Published on Thu., June 4, 2009

17th Annual Education Grants Awarded by Education Foundation, Inc.

The annual Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation Grant Awards program and reception was held on June 4, 2009 at Linkhorne Middle School. Thirty-seven corporate sponsored education grant certificates were awarded to Lynchburg City Schools' teachers by corporate sponsor representatives. The winning grants, with a total budget of $41,888, were selected from eighty-eight proposals submitted. Priority was given to those grants that demonstrated innovative and effective ways to meet student needs and increase motivation to learn.

The annual program provides an opportunity for grant winners to make presentations highlighting their program or activity. Thanks to the continued generosity of our many participating corporate sponsors, the Foundation has awarded over $185,000 in grants since establishing the program seventeen years ago.

 

Read With Me ($575)

Bedford Hill Elementary School
Grant Sponsors: Hurt & Proffitt + Education Foundation

Utilizing the We Both Read Series, parents and students will read together on a nightly basis. Books are designed for parents to read the left-hand pages (which feature more complex text and storyline) and the student to read the right-hand pages (in which the storyline and text are less complex and geared specifically to their ability). Books will be sent home in “Book Buddy” bags with an accompanying reading log to record time spent reading each night. When books are finished they will be exchanged for the next book in the series.

 

The Dunbar Extreme Science Team ($2000)

Dunbar Middle School for Innovation
Grant Sponsor: Babcock & Wilcox Company

The grant will create an innovative science club that will heighten awareness of several key scientific SOL’s as well as providing students with an opportunity to experience several hands-on scientific projects. The club will consist of four major assemblies each one addressing vital areas of many scientific disciplines. Major topics will include; physics of laser optics that address coherent and incoherent light, law of reflection, composition of matter, concave and convex lenses, and the speed of light through different mediums. Students will also have an opportunity to dissect complex animal life that would otherwise be unavailable to them in the regular school setting. The other assemblies revolve around Entomophagy and water ecology.

 

MONEY: Be Smart about making it, spending it, saving it! Financial Literacy for High School Students ($1165)

Pride Plus
Grant Sponsors: Colonial Brokerage House + Education Foundation

All students will receive supplemental books related to personal finance and money management. The books will explore ideas on financial decision-making. Skills taught will include; money management and budgeting, record keeping, banking, credit, investing and buying stocks, insurance, careers and other related topic. In addition, students will travel to Lynchburg College for lunch and a tour. Also, students will attend a lecture presented by Cheryl Ayers, Director of The Center for Economics Education, plus receive a goody bag of items to further their interest and knowledge about personal finance.

 

Team Green ($800)

Sheffield Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: RR Donnelley

This program will present and enhance environmental awareness through activities, exploration, and experiments. The students will research and explore various areas from endangered species to butterfly gardens to cycles in nature to litter control to recycling to energy conversation. Exploration of topics will be relevant to children’s cognitive development and ability. The program will include guest speakers and hands-on learning workshops including special programs presented by the Virginia Museum of Natural History. The program will help encourage the students to accept responsibility for earth care globally as well as locally.

 

Green Thumbs: ECG Community Garden ($2000)

E.C. Glass High School
Grant Sponsor: Babcock & Wilcox Company

The Green Thumbs program will establish a community vegetable garden on the campus of E. C. Glass High School. Students will benefit from knowledge gained about plant structures, care and proper maintenance of plants, and plants role in the environment. The program will allow community members to come to the school and share their expertise with the students. Additionally, a majority of the produce harvested will be donated to local soup kitchens and homeless shelters to help feed the needy in our community. The schools science teachers and volunteer master gardeners will meet and plan the schedule for ground preparation, composting and planting. Science students will help with the initial preparation of the garden, but all students will have opportunities to help care for and maintain the garden during the year.

 

We’re Game for Gain ($498)

Dearington Elementary School for Innovation
Grant Sponsor: Gilfield Village

This program is designed to help students with math SOL scores. Games bags will be created to be played with family members and signed off each night. This would take the place of the practice problems normally given, but provide applications of the same skills and possibly requiring the child to solve even more that would be on pen and paper style homework. Teachers would create the games and they would be used in lieu of other homework on specific nights. Once the game baggies are prepared, parents would be invited in for family game night to explain the purpose of the program and to stress the importance of parent involvement.

 

Read Together Take-Home Packs ($597)

Sandusky Elementary School
Grant Sponsors: Bank of the James + Education Foundation

This program is designed to bring developmentally appropriate literature to first grade students. Due to the vast differences in economic status, level of parent education, and resources in the home many students do not have access to these materials. Without access to reading materials, families are unable to reinforce skills or cultivate print awareness. These take-home packs will help get students interested in reading and get families involved in the learning process, which is very important for student success. These Read Together Take-Home Packs will help create a literacy-rich environment as well as create a fun way for parents to take an active role in their child’s education.

 

Maps Can Make the Difference ($500)

Perrymont Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Dominion Seven Architects

The grant will provide each 4th and 5th grade classroom with a hard plastic raised-relief map of Virginia. Raised relief maps are a superior visual reference. Fully three-dimensional vinyl maps use shaded relief to represent altitude gradation and topographical diversity. The maps will allow students the ability to see and feel the differences between the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley & Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau regions. The maps will assist the students in their ability to locate the 5 regions of Virginia and in explaining the physical geography of each region.

 

“The Play’s The Thing…” Shakespeare ($500)

Robert S. Payne Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Educational Research Foundation

The students will form a reader’s theatre at R. S. Payne Elementary School. All fourth grade zone students will participate in the project, and will meet once a week. Students will read the plays several times, eventually reading “assigned” parts. Students will perform the plays by reading the character parts before an audience. As a concluding activity students will read vignettes which have Virginia studies as subject matter.

 

Connect Four ($796)

Robert S. Payne Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Anne/Chauncey Spencer

Connect Four is a program designed to get teachers connected with parents, the parents will then be connected to their child’s education which will make the child more connected to school because they now have the support of their parents. The teachers will visit students home and take educational materials. The teacher will work with parents to demonstrate how to use these educational materials and help them establish a study area for their child.

 

Etching Press Acquisition ($2000)

Heritage High School
Grant Sponsor: Education Foundation

The program will help develop the printmaking curriculum within the art classes with the purchase of an etching press. With the press the teacher can introduce multiple forms of printmaking. Monoprinting will be introduced in the first year to reinforce skills used in other types of art-making and intaglio printing in the future. The press will also offer a period of experimentation in which we will explore a number of difference printmaking styles.

 

Just the Facts, Ma’am: Non-Fiction is Fun ($1650)

Sandusky Elementary School
Grant Sponsors: BB&T + Piedmont Community Health Plan + Education Foundation

The focus of this program is to improve reading (skills and comprehension) at the fourth and fifth grade levels by increasing students to non-fiction. Scholastic News Magazines will be purchased for all fifth grade students and the Virginia Studies Newspaper will be purchased for all fourth graders. The Scholastic News Magazine and Virginia Studies newspaper will be used in Language Arts and Social Studies classes. Students will have their own subscription and will learn how to use highlighters to mark the main ideas and supporting details.

 

Paul Munro Grows ($2000)

Paul Munro Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Education Foundation

Paul Munro Grows is an offshoot of The Roots and Shoots gardening project. This school garden will broaden the scope of its current environmental education offerings and integrate environmental education with many school disciplines (natural science, math, English, art, social studies, career studies, and physical activities) in addition to being specifically geared to providing hands-on experience to help meet current SOL requirements. Parents and grandparents of Paul Munro students have signed up to volunteer to help with the building of the raised beds, the fence and the gate.

 

The iPod Beat – Music on the Move ($2000)

All Lynchburg City Schools’ Elementary Schools
Grant Sponsor: Babcock & Wilcox Company

Seven iPods will allow each of the seven music teachers to save a copy of the 55 CD’s of the music series to a computer and then to an iPod. Play list for each class’ lesson may then be created on the iPod that will streamline instruction for the students. Less time will be spent transporting materials from classroom to classroom and more time can be focused on students and their instruction. This technology will also provide a back-up for all the elementary school music resources.

 

Healthy Bodies. Healthy Minds ($1500)

Robert S. Payne Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Piedmont Community Health Plan

The program is designed to address the growing concern of childhood obesity. This “next step” will expand on last years efforts to hopefully become an exemplary program that can be replicated across the school division. Funds will be used to purchase aerobic equipment not available in school; to bring nutrition experts to school; and to transport students to Blackwater Creek Recreation Area, where physical exercise is linked with the schools fourth grade environmental studies. The program will provide an outlet and the means necessary for students to exercise their bodies, awaken and stimulate their aerobic capacities and to hopefully help further academic, social, and behavioral changes.

 

Puppets Promote Learning ($1000)

Perrymont Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Wal-Mart

Kindergarten students will use puppets to build story language and oral communication. The students will be able to demonstrate comprehension of fiction and non-fiction. The use of puppets will allow all children to participate in creative dramatics. Puppets encourage students who are reluctant to participate and to be involved. Students can also practice good classroom behavior through creative dramatics with puppets.

 

Reach for the Stars Math Club ($750)

Perrymont Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Jimmy Ping Memorial Grant + Education Foundation

The Reach for the Gold Math Club has an Olympic theme idea that has a positive approach to helping students maximize learning. The students will effectively review basic math concepts and skills by taking home fun packets of work that will review these concepts and skills. Packets will include individualized games, activities, and fun sheets what will be enjoyed with students and their parents. As students complete more packets they will be able to earn medals for each of the four levels.

 

Level the Playing Field ($2000)

Heritage Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Wachovia Bank

This grant addresses reading comprehension. The grant will give the Title I team at Heritage Elementary School the opportunity to develop a leveled library for all students. Students at the school would the opportunity to check out books that are closely matched to their reading level. The library of level reading books will be organized in color coded tubs. Students would be assigned a color depending on their independent or instructional reading level. Teachers will be able to check out these books to use in their classrooms in guided reading groups.

 

Getting to the Root of the Problem: Helping Students Identify Greek and Latin Roots ($500)

Sandusky Middle School
Grant Sponsor: Sylvan Learning Center

The grant is to address significant weakness in the vocabulary skills of students. The inability of decode words impacts students negatively in not just reading but in all other disciplines. Each week a new Greek or Latin root will be introduced to the students over WSMS. White boards will be placed outside each teacher’s door and teachers would post the root word of the week. Students would be encouraged to post their own words derived from the root. English teachers will keep a “Word Wall” in their classrooms, with each week’s root and key words posted.

 

Dreams Take Flight ($862)

E. C. Glass High School
Grant Sponsor: Haywood Robinson Memorial Grant + Education Foundation

Air Force JROTC cadets will get hands-on exposure to the forces of flight through the use of technology. After studying the theoretical concepts of the forces of flight, cadets will apply this knowledge by utilizing the Microsoft Flight Simulator software. The flight simulator software allows cadets to fly different types of aircraft in different programmed weather and visibility conditions between simulated real world airports. After the cadets have demonstrated their ability to control the aircraft simulator, they will progress to remote control aircraft.

 

The Pollinator ($798)

Paul Munro Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: SunTrust Bank + Education Foundation

Students in grades 3-5 will participate in a hands-on learning experience involving the rising need for beekeepers. Students will be given background information on the honeybee habitat, living environment, reproduction (life cycle), colonization, pollination, and honey production. The beekeeping kit and accessories will allow student to work in small groups and participate by dressing in the bee suit, assemble the hive body, inspect racks, view slide show, and participate in dialogue regarding the importance of bees and other insects to complete the cycle of life.

 

United We Read: Lynchburg and Sharon Draper Make It Happen ($1773)

Middle School Learning Center – Homebound Learning Center
Grant Sponsor: Education Foundation

Due to the positive response to the newly created library, students are excited at the opportunity to become participants in books clubs. The grant will provide classroom sets of several novels to needed to accomplish this activity. The purpose of this project is to model the America Reads With Dr. Seuss and Lynchburg Reads. In addition, the grant will allow Sharon Draper, author of several of these novels, to be a featured speaker in the spring. This initiative is so important because it will increase reading and also help students who attend alternative programs remain connected to their base schools.

 

Books, Books, and More Books ($462)

Sandusky Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: The News & Advance

Short Books teaches sight word vocabulary by using small books that young children can read. The books are simple in their approach by using basic pictures and simple text that appeals to children. The books build upon each other yet the text is varied. This variation demands that the child look at the word and not just memorize a pattern. This grant will help kindergarten teachers who struggle with materials that meet the needs of children while extending their learning to better prepare for the SOL test.

 

Indoor Activity and Equipment & Materials ($1562)

Hutcherson Early Learning Center
Grant Sponsor: George Rainsford Memorial Grant + Education Foundation

Children need to run, play, explore and expend physical energy on a regular basis. Hutcherson’s learning model encourages intentional, planned play, and having access to materials such as tactile obstacles courses, a fitness CD, and a basketball stand will allow teachers to provide an uninterrupted routine of physical play each day regardless of weather condition. This equipment will help the staff impress on these young children the importance of regular physical activity as a part of a healthy lifestyle in addition to providing key support to Hutcherson’s curriculum goals.

 

Target Heart Rate Monitors for Classroom Use ($1995)

Linkhorne Middle School
Grant Sponsor: Babcock & Wilcox + Greater Lynchburg Community Trust (Foundation)

The acquisition of heart rate monitors for classroom use will enhance the teacher’s ability to monitor healthy and appropriate progress during physical education classes. Students will be able to determine an acceptable level of participation with the push of a button. Teachers will be able to use a more scientific approach to healthy activity by encouraging students to achieve and maintain a healthy and appropriate heart rate. The companion software will allow teachers to evaluate how well individual students maintain the target heart rate throughout a class activity.

 

Play It Smart Library ($1000)

E.C. Glass High School & Heritage High School
Grant Sponsor: Dodson Pest Control

The grant will provide needed resources for the Play it Smart program. Funds will be used to create a library needed to address the goals of the program and help facilitate ways in which these goals can be achieved. Having books addressing the realities of their present lives and the responsibilities for their future hopefully will inspire there student athletes to improve their GPA, take the SAT and have improved performance on those test, motivate them to seek higher education. The resources will be shared with both high schools and is essential to the success of the program.

 

Monkey Math Addition and Subtraction ($170)

Perrymont Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg Nissan

Monkey Math is a simple and practical method for encouraging memorization of basic addition and subtraction facts. Each day students will participate in a timed math drill beginning with adding one to a number. If a student completes the drill correctly within the allotted time, their monkey will climb the vine one knot. Students continue the timed drill at a level until mastery on that level is achieved. The goal is to have individual students’ monkeys climb to the top of the vine, thus achieving and mastering basic math facts.

 

Exploring Science and Virginia Studies with the News! ($810)

Bedford Hills Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Candler Oil Company + Lynchburg Nissan

This grant allows fourth grade teachers to expand Science and Social Studies units through exploration and discovery using Science Studies Weekly and Virginia Studies Weekly standards-based newspapers, a publication that cover 81% and 100% of the SOLs respectively. These publications are based off the latest state SOLs and are written on age appropriate level this is intriguing and captivating. Additionally, the publications include hands-on activities, lab experiments, and games that extend beyond the engaging stories. The self-directed hands-on reading and learning activities balanced with teacher-directed activities from the publications provide a learning rich environment that addresses the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learner.

 

Phonemic Learning Kits ($500)

Hutcherson Early Learning Center
Grant Sponsor: Central Virginia Federal Credit Union

The grant is designed to improve students’ phonemic awareness, specifically in children with phonological and/or articulation disorders. Children affected by these disorders often demonstrate reading, writing, and spelling difficulties in the primary grades and beyond. The grant will provide funds to purchase small manipulative objects (kits) in order to encourage correct production of speech sounds at the beginning, medial, and final position of words. The use of these kits will assist children in meeting the Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning and specifically address the Virginia Literacy Foundation Block 3; Phonological Awareness.

 

Reading is the Main Ingredient! ($2000)

Linkhorne Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: Piedmont Community Health Plan + Genworth Financial

This proposal addresses the need to increase reading fluency among minority and the economically disadvantaged population at Linkhorne Elementary School. After analysis of student achievement data and addressing NCLB goals, the focus at Linkhorne Elementary School is on raising reading levels of minority and students of economically disadvantaged students. The proposal addresses the need for more books for the schools’ Title 1 program for third, fourth, and fifth grade students that are in our target group. The more students read, the better they will become at reading because reading is the main ingredient.

 

Readers Theater ($1500)

Robert S. Payne Elementary School
Grant Sponsor: WSET + Babcock & Wilcox

A Readers Theater involves children in oral reading through reading parts in scripts. Unlike traditional theater, the emphasis is mainly on oral expression of the part. It is a theater of the imagination. It involves bringing enjoyment to both themselves and their audiences. As children interpret their roles they acquire a better understanding of the literature. Readers Theater is an easy way to make a dramatic change in reading fluency, writing. It can boost listening and speaking skills, enhance confidence, and transform reluctant readers into book lovers.

 

Reading and Writing With Africa ($1500)

E. C. Glass High School
Grant Sponsor: Babcock & Wilcox + RM Gantt Construction Co.

The grant will assist with the sister school program between E. C. Glass and the Mercy Care Centre School in Nairobi, Kenya. The grant will help create a library for the secondary students and participating Glass student will become pen-pals with Mercy Care Centre School students. The program will help students gain a world view and a connection with real people in a third world country. Students will become knowledgeable about the politics and economics affecting their new friends. The art of writing an articulate letter is in jeopardy in this age of text messaging, and students will be coached on writing meaningful letters.

 

Math in a Flash ($2000)

T. C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg Retail Merchants Foundation, Lynchburg Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union

Math in a Flash is a program designed to target basic facts through integrating connections between home and school in order to enhance the educational experiences of all students. Flash cards, Games, and math resources are ideal components for success in this program. After arriving at school, students will have the opportunity to review math facts in the auditorium while waiting for their classroom teacher. Students will be able to participate in a variety of math work stations focusing on grade level operations. In each classroom, there will be daily timed drills to evaluate student progress.

 

One Moment in Time ($625)

Sandusky Middle School
Grant Sponsor: Frito Lay + Education Foundation

This grant is focused on helping students make good decisions. Middle school students are often unaware of the consequences and long term implications for bad decisions. Grant funds will be used to produce a play “One Moment In Time” to positively impact the thinking patterns of middle school students about the effects of today’s actions on their futures. The performers, stage designers, and assistants will all be Sandusky Middle School students and the play will be presented to the entire student body.

 

Pen Pals: Becoming Responsible World Citizens ($500)

Sandusky Middle School
Grant Sponsor: Moore & Giles

The project will establish a pen pal exchange between language arts students and students in a small village in the Ukraine. Dearington Elementary School for Innovation students will not only exchange written correspondence with Ukrainian students, but will fill four “Care Packages” for these needy students. Through this cultural enrichment project students will expand their knowledge of the global community. Student handwriting skills will improve, along with their composition skills.

 

Confronting Bullying Through Reading ($500)

Sandusky Middle School
Grant Sponsor: Wal-Mart + Education Foundation

In order to address the issue of student bullying, this grant will build a program around the novel Quaking, by Kathryn Erskine. The novel will be offered to groups of ten students at a time, to be read and discussed in a book club. To entice students to participate in one the clubs, rewards would be offered plus an opportunity to meet with the author, Kathryn Erskine, to discuss the book. Three books club groups run concurrently, with each taking two weeks to complete the novel. This would allow 270-300 students would be involved directly in the project. Hopefully, we can avert bullying behavior by concluding the novel with a workshop and brainstorming session about how to overcome bullying in our school.

 

Get Wise, Let’s Mathematize / Appleology 101 ($500)

Dearington Elementary School for Innovation
Grant Sponsor: AREVA

Get Wise, Let’s Mathamatize/Appleology is a project geared to developing more relative thinking in the minds of elementary math students as students become involved in mathematizing (the act of making math come alive and meaningful). The project involved the use of more non-traditional math practices (journals, models, games) to facilitate better number sense and mathematical learning particularly in the study of fractions, decimals, and percents. Students will not only be taught rules or operations but will discover math connections on their own. The Appleology 101 portion of the project will involve the use of apples to find qualitative (color, shape, texture) and quantitative measurements using science tools (circumference, mass, volume, density).

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