Education Foundation awards grants for fall classes

"We had some great applications, and feel these programs will help enhance the children's school experience," said WSVEF Board President Sue Davis.

Whitson Elementary was the big winner, with more than half the funds going to supplement math and music programs.

A total of $7,191 goes to the "Math Lab" pilot program, which targets first through fourth grade students. Math Lab will provide hands-on materials, games, and on-line resources focusing on computational fluency and number sense. Math Lab also includes on-line professional development for the entire school staff, and materials that can be used in the classroom.

An additional $6,343 will be used to purchase a new music curriculum for kindergarten through second grade students to replace the current 23-year-old outdated and unusable program.

Henkle Middle School will receive $5,250 for "Literacy Professional Development." This grant finances training for fifth and sixth grade teachers in newly adopted core literacy programs.

Henkle will also receive an additional grant in the amount of $1,148 to purchase technology to be used in art instruction. The funds will cover the purchase of a color printer and three video cameras for the art room.

"The Grant Review Committee is comprised of two educators, two community members, and one WSVEF Board Member. The WSVEF collaborates closely with District Administration so that grants fund priority projects in the schools.

"The Foundation continues to be a valued and contributing partner in our community, and its support has provided many great opportunities for our teachers and students," said District Superintendent Jerry Lewis.

In addition to the regular granting cycle, the WSVEF also provided the district with approximately $8000 to finance a Learning Improvement Day to help teachers prepare for the upcoming school year. Recent cuts to state budgets would have otherwise eliminated this learning and planning day for teachers.

The latest awards bring grant funding to the local schools to more than a quarter million dollars since the WSVEF's inception in 2006.

The application deadline for the foundation's next $20,000 funding cycle is Oct. 28, 2011.

The WSVEF is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation dedicated to enhancing the quality of public education within our community by creating a stable source of supplemental funding for curriculum enhancement and investment in our teachers.

At least 25 percent of every donation goes to the WSVEF's endowment fund, which will allow for continued grant funding into the future.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit www.wsvef.org or call 493-1175.