This time of year great for schools

This time of year is also a time of great blessings. A number of our teachers and principals discovered this recently with the awarding of the Clovis Municipal Schools Education Foundation grants.

Since the founding of the CMS Education Foundation in 2007, $216,838.05 has been awarded in large grants. These are designed “to provide resources to enrich teaching, inspire learning, and enhance opportunities for all students enrolled in the district.”

http://www.clovis-schools.org/Foundation/Index.html

A single teacher can be awarded up to $1,000, and a group, up to $5,000 for a project not covered under regular funding.

This year’s winners included the following:

(1) Easy as Pi — by Dawn Gritters Nugent at Gattis Middle School (principal, Gloria Mendoza), for supplemental math foundational skills support;

(2) That All May SEE — by Christine Houston, Susan Smith, Carlyn Hancock, and Becky Johnson, technology for low-vision students to enhance learning content at Marshall Middle School (principal, Jennifer Longley);

(3) Engaging With Technology — Christine Eisenmann, Shelly Grim, Christi Hartley, Jennifer Wines at the Arts Academy at Bella Vista (principal, Shelly Norris), iPads for expanding students’ digital learning experiences;

(4) AFJROTC STEM MakerSpace — Lawrence Fields at Clovis High School (principal, Jay Brady); “Makerspace” technology for designing and creating prototypes supporting rocketry, model aviation, robotics, near-space balloon, and HAM radio;

(5) STEM Chaps Camp — Principal, Loran Hill: Science, technology, engineering, mathematics curriculum, focusing on a wide range of technology-related learning activities;

(6) Enhancing Technology in Labs — Parkview Elementary’s René Hedemann, Allison Craig, Jana Fields, Shannon Arredondo, Licia Westfall (principal, Shelly Flygare) for full-featured keyboards with color-coded keys, and special headphones for school’s computer lab.

(7) Think-Create-Print-Repeat — Suzan Lundy (Marshall Middle School art teacher) materials, technology for printmaking;

(8) Interventions and Progress Monitoring — Sara Williams, Christy Hughes, Jennifer Queener at Barry Elementary (principal, Kari Lemke) for additional technology for creating interventions for students and monitoring their academic progress; and

(9) Inquiry-Based Learning — Kalynn Baldock at Clovis High School, to implement various inquiry-based learning activities into agriculture classes.

In addition to the normal rigor that today’s teachers face, it is highly commendable that these — and, in fact, all those who went through the grueling grant-writing process — have the sheer tenacity to pursue such innovative solutions in education.

Great teachers have always been highly valued, and perhaps Alexander the Great nailed it when he remarked, “I am indebted to my father for living … but to my teacher for living well.”

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the instructional technology coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools and can be reached at: [email protected]