Carol Martin Fund
2022 - 2023
Exploring Learning Math Fluency; Holmes and Jeffers 2-4 grade classrooms. Recipients - Mary VandenBosch and Julie Marcus. The purchase of two 12 month all school (grades 2nd through 4th with a possibility of 1st grade using it in the second semester) site subscriptions to Explore Learning which is home to Reflex, a fact fluency program, and Frax, a fraction fluency program, for use on technology at school and home on any device. Reflex is designed to coach students on basic facts that they do not know and practice fluency, while factoring out typing speed. Frax is for 3rd and 4th graders to review and learn basic fraction concepts.
Discovering More with Discovery Education; Holmes K-4 for one year. Recipients - Mary VanderBosch, Caryn Lannon, Amy Berry, and Kevin Teays. One year of Discovery Education access through REMC for Holmes Elementary, Kindergarten through 4th grade. Discovery Education is a curated collection of relevant content and resources to engage students. The platform contains an up to date, student appropriate, and vetted collection of learning videos, lessons, and activities. Teachers and students gain access to material through the Clever portal.
Making Meaning; 1st grade Holmes Elementary. Recipient - Megan Dean. The purchase of the First Grade 3rd Edition of Making Meaning. What is Making Meaning? This grant would provide the teachers manual and all books needed for each week's read aloud. The lessons are designed to deepen teacher understanding of effective instruction and illuminate student thinking about literature, supporting the development of critical thinking and a lifelong love of reading. Carefully selected nonfiction and fiction read-alouds provide a rich, rewarding experience as students encounter increasingly complex texts and build their vocabulary.
Jeffers Story Walk and more; Jeffers Elementary. Recipients - Betsy Kipling, Jen Myaard, and Carrie Andrews. At the beginning of this school year, the upper elementary students at Jeffers worked together to create a natural walking path around the border of the wooded classroom space. Their teamwork and ownership over the project was amazing. We would now like to enhance the path they created even further by adding story walk signs around the perimeter of the path. Popularized during covid, story walks are a series of signs along a path that contain pages of a picture book. Kids of all ages can walk along the path and read the story as they walk. We would use this story walk in several ways with students. We would use it as a traditional story walk, but we have included space at the bottom of each sign so we can add thought-provoking questions or information to help the students think deeper as they progress through the story. Additionally, we would use the signs to share student work. For example, in STEM and Art the second grade students create a project informing the public about local flora and fauna. Using the research they do in their classes, they would create artwork, videos, etc. about the local wildlife and share the information along the walking path using posters, artwork, and QR codes .Students could create poetry walks, their own story walks, informational signs, outdoor art exhibits, and more. With the flexible format we have chosen for these signs, the possibilities are endless.
Fine Motor Lending Library; all grades Holmes and Jeffers. Recipient - Melissa Hands. This grant permits the buying of supplies to support fine motor development by creating a lending library of resources available to all elementary teachers.
Growing Emotionally One Little Spot at a Time; all Kindergarten classrooms at Holmes. Recipient - Melissa Akers. The purchase of the Little Spot book series to add to and support our current social smarts lessons. The books are kindergarten friendly and the plushies help aid in difficult conversations or for non-verbal students that struggle with really big emotions. They even act out what they need to say when they feel they can’t use their voice. These are huge steps for students that never thought they could get out of their anger and frustration spots. When students are able to express their emotions and have strategies to solve and work through their problems, they can feel safe and then they can learn, achieve and lead. We are still figuring out how to live and interact in a post COVID world and our littlest learners took the biggest hit from it. If we struggle as adults, how do we expect our five year olds to figure it out? Let’s help them out, one little spot at a time.
Exploring Learning Math Fluency; Holmes and Jeffers 2-4 grade classrooms. Recipients - Mary VandenBosch and Julie Marcus. The purchase of two 12 month all school (grades 2nd through 4th with a possibility of 1st grade using it in the second semester) site subscriptions to Explore Learning which is home to Reflex, a fact fluency program, and Frax, a fraction fluency program, for use on technology at school and home on any device. Reflex is designed to coach students on basic facts that they do not know and practice fluency, while factoring out typing speed. Frax is for 3rd and 4th graders to review and learn basic fraction concepts.
Discovering More with Discovery Education; Holmes K-4 for one year. Recipients - Mary VanderBosch, Caryn Lannon, Amy Berry, and Kevin Teays. One year of Discovery Education access through REMC for Holmes Elementary, Kindergarten through 4th grade. Discovery Education is a curated collection of relevant content and resources to engage students. The platform contains an up to date, student appropriate, and vetted collection of learning videos, lessons, and activities. Teachers and students gain access to material through the Clever portal.
Making Meaning; 1st grade Holmes Elementary. Recipient - Megan Dean. The purchase of the First Grade 3rd Edition of Making Meaning. What is Making Meaning? This grant would provide the teachers manual and all books needed for each week's read aloud. The lessons are designed to deepen teacher understanding of effective instruction and illuminate student thinking about literature, supporting the development of critical thinking and a lifelong love of reading. Carefully selected nonfiction and fiction read-alouds provide a rich, rewarding experience as students encounter increasingly complex texts and build their vocabulary.
Jeffers Story Walk and more; Jeffers Elementary. Recipients - Betsy Kipling, Jen Myaard, and Carrie Andrews. At the beginning of this school year, the upper elementary students at Jeffers worked together to create a natural walking path around the border of the wooded classroom space. Their teamwork and ownership over the project was amazing. We would now like to enhance the path they created even further by adding story walk signs around the perimeter of the path. Popularized during covid, story walks are a series of signs along a path that contain pages of a picture book. Kids of all ages can walk along the path and read the story as they walk. We would use this story walk in several ways with students. We would use it as a traditional story walk, but we have included space at the bottom of each sign so we can add thought-provoking questions or information to help the students think deeper as they progress through the story. Additionally, we would use the signs to share student work. For example, in STEM and Art the second grade students create a project informing the public about local flora and fauna. Using the research they do in their classes, they would create artwork, videos, etc. about the local wildlife and share the information along the walking path using posters, artwork, and QR codes .Students could create poetry walks, their own story walks, informational signs, outdoor art exhibits, and more. With the flexible format we have chosen for these signs, the possibilities are endless.
Fine Motor Lending Library; all grades Holmes and Jeffers. Recipient - Melissa Hands. This grant permits the buying of supplies to support fine motor development by creating a lending library of resources available to all elementary teachers.
Growing Emotionally One Little Spot at a Time; all Kindergarten classrooms at Holmes. Recipient - Melissa Akers. The purchase of the Little Spot book series to add to and support our current social smarts lessons. The books are kindergarten friendly and the plushies help aid in difficult conversations or for non-verbal students that struggle with really big emotions. They even act out what they need to say when they feel they can’t use their voice. These are huge steps for students that never thought they could get out of their anger and frustration spots. When students are able to express their emotions and have strategies to solve and work through their problems, they can feel safe and then they can learn, achieve and lead. We are still figuring out how to live and interact in a post COVID world and our littlest learners took the biggest hit from it. If we struggle as adults, how do we expect our five year olds to figure it out? Let’s help them out, one little spot at a time.
