26 Grants Awarded for Innovative Programs in Libertyville Elementary District 70

Submission by Libertyville Elementary District 70

Photo caption: First grade students at Adler Park classare working with Osmo, a learner-led iPad program that lets student use hands-on manipulatives while engaging in a virtual world.

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Forty-three Libertyville Elementary District 70 teachers have been awarded Partners for Excellence in Education grant monies this year to enhance education through innovative and creative new programs in their classrooms.

Twenty-six grants totaling more than $11,496 were awarded to progressive teachers in five schools. There were 34 applications for the grants.

The grants are sponsored by Partners for Excellence in Education, a group of local business representatives who offer their time and financial donations to District 70. This is the 20th year for the partnership’s “Mini-Grant Awards” program, which has awarded almost $100,000 over the years for direct use in the classrooms.

This year’s grants will go to fund such programs as creating STEM activities for students, math and language support materials, literary works related to the study of immigration, collecting additional supplies to help teach math skills, incorporating handheld sensory materials to help students focus, and the design, creation and implementation of a butterfly garden.

“We continue to value the commitment of the Business Partners who review and support these endeavors,” said Supt. Dr. Guy Schumacher. “Staff has become increasing imaginative and creative, offering innovative and unique opportunities that build upon learning standards and offer additional educational opportunities for the children of our schools.”

Board of Education member Julie Damenti, and Principal Jon Hallmark presented the winning grants at a board meeting this week.

While Schumacher and administrators support the business group with the grant applications, they step out of the decision-making process. The business partners make all the final decisions based on 21st Century core criteria set up for the grants.

The individual grants range from $155 to $500.

The recipients are:

Adler Park School

• Ashley Zeinz, Jill Przybylski. Learning Through “Osmo”sis! Osmo is learner-led iPad program that lets student use hands-on manipulatives while engaging in a virtual world.
• Emily Maki. STEM Week at Adler Park School. Part 2. In the spring of 2016, first through fifth grade students will create a house with lights, design a boat to hold monkeys, design a Gingerbread Man Trap, examine pendulums, work with alka seltzer powered cars.

Butterfield School

• Conna Rech, Tanya Surdick. 40 Book Challenge. Create a program to encourage fourth grade students to read more and a variety of genres, offer reward gifts.
• Conna Rech. Phenomenon-Based Learning and The Next Generation Science Standards. Fourth and fifth grade students will explore a phenomenon and connect through science.
• Susie Hardiman, Julie Serrecchia. Tech Enhancement for Fourth Grade Math. Part two. Subscriptions to IXL Interactive Learning Website.
• Janine Hogan, Kim Jenkins, Lisa Wolf, Megan Wood. Rockin’ Readers! Establishing a Home/School Reading Connection. Buying books to enhance and increase reading.
• Abigayle Vaughan, Holly Simon. The Art of Conversation. Purchase a program to help special education student learn to converse better.
• Jill Przybylski and Amy Soellner. News-O-Matic: The Daily News Experience Just for Kids. Part two. Buying online newspaper and iPods for student use.
• Krista Panock. IXL Language and Math. Website provides interactive experience for students to practice in language and math.

Butterfield and Rockland Schools

• Chris Vipond. Elementary Students Programing for the Future. Monies used to purchase four Spheros, an app-controlled robotic ball which students learn to program.

Copeland Manor School

• Keri Johnson, Julie Jermakowicz, Becki Jo Miranda, Kelly Edelsberg, Teresa Crandell. Finding and Recording Key Ideas in Informational Text. Monies to buy weather and volcano e-books to use as resources for research learning.
• Keri Johnson, Sasha Keske, Judy Boyle, Maureen Reinking, Christine Policht. Growing Readers with Branches. Series of books to help readers transition into Chapter books.
• Teresa Crandell, Julie Jermakowicz, Becki Jo Miranda, Kelly Edelsberg, Keri Johnson, A Study of Immigration Through Literature. Monies will buy books to teacher students about immigration.
• Jen April, Anna Marie Grote, Beth Weaver. B Is For Butterfly. Kindergartners will hatch butterflies and build a school butterfly garden.

Rockland School

• Becky Johnson. A Five Senses Approach. Setting up a sensory section in the Learning Center with sound, smell, herb plants, peppermints, located near the fish and reptiles.
• Danya Sundh. INSPIRE. Post inspirational quotes selected by students to post throughout the school.
• Danya Sundh. Positive Behavior Support Skyrockets at Rockland. Part three. Continue to collect data to monitor student behaviors utilizing the Positive Behavioral Systems and the SWIS data systems.
• Becky Johnson, Michelle Salm, Jaime Wittenberg. Rockland Post Office. Create a post office at the school.
• Mike Kolar. Grasping Fitness. Monies will purchase heart monitor, push up and sit and reach equipment.
• Mike Kolar, Danya Sundh. Outdoor Classroom Enhancement. Monies will buy speakers for classical music and dry erase board to use in outdoor classroom.

Highland Middle School

• Dr. Erin Wyatt. Maker Mondays at Highland Learning Center. Monies used to buy supplies with apps and books for students who want to build, tinker and create.
• Carol Janossy. Expanding Musical Horizons. Monies to buy CDs of musical masters for students to learn from.
• Caren Kimbarovsky. Close the STEAM Circuit. Monies to buy snap circuits so students can use for STEAM.
• Melissa Rosen. Makey-ing It Happen. Monies will buy Makey MaKeys supplies for students to tinker with for STEAM.
• Melissa Rosen. 3D Printing in the Classroom. Part two. Buy printrbot to have students build a working 3D printer to use.
• Kristen Kubala. Stand Up and Learn. Monies used to buy stand up desks to help some students focus.

The award money is derived from local businesses belonging to District 70’s Partners for Excellence in Education program. Local companies working as partners include A Village Green Montessori School, Blast Entertainment, Blue Sky Studio, C & A Robot Factory, Inc., Callie’s Cupcakery, Cedar Roofing Co., Century 21 Kreuser & Seiler, Ltd., Chicago Wind Soccer Club, Chick-fil-A, Cross Ways Pre-school, Culvers Frozen Custard, David Adler Music & Arts Center, Domino’s Pizza, Donatis Pizza, Ganello’s Pizza Co., glimling.com LLC, Growing with Grace Preschool, How Impressive!, Improv Playhouse, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Jet’s Pizza, Libertyville Bank & Trust, Libertyville Cooperative Nursery School, Lifestyle Cycle, Marjo Graphics, Max’s Dawg House, Pizzeria Deville, Shakou, Stephen “Painless” Parker, DDS, Sunset Foods, theblanket.com, Touche Salon, Townee Square Restaurant, Trattoria Pomigliano, and Youth & Family Counseling.