At its recently held annual meeting, the Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation, Inc.’s Board of Directors awarded 47 grants totaling $74,229.95 to Lynchburg City Schools teachers. The Classroom Innovation Grant program, now in its 23rd year, provides funds to a wide range of innovative projects and programs. To date, $555,478.01 has been awarded through the program.
This year’s fifty three corporate sponsors include: Genworth Foundation, Babcock & Wilcox Company, Lynchburg Economic Development Authority, Belvac Production Machinery, Fleet Laboratories, Piedmont Community Health Plan, AREVA, Appalachian Power, Walmart – Old Forest Road, Walmart – Wards Road, RockTenn, Dr. Robert R. Bowen Foundation, Dodson Pest Control, R.R. Donnelley, ABC 13- WSET TV, Centra Foundation, BB&T, First Piedmont, Greater Lynchburg Community Trust –W.E. Betts Jr. Family Fund, Lynchburg Retail Merchants Foundation, Merryman Foundation, Sam’s Club, Wegmann USA, Wells Fargo Bank, Jim & Verna Poats, 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., Dominion Seven Architects, The Education & Research Foundation Inc., Electronic Design & Manufacturing Company, Flint Construction Company, Generation Solutions, Hanwha Azdel, Harrington Corporation, HumanKind, Hurt & Proffitt, Innovative Wireless, Lynchburg Municipal Employee Federal Credit Union, Moore & Giles, News & Advance, R.M. Gantt Construction, Southern Air, Successful Innovations, Kim & Stephen Tibbs, Virginia School Equipment, Westminster Canterbury, Wiley|Wilson, Wooldridge Heating, Air & Electric, Anonymous.
Below are the projects that received grants for the 2014-2015 school year:
MASTER GRANTS
Choosing to Love Reading and Writing
R. S. Payne Elementary School – Teachers: Kim Beurle, Caitlin Pugh, Tammy Heddings, Kira Roberts
Grant Sponsor: Piedmont Community Health Plan
The purpose of this project is to provide meaningful reading material and writing topics which will result in high levels of motivation, engagement, and achievement. Over the years, we have found it increasingly difficult to engage students in an independent, meaningful reading practice that allows us the meet with individuals and small groups of students. This summer we began researching to find a more effective way to help students become more independent. Our research led us to the literacy management system called, “The Daily 5.” Through this system, we will create routines and procedures that will foster independent literacy behaviors that will become ingrained to the point of becoming a habit. Within our classroom communities, an environment will be established where reading, writing, and self-monitoring will be closely tied together for each child. Daily, students will be engaged in working with the teacher, reading with a partner, word study, writing, listening to reading, and reading to self.
Second Stage Probeware-Based Technology in Biology and Earth Science at E.C. Glass High School
E. C. Glass High School – Teachers: Shayna Moddle, Malinda Rivers, Cat Phillips
Grant Sponsor: Genworth Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide biology and earth science students with access to current, state-of-the-art, scientific technology via probeware and accompanying handheld device. This lab equipment will enhance student learning of abstract and concrete science 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, we seek funding that will allow us to continue to build these technology resources so that all science teachers can work to implement this technology in at least one laboratory activity each year. The future vision involves purchasing enough handheld devices, probes, and sensors for use in all applicable science courses. Some preliminary findings from the 2013-2014 school year showed that this technology enhanced student learning of abstract and concrete science concepts, increased student motivation and engagement during hands-on laboratory investigations, and ultimately improved student achievement and success.
Incorporating Probeware-Based Technology in Science Classrooms at Heritage High School
Heritage High School – Teacher: Amanda Stickland
Grant Sponsor: Belvac Production Machinery, AREVA, Harrington Corporation
The purpose of this project is to provide science students with access to current, state-of-the-art, scientific technology via probeware and accompanying handheld device. This lab equipment will enhance student learning of abstract and concrete science 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. Students in science courses where teachers incorporate this technology into their respective science lab programs will benefit from this equipment. The use of probeware-based technologies in science classrooms increases student involvement and subsequent 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.
Super Tsunami & Wave Tank
P. L. Dunbar Middle School – Teachers: Thomas Foster, Jacky Pinn
Grant Sponsor: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
The purpose of this project is to provide students with a "real-time" visual and "hands-on" simulation of a tsunami, along with the physics, causation, and corresponding impact of surface waves. Surface waves, which are caused by wind, can have negative impacts upon coastal regions: especially strong storms and hurricanes. Tsunamis are one of Earth's most destructive natural forces. In the wake of the various tsunamis that have plagued the 21st century, there has never been a greater interest and causation to study this phenomenon. As the world population continues to grow, populace along the coastlines are expected to increase. As such, an urgent need to understand this force of nature is self-evident.
CLASSROOM INNOVATION GRANTS
Opening the Outdoors
Hutcherson Early Learning Center – Teacher: Jane Ruehle
Grant Sponsor: First Piedmont Corporation, HumanKind
The purpose of this project is to provide 90 preschool children with excellent access to quality "loose parts" for outdoor experiential learning. My "Loose Parts Learning-Outdoors" grant last year allowed the 54 children at our school at the time to be fully involved with outdoor blocks, resulting in visible leaps in cooperation, planning, and creative exploratory play. This additional grant will accomplish 2 things: provide enough materials to extend access to 90 children, our new population this year, and be the gateway to our vision of an innovative Outdoor Classroom.
Teaching Basics to Pre-K
Heritage High School – Teacher: Dee Richendollar
Grant Sponsor: Wegmann USA & Centra Foundation
The purpose of this project is to enhance the educational materials used in teaching Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Education I, and Early Childhood Education II, in order to increase the educational opportunity for students enrolled in this program. As the importance of quality early childhood education becomes more and more evident, we continue to build this career tech program to train our students as quality childcare providers. Materials purchased with this grant will add to educational resources in our Early Education classrooms, enhance the materials available at Heritage Elementary School’s preschool program where our students have their practical training, and increase quality childcare resources for the childcare we provide for LCS community outreach/family engagement events that require this service.
Mobile Digital Media Lab
Dearington Elementary School for Innovation – Teachers: Marisa Freeman, Taylor Meade, Sarah Poole, Keisha Miller
Grant Sponsor: ABC 13-WSET TV
The purpose of this project is to provide the students of Dearington Elementary School for Innovation with a pioneering Mobile Digital Media Lab (MDML) for 21st century teaching and learning. Across the school, students accustomed to filling in worksheets and reading from textbooks are now being asked to create multi-media presentations, interact digitally and explore different types of media , such as ipods, laptops, and interactive Smartboards. Yet, beyond user level software and website use training, there’s a glaring gap in support for translating ideas into new, digital, ground-breaking media forms. This is necessary to nurture the conceptual and aesthetic skills that go beyond knowing what effect can be applied to an image or audio clip in Powerpont. To improve the children’s grasp of these concepts, we are proposing a Mobile Digital Media Lab as a way to provide our students with the advanced skills they need to work an d live in the new, fresh, fast-paced, modern world media form—specifically, digital video.
Oh, The Places You Can Go – The Person You Can Be!
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Ted Finney, Megan Vestal, Kalea Staton, Karen Dearden
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg Economic Development Authority
The purpose of this project is to provide students the opportunity to expand their thinking skills in relationship to career opportunities. This program offers Linkhorne Elementary School students real work experiences in a variety of jobs—ranging from health care, finance, engineering and human services. Students will be exposed to field trips to various companies around Lynchburg. Students will generate products such as posters, job gameboards and presentations that will exemplify their newly found knowledge of a variety of occupations. A Career Fair will extend students knowledge base of other careers to explore. Furthermore, this program organizes curriculum around themes of forming a better understanding of self, developing a concept of work and life options, acquiring positive relationships by becoming a contributing member of family, school, work and community. It’s a chance for Linkhorne Elementary School students to discover the places they can go, the persons they can be.
Achievement through Culture
Dearington Elementary School for Innovation – Teacher: Michael Dunaway
Grant Sponsors: Genworth Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide elementary art students with iPads to enhance their opportunities to create in an individualized setting and meet standards of learning. Technology has increasingly made the fine arts more accessible to the artist and audiences. Yet, elementary art teachers are rarely provided with opportunities to use this technology. The Virginia Art 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. Along with meeting fine arts standards, using iPads will expose students to applications relevant to current and future careers in the arts. With the purchase of 5 iPads, a charging unit, and App vouchers for the art club, the students at Dearington Elementary School for Innovation will be able to use technology in a creative way to develop as artists and ultimately impact their world as the next generation of leaders using modern tools to foster a thriving culture to live in using art.
P is for Patriots: A Paul Munro Alphabet Book
Paul Munro Elementary School – Teacher: Elizabeth Rinckel
Grant Sponsors: American National Bank
The purpose of this project is to provide students with the opportunity to utilize their language arts skills while working together in small groups to write, edit, and illustrate a book about their school, P Is For Patriots- A Paul Munro Alphabet Book, to be printed and bound. This project addresses building relationships by working together in small groups, making language arts instruction relevant in students’ lives, and learning the background and lengthy process of researching, writing, editing, illustrating, and proofing materials to be printed.
A-B-C: Read About Me!
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Karen Kohuth, Jennifer Lovette
Grant Sponsor: Kim & Stephen Tibbs and the LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide personalized books for kindergarten students being served through the Title I program. Through this project, we aim to promote literacy in the home environment while establishing positive home/school connections. The personalized books will serve to both motive children to read as well as engage parents and children in the important practice of reading together. What better way to encourage a love of reading, than by seeing your own name in a book? According to the group Reading is Fundamental, research shows that when parents read aloud to their children, they are helping them build vocabulary and language skills in addition to helping them become better readings, better listeners, and better students. The books will be distributed during home visits throughout the school year as part of our School Improvement Comprehensive Plan. Going to visit our children and their families at their homes, while bringing the gift of a book, will serve to build strong, positive relationships that will in turn make our children, school, and community stronger.
Bringing Wall Street to LMS
Linkhorne Middle School – Teachers: Brenda Murphy, Samantha Payne
Grant Sponsors: Jim & Verna Poats
The purpose of this project is to provide students with an authentic experience to learn the function of the American stock market. Starting with a virtual cash account of $100,000, students strive to create the best-performing portfolio using a live trading simulation. They work together in teams, practicing leadership, organization, negotiation, and cooperation as they compete for the top spot. The setup is engaging, and the learning is a natural part of the experience. Students use real internet research and news updates, making the simulation an even better mirror of the real marketplace. While the competition creates student excitement, the educational experience delivers the biggest impact. Students who participate in the The Stock Market Game™ program learn more than investing. The program also teaches and reinforces the essential skills and concepts of critical thinking, decision-making, cooperation and communication, Independent research, and saving and investing. As they progress, they learn core academic concepts and skills that can help them succeed in the classroom and in life.
Studio Time for E.C. Glass Rock Band
E. C. Glass High School - Teachers: Casey Woods, Russ Pawlas
Grant Sponsors: Candler Oil
The purpose of this project is to provide young musicians with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to record an album in a professional recording studio. Students will learn not only the rigorous process of songwriting and recording, but also of mixing and mastering from a seasoned professional who has over 20 years of experience. Students will then have the opportunity to have their work recordings published as a compilation album.
Multiplication Masters
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Carrie Finney, Sarah Dillon, Judy Thomas, Rachel Robinson
Grant Sponsor: Westminster Canterbury & Lynchburg Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union
The purpose of the project is to provide an electronic way to practice and master multiplication facts. Multiplication facts are an integral part of the fourth grade math curriculum. Quick recall of multiplication facts permit many math concepts to be practiced and learned more efficiently. We also anticipate an improvement with behavior within the classroom. Students often act out when they struggle with a concept that requires several steps. Memorization of multiplication facts would provide them with one step they could complete without difficulty.
Leaping Towards Kindergarten
Perrymont Elementary School Pre-K – Teachers: Debbie Wilson
Grant Sponsor: Sam’s Club, Walmart-Old Forest Road
The purpose of this project is to remediate, accelerate, and enrich the education of my students. The LeapPads have activities in reading, math, science, and social studies. The LeapPads automatically adjust to the skill level by the student’s pace. The LeapPads will allow an introduction to current technology on an age appropriate level. They will be used during large group to provide acceleration for two, remediation for two, and an introduction to the English language for one. They will be used during centers for enrichment in each academic area. Over the weekends, parents will be able to check out a LeapPad to use with their child. Parents and I can track their child’s progress via the free on-line Leap Frog Learning Path. This info will be used to drive individual learning plans.
The Daily 5: Listen to Reading
Perrymont Elementary School – Teacher: Shannon Richardson
Grant Sponsor: Generation Solutions, Southern Air, Greater Lynchburg Community Trust Special Fund
The purpose of this project is to provide resources to students for Listen to Reading, a key component of The Daily 5 framework for language arts instruction that is being used in our classrooms at Perrymont. The grant funding will be used to purchase approximately 20 Playaway Bookpacks. A Playaway is an individual all-in-one audio player with a pre-recorded book. A Playaway Bookpack contains five picture books and a Playaway with all five books in audio form. Thus the grant funding would purchase approximately 100 picture book titles with accompanying audio books. The Playaway Bookpacks will be cataloged and housed in the library, and they will be checked out through the library by teachers for use in their classroom. The purpose of Listen to Reading is to increase students’ reading ability by providing them with reading materials that are slightly above their independent reading levels, which they can listen to with headphones while tracking the print in the book.
Sprouting Up All Over
Fort Hill Community School – Teachers: Cathy Viar, Brandi Moore, Rhonda Stephens
Grant Sponsor: Moore & Giles, LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this project is to affect change in eating habits and attitudes about school pride. Its implementation will be twofold: to provide opportunities for students to learn how to grow vegetables and prepare nutritional meals, and to nurture school pride. The first part of this project will allow students to select, plant, nurture, and harvest vegetables for their own consumption at school and at home. A small garden will be started as seedlings and moved to a cold frame on the grounds of the school. When the plants mature, students will move them to a garden spot. As the plants mature, students will harvest them, plan a meal, and cook the vegetables. Students will take home vegetables to prepare for meals at home. The second phase of the project will allow students to choose flowers and shrubs, and plant them at school, teaching them the value of self-worth. Students will "own" certain plants and garden spots, giving them a sense of responsibility and pride.
Busy Hands, Busy Brains
Sheffield Elementary School Pre-K – Dana Owen, Lori Seipp
Grant Sponsor: Wells Fargo
The purpose of this project is to provide early literacy and math skills using “hands-on” activities. Studies have shown students reach higher levels of understanding and remain more focused and engaged when taught using this approach. Currently our classes are filled with books; however, our students cannot be actively involved because there are not enough book sets to go around. With this program we plan to incorporate lessons where each student will have a “book in hand” so he or she will be able to turn the pages as the story is read, find letters on each page, develop concept of word, identify numbers and count objects as he or she “reads.” Another component of our plan is to get parents more involved in their child’s education through reading. We will hold a parent session to explain the importance of reading on a daily basis and how to properly “teach” pre-reading/reading skills. This will also give the parents an opportunity to review the books that will be sent home each week.
Growing with Gardens
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Kerry Frankfort, Miranda Shore, Kathy Latham
Grant Sponsor: Bank of the James, Dominion Seven Architects, LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide learning opportunities across content areas through the planning, design, setup, growing, and harvesting of an indoor classroom garden. The process of planting and growing vegetables reinforces concepts taught in science such as plant life cycles, the water cycle, and ecology. Planning the layout and design of the garden container space reinforces math concepts such as fractions, geometry, number sense, and measurement. Each lesson opens with a story or poem that illustrates the concepts taught in that lesson. For example, reading “Tops and Bottoms” by Janet Stevens introduces the lesson on plant parts and characteristics of vegetables (specifically edible and non-edible parts). Students will develop their understanding of informational text as they pull information from each book and use that information in a weekly gardening activity. Students will learn to work as a team as they dele gate jobs and responsibilities related to caring for the garden. They will learn the value of caring for a living thing as they take a garden from bare soil to mature plantings.
Rain, Snow Sleet Indoor Recess Can’t Be Beat
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Page Miller, Annemarie Clingenpeel, Lisa Smith, Haley Shreve
Grant Sponsor: Dodson Pest Control
The purpose of this project is to provide Kindergarten students with activities to do during indoor recess. Kindergarten students need to stay active even if they are unable to go outside for recess. The students need games, building blocks, and activities to help release some of their energy. Kindergarten students need to have time to play and have fun with hands on activities that are appropriate for indoor recess and need time to play cooperatively with their peers which will help to foster a sense of community and build peer relationships.
What’s Black and White and Read All Over? Quick Response Codes!
Bedford Hills Elementary School – Teacher: Susan Wolk
Grant Sponsor: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
The purpose of this project is to provide our elementary school library with computer hardware that has the capability of connecting student or staff users with additional information through media using QR codes. Students will be able to use the five IPAD minis to scan (or read) QR codes in our library books and connect to video book commercials made by other BHS students. This project addresses the need of our school population for independent reading motivation to increase reading comprehension, engagement, and proficiency. The project specifically addresses the Standards of Learning across all grade levels that relate to communication (speaking, listening and media literacy), comprehension of fictional and nonfiction texts, and writing for a variety of purposes.
Project Inclusion
E.C. Glass High School – Teacher: Heather McCormick
Grant Sponsor: RR Donnelley and LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this project 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.
Put SONRISAS on My Students’ Faces!
Dearington Elementary School for Innovation – Teacher: Donna Phelps
Grant Sponsor: BB&T
The purpose of this project is to provide a more comprehensive and succinct Spanish instructional plan for the students of Dearington Elementary School for Innovation. Since Dearington included Spanish in its curriculum in 1995, our program has been lacking the best materials available to make Spanish learning at DESI the most effective it could be. Our students need a curriculum that better meets their needs through a more natural and interactive approach by creating an immersion environment with students learning more age-appropriate, useful, and conversational Spanish. The Sonrisas (meaning "smiles") Spanish Program was developed by bilingual and ESL teachers to provide elementary schools with the best curriculum for reaching that age student most effectively and has proven results across the country.
The “Meaning-FULL” and Worksheet-LESS” Classroom
Heritage Elementary School – Teacher: Rachel Madigan
Grant Sponsor: Walmart – Wards Road
The purpose of this project is to provide an exciting and different classroom in which students participate in and create interactive activities in every subject daily. Students will be taught concepts in ALL subjects using teacher, then student, created "lap-books" and hands on centers instead of using worksheets. I would also like them to be able to "check out" these materials and practice with them at home. Students love to learn through manipulatives and hands on activities. They tend to retain more of the information as well because this type of learning interests them. Creating these SOL standard centers and Lap-books will reinforce daily what these students are learning in third grade. It can also be used a form of Spiral Review. These activities are also very beneficial for my class because they incorporate higher level thinking and can be modified for students with Learning disabilities. As I am co-teaching a SPED inclusion class these activities are perfect for each of my students individually and are a great way for them to build relationships too.
Marvelous Math Manipulatives for Home
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Kristy Genung, Brianne Bell, Andrea Parker, Allison Ashton
Grant Sponsor: RockTenn
The purpose of this project is to provide materials at home to assist parents with extending and enriching their students at home. Our students need manipulatives to gain a better understanding of math concepts and currently they do not have manipulatives to use at home. This proposal will increase parent involvement with their child’s education. Linkhorne Elementary’s School Improvement plan is very focused on parent involvement. Our second grade team will hold a family math night for our second grade families. There will be two purposes for this night, first, we will teach parents how to use each of the manipulatives and two, we will distribute the math manipulatives. We will then send home addition activities and instructions explaining how to use the manipulatives for parents as we teach math concepts in class.
Buckets of Hope Connecting Parents with School
Perrymont Elementary School – Teachers: Maureen Sheedy-Morris, Sheila Rudder, Kathy Abbott
Grant Sponsor: Successful Innovations, George Rainsford Fund, Reverend Haywood Robinson Fund
The purpose of this project is to provide supplies, activities, and parent support for students receiving extra reading support from school reading specialists. Using this grant, we will provide magnetic letters, pencils, crayons, scissors, magnetic whiteboards, and other items that support reading activities at home. The items will be stored in a bucket that makes materials easy to find and centrally located for the family. It allows families to have all the equipment needed to complete most home reading tasks. Having the materials to complete the reading tasks make it easier for the parents to engage in home reading activities without the stress of hunting up items or just not having them in the home. Parents will be invited to participate in parent workshops with reading specialists providing guidance as to effective home reading activities and answer any questions they may have in helping their students at home.
Orff Melody Makers
Heritage Elementary School – Teacher: Alison Gaston
Grant Sponsor: Dr. Robert R. Bowen & Greater Lynchburg Community Trust Special Fund
The purpose of this project is to provide students at Heritage Elementary the opportunity to experience melody and harmony using pitched instruments. Most music is made up of rhythmic and melodic elements, and many of the Virginia Music SOLs promote students playing pitched instruments alone and with others. With the current materials at Heritage, students will not be able to meet these important objectives. With the funds, the Heritage music program will be able to get Xylophones, Metallophones, and glockenspiels to use in playing individual and group melodies and harmonies. Students will be able to practice and perform melodies written from the treble clef staff, work in an ensemble, and have experiences in creating their own music. These new instruments will help to prepare our young musicians for the next stages of music in middle school and high school.
Community Connections
All LCS ELL - Teachers: Melissa Fox, Karin Botzenhart
Grant Sponsor: Genworth Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide a backpack with community resources to our newly enrolled English Language Learners and their families. The contents of the backpacks will identify, integrate, and provide resources and services from the community of Lynchburg. It will in turn support the families of English language learners with school programs, family practices, and student learning and development. We will distribute the backpacks to welcome newly enrolled ELL families and provide information about connections throughout Lynchburg. Our desire is to collaborate and connect with the local venues and community partners to educate these families about involvement and opportunities found within the seven hills community.
Growing Pains
Fort Hill Community School – Teachers: Cathy Viar, Greer Harris, Juliann Edwards
Grant Sponsors: The Education & Research Foundation, Inc., Virginia School Equipment, LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide students with the materials they need to continue the good reading habits they establish at school. Bigger is better, right? In terms of the number of students who benefit from the numerous programs at Fort Hill Community School, that is an overwhelming, “YES!” But, with the increased number of students and programs comes a need to expand our library. One of the positives at Fort Hill Community School is the “connectedness” that students experience. When they return to their base schools, the transition is smooth and the students are on track academically. In order to provide students with the library books and class sets they need, the library needs a boost. The expansion of Fort Hill Community School (the merging of FHCS and Pride) has created a larger program at Fort Hill, thus creating the need for expanded resources.
Explorations in Clay
Perrymont Elementary School – Teacher: Lisa Crawford
Grant Sponsor: R.M. Gantt, LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide students at Perrymont Elementary School with an experience using clay as a medium to create art. The students have not had this opportunity in the past and this grant would lay the groundwork for a clay program which could be ongoing. Through this grant, students will use motor skills to shape and manipulate the clay, create three-dimensional works of art, use the subtractive and additive process to create sculptures, describe and use hand-building techniques, and more. This would allow the students to meet the Art SOLs involving clay.
Engaging Guys and Girls TOO in Engineering
Dearington Elementary School for Innovation – Teacher: Tawanda Johnson
Grant Sponsor: Wiley|Wilson
The purpose of this project is to provide a wonderful opportunity for all students to enjoy the fun of doing, discussing, and learning about STEM . Literacy books will be used along with technology to help teachers plan and carry out engineering challenges that will benefit both male and female students. The STEM activities in this project will be carefully chosen based on grade level standards in math, science and English. Engineering challenges will be given based on problems from literacy books that attract all students. GoldieBlox a series of interactive books and constructions toys starring Goldie, the girl inventor. Using the power of storytelling, GoldieBlox leverages students’ verbal skills to help build self-confidence about spatial awareness. Moreover, GoldieBlox offers an online, interactive Playground where videos teach students even more engineering concepts for endless building possibilities. Also, STEM challenge ideas will be taken from “Brown Paper School” book; a series of small books about big ideas that focus on how to think as well as storybooks from the teacher resource Teaching Science through Trade books.
Egg Tempera Painting Workshop
Heritage High School – Teacher: John Roark
Grant Sponsor: Carrington Family Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide an experience in one of the oldest forms of art, egg tempera. The students will learn the process from mixing their own egg medium to mixing dry pigment with medium to the painting process. Egg tempera is the process used by Renaissance artists and is still being used by modern artists. The late Andrew Wyeth was one such practitioner. The method requires patience, discipline and considerable self-control and teaches two distinct methods of art making as it requires pen & ink work before paint is ever mixed. Students will find improvement in drawing, painting and color theory skills as a result of experiencing this ancient art form. It is a form not many colleges attempt to teach (and to my knowledge none in the area.)
LES Family Book Club
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teacher: Mary Jo Krufka
Grant Sponsor: Central Virginia Federal Credit Union
The purpose of this project is to provide families with copies of a book so that they can read and discuss the book at home as a family activity. One evening, LES hosts a book club discussion night where families will come together to discuss the book with other LES families. Light refreshments will be served and drawings for door prizes of books related to the book we have read will be held.
Mini iPad in The Art Room
Sandusky Middle School – Teacher: Karen Camden
Grant Sponsors: The Babcock & Wilcox Company & LCS Education Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide middle school art students with mini iPads to enhance their opportunities to create art. With access to this technology art students can research, photograph, write, explore, and create works of art. Along with meeting the Fine Arts Standards, using iPads will also expose students to applications relevant to current and future careers in both art and media fields. With the purchase of 5 mini iPads and a color printer, we can begin to build a mini computer lab within the Art room.
Building to Write
R. S. Payne Elementary School – Teacher: Kim Beuerle
Grant Sponsor: L.G. Flint General Contractors
The purpose of this project is to provide the LEGO Education StoryStarter Kit for my students to help them become better readers and writers. My students will be able to experience a hands-on approach to creating stories using LEGO bricks. Students will read a story, retell it by building the major events, and write about it. Students will also be able to collaborate and create a story, use the digital camera to take pictures of it, insert pictures into the software, write their story, and present it. Through this approach, I will be focusing on enhancing students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
Making the Circuit
Sandusky Middle School – Teachers: Brian Jablonski, David Pierce, Shante Beeson, Leah Purvis
Grant Sponsor: Innovative Wireless
The purpose of this project is to provide seventh and eighth grade science students with an inquiry-based learning experience relating to electricity, electric circuits, and magnetism. Students will be able to convert motion to electricity. They will also be able to explore Faraday’s famous magnetic induction demonstration. Students will build their own circuits using kits that include lights, motors, switches, and resistors. They will use a hand generator and batteries to power their circuits. Through the use of the kits students can build different kinds of circuits (series and parallel) and note how each different circuit produces different results (e.g. in terms of a light’s brightness, volume of a buzzer, or the speed of a fan). Students can demonstrate open and closed circuits. Students will explore the relationship between magnetism and electricity and how important this relationship is to their everyday lives. Students will develop an understanding of the transformation of energy when electricity is changed to light energy and to mechanical energy and its ability to do work.
Classrooms Alive!
Linkhorne Elementary School – Teachers: Barbara Reid, Jennifer Zuniga, Jessica Cobb, Brenna McCormick
Grant Sponsors: Hanwha Azdel
The purpose of this project 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 and ladybugs 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, other pest controlling plants, beans, lettuce, and peas, and will take the plants home to help with pest control in their own gardens that they started in the classroom.
Moving Mountains with Motivating Math Instruction
T.C. Miller Elementary School – Teachers: Kelly Jacobs, Jodi Braband, Shawn Lipscomb, Tamara Johnson
Grant Sponsor: Appalachian Power
The purpose of this project is to provide to provide students in grades 1-3 with meaningful and rigorous math review and instruction. Often, students participate in daily drills in math that tests rote memory. Practice of other mathematical concepts and/or practice of strategies is limited to the time in which students are slated to learn the new skill. At T. C. Miller, we want to extend the idea of review and practice to include multiple concepts and strategies. By using the Mountain Math daily review program in grades 1-3, Mountain Math independent centers, and establishing an interactive math workstation available to all grades, our students will truly get extended practice in the application of multiple targeted math concepts.
Building Better Writers
Dearington Elementary School for Innovation – Teacher: Anne Mabry, Jennifer Mariner, Lyn Mathews
Grant Sponsor: Greater Lynchburg Community Trust – W.E. Betts Jr. Family Fund
The purpose of this project is to provide students expanded, cooperative and independent experiences with the process of working to tangibly build storyboards and discuss plots. Additionally students will work together in writing, presenting, and digitally publishing their work. Using Legos and the StoryStarter software is expected to increase student engagement and motivation in participating in the language arts process.
Project Inclusion
Heritage High School – Teacher: Kenya Fowler
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg Economic Development Authority
The purpose of this project 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.
Sandusky Elementary School Culture and Behaviors Improvement Plan
Sandusky Elementary School – Teacher: Amanda Lokar, Jena Brown
Grant Sponsor: Anonymous
The purpose of this project is to increase academic development, decrease behavioral issues, as well as improve the school's climate. Students will create a Kindness Project, which will provide a sense of community throughout the school environment. It also will provide environmental awareness by teaching students the importance of giving back to the earth, as well as the community. The project will include a Kindness Garden that will be located in the back of the school and consist of a picnic table, two benches, painted rocks with kind statements, bird houses, bird feeders, a vegetable garden, and wild flowers. The students will learn multiple ways in which they can spread kindness in their daily lives through PK-5 guidance lessons provided by the school counselor in class. Through these guidance lessons, all students will gain awareness and be able to participate in this project and make Sandusky Elementary School a place where they are able to thrive academically, behaviorally, and culturally.
Lab-Aids for Learning
P. L. Dunbar Middle School – Teachers: Gail Waller, Barbara Braun
Grant Sponsor: Fleet Laboratories
The purpose of this project is to provide hands-on experiences and inquiry-based learning for approximately 275 sixth grade science and sixth grade life science students at P. L. Dunbar School of Innovation through materials from Lab-Aids®, Inc. The Lab-Aids® kits supplement the Virginia Department of Education curriculum by helping students understand science concepts through direct experience.
Virginia's sixth grade science curriculum and the middle school life science curriculum requires students to demonstrate understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations across the curriculum for a diverse population. Some of the objectives sixth grade students study are photosynthesis, water cycle, watersheds, animal classification, energy flows, ecosystems, cells, animal and plant adaptations, and heredity. Planning and conducting investigations for nearly 275 students requires an abundance of supplies (including consumables) that reaches beyond the science budget.
Digital Design Across the Digital Divide
P. L. Dunbar Middle School – Teachers: Ian Moore
Grant Sponsor: Lynchburg Economic Development Authority
The purpose of this project is to provide students opportunity to explore the basics of 3-D technical drawing and the world of computer generated 3-D modeling and design. The course provides a basic understanding of the skills and techniques employed by 3-D designers in a wide range of applications. Over a semester they will explore basic mesh modeling, texturing, lighting, animation and rendering and, by the end of the course, should have a good foundation basis for further study in architectural, engineering, game, theatrical and character design.
Creating More STEAM with the Performing Arts Team
T. C. Miller Elementary School – Teachers: Joan Sudec, Angie Salerno, Shawn Lipscomb
Grant Sponsor: Carolina Dance & Body Wear, Lynchburg Retail Merchants Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide students with additional activities that support the growth of core academic skills while developing both physical and musical abilities. The important aspect in connecting the cognitive and the kinesthetic will be actively reinforced. The project is based on some materials from the High Scope Curriculum which emphasizes developing the child through “basic movement abilities as well as thinking, math, language and literacy skills.” We feel combining these resources with our total performing arts curriculum will enhance all students learning in all subject areas.
Understanding Geology
P. L. Dunbar Middle School – Teachers: Thomas Foster, Jacky Pinn
Grant Sponsor: Coldwell Banker Commercial Read & Co., Hurt & Proffitt, News & Advance, Woodridge Heating, Air, Electric
The purpose of this project is to provide students with a hands-on guide to rock formation. The formation of rock types, along with mineral identification, is perhaps the single most important topic in Earth Science. Unfortunately, this topic can be one of the hardest for students to grasp or become engaged with. The overall goal of this grant is to provide students with an interactive rock/mineral display that is progressive in nature: mineral formation that builds various rock types. The display would contain a variety of minerals, rock types, and interactive screens that would allow students to engage with the various specimens on exhibit
Ukeleles for the Music Classroom
Bass Elementary School – Teacher: Joshua Davis
Grant Sponsor: LCS Education Foundation, Inc.
The purpose of this project is to provide students with genuine opportunities to create music. By providing ukuleles for the music classroom, students will gain the knowledge and confidence to individually and collectively create and perform music. Ukuleles can be used to foster music literacy in a format that is fun to play, inexpensive, portable, and applicable to any style of music.
Math Station Investigations
Bass Elementary School – Teachers: Patti Reynolds, Christen Ramsey, Kate Dalton, Gwen Robinson, Tami Simone, Venita Clark
Grant Sponsors: Electronic Design & Manufacturing Company and the Merryman Foundation
The purpose of this project is to provide meaningful, independent math practices for students (based on Virginia Standards of Learning, Lynchburg City Curriculum Objectives, and student needs) through the combined innovative teaching strategies of small group instruction and the use of math station investigations. Small group instruction has been a successful component to the reading instruction of students. It is only natural to make the progression into the math arena. Small group instruction provides teachers opportunities to work with flexible groups to differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of students. Yet the biggest issue with small group is how to keep students engaged with their learning when they are not working with the teacher. With well-planned math stations, a variety of investigations will offer students the potential to practice and apply skills and strategies taught within the classroom. Using Math Station Investigations will help teachers remediate, practice, and enrich student learning to increase student achievement in math.
For more information about the Classroom Innovation Grant Program and the LCS Education Foundation, Inc. contact Jodi K. Gillette, Executive Director at 515-5081 or [email protected].