2013-2014 Grants to Educators
Academy HS
eMake, $1495
Jaclyn Moore
Students will learn how the engineering design process (plan, reflect, revise, build)
promotes innovation and creativity, and product improvements. After learning about the
Industrial Revolution and the current Maker Movement, students will design something
with at least one circuit, providing detailed assembly instructions describing how it works,
components, how to make it, and possible adaptations. At the culmination of the project,
students will participate in a eMake Expo to showcase their product to community
members.
Aldridge Elementary School
For the Love of Science, $474
Nancy H. Sowards
The Love of Science project is a set of science activity tubs that will provide 4th and 5th
grade students with more materials in the science lab. Students will conduct
experiments, create, explore and observe the scientific process. Language driven
experiences will further increase students' knowledge in eight different areas.
Andrews Elementary School
History is our Heritage, $1210
Karla Kelson Shelby
"History is our Heritage" would serve as a culminating activity to our ongoing lessons of
the history of Plano, Texas. Our third grade students would like to travel "back in time"
and visit the Heritage Farmstead Museum, as we feel this would be a beneficial experience
that would connect and link our lessons on local, state, and national governments.
Finally, the Heritage Farmstead Museum is a member of the Plano Landmark Assoication,
State of Texas historical Marker, and National Register of Historic Places.
Andrews Elementary School
KIC- Kid Inquiry Conference 2013-2014, $500
Debbie Pilkinton
Kids Inquiry Conference is an event that uses the foundation ideas of the typical science
fair and “KIC”s it into high gear. The students will work in teams to choose a topic, design
a science investigation, execute the scientific process, reflect on the results, and write a
research article to be published in a yearly KIC book. Groups will then have the
opportunity to share their findings with younger students, peers, teachers, parents and
community members through engaging presentations in a conference like setting.
Armstrong Middle School
Dallas Arboretum Field Trip, $900
Alexis Derbin
Transportation costs needed for Armstrong Middle School 6th graders to be taken to the
Dallas Arboretum in the spring. The field trip aligns with state standards and would
provide our students with an authentic outdoor learning experience. This trip would only
serve to enhance the instruction the 6th grade teachers provide our students.
Armstrong Middle School
Reading is Fundamental, $400
Kimberly Harvey-Jordan
Reading Workshop is the name of our district selected reading program in the 6th grade.
This project is to give students more opportunities to have ownership of their reading by
improving on the following:Reading fluencyReading comprehensionReading rigorInference
skillsThis project will enable students to purchase additional content, teen choice books for
the classroom library.
Armstrong Middle School
Incentives to Read, $700
Renee Davis
Incentives to Read is a middle school incentive program designed to motivate our
students to select and read books at home and for leisure. This program specifically
aimed at our high number of low socio-economic students, will reward students for
accomplishing reading tasks. The program focuses on giving extrinsic rewards for reading
hoping our students will begin to appreciate that reading is a reward in itself.
Armstrong Middle School
We're Here to Learn, $1100
Lucia Marinez
We're Here to Learn is a positive attendance program. Students are recognized and
rewarded for their positive and perfect attendance. Recognition occurs throughout the
school year, each month, six-weeks, and semester.
Armstrong Middle School
"In the Zone" Student - Selected Reading, $450
Shirley Sadowski
"In the Zone" is the name of our student-selected reading (SSR) program in the eighth
grade. When students get engrossed in a great book they have chosen themselves, they
really get "in the zone." Our project will enable us to purchase additional current, teenchoice books for our classroom libraries.
Armstrong Middle School
AMS 30 Mile Challenge, $2000
Claire McGrath
The AMS 30 Mile Challenge is a year-long program for all Physical Education students in
which they must reach 30 miles by May 15, 2014. Students' are given one day per week
to work toward reaching the goal, and coaches update their progress weekly. Those that
reach 30 miles will receive special recognition at an awards ceremony and a t-shirt. The
goal of the program is to motivate students to work hard at reaching a goal and choosing
a healthy lifestyle.
Armstrong Middle School
College Campus Visit, $1500
Susan Saviano
College Campus Visit is geared toward educating students about life at a college campus.
Students are provided with knowledge of what life is like on a college campus (dorm life,
class sizes, clubs and organizations), benefits of a college education and college entrance
requirements. Students will visit a major Texas university where they will tour the
campus, recieve information about the campus from actual college students and eat lunch
in a college cafeteria.
Armstrong Middle School
TIYL This is Your Life, $1500
Glenda Rouse
This Is Your Life Program! T.I.Y.L.(Tie-Yul) Program is a middle school skills for life
program designed to create experiential learning of specific skills needed in everyday
living. The program features learning by design for special education students identified as
at-risk, below average to severly dalayed cognition, with varying disabilities and/or social
deficits identified by the current Full Individual Evaluation (FIE). The program focus is on
real-life behaviors that an individual needs to live successfully and independently in a
natural community setting.
Armstrong Middle School
M.A.G.I.C. MENTORING APACHES WITH GUIDANCE INSPIRATION AND CONNECTION,
$1500
Susan Meyers
A campus originated mentoring program consisting of mentors who are connected to our
campus community through staff, parents,students, and local businesses. This program is
designed to begin providing identified students with a mentor who is invested in the
success of our campus community and can follow our students from Grade 6-8 and
optionally beyond.
Beverly Elementary School
Book Lover's Club, $336
Nora Davis
All Kindergarten and 2nd Grade students will participate each month in an engaging Book
Lover's Club that makes reading fun! The Kindergarten and 2nd Grade students will be
paired together in order to support literacy acquisition for the younger children and to
foster confidence and leadership skills in the older children. At each club meeting, the
students will read books, discuss open-ended questions, and cooperate to complete
projects in response to the stories.
Bird SPC K-8
School Age Parent Program - "Bonus Bucks" Incentive Program, $1100
Wanda Pietersz
The "Bonus Bucks" incentive program provides incentives and reinforcement for schoolage parents to remain in school, acheive academic success, and develop positive parental
behavior. Students earn "Bonus Bucks" throughout the semester and may redeem them
at the end of the semester event, "Celebrations," for relevent items (i.e. diapers, bottles,
children's books, car seats). This program provides a way to acknowledge success in a
very trying time in a young person’s life.
Bowman Middle School
Raiders On The move, $1465
Gayle Scott
This is an after school program designed to enhance the academic, organizational, and
social development of Special Education students. The program will include a group of
diverse learners who have limited access to resources in the community. The activities
and weekly meetings of the after school program will increase their knowledge of
community resources and help them develop needed skills to be successful in life.
Bowman Middle School
There's No Place Like Home, $500
Greg McGrath
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and
confidence.” Helen Keller believed this whole-heartedly and this certainly holds true
today. We realize that each day can be a struggle, so we focus on rewarding positive
behavior with awards and parties, rather than the negative and we’ve noticed the amount
of buy-in from this particular group of students.
Bowman Middle School
Launching to the Stars, $898
Kelly Williams
This project entails the students launching a rocket they build and measuring the distance
it travelled. The students get to use their creativity when building their rocket and then
use hypothesis, an IVCDV chart, and mathematics to analyze their results. The students
can then take the lesson they learned and apply it again in 8th grade when studying
Newton's Laws.
Bowman Middle School
The Zone, $1500
Alissa Benoit
The Zone is a student-led, staff-supported organization that encourages peers to push
past barriers and communicate positively and effectively with one another by sowing
seeds of social consciousness. The Zone will inspire and educate our local community on
ways to acknowledge the differences and similarities amongst all people. Bullying and
longing to be accepted are the key things that middle school students struggle with, and
our ultimate goal is to ensure that all students learn effective means of communication
and peer relations.
Bowman Middle School
Project Based Learning for Middle School, $1460
Adrian Rodriguez
The purpose of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) initiative is to begin integrating PBL
concepts into the middle school. Appropriate training for four core subject teachers will
be supplied by a faculty member from the Academy High School. Additional faculty will be
trained in succeeding years.
Bowman Middle School
High Five for Student Success, $1500
Joan McIntosh
The High Five for Success is a student recognition for students campus wide that exhabits
Bowman Middle School expections on a consistent basis. The expectations are: Respect
yourself; respect your peers; respect your teachers; respect visitors; respect your
campus; respect the knowledge that is given to you. Our focus is for all students to be
bold, to belong, and to believe in themselves, their peers,their school, and the Plano ISD
way. The committee is focusing on three programs this year to acknowledge the students
who not only achieve academically but who also show good character traits. The ultimate
goal is for all students to shine bright.
Bowman Middle School
AVID in ACTION (A²), $1200
Stephanie Schinnerer
Our school is continuing to permeate AVID strategies throughout the building to help
students be more academically adept. This year, our school is creating AVID in ACTION
(A²)by adding tutorials to 6th grade study skills classes as well as the AVID classes to
engage students in higher level questioning and help each other be successful this school
year.
Carpenter Middle School
The Promise of Peer Mediation, $1500
Rodrigo Hurtado
For anyone that has gone through, worked or currently attends middle school, we know
that conflicts are a natural part of adolescents' lives. However, too many adolescents rely
on reactive many times destructive ways of resolving their conflicts. The promise of peer
mediation is a school wide program that offers the student body an alternative to
resolving their conflicts by providing a confidential, voluntary, proactive and impartial
service led by students for students peer mediation program that holds the promise of
positively transforming student lives, school and transcending our community.
Carpenter Middle School
Physics and Engineering Advisory Club, $1500
Betty Young
Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students will collaborate to solve challenging Physics and
Engineering problems in this Special Interest Club. Every Friday, students will enter an
inquiry oriented learning environment where they will explore engaging, hands-on Physics
and Engineering activities. Students will utilize and develop critical thinking skills as they
brainstorm, observe, analyze, design, build, test, and engage in friendly competitions.
Carpenter Middle School
Wise Readers, $1025
Anika Vaughn
“Wise Readers” is a reading program for Carpenter Middle School seventh graders. As
students have the opportunity to choose an interesting and insightful book an invitation of
special wisdom is granted and captured through self-discovery and passionate reading.
This project will enable us to purchase additional current teen-choice books for our
classroom libraries and produce a classroom environment where readers connect and
explore the power of literature!
Carpenter Middle School
Lesson Academy, $1500
Katie Zeier
Lesson Academy is an opportunity for all band students to receive small group lessons
from professional musicians. District approved private lesson teachers will share their
musical talent through instruction and performance. The opportunity to study with lesson
teachers will provide the same benefits that other PISD students receive.
Christie Elementary School
C.N.N -- Campus News NOW, $1500
Linda Higbee
Active learning with hands-on experience is paramount to student success. With our
campus as the hub of life in our community, students will inform, entertain, and teach one
another through the use of technology by broadcasting a variety of stories on a daily
campus news program. A variety of literacy skills embedded in authentic experience
allows students to hone their speaking, reading,and writing skills in developing stories of
interest in all academic and social areas.
Christie Elementary School
Enrichment Academy, $1500
Belinda Beuerlein
The Enrichment Academy is an opportunity to enrich our students’ educations through
exciting new experiences. Our program provides approximately 33 unique courses from
iHunt using iPhones and scanning QR codes to designing and building with Lego and
K'Nect kits. All boys and girls in each grade level will have an opportunity to choose and
attend hands-on enriching courses of their interest that allow students to be engaged and
learn by design. The Enrichment Academy is full of new explorations allowing all students
to participate in non-traditional courses. Everyone will be bursting with excitement from
start to finish and walk away wanting the academy to be an everyday experience!
Christie Elementary School
STEM is Everywhere!, $1500
Jessica Malloy
In this highly engaging, hands-on, inquiry based approach students develop critical
thinking and complex problem solving through cross-curricular activities that integrate
Science, Technology, Engineering design and Math. The goal of STEM is Everywhere! is to
cultivate a creative climate for innovative thinking! Teachers guide students to engage in
the engineering process, learn to design a blueprint, troubleshoot design flaws and
redesign to overcome challenges.
Christie Elementary School
Gadget Girls, $1500
Lilly Jensby
Gadget Girls is a collaborative initiative designed to boost achievement in science and
mathematics and aimed at inspiring the next generation of innovators. According to
Michelle Obama, “If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world,
we’ve got to open doors for everyone; we need all hands on deck, and that means
clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology,
engineering, and math.” Through this cooperative learning process girls will develop
leadership and creative thinking and problem-solving skills, to foster sustained interest in
science, technology, engineering, and math fields, and to empower girls at a young age to
pursue related career pathways.
Christie Elementary School
"It's the Real D.E.A.L" (Developing Educated, Aware, Leaders),
$1000
Ben Dixon
Leadership potential...it is everywhere but sometimes untapped in elementary school aged
boys. D.E.A.L takes fourth and fifth grade males who have shown ingenuity and
persistence in engaging others in following their ideas and will help them channel their
abilities in a positive way. The academy members learn social skills, creative problem
solving, and out of the box thinking while performing service within the school
community.
Christie Elementary School
Tinkering Exploratorium, $1500
Cynthia Brown
Recognizing the need for problem solving skills in future careers, this teaching approach
will fill gaps in understanding and excite students about the areas of science and math.
Students will have opportunities to create, plan and build solutions to challenges which
engineers face in the real world. Students who may not have otherwise considered careers
in these areas will increase their confidence and interest by improving their engineering
knowledge and skills.
Christie Elementary School
Kindness and Compassion Club, $700
Tiffany Chapin
Our campus has accepted Rachel's Challenge and our Kindness and Compassion Club (KC
Club) is ready to go out and serve our school as well as the world. Our KC Club is open to
all fourth and fifth grade students who exhibit positive character traits and who want to
make a difference in the lives of others. The KC Club will organize and implement certain
service learning projects to get our campus involved in giving back to our community and
demonstrating kindness, compassion, leadership, respect, and inspiration.
Christie Elementary School
Genius Hour-Passion Fueled Learning, $1500
Allison Parsons
Genius Hour- Passion Fueled Learning is a student-led, passion-induced philosophy to help
students reach their untapped potential in a targeted area. The basic premise, seen
through Google’s famous “20% time”, allows students to explore their passions through
research, creation, design, and overall learning in a project-based outcome. Students will
be highly engaged when they themselves are able to work on something they truly feel
passionate about!
Clark High School
Math Camp, $1500
Courtney Clark
Math Camp is an opportunity to bring together 9th graders from the three feeder schools
to help prepare them for high school. We will focus on building and reinforcing math skills
necessary for Geometry. We will also provide time and activities for the students to get to
know their classmates and teachers.
Clark High School
Reading Focus - ENGAGED!, $1500
Emily (Chris) Gates
"Reading Focus - ENGAGED!" is the name of our proposed CATS/Special Ed. independent
reading program at Clark High School. We believe that when teens who read on lower
levels have access to high interest, low reading level books, they are more motivated to
pick up and finish reading a book. Our project will enable us to purchase more of these
high interest, low reading level teen choice books for our campus library.
Clark High School
AVID 212, $1500
cristine jordan
At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. One extra degree of effort can yield
incredible results. The AVID 212 grant will offer student incentives for academic success
on our campus. By rewarding students for their individual accomplishments and positive
behavior, they will begin to recognize that making one degree of change in their study
habits can equal success in high school and acceptance into the college of their choice.
Forman Elementary School
Got it!!! Now I know what you mean!!!, $1500
Martha Umana
This project aims to build student's prior knowledge and vocabulary through providing
vivid life experiences and problem solving opportunities encompassing culture,
communities, planet Earth and animals, all themes aligned with our curriculum.
Forman Elementary School
Future Engineers, $1500
Cassey Scales
Future Engineers will gear up for science through the exciting world of Engineering. Fourth
and fifth graders will engage in the exploration of the Engineering Design Process and
experience hands on activities that introduce them to the world of Engineering. They will
problem solve weekly challenges and activities from various strands of Engineering fields
such as Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering and many
others
Frankford Middle School
Chef's Club and Pinterest Club Grant, $375
Cheryl Wells
Chef's Club and Pinterest Club is an after school club for developing new skills for
students. The clubs reach a group of students not usually involved in other after school
activities and gives them an opportunity to be involved at school. Students will learn to
enhance their creativity and life skills using a hands on approach.
Haggard Middle School
Lunch Bunch Reading Club, $1500
Lori Lee Brooks
This is a lunchtime book club for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. Each grade
level will vote on a title to read. Then, over lunch, they will discuss the individual texts.
Hedgcoxe Elementary School
Dramatic Play, $1500
Susie Gilrein
Young children express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings in a variety of ways. Through
their dramatic play, children actively engage in representing what they know and how
they think, using problem-solving strategies to express ideas in different forms. Dramatic
play is associated with growth in all areas of development, including academic learning.
Hickey Elementary School
Real World Connections, $1350
Beverly King
Let’s make Reading and Math more meaningful with engaging real world connections!
Through the use of Weekly Scholastic News and Monthly DynaMath Magazines, students
practice their reading and analytical skills as well as address issues which are relevant to
both their academic and personal lives. These Cross Curricular magazines will be a
resource for our 4th grade teachers to help ignite and motivate student learning.
Hickey Elementary School
Geographic Reading Adventures, $792
Connie Palmar
Engaging students with interesting & relevant literature is our aim! Second grade students
will begin their "Geographic Reading Adventures" by having Nation Geographic (Young
Explorers/Pioneers) in the classroom to read. The goal is to increase an awareness &
interest in geography, natural science, environmental conservation, and world cultures. As
these subjects ignite sparks of interest in each student they are also cultivating a life-long
love of reading while improving important literacy skills such as comprehension, fluency &
oral vocabulary.
Hickey Elementary School
Student Treasures: Developing Young Authors, $1500
Dung Tran
“Student Treasures: Developing Young Authors” will be a project in which students
become PUBLISHED authors as they develop an excitement for writing. Students will have
an opportunity to create their own books and have them professionally published into a
hardbound book. They will become proud-accomplished authors after their book signing
event, and their books will then be available for circulation through our school library
system for all to read!
Hickey Elementary School
Pinteresting Magazines, $1429
Michele Rollins
"Pinteresting Magazines" has been a project in which students have access to a variety of
age-appropriate, high-interest, real-world magazines articles to increase reading skills
while reading purely for the love of reading. Students will use the very popular idea of
Pinterest and will pin postings about interesting articles that they liked to a board to share
with their friends. Friends can then "like" those postings by pinning "like" pins to those
postings if they enjoyed and like the same articles.
Hickey Elementary School
Logic in Learning, $900
Melissa Patton
VersaTiles combines the captivating challenge of a puzzle with the purposeful practice of
academic thinking skills. Student led, engaging and motivating activities that appeal to
various learning styles make lessons more interesting and meaningful for the students.
VersaTiles is based on research linking conceptual understanding, practice of skills and
concepts, and problem solving.
Huffman Elementary School
We Know How to RAP, $1425
Lisa Hamid
Students will learn how to RAP (Read/Annotate/ and Process) expository text which will
improve their reading comprehension and science knowledge. "We Know How to RAP"
uses Comprehension Tool Kit strategies with National Geographic Explorer (Student
Magazines) to increase reading comprehension and science knowledge in grades 2,3,4,
and 5.
Hughston Elementary School
"Just Right" Books Make the Difference, $400
Nancy Bassett
Teachers will be able to find the "just right" books for the students in their classrooms by
having an organized system of leveled readers. As research has shown, reading sows
readers and giving students choices engages them in the learning process. As we
integrate the Daily 5 routines into our Language Arts Block, the more "just right" books
we can have available for each student every day will increase not only their love of
reading but will also increase their time IN reading.
Hughston Elementary School
M3 (Magnificent Math Maniacs), $815
Brooke Bauer
M3 (Magnificent Math Maniacs) is an after-school program designed for students who
desire to delve into higher-level problem solving and strategic thinking while having fun at
the same time! Students will conquor mathematical challenges in a fun, exciting, and
fast-paced environment with plenty of opportunities to work together in cooperative
groups and show their individual expertise in math competitions. The program is offered
to all 5th grade students and those 3rd and 4th grade students who are identified by their
teachers as high-achievers in math.
Mathews Elementary School
Think...the New Pink, $900
Belinda Kinney
The Think Club is an after school club for girls where thinking and reasoning is the focus,
sharing one's thoughts is encouraged, and exploring the areas of science, technology,
engineering, and math is a lot of fun. Think Club exists to narrow the achievement gap
and raise an awareness of STEM fields - disciplines not typically chosen by girls. Our club
is a safe place where powerful thinking strategies are stimulated, and being a girl and
thinking like a scientist, mathematician, and engineer is celebrated.
McCall Elementary School
Playing to Learn!, $1499
Jennifer Trent
Young children learn best through developmentally appropriate play in a safe, well
planned environment. A highly effective, motivational centers room provides the space for
students to learn through social interactions and exploration, while developing skills such
as conflict resolution, problem solving, vocabulary development, creative expression, and
communication skills. The goal of the "Playing to Learn!" project is to enrich the
kindergarten centers room with tools that are aligned with the current curriculum and that
faciliate higher level thinking and problem solving, promote decision making, and
encourage active exploration through developmentally appropriate materials and
activities.
McMillen High School
Face-to-Face with the Masters, $1470
Sarah Fischer
Humanities students will take advantage of a rare arts opportunity, touring the Kimbell Art
Museum’s exhibit, “The Age of Picasso and Matisse: Modern Masters from The Art
Institute of Chicago.” Standing face-to-face with the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Brancusi,
Dali and Miro --- a collection of artists who partook in a pivotal moment in art history, the
Armory Show of 1913 --- students will understand that art exists within a cultural and
historical context. Students will then reflect on the next evolutionary step in 20th
century art as they visit the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Meadows Elementary School
Synergy for Smooth Sailing to Success, $400
Ellyn Reese-Fautsch
As Special Education teachers, we teach students who need extra care and support to sail
smoothly to success in daily learning situations. Classroom teachers frequently request
ideas on how to help our learning disabled students succeed within their general education
classroom. Our goal is to better prepare these teachers by providing important, focused
training and student-friendly tools to promote a smooth, uninterrupted flow, following the
curriculum whether they are in an inclusion classroom or a Special Education classroom.
Meadows Elementary School
P.A.W.S headed to College Part 3: Preparing the AVID Way to
Success, $727
Leigh Adams
P.A.W.S. is a program that supports the AVID Elementary philosophy by cultivating
intrinsic motivation in the underserved student populations present on our campus. Our
fourth and fifth grade students have had the opportunity to visit the University of Texas at
Arlington and the University of North Texas, thanks to the Education Foundation Grants
program. Both trips were so successful that we would like to recreate that wonderful
experience a third time by taking our fourth and fifth grade students to tour the campus
of Southern Methodist University in Dallas and to visit the George W. Bush Presidential
Library, which will continue to plant a vision of future academic success in their minds.
Memorial Elementary School
Engineering: It's Not Just For Trains!, $775
Kristen Fislar
Engineering: It's Not Just For Trains is an after school program targeting students in 5th
grade to explore careers in science and engineering. The club will meet for seven sessions
to learn about connections between the hands-on lab experiements they will conduct and
real world applications in science and engineering occupations. This club will enhance
student science experiences and promote long term science education as well as postsecondary educational and vocational goals.
Mendenhall Elementary School
Project Publication, $560
Jennifer Smith
Project Publication will bring writing to third grade by providing hands-on activities and
writing opportunities from idea to publication. Students will explore the different genres of
writing: personal narrative, expository, persuasive, drama and poetry. Through this
experience they will gain a sound understanding of the writing process and know
themselves as writers.
Mendenhall Elementary School
Success, Nothing Less, $1500
Maria Gallastegui
Success, Nothing Less will provide students in grades 3 through 5 with hands-on engaging
materials and a snack to ensure their academic growth during after school tutorials. The
materials will be used to introduce and practice their grade level skills in reading, writing,
mathematics and science. The students will receive a snack to be ready to perform at
their best during this time. Teachers will deliver the lessons in small groups in a
differentiated manner so all students reach their potential.
Mendenhall Elementary School
Project Interactive: Math and Science Success, $425
Alexandria Droogsma
In Project Interactive: Math and Science Success, students will be engaged in the math
and science classrooms. They will have an opportunity to show their thinking in a fun and
interactive way. Teachers will be able to assess understanding immediately and adjust
instruction to meet the needs of the students.
Mendenhall Elementary School
Comprehension Success: Toolkit to Literacy, $875
Wendy Miller
In Comprehension Success: Toolkit to Literacy, students and teachers will have access to
literature which will strengthen reading comprehension. Through this literature, they will
connect with the text, enhancing their thinking skills while reading. Students will become
active and independent readers, developing a love of reading, thinking, and unlocking
literacy.
Mendenhall Elementary School
STEM Family Expo, $1498
Christine Barrantes
“STEM Family Expo” is a program designed to have our students become the experts, so
they can teach others about science, technology, engineering and math through an
interactive STEM Exposition for the whole family. Our 4th and 5th grade students will
select a theme for their Expo booth and come up with an interactive way to present it to
their families, and other students. The idea is for each booth to have a make and take so
the STEM conversations continue when they get home.
Murphy Middle School
A Book in Hand, $1500
Tammie Regelean
A Book in Hand grant is to supply 6th grade English teachers with high interest literature
to fill their classroom libraries with the latest and most engaging reads. Every year new
titles burst onto the scene waiting to be read. I want to develop a culture of reading in
every classroom and make use of each opportunity because I know that reading changes
lives.
Murphy Middle School
STAARburst Science, $1200
Tina Pilgrim
STAARburst is an eight week after-school science program targeting eighth grade students
who need additional assistance with STAAR success through supplemental instruction.
Students will experience engaging hands-on, reinforcing curricula to enhance learning and
strengthen metacognition. Instructional leadership will be provided by the science
department.
Otto Middle School
Title I after school progam, $1500
Frank Fonseca
The after school program targets students who are struggling academically and fall into
our Title I category. They are encouraged to stay beyond their regular scheduled school
day for assistance with their school work, organizatiion, and/or behaviroal issues. During
each tutorial session, their grades are checked, missing assignments are notes and an
action plan is put in place for their success.
Otto Middle School
PAWSitive Bobcats, $2500
Frank Fonseca
OMS is now a Region 10 accredited, PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports)
trained campus. PBIS implementation is a 3 year process. We have created a PBIS team,
Team PAWSitive, to develop, implement, support new PBIS-based interventions that
reinforce positive student behaviors with the purpose of increasing student achievement
across all ability levels. We have developed a system in which students will earn positive
reinforcement from staff in the form of meanigful communication, academic recognition,
and tangible & intangible items from a PBIS Store. We are seeking a grant that will help
us purchase gift items, fund operational supplies, and purchase signage to advertize our
program on campus.
Otto Middle School
Book Club Collection, $1500
Molly McCreary
The Book Club Collection is a continuation of the development of a special collection of
novel sets containing multiple copies (8-10) of the same title for use in student and/or
teacher led small groups in after school book clubs. The Otto MS Library has sponsored a
very successful after-school book club with consistent participation from students across
grade levels for four years. Much of the popularity of the book club is due to the access to
excellent resources of popular titles purchased through the Book Club Collection grant
funding. Book clubs at Otto provide students from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and
socio-economic status with opportunities to read for pleasure and personal growth in a
nurturing environment making connections with each other through conversations about
literature while developing literacy skills. The Book Club Collection housed at Otto Middle
School offers opportunities for other schools within Plano ISD to borrow from the
collection through inter-library loan.
Otto Middle School
Math Story Time, $300
Tracy Scott
Math Story Time allows students to be engaged and have fun while reading and doing
math at the same time! Math concepts are brought to life through engaging math stories.
Students will gain mathematical understanding and see math in a different perspective.
Otto Middle School
Life Skills Community Application Trips, $500
Anne Whitten
Life Skills Community Application Trips are an opportunity to provide real world hands-on
experience to our developmental classroom students. By taking a field trip to a local
grocery store and a fast food establishment, students will be exposed to several of the
situations that we work on in theory throughout the year. Outings such as these teach
students about budgeting and locating items in the store by playing the role of the
customer, and discovering the many different jobs within the store that may potentially be
employment opportunities in the future.
Plano East Senior High School
Chemistry Analytical Balance, $1500
Karen Compton
As students progress through their science classes, the equipment used during lab
experiemnts should progress towards those a student would see in college and industry.
Along with this, the precision (number of decimal places) of measurements made during
lab experiments is expected to increase. As such, we are in need of an analytical balance
which would measure mass with 3 or 4 decimal places.
Plano Senior High School
Contemporary Orchestra, $1526
Brian Coatney
The Plano Senior Orchestra program would like to implement a new curriculum that will
center around an electrified string orchestra. This orchestra will prepare concerts/shows
that will include arrangements of popular songs, blue grass, and country genres. The goal
is to give students a new outlet to experience genres of music outside of the traditional
classical repertoire.
Plano West Senior High School
All Access, $1500
Chris Ostertag
A goal of the students in the Plano West Structured Classrooms is to be prepared to
function appropriately within the community after graduation. Through using best
practices from the classroom we will be able to successfully access the community. This
will give not only the students the tools to be effective but also educate and involve
community members with the ongoing learning of our students.
Rasor Elementary School
Rocket Fitness, $1500
Christine Mello
Rocket Fitness is an after-school fitness and nutrition club for second through fifth graders
that gives students the opportunity to get active and have fun making healthy life choices.
Rocket Fitness is designed so that each student can learn how to stay active, prepare
nutritious snacks and feel successful with their health goals.
Shepton High School
AP Human Geography Urban Field Trip, $2129
Linda Ross
Landscape interpretation requires paying attention to everyday surroundings that we
frequently take for granted. The appearance of the world around us and modifications to
the natural terrain to the cities in which we live provide clues to our culture and society.
In AP Human Geography we discover the meaning in the constructed environment that
reveals our values and contributes to our "sense of place". This process of recognition
occurs only when we leave the confines of our school building in order to experience the
cultural diversity of North Texas.
Sigler Elementary School
ZUPELZ For Logic, $264
Nikki Smith
Zupelz will be utilized in 2nd grade classrooms to enhance logical thinking, teach the
importance of "double-checking" your work, and encourage fact fluency. Students will
work on Zupelz independently or with a partner as a station or challenge activity. They
will self-check their work to see if their answers "make sense" rather than using the
provided answer key.
Sigler Elementary School
KICing it with You, $600
Lauren Gebhardt
With the goal of kicking off our school day with science in mind, our 5th grade students
are invited to bring their breakfast to the science lab to participate in the Kids Inquiry
Conference (KIC). The program will be called “KICin’ it With You Morning Science Club”.
During this time, students will play an integral part in cooperative groups who will employ
the scientific process to identify and test hypothesis of their choice. The culmination of
their project will afford them the opportunity to present their findings in a conference like
setting and publish a scholarly article of their findings.
Sigler Elementary School
Connecting with Math One Day at a Time, $615
Kari Tolle
Through non-fiction periodicals such as DynaMath, students build prior knowledge and
strengthen both reading comprehension and math strategies. In addition, these highinterest publications offer students meaningful real-world math applications. Articles
offering students a glimps at the world beyond the boundaries of their homes and school,
are paired with relavent math problems that require rigor and persistance.
Sp Prog 9-12
Exploring Area Colleges/Universities, $1500
Keisha Benton
Exploring area universities/colleges such as the University of North Texas (UNT),
University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), Navarro College, and Texas Christian University
(TCU) has allowed academically “at-risk” students to visit in order to explore various postsecondary opportunities. As an incentive, students were made eligible by passing all
classes for the six weeks grading period. The students experienced a full day in the
academic environment that included talking to students, visiting facilities, and learning
about various degrees and scholarship opportunities.
Vines High School
You Belong in AP, $1000
Laurie Liefer
Belonging in AP is a program designed to help AP World Students with writing, reading,
and analysis skills that are vital to college readiness and success in the AP classroom.
Vines High School
Vines Chorale Women TMEA Performance, $1500
Chris Ahrens
Our Women's Choir has been selected to perform at the Texas Music Educators
Association Convention in February of 2014 in front of choir directors, musicians, and
parents from around the nation. This is the highest honor a choir can receive in the state
of Texas and we want nothing but the best for them. The grant funds will help us prepare
for that journey by bringing in expert choral directors to clinic and work with the students
and defray the costs of professional instrumentalists needed for their performance.
Weatherford Elementary School
Teach Like a Champion, $793
Alissa Pearce
We seek to improve our instructional effectiveness by creating a professional learning
community that studies the book Teach Like A Champion. We will start with new teachers
and their mentors, as well as building administrators and the mentor liaison.
Weatherford Elementary School
Reading Rally Book Club, $700
Jayme Karen
Rally 'round the books, readers! Second and third grade students are invited to
participate in our after school Reading Rally Book Club in order to enrich and stimulate
reading through open-ended activities that encourage critical thinking, collaboration,
communication, and creativity while building on each student's unique strengths. Current
high interest trade books will be available that will both challenge and encourage a broad
selection of genre.
Williams High School
Warrior PALooza, $2500
Chris Coats
Warrior PALooza is free sports and fine arts camps provided to all of the feeder
elementary schools to Williams High School (Mendenhall, Memorial, Schell, Hickey,
Stinson, McCall, and Barron). The teachers, coaches, and students at Williams host these
camps in the spring as an opportunity to give back to their feeder school community. It
also gives students that normally can't financially afford to go to summer camp an
opportunity to do so.
Williams High School
Thread Lessons, $1500
Christine Miller
Thread Lessons is a campus wide program to teach students and adults how to weave on
a loom. Students learn how woven fabrics are produced and are given the opportunity to
create their own unique handwoven projects. Simple, beginning projects can lead to more
complex woven structures, all of which strengthen higher order thinking and creativity
skills.
Williams High School
Incentive Store, $1000
Robyn Delahunt
The Incentive Store is a comprehensive program to be utilized by students in the Special
Education Dept (Life Skills, Behavior Support, Resource)to give a real world experience in
both practicing and demonstrating transition/daily living skills and to reinforce socially and
academically appropriate behavior. All participating Special Education students will be able
to purchase items at the store based on, 1) earning "money" for good grades as deemed
by participating SpEd staff and faculty , 2) earning "money" for making good choices or
3) for demonstrating responsibility as it relates to post-secondary living skills. School
supplies/gifts items will be sold at the store so that the students will learn a sense of
accountability for maintaining their own school supplies (opposed to taking these items for
granted as an "endless resource" provided by their teachers), gain an appreciation for the
cost of paying for items that are typically disregarded and develop a sense of
empowerment in regards to being able to independently provide for themselves with their
earned funds.
Williams High School
ETHOS: Ethnic Teens Honoring & Owning Success, $1481
Ronald L. Planks
Ethnic Teens Honoring and Owning Success (ETHOS) is an after school program for young
black males designed to enhance their sense of identity, improve their academic
performance, improve their interactions with others, and help them understand their role
as leaders in their family and community. The members of ETHOS will participate in biweekly mentoring sessions with professional black men with diverse life experiences and
business knowledge, attend team building events, and complete two community service
projects.