PSSF Tops $30K in 2018-19 Teacher Grant Awards

Teachers at Pine Street School are putting more than $30,000 to work in their classrooms for this school year through the grant funding program sponsored by the Pine Street School Foundation. This is the highest amount of individual teacher grants the Foundation has awarded in its nine-year history and brings the Foundation’s total grants program investment to $253,000.   

“It is incredible to see the continued growth and investment in supporting students and teachers at Pine Street School, especially as the Foundation nears the milestone of its tenth anniversary,” said Mary Elizabeth Evans, board chair of the Pine Street School Foundation for 2018-2019. “Teachers continue to bring us innovative ideas that go beyond what traditional funds can support, and our community responds enthusiastically with gifts that bring their ideas to life. We are thankful to all who make these projects possible for our school.”

This year’s grants support a hot air balloon demonstration and hands-on weather lesson for all fourth grade students, a one-day STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) experience for fifth graders to work in teams to build functioning hovercrafts, new physical education equipment, math games, educational software program subscriptions, light tables and manipulatives to enhance learning of younger students, an educational series on making pottery, audio books and MP3 players for the library, new learning stations for special education classrooms, toolkits to help students learn to self-regulate their emotions, and support of the school’s annual musical production, among other projects.

“Our students’ learning experiences will be significantly enhanced by these projects, which span across all grade levels and reach every student in the school,” said Evans.

Funded projects include:

• Another Opening, Another Show! Musical Production Rights – Linda Creasap, Susan Woodham and Kelli Hardigree (all grades)
• Director for the School Play – Dennis Regnier (all grades)
• Nearpod for Pine Street School – Lori Patterson (all grades)
• I’ll Tumble for You – Joyce Morrow and Todd Seagle (all grades)
• MARC Multi-Sensory Learning & Success Research Based Communication – Kathy White (kindergarten – 2^nd grades)
• Lighting Up Kindergarten – Bailie Taylor, Wendy Cont, Kathy White, Jayna Lehner (kindergarten)
• Keep Calm and Learn to Regulate – Angie Powell (1^st grade)
• Learning in Motion III – Anne Wolfe (1^st grade)
• Games for Guided Math – Molly Fisher (2^nd grade)
• Take a Seat and Read – Tiffany Anderson (2^nd grade)
• Controlled Alternative Seating – Claire Boyd (3^rd grade)
• We Are No Slackers – Todd Seagle (3^rd ­–5^th grades)
• IXL Software for Math, Language Arts and Science – Susan Hoffman (3^rd – 5^th grades)
• BrainPOP Subscription – Susan Hoffman (3^rd – 5^th grades)
• Carolina’s Balloon Program – Lori Patterson and 4^th Grade Teachers (4^th grade)
• Carried Away with Playaways Audiobooks/MP3 Players – Lee Ann Bailie (4^th­–5^th grades)
• The Hovercraft Project – Lori Patterson, Susan Hoffman, Shannon Bradford, and Susan Gilstrap (5^thgrade)
• Making Melodious Memories with Flocabulary – Susan Gilstrap and Julie Sprinkles (5^th grade)
• The Art in Science – Susan Hoffman (5^th grade)
• Mystery Science – Susan Hoffman (5^th grade)

“Every teacher and child at Pine Street School continues to benefit and grow due to the positive relationship we enjoy with the PSS Foundation,” said Pine Street principal Dennis Regnier. “Our teachers have been able to really think outside of the box and give their students some of the most amazing and enriching experiences. The materials, programs and productions are just the start of the creativity and collaboration at work thanks to the PSSF. We have been able to strengthen our connections to the community and bring wonderful new ideas into our school to further enhance the hard work of so many valuable volunteers, parents, and teachers.”

The Pine Street School Foundation raises funds each spring to award for projects that will be implemented the following school year, creating an immediate and direct impact with its resources. The grant application process is open to Pine Street School faculty and staff, and includes a proposal submission and an interview with the Foundation’s grants committee.

Support from friends and family of Pine Street students, and from those in the community beyond, enables the Foundation’s impact. Please join our effort by making your gift today.