NORMAN PUBLIC SCHOOL FOUNDATION

GRANTS TO TEACHERS

Fall, 2004

1.   Math: Center Stage – Amy Rogers – Wilson - ($604.94 fully funded)

            A set of math centers for our schools math lab will be purchased with this grant.  These centers would be used by all students and teachers in our school.

2.   Music + Math = SUCCESS – Regina Bell – Madison Elementary - ($22.95, fully funded)

            The fund from this grant will purchase an exciting new song collection that reinforces music skills while learning MATH!

3.   Show me the KEYS…TEACHER! – Regina Bell – Madison Elementary - ($35.49, fully funded)

            This grant is for a vinyl floor keyboard that is sized 24” X 72”.  It is perfect for use will all elementary aged students to learn the basic structure of a keyboard.  It is durable and rolls for easy storage for use year in and year out.

4.   Electoral College or Bust! – LaDonna Martin – Norman North High School - ($180.00, fully funded)

            The electoral process in the United States is one of the most confusing yet fundamental parts of our democratic society.  The items that will be purchased will help de-mystify the Electoral College and “winner take all” system to students.

5.   Turning Points in American History – Jan Merchant – Madison Elementary - ($940.00, fully funded)

            This grant will enrich the fifth grade students at my school studying American History with quality nonfiction books relating to documents of freedom, people who changed history and turning points in history.  There are twenty titles and six copies of each book to place in the Reading room for teachers to check out to enrich the Social Studies Curriculum in their classroom.

6.   Music Around the World! – Carol Golden – Madison Elementary - ($98.95, fully funded)

            Music Around the World will allow students to hear the diverse music as well as see performances and instruments from many countries.  Music is the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE that all of our students can embrace.

7.   Oklahoma History Alive! – Kevin Ball, Jenny Garrett, and Elaine Warner – Norman North High School - ($600.00, fully funded)

            Oklahoma History Alive! Will give Oklahoma History students an “up-close” look at Oklahoma History through live, costumed, presentations of people from Oklahoma’s past.  The interactive format encourages student participation and will transform Oklahoma History from dry textbook facts to live performance depicting the fascinating and rich cultural legacy that shaped our state.

8.   Can You Hear Me Now??? – Rhonda Slatten – Alcott Middle School - ($499.90, fully funded)

            We will purchase microphones with funds from this grant.  Our middle school does not have an auditorium.  Microphones will enable our students, guests, and parents to hear activities better.

9.   “Orff for Everyone!” – Lu Tune – Truman Elementary - ($898.80, fully funded)

            Through the teaching of the Orff-Schulwerk method, our students learn the arts through instrumentation, signing, creative movement, dance, improvisation, drama and literature.  This grant will enhance and extend our program to involve more children in the creative experience of music education through the addition of instrumentation.

10.    Audio Aid to the Rescue – Laura Collins – Wilson Elementary - ($487.36, fully funded)

               Audio Aid to the Rescue would create a portable listening center where students could practice and improve their literacy skills.  Establishing a listening center would make it possible to support students with the audio Reading and Social Studies resources we currently have, as well as new comprehension and critical thinking resources.

11.    Practice Makes Perfect-Multiplication and Division – Laura Collins – Wilson Elementary - ($450.37, fully funded)

               Practice Makes Perfect will provide 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade students tools that reinforce basic multiplication and division facts.  These tools will encourage and motivate students to practice their basic facts and strengthen their math skills.

12.    Smart Tool for Writing – Gayle Fischer – Eisenhower Elementary - ($799.01, fully funded)

               This proposal will provide elementary school students with technological tools needed to enhance writing skills.  The four Alphasmarts to be purchased with funding from this project are extremely reliable laptop alternatives that can be used to perform most of the same tasks that are usually done on a full-size computer.

13.    Games Children Play – Gayle Fischer – Eisenhower Elementary - ($232.92, fully funded)

               Funding of this project will purchase, for students, 15 games which address comprehension skills such as finding the main idea, predicting, inferring, finding details and following directions.  These games will help to enhance comprehension skills for students in grades 3-5.

14.    Book It – Pat Morgan – Eisenhower Elementary - ($927.10, fully funded)

               This grant would allow us to purchase quality literature for emergent and transitional readers in 2^nd grade.  These books will directly impact student learning and they will continue to benefit second graders for several years to come.

15.    Timing it Right Makes Cents! – Julie Howell and Beth Gilberg – Roosevelt Elementary - ($264.27, fully funded)

               Before securing an instructional objective, students often need a large amount of review and practice.  Using money and time games and activities will allow for the extra practice that many students need to develop these critical mathematic strands.

16.    The Mind That’s Mine – Deborah McWhorter – Roosevelt Elementary - ($350.00, fully funded)

               This program will enable the school counselor to help students recognize, tolerate, and respect individual differences in learning and behavior.  This program helps upper elementary students understand various brain functions while developing strategies to improve performance.

17.    Around the World in 20 Pages – Madeline Chapman and Becky Dyson – Roosevelt Elementary - ($216.56, fully funded)

               Students will experience the cultures and people of the world as they travel around the world through the engaging book series, Discover Kids.  Students will visit China, India, and Egypt and experience these unique cultures by creating artifacts, listening to music, and building models of important geographical landforms.

18.    Project Alphie – Julie Howell – Roosevelt Elementary - ($302.00, fully funded)

               An AlphaSmart wireless keyboard will be purchased to enhance and motivate elementary students to become successful writers.  These portable devices will enhance the teaching of the writing process which will be integrated into all curriculum areas, specifically Language Arts.

19.    Words Wonderful Words – Julie Howell – Roosevelt Elementary - ($233.40, fully funded)

               This project will enhance the professional collection of a team of first and second grade teachers’ resources with word study reproducibles and activities with direct skill instruction in phonics, word building, vocabulary and poetry, a vehicle for application and understanding of those reading skills.

20.    “Art For All” – Tracy Dillard – Longfellow Middle School - ($288.64, fully funded)

               Our students need to be inspired…and one way to do this is by giving them a chance to explore and experience art.  Since many of our students never get to be in an art class, finding an alternative way to bring art to them is important.  One way that we can do this is by integrating art and making connections with other core subject areas like Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts.  All teachers at our site will be able to use the resources from the “Art for All” grant to incorporate the arts into their curriculums and inspire their students.                               

21.    Exploration Science! – Carmi Scheller – Lincoln Elementary - ($500.00, fully funded)

               Hands-on science means minds-on learning.  This project brings students, science and excitement together for scientific exploration at school and home.

22.    A Hairy Situation! – Greg Hildebrand and Jennifer Shaw – Norman High School - ($995.30, fully funded)

               This proposal is for the purchase of 18 sets of prepared slides used for the Hair Comparison of 15 different animals and 4 sets of 6 prepared slides each of cotton, wool, and silk fibers.  These slides would be used by all of the Biology teachers as part of our new CSI: Biology High campaign within the biology curriculum, to not only help motivate students to become excited about Biology, but also to understand the real-world application of the concepts they are learning.

23.    On Cloud 9! – Lee Peacock Jones – Norman High School - ($329.95, fully funded)

               As a new teacher, I am thrilled to have found materials I can use in the classroom that target dyslexic, hyperlexic and other special needs math students.  I believe the math manipulatives and the manual for visualizing and verbalizing math will increase my students’ math skills and decrease their math phobia.

24.    Kangasaura and Karotypes – Deborah Hill – Norman High School - ($687.00, fully funded)

               Biology students are always very enthusiastic and interested in the concepts of genetics and inheritance.  This grant will be used to purchase simulation software to allow students to perform experiments investigating concepts in genetics, diagnosis and research of genetic disorders and the role of natural selection in genetics.

25.    E-Squared – Experimental Environment – Deborah Hill – Norman High School - ($867.00, fully funded)

               This money will be used to purchase simulation software to allow students to investigate ecological and environmental concepts related to problems for which our society must seek solutions.  This software will also allow students to enhance their skills of experimentation, modeling and inquiry as defined by the PASS doctrine and to prepare for the End of Instruction exam.

26.    The Changing of the Bard – Nancy Roley – Norman High School - ($1,000.00, fully funded)

               A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a ninth grader’s answer to not taking themselves too seriously.  It’s a lighthearted approach to Shakespeare and an excellent way to introduce the “Bard” and capture the students’ interest.

27.    Spanish Vocabulary Enrichment Through Games – Hilary Cowen and Dawn Hughes – Whittier Middle School - ($578.80, fully funded)

               This grant will fund the purchase of several games targeted to enhance the acquisition of Spanish vocabulary in a fun way.

28.    Spanish Literature – Hilary Cowen and Dawn Hughes – Whittier Middle School - ($790.02, fully funded)

               This grant will fund Spanish literature to be incorporated into middle school Spanish curriculums.

29.    File Space Exhausted! – Stacey Fike – Irving Middle School - ($308.00, fully funded)

               This grant would fund the purchase of an external hard drive to be used in the computer education classroom.  An external hard drive will provide teachers and students the ability to work on large multimedia projects such as video editing, PowerPoint and web pages without worrying about available memory.

30.    Poster Power – Dan Harris – Irving Middle School - ($210.00, fully funded)

               Individual works of arts (posters) will illustrate the evolution of art history from seven different art movements: renaissance, impressionism, cubism, surrealism, abstract expressionism, pop art, and pop art (which deals with line illusions).  These posters will be displayed around the classroom for daily reference.

31.    Not Your Father’s Comic Book – Peggy Black – Irving Middle School - ($550.00, fully funded)

               Graphic novels, long popular with Japanese readers of all ages, are now establishing their place in American readers’ hearts, particularly boys, who tend to find visual materials more interesting and who traditionally have found reading more difficult and less appealing than do girl readers.  Our library will establish a collection of graphic novels and illustrated non-fiction, promoting it for all readers, but focusing on these visual learners in an effort to “hook” them on reading.

32.    Do you see what I see? – Jennifer Forehand – Irving Middle School - ($245.06, fully funded)

               This grant will fund the purchase of a projector screen to be used in a Math classroom to demonstrate problems written on an overhead projector.

33.    Turn up the volume – Todd Peterman and Jennifer Forehand – Irving Middle School - ($157.74, fully funded)

               The funding from this grant will be used to purchase sets of relational geosolids, to allow for graphically demonstrating volume and size relationships between objects by filling them with sand, rice, or dry filler material.  It will also purchase cling-vinyl nets that will enable students to explore the relationships that exist between two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional relational geosolids.

34.    Wipe On, Wipe Off – Jennifer Forehand, Billeta Lee, Cathy Haring, Jennifer Hoel and Todd Peterman – Irving Middle School - ($527.34, fully funded)

               Funding from this grant will be used to purchase a write-on/wipe-off pull-down graph chart for each math teachers’ classroom, along with a set of dry-erase markers.  The size and usability of the graph makes reading graphs easier, and creating the graphs less messy for students and teachers.

35.    Readers’ Theater – Nancy Harrington and Paige Murphy – Jackson Elementary - ($435.84, fully funded)

               This proposal is for a set of Readers’ Theater books in which the parts are written at different reading levels.  This will assist in improving the students’ reading fluency and enable the students to read in multi-ability groups and have parts assigned to them based on their actual reading levels.

36.    Think – Write – Show! – Jane Dmytryk – Jackson Elementary - ($315.00, fully funded)

               This grant award will provide funds to purchase class sets of small dry erase boards.  Students will be actively engaged in learning while using these whiteboards to answer math questions, vote on classroom issues, respond to curriculum-based questions, and participate in classroom challenges, while enabling the classroom teacher to quickly assess which students may need additional help in understanding the lesson.

37.    Reading Excellence Through Rhyming – Lisa Barthelme – Kennedy Elementary - ($511.00, fully funded)

               I propose to use rhyming activities to tune up children’s attention to sounds as they take apart and put together word combinations.  The student will use hands-on learning to further understand rhyming patterns.

38.    Read to Succeed!!! – Nancy Kays and Judy Warren – Cleveland Elementary - ($704.38, fully funded)

               After acquiring the basic skills necessary to read, it is important that books for beginning readers be readily available to reinforce each student’s success with these new skills, thereby increasing self-confidence.

39.    Handwriting without Tears – Janet Whitworth and Susan Maloney – Adams Elementary - ($291.00, fully funded)

               Handwriting Without Tears is a project that uses hands-on materials to strengthen fine motor skills enabling students to improve their handwriting skills while making learning fun.  Handwriting is a major component of a student’s education.

40.    Writer’s Workshop Curriculum – Jessica Orr and Traci Mullinax – Adams Elementary - ($900.00, fully funded)

               This grant will equip classroom teachers with the resources and skills to implement Writer’s  Workshop into their literacy curriculum.  Writer’s Workshop focuses on language arts, phonics, and writing skills through each student’s writing, both fiction and non-fiction.

41.    Books for Home – Yasmin Merchant – Adams Elementary - ($553.00, fully funded)

               This proposal is for books that can be taken home each day by students, so that they have books to read to their parents or guardians in the evening.  Students will be able to practice their reading each night with books that are checked out from our classroom.

42.    “The Big Picture” – J.R. McCaskill – Whittier Middle School - ($265.21, fully funded)

               This grant application seeks funding for a large (96 X 96 inch) projection screen to be used in association with our new “einstruction” technology and LCD projector.

43.    The Write Traits – Vicky Arbuckle – Whittier Middle School - ($523.20, fully funded)

               The Write Traits Classroom Kit includes the lessons, models, and assessment rubrics that are necessary to discuss and evaluate writing.  With these materials, students are given the guidelines they need to recognize the elements of good writing and incorporate them into their own writing.

44.    Give Me A High Five – Vicky Arbuckle – Whittier Middle School - ($881.76, fully funded)

               The High Five Reading Program includes high-interest, nonfiction books with audiocassettes.  This program is very versatile in that it can be used for guided reading or independent reading and with struggling or fluent readers.

45.    Skills for a Lifetime of Reading – Julia Fisher – Whittier Middle School - ($206.00, fully funded)

               This is a great program that actively engages students in reading.  This program develops their reading skills, and it gives them scenarios which develop their comprehension skills.

46.    Pack Your Bags…We’re Ready to Go – Mary Wolfram – Whittier Middle School - ($1,000.00, fully funded)

               With no Child Left Behind, our Special Education teachers are responsible for preparing and/or reinforcing map skills taught to their students, as part of the state PASS objectives and in preparation for standardized test.  Our Special Education classrooms do not have any large wall maps, current globes, or atlases which are extremely important in teaching and reinforcing Geography Skills.

47.    Alexander to Zeus – Jan Filbeck – Whittier Middle School - ($399.95, fully funded)

               I propose to purchase three classroom sets of Merriam Webster’s Biographical Dictionaries to use as a supplement to our sixth grade social studies textbooks.  This dictionary is one of the ten essential reference products for social studies students.

48.    Saving Spaces – Tamara Love – Whittier Middle School - ($306.29, fully funded)

               Photos and projects for Yearbook and Computer Education classes are wonderful learning experiences, but they are also real storage space hogs!  This external drive will enable me to save my work and the work of my students without the necessity of shuffling CDs.

49.    Embarking on a Reading Adventure! – Sue Swenson – Monroe Elementary - ($903.00, fully funded)

                This grant will be used to purchase Accelerated Reader quizzes to accompany the newest books in our library collection and to address the needs of our advanced readers.  By having a wider variety of reading levels and genres to choose from, our students will be able to have more choices as they work on their reading comprehension skills.

50.    Becoming a Map Champ – Sue Swenson – Monroe Elementary - ($290.00, fully funded)

               This grant would be used to purchase Nystrom atlases which would enhance our Social Studies program in the area of geography.  It would help our students to become more aware of their position in relation to the rest of the world.

51.    Making Algebra Child’s Play – Kristen Palmer – Monroe Elementary - ($275.00, fully funded)

               Hands-On Equations is a math kit that introduces algebraic concepts to students in 3^rd through 8^th grade.  By using game pieces consisting of pawns and numbered cubes, the student is able to physically represent and solve algebraic linear equations in a manner that makes sense to them.

52.    EXPLORING THE GREAT OUTDOORS – Tina Llopis – Monroe Elementary - ($450.00, fully funded)

               The funding of the grant will provide explorer kits for students to use in the outdoor classroom and on nature related field trips.  The kits would include items such as field guides, small microscopes, terrariums, clipboards, buckets, trowels, magnifiers, bug catchers and other items that would allow students to explore the great outdoors.

53.    “I Wanna Read” – Audrey Gramling – Monroe Elementary - ($310.00, fully funded)

               A desire to read is necessary for students to give their best to learn to read.  Magazines are a great motivator for beginning readers.  This grant will add additional titles and copies of magazines available for checkout for our readers.

54.    Journal? What Journal? – Leigh Robson – Lakeview Elementary - ($148.34, fully funded)

               A portfolio center in which to store writing projects, journals, homework, and more is a must for an organized classroom.  This center has space for 12 portfolios on each level so students can quickly find their work for the day.

55.    Touch, Count, Graph and Sort! Hands on Math – Elizabeth Wood – McKinley Elementary - ($435.70, fully funded)

               A range of hands-on ready to use math manipulatives, games and literature packets will provide independent learning centers for Pre-K and Kindergarten children.  The math materials support the Pre-K Growing with Mathematics Curriculum and the Kindergarten Everyday Mathematics Curriculum.

56.    Making Reading Happen:  The “Write” Way – Sharon Pyeatt – McKinley Elementary - ($275.45, fully funded)

               This grant will fund a variety of literacy-building games for early childhood students that build on the “multiple intelligence” theories of learning.  Each item targets individual learning strategies by offering open-ended and self-checking activities.

57.    Reporting Live From History – Jeannie Rhodes – McKinley Elementary - ($631.50, fully funded)

               This project will provide students the opportunity to view curriculum-coordinated videos of reenactments, maps, documents and historical photos formulated for geography and US history as set by the PASS objectives for the state.  Enabling students to visualize life as well as trials and tribulations of early colonial life will only add to the knowledge of the political forces and socioeconomic realities faced in this field trip back in time.

58.    I didn’t know that! – Jamie Johnson – McKinley Elementary - ($553.00, fully funded)

               The requested materials will be used to teach and reinforce student knowledge about a variety of scientific concepts and historical events.  These nonfiction resources will enable students to research and demonstrate their knowledge through various research projects and products.

59.    TV Technology – Karen Thomas – McKinley Elementary - ($262.95, fully funded)

               This technology will provide students the opportunity to use digital projection equipment as a visual aid while presenting with the use of digital media.  The device will enable teachers and students to share information to the entire class at one time.

60.    LCD: Learning Connections Digitally! – Nicki Watkins – McKinley Elementary - ($979.00, fully funded)

               This tool will allow students to view a variety of websites and computer generated data/pictures as well as interact with them to accommodate a number of learning styles and encourage a “problem” based curricula.

61.    Captivating Copies of Chronicles – Jeannie Rhodes – McKinley Elementary - ($672.00, fully funded)

               This project will provide students the opportunity to connect literature to history using historical fiction novel sets.  Providing insight into the thoughts and actions of explorers, colonial children and Revolutionary War patriots will enable students to discover and relate to history in a new way following the Norman Public Schools requirement of guided reading.

62.    World History Movie Project – Rick Sondag – Norman North High School - ($899.00, fully funded)

               My Advanced World History classes have been researching, writing, directing, and acting in their own historical movies for the last 5 years.  We have been piecing these films together with as much borrowed equipment as possible, but our biggest obstacle has been editing everything together.  We would like to purchase a computer with onboard editing capabilities that would help us to clear this hurdle that has been slowing down our process and causing so many problems with our projects.

63.    Viewing Technology In English – Patricia McDaniels – Norman North High School - ($215.95, fully funded)

               Many freshmen students rarely get to see technology in core classes.  Using a television attached to a computer, students will be able to see a teacher modeling technology (PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Internet research, etc…) right in their own classroom

64.    Scientific Calculators for Math Classes – Daniel Mitchell – Norman North High School - ($600.00, fully funded)

               Scientific calculators allow secondary students to tackle problems that are too time consuming for pencil and paper.  These calculators require little instruction allowing the students to concentrate on the new mathematical concepts, not the basic skills acquired in earlier studies.

65.    Scientific Calculators for Math Classes – Martha Maeder – Norman North High School - ($600.00, fully funded)

               Scientific calculators allow secondary students to tackle problems that are too time consuming for pencil and paper.  These calculators require little instruction allowing the students to concentrate on the new mathematical concepts, not the basic skills acquired in earlier studies.

66.    Eat Your Heart Out Michaelangelo – Leslie Dallam – Norman High School –

         ($1,000.00, fully funded)

               In art class we became excited when learning about many art forms and artists, including Michaelangelo and his wondrous sculptures!  This grant would fund ceramic, clay and sculpting supplies to assist all students in creating a positive, touchable, multi-dimensional piece of art, regardless of their learning abilities.