Teachers get awards to help with classroom expenses

Oct. 31—Not even the wealthiest school districts are able to buy all of the supplies and resources each teacher uses in the classroom, but there is a grant program to help in St. Joseph.

In a world where sacrificing some of one's paycheck for the benefit of students is an accepted norm, local teachers have the opportunity via the Apple Seed Grant Program and the St. Joseph School District Foundation to apply for special awards that pay for classroom projects, supplies and equipment.

Eleven such educators received surprise news on Tuesday morning that their grants had been approved by the foundation, the cash value of their prizes ranging from $500 to $7,000.

"It was definitely a surprise, but very exciting, because all of the students will benefit from what they're donating down here in this wing," said Abbey Grooms, who got $771 to pay for a collection of special education learning materials. "It was really exciting. We are always looking for new tools. I'm just very happy that now we have been blessed with the learning materials we need."

Grooms and Kali Maloney, who received $649 for a multi-language translation tool called Every Student Deserves a Voice, work at Oak Grove Elementary. Earlier in the morning, math teacher Haylie Jones of Bode Middle School received $828 for marker board table materials. This will allow up to eight students to write out erasable calculations on the table at one time. The current makeshift markerboard table supports only two students, and its surface has become nearly unusable due to dirt and wear and tear.

"It's a huge difference, because I've been paying for paper for this just to be able to help two students at a time, and that's like $30 at a shot, and I have to change it every couple of months," Jones said. "So this is a really big grant to be able to benefit more students than just two."

The remaining awards, presented by Foundation Executive Director Julie Cobb, joined by Halloween-costumed celebrants and supportive students on a surprise basis throughout Tuesday morning, went to the following educators:

Anthony Dice of Benton High School — $400 for a hands-on historical learning activity

Brent Corey of Lafayette High School — $950 for a robotics kit

Ceshia Pfleiderer of Parkway Elementary — $848 for an artistic experiment that uses a pendulum

Christopher Michaels of Benton — $7,000 for a special classroom that trains essential life skills

Jeffrey Campbell of Truman Middle School — $6,251 for a mechanical and electrical engineering package

Miranda Ham of Hosea Elementary — $595 for new curricula on encouraging girls' self-confidence

Rebecca Jones of Hillyard Tech Center — $930 for a historical field trip for students to Topeka, Kansas

Samantha Davis of Lafayette — $375 for a career counseling initiative

Angela Chavez of the St. Joseph Early Learning Center — $1,928 for a literacy training program

Marcus Clem can be reached at marcus.clem@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowClem