Gripp Grants Awarded by D-39 Foundation

WILMETTE, IL - The District 39 Educational Foundation announced the recipients of its Fall 2015 Gripp Grants recently.

A total of four grants were awarded this year, three to McKenzie Elementary School and one to Highcrest Middle School and Wilmette Junior High. The grants, named after former District 39 teacher and founding Foundation trustee Phyllis Gripp, have been awarded since 1994 and have ranged anywhere from $49 up to $100,000.

“The Foundation’s Gripp Grant committee is excited to support several innovative and curriculum-inspiring initiatives for our children,” said Tracy Peacock of the District 39 Education Foundation. “This year, we are touching a variety of departments including music, language arts, technology, science and special education.”

Here’s a look at what was awarded this year:

Adaptive Musical Instruments (Highcrest/WJHS): The grant is a partnership between the music and special education departments in grades 5 through 8. This grant will fund the purchase of seven types of musical instruments to be used by students with comprehensive learning needs and/or physical challenges. This equipment will allow students within the comprehensive learning center to fully participate in the High Five Choir and their related arts classes. Teachers leading this initiative include Arlene Frost, Jana Martin, Maggie Sacksteder, Stephan Spellman, Zach Sundeman, Kellie Truppa, and Sarah Whitaker.

Content Area Literacy and the Common Core Conference (McKenzie): McKenzie second grade teachers Jennifer Weil and Erin Schoeder are excited to participate in a forward forward-thinking conference at Teacher’s College in New York. The Reading and Writing Project Conference is focused on innovative strategies for fully engaging students in the new English Language Arts curriculum under Common Core. The teachers will share these new strategies district-wide.

Marvel Focus Desks (McKenzie): Lauren Siegel and Teresa Alfaro, two fourth grade teachers, will be piloting the use of a state-of-the-art adjustable desk in her classroom. The Marvel Focus Desks are designed to adapt to the individual child and their learning environment, which is especially helpful to those with unique learning needs.

Makey Makeys (McKenzie): Funding from this grant enhances both the science and technology curriculum, enabling Julie Garry to purchase 30 Makey Makeys for the Technology Department. These innovative kits will enrich the current fourth grade science unit on electricity. Working together in small groups, the Makey Makey kits will allow students to make their own musical instruments they can program themselves by combining their knowledge of electrical circuits with the coding they are learning in technology class.

“The Foundation is very grateful for our community’s generosity through the donations that make this funding possible,” Peacock said.