Nebo Education Foundation Gives Grants to Schools

Submitted by lana.hiskey on

Nebo Education Foundation Gives Grants to Schools

The Nebo Education Foundation board met in May and June to discuss the many grants and needs across the district. This Foundation Board functions through generous donations made by individuals and businesses as well as fundraisers where all the money goes to educate students in Nebo School District. The Foundation’s Green Fever Golf Tournament held on May 9 was a huge success. Thank you to all those that so generously supported Nebo students.

Congratulations to the following teachers that continue to inspire the minds of students. 

Sierra Bonita Elementary – Erin Creamer
Erin responded, “Thank you, Nebo Foundation!  We are so grateful to receive the grant for books! We love to read and receiving this grant means we have more books to read.  As a team of seven first-grade teachers, we love to introduce our students to a variety of books. In the past, we have struggled with sharing one copy of a particular book among all seven classes. With this grant, we will have enough books and copies to allow all of our students and teachers the ability to enjoy and learn from amazing authors. These books will enhance the lessons we teach in our classrooms. We appreciate the grant from the Nebo Foundation and the opportunity it gives us to purchase more books and in turn, put these books in the hands of our students. For years to come, students will benefit from these amazing books!”

Wilson Elementary – Nancy Cornaby
Nancy said, “I am so excited to receive this grant money.  I spent some time asking my students what kind of books they would enjoy reading if we were able to get the grant.  It was fun making a list of guided reading books with their help.  My class also enjoyed seeing the check in our classroom.  This whole experience has been great and I can't wait to order the books we were so excited about.”

Goshen – Joanie Burningham, June Lopez, & Lori Staheli
June replied, “In my second grade classroom (and even the short time we combined first and second grades for reading groups), I would use the Chromebooks as an independent or small group station during our literacy block. We are using our new Journey's Program as our basal reader and there are some great stories in these books. The Journey's books offer a decodable reader that supports the phonics and grammar lesson of the week. We do not have these paper books, so in my class we read them online. We also practice our spelling words on SpellingCity.com with these books in small rotations. This gives the students some background in using computers for testing which will be done next year in third grade. Our school also used the reading program RazKids this year. Students were able to read books at their level. I love that the kids can share these computers and work together. The kids really enjoy the days we are able to use them in our morning literacy stations.”

Sage Creek Elementary – Dixie Davis
“I am so excited to get a new overhead projector with money from the Nebo Education Foundation.  This year my old projector was so dim and blurry that other teachers would invite my class to their rooms to use their projectors.  Since I teach math to all the sixth grade students at Sage Creek Elementary, I need the projector every minute of every hour.  Next year we will use the new overhead projector to facilitate Nebo's new math adoption.  We will be able to see the Power Points designed for each lesson and share the students' work done during the Lesson Launch and the Inquiry Labs.  The over head will also be used to show problems from the students' consumable workbooks.

“Next year I will also be teaching one period of Social Studies and integrated writing.  Our school will be using Social Studies Weekly which is a web based program. A new projector will allow the students to see the articles that I access on my computer. The whole class will be able to read and discuss the information together without doing a lot of extra printing and making copies.  We will also be able to share our writing and help each other revise and edit. All of the sixth-grade students for many years to come will benefit from this grant! Thank you Nebo Education Foundation,” said Dixie Davis.

Spanish Fork Junior – Angela Harman
Angela said, “Thank you so much for this grant!  The orchestra program enrollment at Spanish Fork Junior High has grown by 154 percent over the last two years.  This has caused a major instrument shortage, especially in cellos. This grant will enable us to purchase two more cellos for our growing orchestra. We are so happy to be able to provide these instruments for students to develop musically and learn the important principles of hard work, dedication and team work.”

Orchard Hills Elementary – Terry Oyler
"I am looking forward to using the iPad 3 in the classroom. The purpose of having the iPad 3 is to augment student instruction. This tool will help prepare the students at Orchard Hills Elementary to compete academically and economically in the 21st century. The iPad 3 will better prepare students to be educationally competent as they digitally explore the concepts in mathematics, literacy, science, and technology. Having an iPad 3 as a teaching tool means a lot to me. I will use it to enhance my instruction and magnify my ability to develop and maintain a professional learning community within my classroom and school. Thanks again,” replied Terry.

Sage Creek Elementary – Joan Foote
Joan said, “Thank you SO much for this grant to buy literature books in Chinese to help students learn to read Chinese characters!! This will help the Chinese teacher in the third-grade Chinese Dual Immersion program at Sage Creek to engage students in reading interesting stories, some they are familiar with in English, which will go such a long way towards them learning to read Chinese characters. Even though I am the English teacher in the program, I am so concerned that the students be able to learn to speak and read Chinese to the best of their abilities. We gladly invite any Nebo Foundation board members to come visit our classes later in the fall to see how incredible this program is and how the foundation has helped to facilitate learning.”

Foothills Elementary – Pam Roberts
Pam said, “I am so excited about the $900 the Nebo Education Foundation is granting me for my project.  I have wanted to share my love for the violin with my third-grade students for a long time. As we have focused on music integration in Nebo School District, I have felt like I would like to purchase a class set of violins and teach my students basic violin playing skills in an effort to integrate music into the curriculum. This grant will enable me to purchase five violins. I appreciate very much this show of faith in my behalf. Thank you!”

Park Elementary – Sherri Smithee & Jennifer Sorensen
“I am so excited that I was awarded the grant for the one Kindle e reader.  I will be using it to complete a set of e readers to enhance my Guided Reading Program.  I will also be able to use it with literature suggested for use by the new math adoption. I appreciate the help in meeting this need in my classroom,” replied Sherri.

Jennifer said, “Thank you to the Nebo Foundation for the grant.  I will be able to purchase six kindles -- enough for an entire guided reading group. I am excited to use kindles with my guided reading groups.  I believe that the students will truly enjoy having something different form of reading. The kindles will provide many students an opportunity to use technology.  Many students will benefit from this grant.  Thanks again!”

Mt. Loafer Elementary – Jean Turner
“We strive at Mt. Loafer to stay ‘cutting edge’ and that includes attending to all the details of good teaching and the Common Core.  A piece of the new Common Core brought Mythology to fourth grade. The recent grant awarded to my classroom will provide a whole library of mythological books for students to read and enjoy during this study. The use of these materials are backed by the most current research in teaching reading and writing through the theme of mythology to children.  The materials will also help assist me in adding additional breadth and depth to our Language Arts Curriculum. Thanks!  Many students will benefit,” replied Jean.

Taylor & Orchard Hills Elementary – An’Jalee Burningham
An’Jalee said, “I am excited to receive the grant. Every year I do a Junior High boot camp for my sixth grade. One of their biggest fears about going into junior high is being able to open their locker. I use the locks for the students to practice opening the lockers and to become familiar with the combination order. When we do this activity, I see a lot of anxiety leave as they become more confident in being able to open the locks. In years past, I borrowed another counselors set. I am so grateful to have my own classroom set now.  Students will now be able to practice anytime they want. Thank you to the Nebo Foundation for supporting this activity.”

Rees Elementary – Carla Nixon
"I wanted to thank the Nebo Education Foundation for granting my school $1,000 for the purchase of leveled books to be used for guided reading. This money will be added to matching funds from our principal to purchase some great quality fiction and nonfiction sets of books to be used in small group instruction. I am excited about these high-quality literacy instruction materials that we will be purchasing from Heinemann.  They were created by the guided reading gurus, Fountas and Pinnell. I have used some of these materials in the past, and I have found them to be very engaging for the students, which makes learning to read more fun. Thanks for helping us with the opportunity to purchase these books,” replied Carla.

Larsen Elementary – Heidi Taylor & Shauna Mundinger

Oakridge – Jason Shelley

Oakridge – Jason Shelley

The Nebo Education Foundation is composed of 20 volunteer board members who live in cities serviced by Nebo School District.  Board members meet each month to review and award grant requests, consider fund-raising avenues and other items that advance the educational opportunities for Nebo School District students. Many of the donations received are for selected projects, yet a substantial amount is available for the greatest need. Greatest need monies are considered for grants submitted by area schools.

Anyone interested in the Nebo Education Foundation or who wish to make a donation for education is encouraged to contact Lana Hiskey by email lana [dot] hiskey [at] nebo [dot] edu, by phone 801-354-7400, or mail 350 South Main, Spanish Fork, UT 84660. 

Attributions
Lana Hiskey