Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation disrupted the routine at seven campuses on Friday, with a drum line and cheerleaders marching down the halls. It was all for a good cause.
The foundation awarded 17 innovative grants totaling more than $54,000 to NISD teachers.
“This is why NEF exists,” said Erin Windham, executive director of the foundation. “We want to steer money into the classroom, funding fresh and innovative programs that directly impact our students. Oftentimes, these initiatives are unable to be funded by normal operational budgets in Texas or they provide an opportunity to test drive new strategies that may ultimately be included in future district spending.”
The foundation is in the middle of a capital campaign spurred on by the Elliott Foundation. Bill Elliott, founder and owner of Elliott Electrical Inc., joined the grant patrol at Nacogdoches High School.
Earlier this year, Elliott pledged up to $500,000 in matching funds to NEF. The campaign began in earnest in February and has already generated more than $130,000, which has already been matched by Elliott. Another benefactor, James I. Perkins, was also on hand Friday for the presentations at NHS.
“The mission of NEF is to enhance educational opportunities for all NISD students and support district staff for their innovative efforts,” Windham said. “Mr. Elliott’s commitment to public education and to Nacogdoches ISD has greatly amplified our position to make all this happen.”
Awards granted on Friday include:
• Jessy Reeves, Annmarie Dempsey and Ashley Schmidt, deaf education teachers at Emeline Carpenter, McMichael Middle School and Nacogdoches High School, for Bilingual Grammar Curriculum for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students.
• Nallely Mejia, Wendy Pollette and Patricia Ashworth, Fredonia Early Childhood Center, for Superhero Parent Math Classes with Take Home Engagement Packet for Pre-K students.
• Angela Edge, Kim Petty, Jackie Jaramillo and Adelaide Harber, Fredonia Early Childhood Center, for Superhero Cycles: Powering up Playtime, providing tricycles for self-regulation, communication, cooperative play, rule-following.
• Mark Wallace, Fredonia Early Childhood Center, for Creative Cuts: Enhancing Pre-K Art Portfolios with a Cricut for Pre-K art.
• Jordan Matheny, Hilda Villanueva, Sebrina Minor and Stephenie Harrison, Fredonia Early Childhood Center, for Words In Action: Interactive Vocabulary Building for Pre-K to provide Play materials that encourage expressive language, expand vocabulary, support positive social interaction and promote communication skills development.
• Jessica Maynard, Aunesti Osby, Maia Jordan, Channing Richardson, Fredonia Early Childhood Center, for Communication is the Key to Success to provide autism communication boards and related supplies for PreK special needs student activities and parent support/training.
• Jennifer Church, Tamara Hand and Anthony Key, McMichael Middle School, for Adaptive PE/Partner PE Equipment to provide Special Education/Special Needs adaptive equipment for PE activities.
• Heather Stidham, Linda McKnight and Olivia Steiner, McMichael Middle School, for Bridging Cultures: A Cross Cultural Exchange Initiative to Japan to help with program costs for the eighth-grade Tokyo trip.
• Jesse Burt, McMichael Middle School, for Hydroponics Growing in Urban Agriculture.
• Brittany Combs, Kendall Vineyard, Rudolfo Fuentes, Jason Zhang, Karen Smith and David Schmidt, McMichael Middle School, for Collaborative Canvas: Transforming Learning Spaces with Whiteboard Tables.
• Monica Gryder, Tabatha Smith, Allison Grimes and Marlen Patricia Romero, Mike Moses Elementary School, for Science Outdoor Education Camp.
• Lindy Arbuckle, Nacogdoches High School, Catapulting Students into the Engineering Design Process, a 3D printer with engineering design process activity.
• Lindy Arbuckle, Amy Chism and Jason Ray, Nacogdoches High School, Igniting Scientific Discovery: Equipping Future Innovators with Essential Lab Technology.
• Sarah Garza, Emily Cortes and Makayla Brown, Raguet Elementary, to take 80 Fifth-Grade Students on Field Trip to NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.
• Deidre Merseal, Raguet Elementary, STEM-Tastic Thinking Mobile Cart, to provide a cart and science supplies and activities for all grade levels to examine and access for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) lessons.
• Roshonya Cordero, Joanna Jordan and Rachel Rosson, NISD’s Deaf Education Program to attend Imagination Texas Deaf Education conference for hearing impaired students to explore post-secondary options and engage with peers and mentors.
• Heather Boyett, Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary, for a program to provide High-Interest Decodable Chapter Books for Dyslexic Students.