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Park City Education Foundation Awards $48,257 for 2012-2013Teacher Grants

Not all grant requests could be funded. For information to directly fund a grant, please contact Abby McNulty at 615-0235 x 1 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you to Deer Valley and their support of the Teacher Grant Program

Jeremy Ranch Elementary School

• French Dual Immersion Library – Virginia Skeffington, Reading. $2,322. French language books for the first grade French Dual Immersion students will be used to augment and enhance the existing lesson plans by developing a language-specific library and offering additional learning opportunities.

• Life Cycle of Chickens – Ginny Etheridge, Science, Math, Language Arts. $1,611. Incubators to hatch chick eggs in our classrooms so the children can experience, first hand, the life cycle of the chicken. This cross-curricular project includes science, math and language arts as we observe, read, and record facts about our chicks.

• School-Wide Writing Program - Paula Krueger, Writing. $3,279 ($4,299 requested). A two-year writing project designed to improve writing skills, to increase academic rigor, and to narrow the testing achievement gap. Six teachers, grades 1 through 5, will develop a school-wide writing program which integrates the Journeys Language Arts program, Common Core Language Arts standards, and research-based Six Traits writing principles.

McPolin Elementary School

• Take Home Reading Books for Spanish Speaking Pre-schoolers – Kathy Anderson, Reading. $2,161 ($2,450 requested, split with PPES.) Spanish Multi-Genre “Take Home” reading books will be available to Spanish-speaking preschool students at McPolin and Parley’s Park Elementary. These books will help establish early reading skills and establish a foundation for the interest and skills that drive students to success in school and life.

Parley’s Park Elementary School

• Take Home Reading Books for Spanish Speaking Pre-schoolers – Kathy Anderson, Reading. $2,161 (split with MPES) Spanish Multi-Genre “Take Home” reading books will be available to Spanish-speaking preschool students at McPolin and Parley’s Park Elementary. These books will help establish early reading skills and establish a foundation for the interest and skills that drive students to success in school and life.

• Playaway Audio Book Collection – Julia Holland, Language Arts. $1,500 ($2,487 requested.) Update the audiobook collection in terms of format (digital!) and variety. Providing access to a wide range of literature that appeals to many types of learners in both print and audio best addresses the needs of our diverse school population.

• Spanish Leveled Library & intervention Kit – Michele Interian, Reading. $1,000 ($1,551 requested.) Provide all 1st grade Spanish students the opportunity to read in Spanish at their appropriate independent reading level.       The Spanish Literacy Intervention gives struggling readers the skills to advance their reading during a short amount of time.

• World Geography – Julia Holland, Geography, Language Arts. $1,000 ($3,015 requested.) Fund the acquisition of current and relevant geographic informational text for students. These materials will be used to teach research skills, skills related to maps and extracting information from informational text. The materials will provide the students with updated information about various countries and their cultures.

Trailside Elementary School

• Wild Wonders & the 6 Traits of Writing – Susan Minneci, Writing. $730. Funds an educational nonprofit called Wild Wonders to provide up close and personal experience with native and exotic animals to inspire children to write, using the 6 Traits of Writing Rubric.

• Burst Reading – Pam Strasser, Reading. $5,000 ($10,940 requested.) Burst Reading utilizes the power of new technologies for storing and retrieving a comprehensive bank of targeted, scientifically based lesson content, optimized for readers with greatest skill needs, helping teachers match this lesson content to student needs based on scientific research assessment data, and allowing teachers – not computers – to teach these lessons in powerful small-group settings.

• French Dual Immersion Library – Libby Wadman, Language Arts. $1,000 ($3,886 requested.) Funds French books and DVD’s to build French library to support Dual Immersion.

• Effective Learning Tools – Andrea Solum, cross-disciplinary. $839. Provides tools such as timers, sit discs and self motivators for students to take charge of their learning by feeling independent and responsible for their behavior and work completion.  

Ecker Hill Middle School

• Gizmos...On-Line Interactive Simulations for Math and Science Year 2 - Nancy Krivick, Tricia Jackson, Science and Math. $7,815 for three years. Funds a website subscription that simulates math and science concepts and experiments. Students experience real life situations that help them develop a deeper understanding of concepts through inquiry and exploration. Ability for teacher to differentiate the experience.
• Microscopes for 6^th Grade Science – Don Crandall, Science. $3,750. Funds quality microscopes which give the ability to see living samples used in hands on science units.

Treasure Mountain Junior High School

• Winter Science Exploration – Pete Stoughton, Megan Zarnetske, Science $2,500. The Winter Science Exploration Study will be a 10 week placed-based and experiential unit. Students will experience a hands-on and contextual scientific investigation process which will familiarize them with scientific processes and vocabulary. Students will investigate winter ecosystems, evaluate abiotic and biotic conditions which contribute to Utah air quality, tracking methods for winter mammals, and the scientific and natural processes which result in avalanches.

• Raspberry Pi – Andy Coleman, Programming. $313. Funding for the purchase of a Raspberry Pi, an inexpensive, open source computer. Students will be practicing real-world skills as they learn how to program the small, but powerful, Raspberry Pi, and build infrastructure around it.

• Pressure Sensitive Drawing Tablets – Michele Dieterich, Art. $2,461. Students in the Digital Illustration Art Class and the Commercial Art Class will be using pressure sensitive art tablets with their computers, which is the industry standard. Students will be able to draw on the tablet and see their drawings appear on their computer screen connecting the art that is created by hand and on the computer.

• Special Education Life Skills – Angie Erickson, Special Ed. $900. This grant provides for peer-facilitated life skills instruction and supplies for students with low-incident disabilities.

• Utah Shakespeare Festival in the Schools – Mark Parker, Language Arts. $1,500. Students will attend a professional production of a Shakespearean play, put on as part of the Utah Shakespeare Festival's Shakespeare-in-the-Schools tour. Students will also experience supplemental and related programming in workshops, and in their classrooms.

• Poetry Out Loud – Jen Valaika, Language Arts. $175. The entire 9th grade will compete in a national Poetry Outloud Contest, where students analyze, memorize and recite a poem live. A winner will be chosen for each class who will go on to the whole school competition. The school winner will then go on to a state competition and compete for a chance to go to the National Competition in Washington D.C.

• Lunchtime Learning - Pete Stoughton, cross-disciplinary. $2,000 ($4,500 requested). Struggling students will have staff assisted help to make up assignments, and review class content. Students missing a certain number of assignments will be required to attend.

Park City High School

• Mobile Language Labs – Bernard Rizzotto, French and Spanish. $2,946 ($4,418 requested.) Advanced language students will be able to turn their district computers into mobile language labs, using quality headsets with microphones incorporated.

• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Mobile HQ - Danny Fisher, cross-disciplinary. $2,000 ($3,064 requested.) Funds to create a mobile FBLA headquarters and a repository of information for PCHS FBLA that can be passed on to the new members of FBLA each year. This will provide FBLA with all the hardware and software needed to be successful in competitive events.

• Cinema Equipment and Cameras – Ryan Miller, Film Making & Video Production. $5,800 ($19,700 requested.) Provides DSLR cameras, moving from tape to flash memory systems which allows for seamless non-linear editing—the current industry standard. Students will also gain relevant education in the filmmaking process from start to finish, providing access, opportunity, and hands-on experience for all students.

• Special Education Kitchen Skills – Laura Huggins, Special Ed. $320. Funds a Cuisinart 16 cup Food Processor, that can be used to train students to complete the cooking process.

• My Future in 6 Words- Anna Williams, ELL. $500. Funds a project consisting of black and white portraits of each of our ELL seniors, accompanied by a self-penned six-word poem titles, "My Future in Six Words."

• Boom Microphones – D’Arcy Benincosa, Video Production. $150 ($500 requested.) Using boom microphones will allow students to expand their knowledge in the filmmaking field and gain crucial experience within the entertainment industry.

• Theatre Costumes - D’Arcy Benincosa, Drama. $1,500. Funds costumes and props for spring play.

• Photography Lenses - Sheridan Schiffgen, Photography. $1,000 ($2,000 requested.) Funds different types of lenses such as wide angle, fish eye, macro, telephoto and fixed lens, giving photography students more versatility and real life experiences.

Park City Education Foundation Awards $45,700 for 2011-2012 Teacher Grants

Jeremy Ranch Elementary School

• Adaptive Tricycle & Cycling Program - Susan Boone & Julie Lonczak, Special Education. $1,245 .The adaptive tricycle increases fitness, promotes motor planning, influences behavior, and provides a peer-appropriate activity that may be used during class time, PE, or recess.

McPolin Elementary School

• Spanish Language Library – Melissa Bott with Mona Lesar, Reading. $4,800. Spanish reading books for both native and non-native Spanish-speakers, to introduce foreign language and create true bilingual proficiency among Spanish-speaking students.

Parley’s Park Elementary School

• 2nd Grade Science Program - Tricia Perkins, Science. $1,455. Increase science experiences through hands-on activities by assembling science tubs that are complete with lesson plans and materials.

Trailside Elementary School

• Kindles for Classrooms - Ben Kahn, with Michelle Owen, Terry Daenitz, and Lorrie Mirams, Reading. $3,864. Funds 7 Kindles per 5th grade classroom. Kindle e-readers will be used for guided reading and literacy circles increasing comprehension and fluency of every title read.
• iPads for Kinder Reading and Math Curriculum - Susan Minneci, Nancy Langford, and Mark Etheridge, Reading and Math. $3,146. Funds 6 iPads to use during small group direct instruction time. Implement growing number of educational applications to supplement current literacy and math curriculum.
• Balance Ball Chairs - Heidi Kaiserman and Krista Ingle. $500($4,714.00 requested.) Funds balance ball chairs. Studies show sitting on balance ball chairs channels extra energy to keep students bodies balanced, which in turn helps them concentrate more on their teachers, tasks, and tests. 

Ecker Hill Middle School

• The Shoe Tree Book - Deborah DeKoff, Writing. $500. Students create books using literary language and student art depicting the Park City icon, the Shoe Tree. The books will be published via LuLu.com, and student authors would have the opportunity to share the book with students in the elementary schools, leaving a copy of the book behind.
• Gizmos...On-Line Interactive Simulations for Math and Science - Nancy Krivick, Tricia Jackson, Science and Math. $7,815 for three years. Funds a website subscription that simulates math and science concepts and experiments. Students experience real life situations that help them develop a deeper understanding of concepts through inquiry and exploration. Ability for teacher to differentiate the experience.
• Home/School Connection - Elisabeth Wadman, Special Education. $700. Program hopes to build a strong, trusting relationship that bridges the gap between classes and events at Ecker and its ESL parents. Meeting with parents on a regular basis, at locations where many families live, will help parents understand how Power School, Canvas, and other resources work, enabling them to continue to be involved in their child's education.
• FIRST Lego League After School Program - Celeste Cohorn, CTE. $4,500($10,000 requested). Provides students with the opportunity to compete to design and build a robot from Legos and motors, program the robot to complete missions, and prepare and present a research project with real-world application.
• Utah Formative Writing Assessment - Liz Thompson, Emily Sutherland, Laura Todd, and Sam Thompson, Writing. $2,000($2,500 requested). Provides more writing opportunities through UFWA, an online writing program that allows students to submit writing and receive immediate feedback and scores. The program will be used at least once a month in Language Arts classes.

Treasure Mountain Junior High School

• Clay Extruder for Ceramics Program - Pam Strong, Art. $368. The clay extruder helps create uniform coils for students working with ceramics. Saves time, leaving students more opportunity for creativity.
• ScreenFlow Software - Julie Hooker, Andrea Payne, Mark Parker, Michele Dieterick, Ari Fishman, Megan Zarnetske, Andy Coleman, Virginia Skeffington. $792. ScreenFlow allows teachers to create video to supplement classroom instruction online via CANVAS and LIFESIZE, supporting the on-to-one initiative and facilitates online coursework and distance learning.
• Park City Walking Tour App Creation - Shannon Hase, Social Studies. $4,200($10,000 requested). Funds a club, eventually to become a class, to create, document,, and facilitate an App. The App is a walking tour that will include both current and past images of historic buildings in and around Park City. Students will be responsible for images, writing small narratives regarding the structures, creating content, and eventually running updates and operation.
• Nystrom Digital Online Atlas - Leslie Stark, Emily Gaudet, Zac Zumbrunnen, Shannon Hase, Tim Jeffrey, Social Studies. $2,556. Funds web-based software which allows all Social Studies students to work with, manipulate, and layer maps in History and World Geography. Students and teachers will have access to an up-to-date map that actively engages students in a multi-layered world and to easily share content and collaborate in new innovative ways.
• Robotics Club - Julie Hooker. $1,000. Funds given to start a robotics club at Treasure Mountain.

Park City High School

• The Latino Leadership Scholarship - Anna Williams, with Holly Ray at TMJHS. $500. A scholarship incentive plan that will increase Latino academic performance by empowering and engaging students in classes and activities that have been previously dominated by mainstream students. Offering the highest performing Latinos a scholarship at the end of each grade(9 - 12), will greatly motivate the students to accomplish at advanced levels during secondary school and beyond.
• Senior Photo Project - Anna Williams and Ali Webb, ELL. $500. Funds a cross-disciplinary photo exhibit of the ELL Senior Class. The project consists of black and white portraits of each senior, accompanied by a self-penned six word poem titled, "My Future in Six Words."
• Elmo Document Cameras - Ali Webb, ESL. $1,000. Funds the purchase of one Elmo Document Camera for PCHS's two ESL classrooms. The cameras enhance teaching and learning by allowing teachers and students to display text, share work, make corrections in front of the class, and help students with tracking while reading.
• CanoScan LiDE200 - Matt Nagel, Technology. $1,800. In anticipation of the high school's 1:1 computing and new Learning Management System, CANVAS, teachers will have an efficient way to digitize existing teaching materials so they can be utilized in the digital learning environment. This funds two CanoScan LiDE200 Scanners per academic department.
• Student Filmmaking Grants - Jeff Hill, Media. $4,000. The role of the producer and business aspect of filmmaking will be recreated with funds awarded to students only after they write a grant for a short film. Students will formulate a business plan and budget for equipment, software, tools, and materials. The equipment bought with these funds will stay with the program and will continue to benefit the program.

Park City Learning Center

• Active Community Members - Tessie Palczynski, Special Educaion. $1,300. Funds Jupiter Bowling trips once a month for 8 months. These trips are age appropriate social and community activities that help students as they move from on-campus, school-based activities, to off-campus independent living, vocational, family, and community based activities.
• iPads for Science - Jenny Polloczek, Science. $2,400. Purchase 4 iPads for use in the science classroom to facilitate group interactions and improve outcomes on the Biology Core test. iPads also help students visualize and learn by creating group presentation through the free Apps "Show Me" and "Kahn Academy."