The Board of Trustees for the Murfreesboro City Schools Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2014 grant program. Thirty-six different grant applications, with representatives from all twelve elementary schools in the district, have been approved by the Foundation and will be fully funded for the beginning of the 2015 Spring semester.
The Foundation asks educators from the Murfreesboro City Schools System to submit short proposals for funding that will help them acquire technology or resources not ordinarily provided by taxpayer dollars. "We were all very pleased to see that at least one grant was approved for each school in the system. Because grants are submitted anonymously, they are judged solely on their merit. It is a testament to the entire system that all of the schools are represented this year", said Foundation chairman, David LaRoche.
The youngest school in the system, Overall Creek Elementary, was awarded $6,104 for a grant titled "Erasing Carbon Footprints via Lab Ecology." According to the grant writer, Rachel Everett, "As a fifth grade teacher I am helping to create a science lab rich in hand-on material that would allow all students the opportunity to experience the wonders of nature's bounty. A new lab is in need of basically everything - from test tubes, microscopes, stands with grow lights for plants, and safety equipment for the students."
This year, two grants were awarded that benefit children throughout the entire system. Gifted Services Coordinator Lea Bartch will receive funding for new "M3" mathematics teaching materials. Sheri Arnette, coordinator of teaching and learning, will receive a new set of "Read Aloud" books designed to teach and reinforce students' vocabulary.
The foundation will distribute approximately $50,000.00 in this round of grant approvals. The money was raised at the "Excellence in Education" dinner, honoring community volunteers Dr. Sidney and Elizabeth McPhee, as well as a celebrity fashion show, both held earlier this year
To date, the Foundation has awarded approximately $400,000 in parity and grants to teachers to enhance science, math and other programs. The City Schools Foundation is a private, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Chartered in 2005, the Foundation was created by volunteers from the community who wanted to supplement the resources available to the Murfreesboro City Schools System. More information can be found at www.cityschoolsfoundation.com.
Murfreesboro City Schools Foundation 2014 Grant Recipients
Hobgood Elementary
| Meredith Gilliland | Picture This!: STEAM Picture Books to Support Young Engineers |
Black Fox Elementary
| Jennifer Clunie | Life Size Measurement |
Bradley Academy
| Stephanie Turner | Math and Me! |
| Michelle Eaton | "FabLab with LittleBits" |
| Rebecca Few | Numbers in Base Ten- For Students and Teachers It's a Win-Win! |
Cason Lane Academy
| Betsy Lynch | Let's Explore the Common Core! |
| Debbie Hickerson | Can You Hear Me Now? |
Discovery School
| Kristy Mall | Building Better Minds Through Engineering |
| Kristy Mall | Hands On Science= Minds on Science! |
| Erin Whitford | Keys for the Keyless |
District-wide
| Sheri Arnette | Text Savvy |
| Lea Bartch | Mentoring Mathematical Minds |
Hobgood Elementary
| Meredith Gilliland | Up Close and Personal:Digital Microscopes to Support Inquiry Based Learning in STEAM |
John Pittard Elementary
| Caleb Jones | Where in the World is Math? |
Mitchell-Neilson Schools
| Latasha McFarland | Getting to the Core: Interactive eBooks |
| Rebecca Few, Brittany Hardy, Diana Hadley | Children's Literature and Math- What a Connection! |
Northfield Elementary
| Lise Triggs | FULL STEAM AHEAD- Arts and Science, Technology, Engineering, Math at Northfield |
| Rosalind Demonbreum | Gathering STEAM in First Grade |
| Sarah Truax Versteeg | Hands on Learning |
Overall Creek Elementary
| Herman Nelson | Facing Our Future by Facing Our Past |
| Rachell Everett | Erasing Carbon Footprints via Lab Ecology |
| Mala Womack | Take A Closer Look |
| Catherine Gordon | Fantastic Activities for the Brain |
| Mala Womack | Mad about Manipulatives |
Reeves-Rogers Elementary
| Noelle Koenig | It's Blurry |
| Beth Miller | Redcat Field- Sound Amplification System |
| Shannon Minner | AV-2 Media Enhanced Science |
Scales Elementary
| Jessica Dozier | The "Egg"cellent Flight |
| Tyisha Brooks | A Closer Look at Life Cycles |
| Karissa Huffmire | I'm Feeling Fidgety |
| Jessica Bloom | Phonics Fun: Full STEAM Ahead |
| Kathryn Vehr | Now You See Me, Now You Don't |
| Karissa Huffmir | Writing Wall |
| Teresa Lambert | Hands On Math |
Erma Siegel Elementary
| Ann O'Boyle | Fundations Reading Project |
| Owen Davis | Shoebox Task Boxes |
