2018 LCARSP Classroom Grants Awarded

The 2018 Lincoln County Area Retired School Personnel Classroom Grants were awarded at the end of December to educators in all four of the Lincoln County school districts.  This year, there were 24 applicants.  Each district had one Top Winner who received a $200 grant and a Mini-Grant recipient who received a $50 grant.

• Lincoln County R-I in Silex 
• Top Winner: Laura McDonald - Silex High School Spanish Teacher

                  Laura plans to use her funds to purchase online games and activities to 

                         supplement her curriculum.

• Mini-Grant Winner: Hally Wells - K-12 Counselor

                 Hally will use her funds to purchase a classroom set of "Choices" magazine to 

                 facilitate lessons for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in health, life skills and social

                 emotional issues.

(Laura McDonald is pictured center and Hally Wells is pictured right.  LCARSP representative Cheryl Kerns is pictured at left.)

• Lincoln County R-II in Elsberry
• Top Winner: Jeanne Ogden - Ida Cannon Middle School  (pictured right)  Making the presentation is LCARSP representative Diane Bockhorst, pictured left.

                  Jeanne will be purchasing books by the author Chris Van Allsburg.  These 

                  books will help her 5th grade students explore creative writing,

                  compare/contrast, debate and write a self-story incorporating point of view and 

                  theme.        
              * Mini-Grant Winner: Cari Braden - Ida Cannon Middle School  (pictured right)

                  Cari will be purchasing materials for STEM activities involving Earth Science.

                  Her students will use engineering and scientific method to make buildings and 

                  bridges safe.  They will explore/create structures to withstand earthquakes,

                  study the effect of gravity on erosion, identify our planet's resources and learn

                  how to use them wisely.

• Lincoln County R-III in Troy
• Top Winner: Shelby Long - Ninth Grade Center  Math/Algebra I (pictured left)  Making the presentation is Nancy Lenk, LCARSP representative, pictured right.

                   Shelby plans to purchase a document camera that gives her the ability to record

                   videos, save to her Mac Book, upload to her YouTube site and share to the

                   virtual world.  Ms. Long will have the ability to record lessons, notes, tutorials. 

                   and extra help videos for students to use with their Mac Books when they are 

                   absent or need extra help with a concept.

• Mini-Grant Winner: Katelyn Pletcher - Troy Buchanan High French Teacher (right)

                   Katelyn is a first-year teacher and has outdated textbooks.  As the field of foreign 

                   language instruction is moving to using contextualized communication for 

                   authentic purposes, Katelyn will be purchasing several French texts and 

                   graphic novels.  

• Mini Grant Recipient: Claire Bogucki - William Cappel Elementary

                 Claire is planning to purchase access to the website "Mystery Science" in order 

                 to meet new State Standards for Science.  

• Mini Grant Recipient: Bonnie Keen - William Cappel Elem./Main Street Elem. Reading Teacher

                   Bonnie is planning to purchase mini-recorders so students can record 

                  themselves reading, listen to themselves and then discuss the results with 

                  their teacher.

• Lincoln County R-IV in Winfield
• Top Winner: Susan J. Elston - Winfield High School   Mass Media 10, 11 and 12

                  Susan (pictured left) is teaching a new class with few resources.  She will purchase a GoPro 

                  Camera for creating a weekly news show. The camera can be worn to record

                  students in various activities as a participant or as a spectator. The videos can

                  be uploaded to the school website, blog and Facebook page. Their theme this

                  year is "Small Moments - Big Memories." Her goal is to promote better 

                  communication and improve school spirit.  Presenting the grant check are
                  LCARSP representatives Diana Lehmkuhl, pictured center and Carolyn Click, 
                  right.

• Mini-Grant Winner: Kate James - Winfield Intermediate School   Library Media

                  Specialist and Gifted pictured right with LCARSP representative Carolyn Click
                  on the left.

                   Kate is planning to help her students learn how to code.  She will be purchasing 

                   more instructional robots so everyone in her classes will have access to one 

                   during class time.

Funds for these Grants were raised this year through the sale items created by the LCARSP Craft Club and though the generous donations of LCARSP members.  Thanks to all who worked to raise these funds or donated to this wonderful project.

A special grant was additionally awarded to Silex Business Education Department teacher Amanda Bair by Geeding Construction.  Ms. Bair's Publication/Yearbook class was in need of its own iPad to take digital photos at school events for the school's Facebook page.  Ms. Bair had been letting the students use her personal iPad to accomplish this task. The cost of the iPad was beyond the budget of the LCARSP funds, but when Geeding Construction heard of the need, they stepped up to donate the money.  Thank you to Geeding Construction!!   Pictured above is Amanda Bair, recipient (left) and LCARSP representative Nancy Lenk.

Congratulations to this year's Classroom Grant Winners!