St. Charles Foundation Awards Grants to Teachers

St. Charles Foundation surprised teachers in several district schools with checks awarding them grant funding for projects on Wednesday. 

The Foundation annually awards grants for new software and supplies that teachers wouldn't otherwise have the funds to buy. These are used in innovative ways to initiate classroom projects and to support existing programs.

The 2012-13 grants were: 

• Hardin Middle School teacher Stacy Myers won a $1,600 grant which will allow students to participate in the NASA Challenger Program. Myers received a grant from Boeing that also funded the program.

• St. Charles West teacher Gail Gengler received $110 to purchase Holocaust photographs for her social studies classes. She also won a $100 in a drawing for contributing via payroll deduction to the Foundation.

• Angie Lloyd of Blackhurst Elementary School received a check for $1,038.10 to buy xylophones and other musical instruments for music classes. 

• Shelley Geiger and Cheryl Graber were awarded $414.98 for a program called "The Quirkles" which will be used to encourage science reading for students who participate in the after school program at Blackhurst Elementary. 

• Stacey Garson and Jennifer Stevens were awarded grant for $659.98 to buy touch screen monitors which will allow students to interact with programs at Blackhurst Elementary. 

• Monroe Elementary School teacher Angela Poindexter received a $1,460.65 grant for maze equipment that teachers can use for student exercises.

• Jefferson Intermediate teachers Megan Persell and Colleen Hagenhoff received a $355.94 grant to buy K'Nex vehicles which will allow students to learn scientific principles in a hands-on manner. 

• Jefferson Intermediate teacher Brian Peck won a grant of $625.63 to purchase balls which students can use instead of chairs. This develops motor skills.

• Jefferson Intermediate teachers Ashley Hart and Jamie Osdiek received $2,500 in funding to buy a program that allows student to exercise to various activities displayed on a screen. The HOP Sport Brain Breaks program will allow kids in physical education classes to have fun while exercising.

• St. Charles High School Guidance Department received $417.51 in funding for Final Cut Pro X software which will be used to develop high-quality videos to tell parents and students about course offerings in lieu of meetings.