Grants given by the Nebo Education Foundation - January 2010

Submitted by ts on

Springville Junior


Principal Darrel Rolfe; Shellie Anderson, teacher; Blaine Bird, foundation vice president; Natalie Clyde, past president

Springville Junior received two grants from the Nebo Education Foundation. Shellie Anderson, special education teacher, was awarded a grant for audio digital equipment, and Shawn Hatfield, science teacher, received a grant for technology from the Nebo Education Foundation.

"Having a book in a digital form to listen to while following along in the book allows my students to read what their peers are reading. It is also a way to ‘hook’ them with the desire to read more. The desire to do something that has been an obstacle in the past is what I want all my students to have and be willing to continue to better themselves," stated Ms. Anderson.

Mr. Shawn Hatfield said, “The Nebo Foundation made possible the integration of three Smartboards at Springville Junior High School. These Smartboards will allow Mr. Hansen, Mrs. Caras, and myself to better utilize the existing computer and LCD projectors in their classrooms. Smartboards allow teachers to make lessons more interactive and thus more enjoyable for their students. Teachers will have the capability of creating their own lessons as well as the ability to incorporate lessons developed by teachers all over the world. Funding for the boards includes grants from the Nebo Foundation, The Smarter Kids Foundation, and donations collected from Mr. David Hansen, Mrs. Lori Caras, and myself. We would like to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation to everyone who made this purchase possible.”

Canyon Elementary


Back row: Principal Dave Harlan; Natalie Clyde, foundation past president; Scott Barlow and Chris Smiley, foundation board members
Front row: Kindergarten teachers: Darlynn Menlove, Mina Money, and Misty Harris


Back row: Scott Barlow, foundation board member; Dave Harlan, principal; Chris Smiley, foundation board member; Lana Hiskey, foundation director
Front row: Cody Smiley, Mark Smiley, Canyon students

Canyon Elementary also received two grants. Misty Harris, was awarded a literacy grant, and Principal Dave Harlan received a Patriotic grant both from the Nebo Education Foundation.

Ms. Harris exclaimed, “Thank you so much for this grant! Our students are learning so fast that they are going through our take-home library books so quickly. It will be so nice to have more of a variety. The students are so young and are at the beginning stages of reading that they just love all the different things they get to read about with their families. Take-home libraries are a great program that really enhance a student's reading progression and their joy that comes from reading. I am extremely grateful and excited for this grant that will buy the students more books! Thank you again!”

Sage Creek


Blaine Bird, foundation vice president; fifth-grade teacher, Janeen Scott; Natalie Clyde, past foundation president

Janeen Scott, fifth-grade teacher at Sage Creek Elementary, was awarded a music grant. “Our school just purchased new hand chimes and this grant will be used to purchase music. Our teachers will be able to use the music and hand chimes in their classrooms. We will also be using the music for our brand new school chime choir. I am tremendously thankful for all of the help our school has received to get this chime program up and running. I am particularly excited to share my love of music with our students and be able to put unique instruments in their hands. Thanks again,” stated Ms. Scott.

Foothills Elementary


Back row: Kevin Johnson, foundation board member; Principal Ed Schollenberger; Natalie Clyde, past president; and Scott Barlow, foundation board member;
Front row: Second-grade teachers: Jill Shipp; Joan Lunceford; Nancy Swenson; and Coral Lee Findlay

The second-grade team at Foothills Elementary received a literacy grant. Second-grade teacher, Nancy Swenson, said, “Thank you so much for awarding us a Nebo Foundation Grant. We were excited to receive this money so that we can order our Learn to Write Lap Book Variety Pack books. This set of 12 books will help us teach a variety of writing skills such as Writing a Report, Becoming an Author, Journal Writing, and Writing a Friendly Letter, through a fictional picture book. We were introduced to this set by our Literacy Specialist, Cindy Porter, and have used a few of them with our students. The students have had fun with the stories and have been able to produce their own writing at the conclusion of the lesson. We are anxious to give our students more opportunities for writing success as we use these books.”

Spring Lake Elementary


Front Row: Teachers Shaina Davies, Hailey Poulsen, Brittney Durfey, Debbie Stephens, and Mary Loveless
Back Row: Kevin Johnson, foundation board member; Principal Spencer Sainsbury; teachers Heather Balli, Susan Crook, Ben Atkin, Derrick Lybbert, and Perry Ewell

Spring Lake Elementary received a technology grant for their fourth through sixth grades.

Debbie Stephens stated, “Thank you for the generous check to purchase document cameras in the upper grades at Spring Lake. The document cameras will be a great asset in the classroom for me and for our wonderful students. I have taught for 14 years, and I am excited to use this new technology to help in the advancement of our students. The students in Spring Lake Elementary will be able to understand concepts easier due to the future use of the document cameras. I appreciate the Nebo Foundation’s support in creating a better learning environment for all the students in the Nebo School District.”

“We are very excited about receiving the Nebo Foundation matching grant. Our teachers and students in the upper grades are very excited for this new technology. The Nebo Foundation is a wonderful organization that seeks opportunities to help the students and teachers in the district,” remarked Principal Spencer Sainsbury.

Brittney Durfey commented, “Being able to use document cameras and projectors in the classroom is going to make a big impact on our school and the education of our students. We will be able to use technology in a way that will save on paper and costs, and it will make learning more interactive. It is a privilege to be able to be part of receiving this grant.”

“I want to express my appreciation for the grant that was given to the fourth through sixth grade students and teachers at Spring Lake. This is such a great opportunity for us as teachers to incorporate technology into our instruction and provide our students with media-rich experiences. Such experiences will engage our students and will make learning exciting and memorable,” stated Mary Loveless.

Hailey Poulsen said, “As a sixth-grade teacher at Spring Lake, I am very grateful for the grant that our school received. Because of this grant, we will be able to purchase document cameras for all of the upper grade classrooms. This is going to give our students a wonderful opportunity to view materials that will enhance and further their learning.”

Brookside Elementary


Lana Hiskey, foundation director; Blaine Bird, foundation vice president; Kandice Antonino, first-grade teacher; DeAnn Nielsen, principal

The first-grade team at Brookside Elementary received a musical grant. Kandice Antonino, first grade teacher at Brookside remarked, “We are so excited for this music grant! After attending the district music training, we came back so energized and excited to implement what we had been taught. Now, with this grant we will be able to get the needed supplies to make our music lessons and activities a success! We are extremely grateful to the Nebo Foundation for all its effort to help the teachers in Nebo School District improve their classroom instruction and benefit the students by providing the extra funds that we need!”

Larsen Elementary

Larsen Elementary received a technology grant for a multi-media projector for their special education classes. Kristi Jensen, special education teacher at Larsen, stated, “Thanks so much for the grant money! I am so excited! I am using it to purchase a multi-media projector. Technology really catches the interest of my students and so I will use it to access many types of technology in the class i.e. a smart board, document camera, and airliner. It will be mounted to the ceiling of the classroom to facilitate use. This will really be an asset to my classroom and instruction.”

Park Elementary

Park Elementary received a literacy grant for their English Language Learners (ELL) students. Ms. Jennifer Sorensen, teacher at Park, remarked, “Thank You Nebo Foundation for the grant that Park Elementary received. The money will be used for leveled reading books. The books come in both fiction and non-fiction and are in kits which provide research-based lesson plans in a guided-reading format. The books will provide support for English Language Learners by focusing on vocabulary and connections between English and Spanish. The books can also be used for integration in science and social studies. Both teachers and students are excited to have new books to choose from in their reading groups. We appreciate the Nebo Foundation for helping us provide this tool to our teachers and students.”

Riverview Elementary

Riverview Elementary received a music grant. RaeAnn Nelson, music specialist at Riverview, exclaimed, “I am very excited to receive the grant for musical instruments for the students at Riverview Elementary. We will be purchasing a new drum set and percussion instruments. I appreciate your willingness to help improve the learning experience of students. Thank you very much!”

Spanish Oaks Elementary

Spanish Oaks Elementary received a literacy grant. Selene Pierson, literacy specialist at Spanish Oaks, commented, “Spanish Oaks is very grateful to have received a grant from the Nebo Foundation. We plan on using this grant for our leveled library. We are the largest elementary school in the district, and we have found that our guided reading library was not meeting the needs of our students. We are in need of books for beginning readers and also books for advanced readers. We plan on matching the generous donation of the foundation and ordering books for both ends of the guided-reading spectrum. Thanks so much Nebo Foundation!!”

“We are thrilled to be able to provide teachers with the tools to help students succeed. The foundation could not provide these funds without the help of our generous public. We continue to receive funds from our local businesses and community. The foundation is grateful to so many charitable donors that make the foundation possible,” said Lana Hiskey, Nebo Education Foundation Executive Director.

Businesses and individuals can donate as well. You can specify a specific school, classroom or program to donate to. The extra help through additional funding gives Nebo students the advantage of enhanced learning. For more information about the tax deductible donation to Nebo Education Foundation, please contact Lana Hiskey at Nebo School District, 354-7400, e-mail lana [dot] hiskey [at] nebo [dot] edu or mail 350 South Main, Spanish Fork, UT 84660.

Attributions
Lana H. Hiskey - Public Information Officer - Nebo School District
File attachments