 3D printer, which may provide the foundation of a Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) lab to enhance and increase student learning and participation in STEM activities. The printer will provide students with the opportunity to create and build 3D models for various projects and across curricular and extracurricular activities.

Standing Desks: Frederick was granted funds to purchase two standing desks that will benefit students who are better able to regulate their attention when given the opportunity to stand while working.

Math Tiles: Woodview has been awarded a grant to purchase Math Tiles that are used to teach and reinforce mathematical concepts. The tiles enrich students across levels by enabling students to work at their own pace.

CPR/First Aid: A grant was awarded to Frederick to purchase manikins for health education classes.

2014-2015 Grant Awards

Artistic Circuitry: Kimberly Butts, Allison Wahlberg and Breanna Atlee received funding for the Artistic Circuitry project at Avon. This is a cross-curricular (STEAM) project that incorporates visual arts with science.  All 4th grade Avon students will create a 2D artwork and build electrical circuits on the back using copper tape, LEDs, and 3V coin batteries. Students will also create informative videos in which they share their artistic vision and explain how they created their circuits.

See the Sound: Aaron Mulder at Frederick School was awarded a grant to fund the See the Sound project. This project enhances instrumental music instruction by adapting to meet the needs of visual learners. The software allows students to see the sounds they are producing by displaying sound waveforms that clarify and visually reinforce concepts being taught.

Movement in the Classroom: Lynn Misulonas received funding for a Movement in the Classroom project at Meadowview. Lynn started this project ten years age as a way to allow students more movement in the classroom through the use of ball chairs. This grant funded 10 more chairs which will provide movement and sensory processing integration into the classroom.