At its recently held annual meeting, the Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation, Inc.’s Board of Directors awarded 46 grants totaling $73,053.65 to Lynchburg City Schools teachers. The Classroom Innovation Grant program, now in its 22nd year, provides funds to a wide range of innovative projects and programs. To date, more than $480,000 has been awarded through the program.
This year’s corporate sponsors include: Genworth, Babcock & Wilcox Company, Lynchburg Economic Development Authority, Belvac Production Machinery, Fleet Laboratories, Piedmont Community Health Plan, AREVA, Appalachian Power, Walmart–Wards Road, Walmart–Old Forest Road, RockTenn, Wells Fargo Bank, R.R. Donnelley, Dodson Pest Control, BB&T, Greater Lynchburg Community Trust–Karen K. and William E. Painter Fund & The Calvin and Virginia Cox Fund, Harris Corporation, Lynchburg Retail Merchants Foundation, Alan B. Pearson Cancer Center, Wegmann USA, American National Bank, Bank of the James, Candler Oil, Carolina Connection Dance & Body Wear, Carrington Family Foundation, Central Virginia Federal Credit Union, Coldwell Banker Commercial Read & Co., Delta Dental, Dominion Seven Architects, Education & Research Foundation, Harrington Corporation, Hurt & Proffitt, Lynchburg Municipal Employee Federal Credit Union, Lynchburg Nissan, Merryman Foundation, Moore & Giles, News & Advance, R.M. Gantt Construction, Sam’s Club, Southern Air, Successful Innovations, Sylvan Learning of Lynchburg, Kim & Steve Tibbs, Virginia School Equipment, Westover Dairy, Wiley|Wilson, Wooldridge Heating, Air & Electric, WSET-TV, Anonymous.
Below are the projects that received grants for the 2013-2014 school year:
MASTER GRANTS
iPad Inspirations ($4,992.50)
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Lisa Crawford, Alison Gaston
Grant Sponsor: Belvac Production Machinery, BB&T, and Dodson Pest Control
The purpose of the program is to provide elementary art and music students with iPads to enhance their opportunities to create as well as meet standards of learning. Technology has increasingly made the fine arts more accessible to the artist and audiences. Yet, elementary fine arts teachers are rarely provided with opportunities to use this technology. The Virginia Art and Music SOLs contain specific standards that can only be met by using contemporary media and technology. In art the students will use the technology to research, photograph, write, explore and create works of art. In music, student will use the technology to listen, explore and create musical compositions. Along with meeting fine arts standards, the use of iPads will also expose students to applications relevant to current and future careers in the arts. With the purchase of 11 iPads, a charging/storage unit, and App vouchers for music and art programs, the students at Perrymont Elementary school will be able to use technology in a creative way to develop as artists and musicians.
Aquaponics in the Classroom ($4,825.00)
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School – Teachers: Thomas Foster, Jacky Pinn
Grant Sponsor: Genworth
The purpose of the program is to provide students with an opportunity to learn how plants grow and thrive within an ecosystem. Aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that combines conventional aquaculture, (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks), with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. At Dunbar, we have established a science program that provides students with a variety of hands-on activities. These activities are designed to accentuate the senses and provide real-world examples of concepts learned through classroom lecture. The aquaponics system will continue that tradition and bring to life many of the concepts covered in the General, Life, and Earth Sciences.
Incorporating Probeware-Based Technology in Chemistry Science Classrooms at E. C. Glass High School ($5,000.00)
E. C. Glass High School – Teacher: Shayna Moddle
Grant Sponsor: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
The purpose of this program is to provide chemistry students with access to current, state-of-the-art scientific technology via probeware and accompanying handheld device in order to enhance student learning of abstract and concrete chemistry concepts, increase student motivation and engagement during hands on laboratory investigations, and ultimately improve student achievement and success, while simultaneously aligning with the LCS Technology Vision and Mission Statements and the current Educational Technology Plan. Due to financial constraints, the initial plan is to pilot student access to this probeware-based technology in chemistry courses with the future goal of purchasing enough equipment for use by science students in all applicable science courses, where teachers are willing to incorporate this technology into their respective science lab programs. The use of probeware-based technologies in science classrooms increases student involvement and resultantly success, more content can be covered more completely with its use, and time spent performing lab investigations can be utilized more wisely while developing more productive science students.
CLASSROOM INNOVATION GRANTS
DEPTH Developing Expanded Perspectives Through Higher-level thinking ($2,000)
All Elementary Schools – Teachers: Gwyneth Tatum, Carrie Lewis, Heather Bolling
Grant Sponsor: Wells Fargo
The purpose of the program is to provide identified Gifted students the opportunity to recognize and present their LCS story in a variety of ways. Students will identify their personal learning modality and utilize these multiple intelligences to express themselves. Students will implement the engineering design process and create various products which center on uncovering and visually representing their LCS story. Components of this year long project will include conducting research, implementing the process of solving the challenges presented in design briefs, and present these to the public through oral presentations in the community and videography. Through this journey of personal discovery, students will learn about their school and their community. The history of Lynchburg will be the backdrop through which students will research, conduct interviews, and make presentations to find their place, their heart within the city. Literature will be the thread that weaves the entire experience together, providing a common foundation for all participants. Throughout this process they will be generating personal scientific theories and identifying math relationships and patterns.
Life Science Up Close and Personal ($2,000)
Dunbar Middle School – Teacher: Gail Waller
Grant Sponsor: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
The purpose of the program is to provide students of culturally and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds with personal hands-on experiences and exploration opportunities in the life sciences through the use of microscopes and a document camera. Through this program, students will not only be able to learn the parts of a microscope, but gain knowledge of how to independently operate a microscope. Students will also be able to view, up close and personal, the infrastructure of plant and animal cells and compare and contrast a variety of cellular organelles. In addition, a document camera will allow the teacher to lead microscopic investigations, and demonstrate proper slide handling techniques, as well as ways scientific data is collected.
Physics Needs Electronic Balances (A Continuation of the Outfitting of E. C. Glass with Science Equipment) ($1,500.00)
High School – Teacher: David Templeton
Grant Sponsor: Harrington Corporation and Piedmond Community Health Plan
The purpose of the program is to provide the students at E. C. Glass High School who are taking Physics and Advanced Placement Physics with the opportunity to use electronic measuring devices to measure mass in their lab experience.
Temperature Probes for Chemistry Labs: Calorimetry 2 ($2,000.00)
E. C. Glass High School – Teachers: Charles Harding, Jr., Richard Greene
Grant Sponsor: AREVA
The foundation bought calorimeters last year to cut down the amount of error in chemistry labs so the calculations of energy from foods would approximate the caloric content of the foods. Though the results were greatly improved, we noticed the error remaining was caused by the alcohol thermometers that were off by as much as 15-20%. By purchasing the Temperature probes and the TI calculators to use them with, the students can collect and analyze immediately, the data they collect in the lab. They can do this by feeding the data from the temperature probes directly into the TI-84 plus calculator. Since most students do not have the 84-plus, I am also asking for calculators for each temperature probe.
21st Century Readers and Thinkers ($519.32)
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School – Teacher: Erika Wray
Grant Sponsor: The News & Advance
The purpose of the program is to strengthen students’ reading and critical thinking skills through authentic literacy (e.g., argument, problem solving, reconciling opposing views, drawing one’s own conclusions) to prepare them for the demands of 21st century careers and citizenship. This grant proposal would provide a class set of Junior Scholastic and Time for Kids magazine to sixth grade social studies classes. These social studies resources cover current events and historical articles that will supplement and enrich the curriculum. Nothing inspires students more about current events and history than captivating stories with vibrant and engaging photography. These magazines include plenty of charts, diagrams, maps, and graphic organizers which will enhance a student’s ability to use text features to comprehend complex issues. The grant would also allow me to purchase magazine holders so that I can store and use these magazines with all classes, year after year.
Special of the Day II ($250.00)
Sandusky Middle School – Teachers: Leigh Hensley, Gessi Wright
Grant Sponsors: Southern Air
The purpose of the program is to provide restaurant placards (such as the ones that hold menus) on each table in our cafeteria during all three lunches. The placards will contain our math "Special of the Day." On brightly colored paper (also asked for in the grant,) we will provide a "Special of the Day" that reinforces a math concept. Some would include "The Median Meal," "The PEMDAS Platter," and "Apple Pie a la MODE." A problem using the concept in the Special will be included at the bottom, and students who complete it will receive a reward from their math teacher.
Beyond the SOLs ($1,155.91)
Sandusky Middle School – Teacher: D. L. Moose Pierce
Grant Sponsors: Lynchburg Retail Merchants Foundation and LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this grant is to provide materials for our Great Achievements classes at SMS to learn how to become effective leaders of tomorrow. I wish to provide a curriculum that will teach students to recognize the characteristics of an effective leader, to understand the lasting effects that people in positions of leadership can have, and to develop the mindset of a leader, in order to prepare them for the challenges that will face the generations of tomorrow. The grant will provide classroom sets of the book QBQ by John G. Miller and The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. In conjunction with the reading and analyzing of these books, students will also study “Foundations of Leadership,” an interactive curriculum designed to help students identify positive leadership qualities and enables the instructor to lay the foundation of good leaders. Lastly, the grant will provide funds for us to recognize local leaders in our community , who will come in monthly to address the students in the Great Achievement classes.
Project Based Learning/Hands on Learning for Algebra I ($282.30)
All Middle Schools – Teacher: Stephanie Belotte
Grant Sponsor: Southern Air
This grant will allow us to purchase the book ‘Hands-On Algebra - Ready-to-Use Games & Activities for Grades 7-12’ by Frances M. Thompson for each Algebra 1 teacher. The book will provide assistance for Algebra 1 teachers to develop hands on meaningful activities for Algebra 1 students in both blocked and regular instructional courses. Using hands on learning will help students develop real world and personal connections to Algebra concepts that will positively impact retention of skills and concepts.
Bringing the Past to Life Through Live Theater ($1,700.00)
Sandusky Middle School – Teachers: Connie Ellison, Malinda Morgan
Grant Sponsors: R. M. Gantt Construction and Anonymous
The purpose of this grant is to provide the experience of live theater to our students at both the elementary and middle school. The productions we are seeking to fund will both introduce and reinforce curriculum in both reading and social studies curriculum of both schools. We will use the funds provided in the grant to bring The Bright Star Touring Theater Company from Asheville, NC, to SES and SMS for three different performances: Aesop's Fables for the elementary school students, Harriet Tubman: My Story, for grade six at SMS, and Heroes of the Civil rights Movement for grades seven and eight.
Community Wide Positive Behavior Support for Early Education ($2,000.00)
All 3-6 year old Classrooms throughout Lynchburg including public and private schools – Teachers: Gerin Martin, Anne Bond-Gentry, Polly Smith
Grant Sponsors: Piedmont Community Health Plan
The purpose of the program is to provide training to Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten teachers on the importance of developing positive relationships through quality adult-child interactions. Speaker, Bob Bowen, internationally recognized expert in building positive relationships to present two sessions (one for LCS Pre-K and Kindergarten Teachers and one for City of Lynchburg community child care providers). Based on this training teachers will realize the significance of how their interactions and presence in the classroom create a long term impact on the academic success of a child.
No More B-O-R-I-N-G Social Studies ($1,110.00)
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Page Miller, Annemarie Clingenpeel, Lisa Smith, Ashley Campbell
Grant Sponsor: Bank of the James and Carolina Connection Dance & Body Wear
The purpose of the program is to provide Kindergarten students with a vivid picture of historical people and community helpers. What these people wore and how these people have influenced our world long ago and today. These costumes will allow the students to dress in clothes from long ago and today. My students will learn about each person and will have fun while learning.
The 9th Grade Beat the Streets Project: Progress through Literature ($1,300.00)
Heritage High School – Teachers: Collin Lewis, Allen Hackmann, Amy Poindexter
Grant Sponsor: RR Donnelley
The purpose of this program is to provide the students with a clear link between their education and their future. Through a series of practical and inspirational readings, the students will have a better understanding of the value of their education. In addition to the readings, the students will be required to generate a creative product which includes, but is not limited to: an illustrated children’s book, a documentary-style movie, or a short story. The theme of each project must relate to an inspirational life lesson. The goal is to show students the relationship between making good decisions and overcoming the odds in the midst of adversity; to prove to the students that education, knowledge, and personal discretion are of utmost importance, and to provide practical methods and usage of both the written and spoken word. These supplementary reading materials will not only provide students with a point of reference for their creative products, but they will also teach the children in a very realistic and relatable way, the importance of an education.
School Visit by Author Ginjer Clarke ($800.00)
Perrymont Elementary School – Teacher: Shannon Richardson
Grant Sponsor: Candler Oil and LCS Education Foundation
This proposal addresses the needs of a school with many students who read below grade level and do not perform well on standardized tests of reading and writing. The first step in creating good readers is providing students with motivation to read and creating in them an excitement about reading. Likewise, in order to become proficient writers students must be interested in the process of writing and see it as meaningful.
Packing Up Pre-K Learners ($1,437.00)
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Carole Bowman, Ruthann Oertle, Deborah Wilson
Grant Sponsor: Delta Dental, Successful Innovations, and Westover Dairy
The purpose of this program is to provide direct teaching, review, and enrichment of the VA Foundation Blocks for PK and involve parents in their child’s education. Many parents are eager to help but unsure of what to do or how to do it. By purchasing the filled backpacks, parents will have a new backpack each week for 16 weeks. Everything the parent needs to teach a particular skill is included in the backpack. At the end of the 16 weeks, parents can request to revisit any backpack for review.
Renewable Energy ($1,985.43)
Dearington Elementary School for Innovation – Teachers: Jackie Davis, Keisha Miller
Grant Sponsor: Appalachian Power & Wiley|Wilson
Renewable energy will be a program used in STEM classes. It will provide students with first-hand experience in utilizing alternative energy, conserving energy and learning how to limit humanity's impact on our environment. Completing lessons, activities and challenges teaches our students about water conservation, the power of the wind, solar energy, fuel cells, and hydrogen-electric. This will give our students an entry point into these important real-world conversations. With this knowledge our students can interact with their communities and help form environmentally conscious policy. Then maybe one day our students will be solving our problem of dependence on fossil fuels.
Incorporating Reading in Math ($183.24)
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Carrie Finney, Judy Thomas, Sarah Dillon
Grant Sponsor: Sylvan Learning of Lynchburg
The purpose of this project is to develop math concepts through reading a variety of literature resources. By reading math concept literature, the children will be exposed to different math ideas and gain an awareness of different ways we use math in our daily lives.
Teaching Character Traits and Social Skills through Reading ($974.75)
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Kristy Genung, Brianne Bell, Andrea Parker, Angela Davis
Grant Sponsor: The George Rainsford and Reverend Haywood Robinson Funds
The purpose of the project is to provide students with engaging, exciting examples of how to practice positive character traits and social skills. Many of our students struggle with everyday social skills and character traits that the author, Julia Cook addresses in her books. Mrs. Cook visited LES last year, and the students are very invested in all of her stories and love hearing them.
CTE Promotions ($2,000.00)
E. C. Glass and Heritage High Schools – Teachers: Jessie Hunt
Grant Sponsor: Wegmann USA, Inc. and Lynchburg Economic Development Authority
The purpose of our program is to provide students with the opportunity to succeed in education and careers and to assist our students in flourishing in a dynamic and increasingly competitive global economy with a purpose-driven education. CTE reflects the modern workplace and since the majority of careers today require a postsecondary credential, our CTE program works to incorporate rigorous academic and technical standards as well as critical workplace skills, to ensure career and college success. The program helps students find their passion, bolster their confidence, and empower return on investments. Many of our CTE students will be able to graduate with a workforce ready certification or credential as well as having defined an individual career and/or college plan! Our CTE program is available to all LCS students, however, we are lacking in funding for promotional products and which may decrease CTE enrollment. I would like to increase our enrollment by creating videos, stickers, commercials etc. so every parent, student, and stakeholder is aware of the successful and effective program.
S.L.A.B. – Smart Leveled Arithmetic Boxes ($778.46)
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Wendy Pugh, Chris Smith, Susan Craighill
Grant Sponsor: Virginia School Equipment and LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this program is to provide more differentiation during enrichment/remediation block. To increase the rigor in math and to meet state standards, we want to establish leveled SMART BOXES for each of our SOL’s in math. Each box will contain fun and instructional materials in four lessons-read, write, do an activity, and a challenge which will help create a multi-disciplinary learning station in each box. The activities will include hands-0n, student-centered, station based, and cooperative learning.
Culinary – cooking labs; ECE – teaching aids/supplies for lesson plans/teaching ($1,977.00)
Heritage High School – Teachers: Dee Richendollar
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg Economic Development Authority
Teaching tools are a must for an active learning environment such as Early Childhood and Culinary. The purpose of this project is to secure additional resources to create lessons that would increase active learning for my students. This grant would allow us to learn creative recipes and would allow students to create their own recipe choices. This intro class feeds into our Culinary Class at Glass. With a good experience in Intro, they are more apt to go on to our 2 year program. In addition, in the Early Childhood Education program students are required to prepare weekly lessons for their Pre-K students. We are limited in our creativity because of limited supplies in this area. Finally, this grant will allow students to create sample lesson plans for their portfolios.
Hand-Held Technology for Physics Experiments ($2,000.00)
E. C. Glass High School – Teachers: Richard Greene, David Templeton
Grant Sponsor: Genworth
The purpose of this grant proposal is to introduce hand-held technology for doing physics experiments, collecting and analyzing data, into Physics classrooms, and to make that technology available to other subject areas in science. We have excellent facilities and plenty of equipment to run traditional experiments, but little or none of the mobile technology that is common in physics labs today. Hand-held digital input/output devices, using electronic timers and counters with built-in GPS and temperature sensors, and other electronic sensors for force, pressure, sound and light experiments not only make data gathering and analysis faster and easier, but also usually yield more accurate and precise data. Since these devices are also portable, they can be used all over the campus, indoors and out. The company that manufactures these also has excellent probes for Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental/Earth Science.
Journey to Excellence in Reading Instruction: Leading our Students to Reading Proficiency ($2,000.00)
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Jennifer Lovett, Karen Kohuth, Cindy Bargabos
Grant Sponsor: Greater Lynchburg Community Trust – Karen K. and William E. Painter Fund & The Calvin and Virginia Cox Fund, and The Greater Lynchburg Community Trust Special Fund
The purpose of the program is to provide a deeper level of understanding, a grander repertoire of skills and tools, and an increased supply of resources to each of our teachers in an effort to develop, individually and collectively, a greater competence in the teaching of reading, thus moving from being good educators to being great educators! There are many elements that make up a school; the facility, curriculum, administration, community, and parental involvement. However, in their book, The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills, Saphier, Haley-Speca, and Gower (2008) state, “Of all the things that are important to having good schools, nothing is as important as the teacher and what that person knows, believes, and can do” (p. v). The key to successfully fulfilling our mission statement of “Every Child, By Name and By Need, to Graduation” is to first strengthen, support, and continually grow our teachers. If our teachers have the necessary knowledge, skills, and supplies, then our students will, in turn, have what they need to flourish.
Picture My Success! ($700.89)
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Claire Ickes, Karen Mason, Lauri Harwood, Kristen Bandy
Grant Sponsor: WSET-TV and LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of the program is to provide students in special ed and English language learners with a photograph depicting their mastery of a challenging academic skill or concept.
As each child accomplishes a new skill or masters a challenging concept, the teacher will take their picture with the work or with the faculty member who taught them and encouraged their success. Beautiful enlargements will be made, framed, and presented to the child at school before being sent home for the children to show to their families and keep. Individual and group discussion will emphasize effective effort, the concept learned and mastered, the importance of the accomplishment, and the positive school culture that fostered the success. Positive behavior skills and their contribution to a successful academic outcome will be reflected in the permanent record of the photograph. Each child will proudly share their picture of success with their friends and family at home as they tell and retell their individual “LCS Story” of success.
Hats Off to Science ($1909.27)
All Grade 5 Elementary Science – Teacher: Anne Berry
Grant Sponsor: Kim & Steve Tibbs, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of the program is to provide all fifth grade students an opportunity to review fourth grade science vocabulary in an innovative instructional way.....a vocabulary parade. The vocabulary parade combines content vocabulary instruction and visual literacy. This is accomplished as students research, creatively interpret, and visually display science terms using hats. Students then participate in a school parade and vocabulary activities showcasing their hats. Components of this project include conducting research, creating and implementing a design brief, and communicating their research both visually and orally.
Classrooms Alive! ($516.48)
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Barbara Reid, Jennifer Zuniga, Michelle Gomez, Vicki Vandine
Grant Sponsor: Wooldridge Heating · Air · Electric
The purpose of the program is to provide students with a hands-on experience of watching insects and plants move through the stages of development. Students will learn the connections between animals and plants in the cycle of growing food and pest prevention. The students will watch caterpillars, ladybugs, and praying mantises grow from the larval stage, to the chrysalis stage, and finally to the adult stage. Students will take the adult insects and release them into the greenhouses at Lynchburg Grows to help with pest management. Students will also grow marigolds and other pest controlling plants and will take the plants home to help with pest control in their own gardens.
Loose Parts Learning Outdoors ($2,000.00)
Hutcherson Early Learning Program – Teacher: Jane Ruehle
Grant Sponsors: RockTenn
The purpose of the program is to provide 4-year-olds, identified as at-risk for Kindergarten success, with an additional Active (High Scope style) learning modality. Children will have the opportunity to work with a set of well-made weather-friendly "loose parts" that encourage planning, critical thinking, cooperative play, and will help develop stronger large motor skills. These "loose parts" will encourage vigorous and intentional outdoor play, and child-created games. Basically, these large outdoor blocks will extend the Active Learning (High Scope) classroom into the outdoors.
Woolly School Garden ($1,000.00)
Dearington Elementary School for Innovation – Teachers: Marissa Freeman, Sara Poole, Naddiuska Brito, Jackie Davis
Grant Sponsor: The Merryman Foundation
The purpose of the program is to provide our school with the resources to create an vertical outdoor garden inside the classrooms and school on the walls. This program will allow every classroom to have a piece of their wall turned into a garden as well as a main area in the lobby of the school. The Woolly School Garden will provide our school with 50 wool pockets to use in the classrooms for the students to plant and learn about how plants can grow and thrive in this vertical pockets. The kit provides our schools with all the hardware, instructions, edible seeds, compost tea, planting charts, gardening manuals and the nutrition and gardening curriculum that will allow all of the teachers from k-5th to provide quality hands-on based instructions. As well as different ways to integrate their vertical garden into all subjects.
A Violin for Every Child ($1,770.00)
Dearington Elementary School for Innovation – Teacher: Rachel Gonzales
Grant Sponsor: The Carrington Family Foundation and Lynchburg Nissan
The purpose of this program is to provide a violin to every child, by name and by need, at Dearington Elementary School who cannot afford a violin otherwise. There are currently eight students who want to play the violin but whose families cannot afford one. These quality violins will last for AT LEAST the next 50 years. It is crucial for beginners to start on quality violins, as a good sound encourages them to practice more. Paesano Violin Shop has offered to provide a shoulder rest free of charge with the purchase of each violin. The shoulder rest provides proper support to ensure that the student does not harm muscles while learning this intricate instrument. If these students fall in love with playing the violin, then the violin program may be the one thing that takes them to graduation. Therefore, the purpose of this program is to take every child, by name and by need to graduation.
Showcasing Student Achievement ($1,456.13)
All Lynchburg City Schools Middle and High Schools – Teachers: Marsha Carwile, Lisa Crawford, Michael Dunaway, Linda Harding
Grant Sponsors: Walmart – Wards Road
The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity to showcase student artwork through the completion of the gallery located at the school administration building. The artistic talent displayed by the LCS students in all grade levels (elementary, middle and high schools) is extraordinary and the city art teachers strongly recognize the importance of exhibiting the students’ work in permanent galleries within the community. Currently, one completed exhibit is located in city hall and a partial second gallery is housed throughout the school administration building. Displays such as these foster the students’ self-esteem, reinforce student achievement and enrich the community.
Insights from the Inside ($1,600.00)
E. C. Glass and Heritage High Schools – Teachers: Patty Worsham, Laurence Hailey
Grant Sponsor: Dominion Seven Architects, The Education & Research Foundation, and Anonymous
The purpose of the program is to provide copies of the book Insights from the Inside to all ninth graders as a part of the Lynchburg Reads programs. The book is a collection of letters written by inmates in correctional facilities all over Virginia giving advice to young people to help them make good decisions and understand the consequences of bad decisions. Students of all races and socio-economic groups will gain a better understand of the challenges of growing up and the importance of making good choices. This book is designed to promote good behavior and the importance of education; It also addresses cultural challenges unique to our area.
Making Math Memorable ($500.00)
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teacher: Melissa Hester
Grant Sponsor: American National Bank
The purpose of this program is to provide students with an opportunity to practice the needed Standards of Learning for mastery of math in a way that is hands on and creative but also is fun, memorable, and creates a desire to do it again. Making Math Memorable will provide teachers will the supplies for multiple games that allow students to practice math skills.
Math Manipulatives To Mastery ($1,039.92)
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Cheryl Betz, Martha Clark, Kathy East, Carla Hamilton
Grant Sponsor: Genworth
The purpose of the program is to provide math stations to support the teaching of the Virginia Standards of Learning and the Lynchburg City Schools math curriculum and time line. It gives students another interactive opportunity to understand math concepts and procedures
Lunch Bunch Reading Club ($1,493.72)
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Kathy Abbott, Sheila Rudder, Maureen Sheedy-Morris
Grant Sponsor: Central Virginia Federal Credit Union, Hurt & Proffitt, and Walmart Old Forest Road
The purpose of this program is to provide additional reading time for selected students in grades 4 & 5 in order to encourage and motivate them to put forth their best effective effort in reading. During the 2013-14 school year, a minimum of 3 groups (4 per group) will be selected to participate in the “Lunch Bunch Reading Club” each nine weeks. A total of 36 students per year will have the opportunity to participate in this program. These students will be invited during their lunch 3 days a week to eat and participate in a Book Club reading and discussion. To highly motivate students, books will be purchased and downloaded on an e-reader. Students will read and discuss e-books in a relaxed and stimulating environment.
I’m Pickin’ Up Good Vibrations: Providing violin direct connection vibration sensing turners for every elementary school ($1,912.72)
All Elementary Schools – Teacher: Ginger Paris
Grant Sponsors: Harris Corporation and Sam’s Club
The purpose of the program is to provide class sets of Intelli Chromatic tuners in every elementary school to enable students to tune their own violins within the classroom setting. This will give the string students the tuning independence that they will need as they enter middle school and beyond. This program will target students in grades 4 and 5. Instead of the teacher tuning each student’s violin at the beginning and the end of class, the student will tune their own instrument, with the teacher only making drastic adjustments. The Intelli tuner utilizes direct connection vibration sensing to establish pitch, so everyone can tune at the same time. Students will gain tuning skill and greater musical independence.
Smooth Sailing into Math with Super Source Library ($670.00)
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Rebecca White, Barbara Braun, Emily Morris, Terrell Midkiff
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union and LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of the program is to provide consistent, structured, hands-on activities for every math objective through The Super Source® Grades K-6 Resource Library (21-Volume Series). Rote memory, skill and drill, and technology are not a totally sufficient means for learning math. While all are necessary, they cannot be truly successful without understanding the math sense behind the concepts. Students must learn to be fluent in math concepts, then use reason in order for math to be meaningful. While the Perrymont resource library contains many math manipulatives, teachers could benefit from best practices training in the use of manipulatives for each math objective. The Super Resource Library program will allow for a more effective and varied use of our existing materials.
E. C. Glass Reads The Other Wes Moore ($2,000.00)
E. C. Glass High School – Teacher: Patty Worsham
Grant Sponsor: Anonymous
This grant request is to help fund a visit from Wes Moore, the author of The Other Wes Moore, the Lynchburg Reads choice for this year. This book chronicles the story of two young African-American males growing up in inner city Baltimore with all the problems attendant to their environment: homes without male role models, poverty, sub-par education, drugs and violence. The author Wes Moore made it “out” and is a decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan, a Rhodes Scholar and a well-known motivational speaker. The other Wes Moore—the one who did not make it out is currently serving a life sentence for murder.
Project Inclusion ($2,000.00)
Heritage High School – Teachers: Kenya Fowler, Jason Jamerson
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation
The purpose of the program is to increase high school students’ sensitivity to and awareness of diversity issues so that they can create school and community environments free from the distractions of prejudice, stereotypes, and bigotry. More specifically, the Project Inclusion retreat will give participants the opportunity to work closely with their peers to explore personal experiences with discrimination and develop both individual skills and school-wide action plans that address change in themselves and their schools.
The Project Inclusion program motivates participants to create change in their school. Throughout the program, interactive dialogue allows for the sharing of personal experience as a process for participants to examine their own self efficacy in creating more equitable communities. The action planning process at the conclusion of the program serves as a catalyst for follow-up activities that take place throughout the school year and beyond.
Project Inclusion ($2,000.00)
E. C. Glass High School – Teacher: Heather McCormick
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg Economic Development Authority
The purpose of this program is to increase high school students’ sensitivity to and awareness of diversity issues so that they can create school and community environments free from the distractions of prejudice, stereotypes, and bigotry. More specifically, the Project Inclusion retreat will give participants the opportunity to work closely with their peers to explore personal experiences with discrimination and develop both individual skills and school-wide action plans that address change in themselves and their schools.
The Project Inclusion program motivates participants to create change in their school. Throughout the program, interactive dialogue allows for the sharing of personal experience as a process for participants to examine their own self efficacy in creating more equitable communities. The action planning process at the conclusion of the program serves as a catalyst for follow-up activities that take place throughout the school year and beyond.
The Wanderings of Odysseus ($377.40)
E. C. Glass High School – Teacher: David McDonald
Grant Sponsor: Sylvan Learning of Lynchburg
The purpose of this program is to provide my 9th grade Standard English students with a suitable translation of The Odyssey, by Homer. Students will read The Wanderings of Odysseus, The Story of the Odyssey, by Rosemary Sutcliff instead of the translation available in their textbooks. The reason that I am deviating from the standard text is to address the different reading levels of the students in my classes.
Pre-K Family Nights ($620.63)
Paul Munro Elementary School – Teachers: Pamela Levinson, Kirstin Eubank, Leigh Tucker
Grant Sponsor: Moore & Giles
The purpose of the program is to provide smaller and more homogenous group opportunities for Pre-K families to become more comfortable attending school functions and thus increase their involvement throughout the year. We will schedule two Family Fun Nights, one in the fall and one in the spring. We will provide food, and plan fun and educational activities for students and parents/guardians. This will create an environment for parents/guardians and teachers to interact in a less formal manner. There will be monthly activities either through the school or the classroom that parents/guardians will be encouraged to attend.
Everything Physical Science ($1,376.21)
Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School – Teachers: Thomas Foster, Jacky Pinn
Grant Sponsor: LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of the program is to provide the students of Dunbar Middle School, along with corresponding elementary students of Lynchburg City, with an opportunity to engage in physical science activities that are exciting and engaging. The main goal of this grant is to provide students with a visualization of science concepts that are hard to grasp: electron repulsion, electron/proton attraction, conductors, insulators, air pressure, sound travel via a medium, etc.
Tuned in to Reading – The Literature Classroom of the Future ($729.75)
Sandusky Middle School – Teacher: Terra Vance, JaVera Bolden, Annitra Leigh
Grant Sponsor: Coldwell Banker Commercial Read & Co. and LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of the program is to provide an innovative, fun, and progressive avenue to reading-- one which will actually have kids excited about coming to class. The classroom of the future is diverse, enriched with technology, interactive, collaborative, and self-pacing. We want to create this environment this year in reading classes by setting up literature circles (or learning pods) with audiobooks and listening centers, so that students will choose groups, choose roles within those groups for themselves, and collaboratively read and explore a book chosen from a selection of high-interest, popular, and academically valuable sets of books. Students in each group will get a book club box, which will contain an MP3 player with a pre-loaded audiobook, a deck of "role cards" with descriptions of roles from which to choose a "profession" as a group member in completing a project, up to six hard copies of the book, six pairs of headphones, a six-way audio jack, and any manipulatives or materials needed to complete the projects associated with the book.
LCS Grade 5 Science Fair Showcase ($1997.77)
All Grade 5 Elementary Science – Teacher: Anne Berry
Grant Sponsor: Fleet Laboratories and Alan B. Pearson Cancer Center
The purpose of this program is to provide all fifth grade students an opportunity to participate in a school science fair where five projects will be chosen to represent their school at the LCS Science Fair Showcase. The Showcase will be held in May and would allow school winners to present their work before a team of judges. The judges would interview each student or team and choose first, second, and third place winners in various categories (Life Science, Environmental Science, etc.) Each participant will receive a certificate for participation in the event. In 2012, the Regional Science Fair decreased the number of elementary school participants from five projects per school to one. The LCS Showcase would allow more students to participate in a science fair and provide experience they will need to be successful in middle school on the regional level.
For more information about the Classroom Innovation Grant Program and the LCS Education Foundation, Inc. contact Jodi K. Gillette, Executive Director (515-5081) or [email protected].