Mini Grant Recipients for the 2017-2018 School Year
This year, several teachers from the Guadalupe Union School District received Mini Grants from the Foundation aimed at helping the students of Guadalupe reach new academic, cultural and athletic goals in our schools. Check out some of their projects below:
Bobcat Newspaper Enrichment Program by Ashley Thompson (Mary Buren)
The students participate in an after-school newspaper enrichment program where they will be able to improve their writing, editing, and design skills. The students will publish four student newspapers to share with the communities of Mary Buren and Guadalupe.
Bobcat Newspaper Enrichment Program by Ashley Thompson (Mary Buren)
The students participate in an after-school newspaper enrichment program where they will be able to improve their writing, editing, and design skills. The students will publish four student newspapers to share with the communities of Mary Buren and Guadalupe.
Bobcat Podcast by Rose Marie Battaglia (Mary Buren)
With Podcasts as a popular source of information, I thought it would be fun to create a student run podcast. Students will learn the technology, including recording and editing an audio program, as well as developing topics, outlines, scripts and music for the podcast.
Lets Get Moving by Laurie Lunker (Mary Buren)
Our students need a classroom environment that empowers them to be creative, innovative and to be technologically literate. They need to experience learning through real-world, hands-on activities while using technology to enhance their learning and understanding of all content areas. My objective is to create a classroom that inspires innovation and creativity, and one way I want to improve my classroom environment is through Lego WeDo 2.0. Lego WeDo connects the technology that is going to be present in the classroom with a hands-on learning experience through engineering and building.
1st Grade Readers Incentive Program by Michelle Minetti-Smith (Mary Buren)
Our goal is to promote reading in first grade by having students complete their homework/reading log each day. On Fridays, those students who have met this goal will be rewarded with a scholar's recess where they get to enjoy many outdoor activities with their peers. Students will be meeting both academic and athletic needs through this incentive. We will also promote the motto "First Grade Readers are Tomorrow's Leaders".
Hey Hey More STEM by Robin Sumabat (Mary Buren)
Transitional Kindergarten students have a natural curiosity to learn about their world. They need opportunities to actively explore, investigate and observe through experimentation. STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) requires higher level thinking and problem solving. It needs to be an active part of the TK day & will benefit the students throughout their scholastic endeavors.
MB Physical Fitness by Amy Zakaria (Mary Buren)
Our second grade students need to be physically active, as physical activities not only impact their physical well-being, but also give them mental clarity and academic breaks which are necessary for academic focus during their school day. The key objectives of our program are to have the students learn new games and physical activities daily to meet the State Physical Education Standards of required minutes per week. We will be teaching them a variety of games, such as hand and eye coordination games with tennis balls and bean bags. We will also teach them four square games, hopscotch and jump rope games. Soccer, basketball and dribbling through cones skills will enhance their coordination abilities as well.
Volley Ball Team Uniforms (McKenzie)
Our volleyball team was in need of new uniforms because they were using the old soccer jerseys. Our kids did not have actual volleyball jerseys, knee pads, or shorts. We thought it would be really awesome to show up to games looking sharp! Now we can thanks to the Guadalupe Kids Come First Foundation!
Art Elective by Erin Van De Roovaart (McKenzie)
The objective of Mrs. V's art class is to teach students basic art skills in the areas of drawing, painting, and sculpture. Also, the class focuses on twelve famous artists and many of the projects are inspired by these artists' works. The goal of the art class is to teach student art skills, as well as art appreciation. By the end of the class, they should be able to go to any major museum and recognize at least one artist..
The objective of Mrs. V's art class is to teach students basic art skills in the areas of drawing, painting, and sculpture. Also, the class focuses on twelve famous artists and many of the projects are inspired by these artists' works. The goal of the art class is to teach student art skills, as well as art appreciation. By the end of the class, they should be able to go to any major museum and recognize at least one artist..
The World is 3D By Jeff Foote (McKenzie)
The core tool in any Maker Lab is the 3D printer. I have a great range of tools and projects for using with non-wood projects, but it's time for students to learn 3D design tools to print their own engineer project parts. All students will at least design and print gears, wheels, bodies, or other specialty parts for their Solar Powered car competition. Our students need to get their hands on the skills and equipment that they will build their futures with. Design, tool use, and building in the 21st Century use 3D.
The core tool in any Maker Lab is the 3D printer. I have a great range of tools and projects for using with non-wood projects, but it's time for students to learn 3D design tools to print their own engineer project parts. All students will at least design and print gears, wheels, bodies, or other specialty parts for their Solar Powered car competition. Our students need to get their hands on the skills and equipment that they will build their futures with. Design, tool use, and building in the 21st Century use 3D.
College Motivational Mindset By Robin Ilac (McKenzie)
Our students need to know that there are no limits to where their educational journey will take them. I would like to put college flags in our multi-purpose room (cafeteria) to inspire our students to learn more about going to college. Using the flags will help us create a college-going culture in our school, where students will be inspired to a lifelong path toward higher education and deeper learning that ends with a degree. To reach that goal, the school needs to create a place of inspiration to motivate students toward achieving a college education. We want students to know that going to college isn't just a dream, but a plan set into motion.
Our students need to know that there are no limits to where their educational journey will take them. I would like to put college flags in our multi-purpose room (cafeteria) to inspire our students to learn more about going to college. Using the flags will help us create a college-going culture in our school, where students will be inspired to a lifelong path toward higher education and deeper learning that ends with a degree. To reach that goal, the school needs to create a place of inspiration to motivate students toward achieving a college education. We want students to know that going to college isn't just a dream, but a plan set into motion.
Knitting/Sewing Elective By Rosie Garcia (McKenzie)
My primary objective is that students have a platform in which to be creative and begin to learn to focus while creating their projects. I heard from my colleagues that students who were in my elective class tended to be more focused in their academic classes because they had a way to manage their extra energy, or stress, and because they felt some sense of accomplishment in school when they may have not been feeling that in their academic classes. In turn, that feeling of accomplishment was something that content area teachers could build on to help students engage in their academic courses and help build their self-esteem.
Also, by making items that can be donated to local organizations, students can see that what they are creating in class, and at school can have an impact on the community around them. Students may be able to see the baby hat they created on a baby in their own family, or in their neighborhood. This would tie into the restorative practices culture that is being developed at McKenzie. It would allow students to see that what they do in one area of their life can have a positive impact on the lives of others. This would help foster a culture of kindness and compassion for others that we would love to see our young people embrace.
My primary objective is that students have a platform in which to be creative and begin to learn to focus while creating their projects. I heard from my colleagues that students who were in my elective class tended to be more focused in their academic classes because they had a way to manage their extra energy, or stress, and because they felt some sense of accomplishment in school when they may have not been feeling that in their academic classes. In turn, that feeling of accomplishment was something that content area teachers could build on to help students engage in their academic courses and help build their self-esteem.
Also, by making items that can be donated to local organizations, students can see that what they are creating in class, and at school can have an impact on the community around them. Students may be able to see the baby hat they created on a baby in their own family, or in their neighborhood. This would tie into the restorative practices culture that is being developed at McKenzie. It would allow students to see that what they do in one area of their life can have a positive impact on the lives of others. This would help foster a culture of kindness and compassion for others that we would love to see our young people embrace.
The Write Stuff by Sandra Bravo (McKenzie)
Have you ever wondered if teens across the world think the same way as you our teens in Guadalupe? Do they experience the same problems? Do they feel the same way about topics happening in the news? (Immigration, for instance). This project is designed to have our junior high students find out!! Students will write to pen pals once a month. Our pen pals are located in Texas. Topics include: Introductions, goals for the year, reading the same article and sharing our ideas about the topic, academic and career goals, our community and culture differences.
Have you ever wondered if teens across the world think the same way as you our teens in Guadalupe? Do they experience the same problems? Do they feel the same way about topics happening in the news? (Immigration, for instance). This project is designed to have our junior high students find out!! Students will write to pen pals once a month. Our pen pals are located in Texas. Topics include: Introductions, goals for the year, reading the same article and sharing our ideas about the topic, academic and career goals, our community and culture differences.
