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Boardman schools foundation awards grant funds to teachers
BOARDMAN
The Boardman Schools Fund for Educational Excellence on Tuesday awarded six grants to educators for projects and materials to enhance their classrooms.
A total of $7,280 – $2,000 of which was donated by the Boardman Education Association – will go to projects that range from the addition of iPad minis in a Stadium Drive kindergarten classroom, to the addition of indoor plant-growing kits in Glenwood Middle School science classrooms.
“I’m very excited about this, because we are touching from kindergarten through grade 12,” said Joyce Mistovich, president of the nonprofit organization.
Tami Socie, kindergarten teacher at Stadium Drive, received $1,076 to purchase iPad minis for her classroom. Given that she’s responsible for 26 students at a time, Socie said the iPads will help keep students busy and engaged in independent learning. They will be able to access educational material on the devices while broken out in smaller groups.
“It facilitates instruction when the extra help isn’t there,” she said.
Jessica Meli, second-grade teacher at Stadium Drive, received $1,500 to purchase iPads for her “literacy center.” Students will use the devices to listen to stories, something which they currently do using CD players.
“They hear the fluency of the reader, and they’re also introduced to text they might not be able to read,” Meli said. She said the updated technology will cut down on time spent dealing with issues with the older technology.
Amanda Bero, high-school art teacher, also will get some updated technology using $1,000 in grant funds. She will get two Chromebooks and an iPad, which will help with the “digital classroom” she’s creating.
Laura Kibby and Scott Lenhart, science teachers at Glenwood Middle School, are excited to begin growing plants indoors after receiving $1,224 for their “Blooming Biomes” proposal, which will make growing kits available to fifth-to-eighth-grade students.
Lindsay Skook, who teaches at a high-school resource room for students who struggle with reading, will use the $1,000 she received to expand her classroom’s selection of Scholastic books.
“It’s really hard for them to find something they’re interested in already,” she said. This will give them variety, as well as more comfortable furniture on which to read, she said.
Band director Thomas Ruggieri accepted $1,480 that will bring upgraded audio/visual equipment to the high-school rehearsal rooms.
The equipment will make it easier to play music recordings for students, and for them to record their own music, he said.
The foundation considered 11 grant applications during this round. It first began distributing grant funds in 2011, and has since awarded $24,000 to educators.
The foundation’s mission is to provide funding to “aid students in reaching their fullest potential in an environment which nurtures high achievement and excellence.” The grants aim to help teachers follow state-mandated curriculum in creative ways.
“These projects all have great merit, but as school districts work to control costs, the funding is not in the budget,” Superintendent Frank Lazzeri said in a release. “That’s why the money raised by the Boardman Schools Fund for Educational Excellence is so crucial and appreciated.”