Submitted Report
It’s the most wonderful time of the year when the Hays CISD Education Foundation’s “Prize Patrol” hands out Grants for Great Ideas to district educators.
On Monday, members of the Hays Education Foundation Board of Directors toured 11 campuses and awarded in surprise fashion Grants for Great Ideas to numerous educators for their ideas that will help to enhance classroom learning. Educators who received grants submitted their ideas for projects, resources and programs that promote creative ideas to the Education Foundation. A selection committee then conducts a “blind” review process where they score applications for funding. All told, the Hays Education Foundation awarded $58,295 in grants Monday. Educators who received grants were:
• Jennifer Higa-Rolls, Tobias ES – $1,300 for Chrome Books.
• Laura Carter, Tobias ES – $4,990 for book vending machine.
• Melissa Merket, Tobias ES – $611 for sensory equipment for motor lab room.
• Robyn Blanchard and Nate Smith, Fuentes ES – $2,835 for 30 brass style instruments.
• Holly Armatta, Beth Martinez, Laura Gale, Staci Perkins and Jeana Anderson, Fuentes ES – $834 for stationary and mobile mindfulness kits.
• Mercedes Gonzalez, Julia Armstrong, Jennifer Depizzo, Charlie Jones Mutshcner and Staci Perkins, Fuentes ES – $1,075 for materials to create theater set, props and costumes for theatre club.
• Pat Niemie, Staci Perkins and Kaytlin Meyer – $500 for supplies to build rock garden.
• Lindsey Perry, Phil Pacia and James Reveley, Lehman HS – $5,000 for building outdoor lab for art, CTE students.
• Rebecca Handy, Science Hall ES – $1,800 for reader pens and library books in dyslexia classroom.
• Michelle Zuniga, Marisa Prunty and Carrie Adams, Kyle ES – $1,789 for monthly themed classroom transformation kits.
• Judith Martinez, Kyle ES – $200 for downloads to help social and emotional learning.
• Kimberli Yancey, Kyle ES – $5,000 for adapted playground equipment for Special Education students.
• Stacey Magnesio, Calli Edwards and Bertha Endsley, Kyle ES – $1,600 for materials to make learning themed classroom transformations.
• David Coronado, Wallace MS – $3,000 for production equipment to produce school news productions.
• James Noble, Wallace MS – $4,876 for parts for WMS Robotics club.
• Dina Secrest, Jennifer Jameson and Debbie Sparks, Negley ES – $3,462 for 3D Augmented reality supplemental reading kit.
• Mary Halenza, Hays HS – $450 for classroom set of calculators.
• Shannon Dahlstrom, Megan Hanson, Lehman Ag, Johnson Ag – $5,000 for equipment for competitive clay target shooting team for all three high schools.
• Shannon Dahlstrom, Hays HS – $4,973 for tools to build a construction shop for students.
• Mandy Brown, Jennifer Segura and Clinton Towers, IMPACT – $1,300 for a role-playing game to engage students.
• Lori Schunka, Jennifer Simonet, Marla Thompson, Candi Scott, Peyton Perez and Linsey Autry, Carpenter Hill ES – $500 to paint chairs based on artists students research.
• Misty Martinez, Carpenter Hill ES – $5,000 for set of 15 percussion instruments for music classes.
• Emily Hoffman, Johnson HS – $500 for 3D pens for students.
• Emily Hoffman, Johnson HS – $500 for button maker and supplies for the library.
• Amanda Giles and Kristen de los Santos, Buda ES – $2,000 for multicultural props, books and toys for Early Childhood Special Education classes.
• Amy Schutze, McCormick MS – $500 for materials to build additional green screens available to all campuses.
