Gallatin teachers dream big and are rewarded
Educators from five Gallatin schools received funds this week to get their learning projects off the ground.
The Gallatin Chamber Foundation presented seven School Improvement Award grants totaling more than $5,800.
The grants represent the first awards given by the foundation, which was started in 2012 to support educational initiatives that will ultimately help impact workforce preparedness.
“(The recipients) are doing these things to go above and beyond to help students be successful,” said Paige Brown, Chamber executive director. “It’s just exciting to see what these teachers come up with and what their visions are for their students. We’re just happy to help them in a small way get there.”
As part of the application process earlier this year, teachers detailed their projects, who would benefit as well as the longevity and sustainability of the project. Applications were then turned into COMPASS (Community Outreach Making Partnerships at Sumner Schools) where they were evaluated on a point system.
Funding for the awards were raised from individual business owner donations and two events including a fall golf tournament in 2012 and 2013. Beginning next year, the Shamrock Run, held in March, will be the annual fundraiser for the foundation.
The recipients for the 2014 Gallatin Chamber Foundation’s School Improvement Awards were:
Benny Bills Elementary School
• Heather Hogan. Project: Backpack program to support homework for special education students. It will provide basic supplies, calculators and other needed items depending on the age and level of the student.
• Misty Donoho. Project: Use non-fiction current event science and social studies topics to increase her students’ understanding of content.
Guild Elementary School
• Physical Education teacher Teresa Bray, Principal Lance Taylor, Coordinated School Health Coordinator Sarah Mitchell. Project: School to purchase equipment to execute the SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) PE curriculum. The goal is to teach students to be physically active and also uses skills that connect to other standards in math, social studies and English.
Joe Shafer Middle School
• Pam Knight. Project: Purchase a fiction field trip project where students will be stranded on a deserted island and will have to use clues, math skills, engineering skills and reasoning and analytical skills as they work to rescue themselves.
Union Elementary STEM and Demonstration School
• DeAnne Beaty. Project: Purchase materials to allow her fifth grade students to engage in individual, whole group and small group lessons to learn to connect math to the real world and allow for practice of stands that span the fifth grade math curriculum.
• Leslie Yates. Project: Fund supplies, software and materials to establish learning center activities and projects supporting math skills and science standards.
Vena Stuart Elementary School
• Cynthia McGuire. Project: Extend her classroom library and add multiple chapter book series, addressing the diverse needs of her students. The project will also help with proficiency on reading assignments.
Reach Josh Cross at 615-575-7115.