PHOTO: Merrillville High School Educators Josh Haynes, industrial technology, and Sheryl Loving, art, reveal the new Little Free Library constructed in front of Merrillville High School. The project is one of 454 funded by the Merrillville Education Foundation.
Merrillville Education Foundation (MEF) recently announced it will award five grants totaling $3,759.50 to teachers in the Merrillville Community School Corporation to enhance learning experiences for students. Reading, math and physical education are just a few of the subject areas that will get an upgrade, thanks to this funding in the foundation’s 39th round of awards.
“The grant committee is very pleased to award this round of grants to very deserving winners,” said MEF Executive Director Mary Hoffman. “We are happy to support these educators. Their projects will inspire students to be successful in the classroom and beyond.”
Ladd Downham, physical education educator at Salk Elementary School, won funding for DrumFIT, a program and video curriculum to bring modern technology and activity into the physical education classroom through a web-based video program.
Downham said the videos can be projected onto the gymnasium wall, and children will be able to follow along to energetic songs that are provided by trained instructors.
“There is an extensive library with activities added monthly,” Downham said. “The DrumFIT program includes dance, drumming and cardio routines and can also be used with just the stability ball to go into lessons for flexibility, stretching, upper body, lower body and core strengthening.”
Nancy Fleming, school social worker, collaborated with Miller Elementary School kindergarten teachers to win a grant to help incoming kindergarteners that have difficulties sitting still, focusing, following directions, listening to adults and getting along with others.
“The purpose of this project is to allow teachers to help those students who exhibit ADHD tendencies and struggle with these essential classroom behaviors,” said Fleming. “A student that is engaged has a better chance of reaching his/her full potential.”
Fleming said the items purchased through this grant can help them get engaged and stay engaged.
Fieler Elementary School Kindergarten Teachers Michelle Frey and Nicole Olson won MEF grant funding for their project “Kindergarten Story Retelling and Enactment.”
The grant will help them purchase characters and props from children’s stories, such as “Brown Bear,” “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “The Snowy Day,” “The Kissing Hand” and more.
Students will be able to use these kits for hands-on activities during whole group, small group and independent time to retell stories, sequence events, talk about the characters, etc.
Wood Elementary School Teacher Morgan Vlassopoulos along with school staff won funding for their project “Recess is FUNdamental!”
“Recess is extremely important in the development of children, because it helps them grow socially, emotionally, physically, and yes, academically, as it leads to more on-task behavior and longer attention spans,” Vlassopoulos said. “We plan to use grant money to purchase materials to help restructure our outdoor and indoor recess time when we are unable to utilize our playground.”
Vlassopoulos said the staff plans to paint several games and play areas on the blacktop in the back and on the side of the building that can all be used to create a more structured recess environment.
“We also plan to use part of the funds to purchase equipment such as balls, hula hoops, and quick easy games that can be played in a short period,” she added.
More information about these projects is available on the foundation website, merrillvilleeducationfoundation.org.
Since 2002, the Merrillville Education Foundation has awarded 454 grants to teachers totaling $393,040.51. These grants have impacted more than 124,382 education experiences for students in grades K through 12.
The foundation is committed to being the primary private sector partner in supporting public education where public funds are not available in the Merrillville Community School Corporation.
Merrillville Education Foundation, Inc. is designated a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and participates in a variety of ongoing fundraising events to generate monies for grants. All donations are tax deductible.