2024-2025 LCARSP Classroom Grant Recipients

Lincoln County Retired School Personnel is announcing the The 2024-2025 Classroom Grant LCARSP recipients!

In the non-certified category:

* Debora Mitchell – Winfield RIV, Special Education paraprofessional

The items in this grant application could be described as educational games for Pre-K special education, however these games are used to promote whole group activities for non-verbal students to improve communication.

pictured l-r: Ginger Hobbs, LCARSP 2nd Vice President; Debora Mitchell, Winfield Special Education Paraprofessional

* Amanda O'Neal – Troy South Elementary, paraprofessional

This grant will be used to purchase sensory tiles, sensory mats, a weighted vest, earmuffs, and chew necklaces.

pictured l-r: Amanda O'Neal; Jason Cook

Certified category

Troy

*Jason Cook – Troy South Elementary, Library Media Specialist

The librarian at this school has a Makerspace for students to use during specials time to supplement the learning taking place. With the $200. grant money, he will purchase three new snap circuit kits for students in grades 3-5.

* Rebecca Watt – Troy Middle, 6th grade social studies

According to many of the grant applications we received – tablet chargers, styluses, and headphones are sorely lacking in our schools. This teacher requested a set of styluses as they have to borrow from the library which is inconvenient for a one to one apple classroom.

Elsberry

* Carolyn Harmon – K-12 All Buildings, English and English Language Teacher

There is a shortage of bilingual books available for kids transitioning to English speakers. Having some reading material in their native language makes them feel comfortable, welcomed, and included in their school. (Several other teachers in different districts asked for this as well.)

No picture

* Sheri Hoff – Elsberry Middle, 7th grade ELA and Comm Arts

Headphones for students so that they can use the read aloud features on Commonlit, Readworks, YouTube videos posted on Google Classroom, and Edpuzzle. The package ordered would ensure enough for students in the classroom and a few extra.

Silex

* Jamie Drobil – Elementary Music Teacher

Jamie is creating a music library with books about different musicians – past and present – different musical genres, books that reinforce the musical concepts they are learning, along with interactive music books. This also enables the teacher to work with and assess small groups while others are reading.

pictured l-r: Jamie Drobil, Elsberry Elementary Music; Candi Arrigo, LCARSP Classroom Grant Chair

Winfield

* Patricia Dawson – Winfield Middle, 8th grade ELA

Floor chairs and lap desks will enhance this classroom. The teacher has

discovered that some students prefer a semi-isolated spot in which to work. While this is for the students it also keeps classroom management at the forefront, as well as being a great motivator for desired student behavior.

pictured l-r: Ginger Hobbs, LCARSP 2nd Vice President; Patricia Dawson, Winfield Middle School 8th Grade ELA

Food For Kids Donations

As part of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association (MRTA) "Food For Kids" initiative, LCARSP continues to support our four local school districts with their weekend food support programs. The $200 checks were presented recently to the district organizations that oversee their programs.

Pictured, left to right:

Photo 1: Silex "Owls Pals" NHS President McKenna Claborn and LCARSP member Janet Finnerty

Photo 2: Elsberry "Operation Backpack" Special Education Director Jill Koch and LCARSP President Terry Elia

Photo 3: Troy "Buddy Bags" Director of Teaching and Learning Services Laura Parn and LCARSP member Sherri Heckman

Not pictured: Winfield "Pals Pax" Presented to First Baptist Church of Winfield by LCARSP Carolyn Click

2024 Annual 'Welcome to Retirement' BBQ

LCARSP held their annual “Welcome Back and Welcome to Retirement” BBQ August 8. The group welcomed several new retirees from the Silex and Troy School Districts as well as MRTA President-Elect Hap Hairston.

LCARSP and Region 13 Distinguished Retiree of the Year, Margaret Smith, was also introduced. Margaret, pictured in the aqua blue shirt, is a retiree of the Troy School District, a member and president of the Troy Elks Lodge and a long-time board member of the MRTA-Foundation which is responsible for the MRTA Classroom Grant Program.

LCARSP is looking forward to another great year of interesting programs, fun ‘capers’ and community service! They will meet at Denny’s in Troy August 19 at 8:30 to celebrate The First Day of School and their first meeting will be September 12 at the Lincoln County Health Department.

Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Museum

On March 21st, an intrepid group of eight headed to the Lewis and Clark Boat House in St. Charles for our March caper. Quite a few members in the group were part of the group who visited the Confluence Tower and Lewis and Clark Museum in Hartford IL last fall. We all thought this latest visit was a fitting conclusion to our Lewis and Clark adventures.

 

Most of us picked up a “Nature Display Scavenger Hunt” and “Can You Find Me?” set of pictures on the way into the museum. We enjoyed “the hunt” and resource sharing.

The museum exhibits provided a good sampling of an exciting part of United States history, the expedition of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. The museum is the home of the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles.

Your tour begins with a map of the paths taken by the expedition, the 8,000-mile journey from St. Charles to the Pacific and back again, taking over 28 months. There are various dioramas and murals throughout the museum.

Lewis and Clark recorded their observations, flora, fauna, and various minerals and fossils, including the Missouri geode.

Native Americans played an important role in the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The ways in which the Native Americans helped the expedition are on display.

Examples of nightly campsites are on display as are medicine and tools used by the expedition.

Scale-model boats are on display, including a historic dugout canoe and a full-size replica below the museum.

In searching for the blue heron as part of the scavenger hunt, we were treated to a blue heron standing on the riverbank outside the museum.

Afterwards, we headed across the street to the Schlafly Brewhouse for lunch, then on to Main Street for Grandma’s Cookies and a trip to Main Street Books.

Legislative Day 2024

LCARSP members participated in Legislative Day February 13 at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.

One of the day's highlights was paying a visit to Representative Doyle Justus (District 41). Members shared their views on public education and the PSRS-PEERS (retirement system). Rep. Justus is a Lincoln County R-III retiree. He taught agriculture education for 26 years.