Staff Reports
The Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation has awarded more than $31,000 in spring 2018 innovation grants.
The recipients and their school, the amount received and an overview of their projects include:
Zachary Schroeder, CSA New Tech, $3,000 for “Virtual Reality Lab” — Project is to engage students in the world of science, technology, engineering, art and math through the use of virtual reality.
Tami Hebert, Richards Elementary School, $1,200 for “Reading My Way!” — Project will include purchasing 12 Kindle eReaders, cases, electronic versions of popular children’s books and training on how to use the devices. Students will be able to change the font size, bookmark and highlight text and have the text read aloud by the device.
Corie Williams and Amber Wolf, Rockcreek Elementary School, $500 for “Busy Hands Busy Minds Sensory Success” — Project includes creating a sensory integration wall in areas of the hallways at Rockcreek Elementary. The wall would provide a way for a significant number of students to engage with their environment, which would increase the ability of their brain in processing and organizing information.
Katie Schmidt, Columbus North High School, $1,630 for “CAST’s fourth annual UDL symposium: Empowering Leaders” — Symposium is to gain a deeper understanding of the UDL framework with attendees collaborating with fellow colleagues and expert educators to explore how to empower learners in the classroom.
BJ Marks, all elementary band directors, $4,888 for “Band Instruments for BCSC sixth graders” — Project will increase the availability of instruments for first-year band members in the sixth-grade whose family is unable to afford an instrument rental or purchase.
Jennifer Hester, Columbus North High School, $1,000 for “Flexible Seating” — Project will help remove barriers for classroom success with flexible seating providing students with choice and autonomy about their learning. It also provides options for self-regulation by helping students identify copy skills and strategies to remain focused on their work.
Jeannie Long, Mt. Healthy Elementary School, $2,500 for “One Book One School” — All students at Mt. Healthy would be reading the same book for one month that would involve reading, doing activities and collaborating as a staff and student body around one common book. Project will involve having third- to sixth-grade students read a book, writing a book review and creating a short video. Students will vote for the book that will be read for the 2018-19 school year.
Leanne Conner, Northside Middle School, $1,825.39 for “Lending Library Flexible Seating” — Project was proposed because of student feedback regarding the need for flexible seating and will allow students and their teachers to gain exposure to many flexible seating options.
Courtney Foreman, Mt. Healthy Elementary School, $656 for “Revamping Outdoor STEM Lab for K-3” — Project will revamp an outdoor STEM lab.
Amy Nagel, Mt. Healthy Elementary School, $555.07 for “Amygdala First Aid Station in the Classroom” — Project will provide funding to create an amygdala first aid station for a classroom with the kit helping students use a variety of strategies to help calm themselves and self-regulate.
Whitney Grant, BCSC Cultural Learning Center, $500 for “The HumanEX Project” — Project is an idea adapted from an existing nonprofit organization of the same name in Denmark. Grant will allow the center to bring in speakers while also working with Cummins, Inc. affinity groups.
Kim Chamberlin, Southside Elementary School, $640 for “Southside Business Town” — Project will be used in fifth grade involving 120-130 students setting up a town to run. Students will work to understand money matters, prepare for the workforce by researching different types of jobs, create a resume and conduct interviews.
Jamie Bumbalough, Emily Abney, Chris Bodart, Jacob McCall, Southside Elementary School, $5,810.66 for “Growing Science” — Project will involve growing various types of plants to teach science standards. Students will help plan a school garden to take care of and maintain.
Kari Tyree and Brenda Frady, Taylorsville Elementary School, $990 for “Diversity Book Club” — Project will enable elementary teachers to identify and list topics of diversity relative to classroom and/or building needs. A topic and corresponding book title will be selected each month. As a group, teachers will read the month’s selection and generate potential discussion questions, lessons and activities to use in the classroom.
Peggy Myers, Lacey Brazill, Sandi Spall, Bob Hartman, Sarabeth Fisher and Rebecca Daugherty, Columbus East High School, $2,995.39 for “Olympian Express Cafe” — Project will enable students with intellectual disabilities and their nondisabled peers from the business education, culinary arts, interior design, building trades and graphic design classes to work together to design and operate a cafe at the school.
Jerilyn Brewer, Clifty Creek Elementary School, $2,700 for “Books for All” — Project is focused on providing bilingual books to support the opening of the Legado program at Clifty Creek.
