2018 / 2019 Grants have been awarded!
Spring Lake Schools Foundation Fund
This endowed fund awards annual grants to K-12 educators within the Spring Lake Public School system. Each year, the grants are reviewed by the foundation board members and awarded according to their alignment to our goal to educate and inspire each student to live, learn, and lead with excellence.This year, $29,419 was awarded to teachers in varying grades and subject areas. There were 22 applications received, and the projects continue to grow in impact, longevity, and overall scope. We are pleased to announce the following grant recipients:
College Guest Speaker “Carrot” Lisa Schanhals
This programs aims to assist high school teachers develop partnerships with science departments at surrounding colleges to funnel guest speakers to SLHS. The inspiration for this program comes from the national “Skype a Scientist” program and will provide SLHS students with role models and connections with college-level speakers to further develop interest and explore education in the sciences.
Summer Reading Scott Ely, Sandra Smits, and Shelley Peets
“Summer slide” as it pertains to reading ability is a problem for many elementary students. Research has shown that accessibility to books is a major factor in summer reading programs. This summer reading program will provide a minimum of nine books to every SL student in grades K-3 for the summer of 2019. Students will leave school with new books in their hands and receive books in the mail periodically throughout the summer months!
Therapeutic Riding Whitney Mitchell Krusniak
Therapeutic riding not only engages students socially and emotionally, but also supports students academically. Research supports the connection between the rhythm in riding a horse and the nervous system, which, in turn, positively impacts cognitive abilities. This program will benefit students in pre-school and grades K-1 who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and students from the grades K-4 Intensive Resource Room. Weekly sessions will help students with physical needs, psychological needs, and social needs.
Workforce Readiness Research David Theune
Students who know they want to go into the workforce immediately following graduation will be elevated through innovative educational opportunities derived from this research. Successful programs from the Netherlands will be studied to examine what programs might be used at SLPS to promote workforce readiness. Expanded experiences outside the traditional classroom, including enhanced training programs, will be implemented.
Digital Interactive Devices Lauren Thompson
With these robotic programming kits, students at SLHS will experiment with building and coding robots and devices. This is a unique opportunity for our students to “build a world that doesn’t exist” and to participate in the global community of computer programming. The kits will be used in the Girls Who Code Club (after school) as well as in computer science and coding classes offered at the high school.
Title 1 Reading Program Keli Olson
These funds will be used to implement a specific ELA program that can be used for RTI in the middle school grades. The Reality Central program includes reading and writing and encourages students to make connections between what they read and their own life experiences. This program will help students improve their vocabulary, their ability to make connections between background knowledge and what they read, and increase opportunities for writing and discussion.
Reading Refresh and Recharge Lesley Reed and Heather Brewer
Based on changing interests of the student body, additional varied titles will be added to the IS and MS media center. Included will be books that concentrate on STEM principles, current social issues for both the fiction and non-fiction collections, graphic novels and other books for reluctant readers, alternating viewpoint novels, and verse fiction.
Carol Martin Endowed Fund
Let’s Attract Learners Abe Overway
These magnetic building materials will be used to help students understand geometry and measurement using a fun, hands-on approach. All students in grades K-4 will have the opportunity to use these materials to expand their knowledge and demonstrate learning in grade-level appropriate ways.
Powerful Presentations and Communicating Confidently Julie Kitchel, Gretchen Spoelman, Sue Coon, Carrie Andrews, Betsy Kipling, Mary VandenBosch, Caryn Lannon, Kevin Teays, and Amy Berry
All 4th grade students in SLPS will benefit from this six-week experience in which they will participate in a free market economy. Public speaking lessons by Speak by Design will be a highlight of this program that walk students through an authentic, real-world learning experience in which they design, create, and sell a product and then present their plan to others.
VanAndel Education Institute Field Experience Jessica O’Donnell
Students in grade five will learn science through the Community of Practice model of inquiry-based learning at the VanAndel Institute. Students will investigate a wide variety of topics with actual scientists and have the opportunity to view scientists in action. Real-world application of fifth grade science topics will bring learning to life!
Breakout EDU Kits Sarah Taylor
You’ve heard of “Escape Rooms” – and this Breakout EDU learning game brings that same fun, cooperative learning experience to our Intermediate School students! During this immersive learning game, students will use teamwork, collaboration, and critical thinking skills to transform their learning! These fun lessons are adaptable for all subjects and infuse technology and innovation to make learning fun!
Be NICE and Social Thinking Programs Jeffers and Holmes Staff (Carrie Andrews)
Now more than ever, our students are facing incredible pressures. This program will teach empathy and compassion and work to improve student mental health. Students at Holmes and Jeffers will benefit from the implementation of the Be Nice program and Social Thinking program. Communication and listening skills will improve, empathy will increase, and school culture will improve.
Spring Lake Schools Foundation Fund
This endowed fund awards annual grants to K-12 educators within the Spring Lake Public School system. Each year, the grants are reviewed by the foundation board members and awarded according to their alignment to our goal to educate and inspire each student to live, learn, and lead with excellence.This year, $29,419 was awarded to teachers in varying grades and subject areas. There were 22 applications received, and the projects continue to grow in impact, longevity, and overall scope. We are pleased to announce the following grant recipients:
College Guest Speaker “Carrot” Lisa Schanhals
This programs aims to assist high school teachers develop partnerships with science departments at surrounding colleges to funnel guest speakers to SLHS. The inspiration for this program comes from the national “Skype a Scientist” program and will provide SLHS students with role models and connections with college-level speakers to further develop interest and explore education in the sciences.
Summer Reading Scott Ely, Sandra Smits, and Shelley Peets
“Summer slide” as it pertains to reading ability is a problem for many elementary students. Research has shown that accessibility to books is a major factor in summer reading programs. This summer reading program will provide a minimum of nine books to every SL student in grades K-3 for the summer of 2019. Students will leave school with new books in their hands and receive books in the mail periodically throughout the summer months!
Therapeutic Riding Whitney Mitchell Krusniak
Therapeutic riding not only engages students socially and emotionally, but also supports students academically. Research supports the connection between the rhythm in riding a horse and the nervous system, which, in turn, positively impacts cognitive abilities. This program will benefit students in pre-school and grades K-1 who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and students from the grades K-4 Intensive Resource Room. Weekly sessions will help students with physical needs, psychological needs, and social needs.
Workforce Readiness Research David Theune
Students who know they want to go into the workforce immediately following graduation will be elevated through innovative educational opportunities derived from this research. Successful programs from the Netherlands will be studied to examine what programs might be used at SLPS to promote workforce readiness. Expanded experiences outside the traditional classroom, including enhanced training programs, will be implemented.
Digital Interactive Devices Lauren Thompson
With these robotic programming kits, students at SLHS will experiment with building and coding robots and devices. This is a unique opportunity for our students to “build a world that doesn’t exist” and to participate in the global community of computer programming. The kits will be used in the Girls Who Code Club (after school) as well as in computer science and coding classes offered at the high school.
Title 1 Reading Program Keli Olson
These funds will be used to implement a specific ELA program that can be used for RTI in the middle school grades. The Reality Central program includes reading and writing and encourages students to make connections between what they read and their own life experiences. This program will help students improve their vocabulary, their ability to make connections between background knowledge and what they read, and increase opportunities for writing and discussion.
Reading Refresh and Recharge Lesley Reed and Heather Brewer
Based on changing interests of the student body, additional varied titles will be added to the IS and MS media center. Included will be books that concentrate on STEM principles, current social issues for both the fiction and non-fiction collections, graphic novels and other books for reluctant readers, alternating viewpoint novels, and verse fiction.
Carol Martin Endowed Fund
Let’s Attract Learners Abe Overway
These magnetic building materials will be used to help students understand geometry and measurement using a fun, hands-on approach. All students in grades K-4 will have the opportunity to use these materials to expand their knowledge and demonstrate learning in grade-level appropriate ways.
Powerful Presentations and Communicating Confidently Julie Kitchel, Gretchen Spoelman, Sue Coon, Carrie Andrews, Betsy Kipling, Mary VandenBosch, Caryn Lannon, Kevin Teays, and Amy Berry
All 4th grade students in SLPS will benefit from this six-week experience in which they will participate in a free market economy. Public speaking lessons by Speak by Design will be a highlight of this program that walk students through an authentic, real-world learning experience in which they design, create, and sell a product and then present their plan to others.
VanAndel Education Institute Field Experience Jessica O’Donnell
Students in grade five will learn science through the Community of Practice model of inquiry-based learning at the VanAndel Institute. Students will investigate a wide variety of topics with actual scientists and have the opportunity to view scientists in action. Real-world application of fifth grade science topics will bring learning to life!
Breakout EDU Kits Sarah Taylor
You’ve heard of “Escape Rooms” – and this Breakout EDU learning game brings that same fun, cooperative learning experience to our Intermediate School students! During this immersive learning game, students will use teamwork, collaboration, and critical thinking skills to transform their learning! These fun lessons are adaptable for all subjects and infuse technology and innovation to make learning fun!
Be NICE and Social Thinking Programs Jeffers and Holmes Staff (Carrie Andrews)
Now more than ever, our students are facing incredible pressures. This program will teach empathy and compassion and work to improve student mental health. Students at Holmes and Jeffers will benefit from the implementation of the Be Nice program and Social Thinking program. Communication and listening skills will improve, empathy will increase, and school culture will improve.