The Board of Trustees for the Murfreesboro City Schools Foundation announced recipients of the 2011 grant program.

“We had an excellent selection of applications from dozens of teachers and principals throughout the Murfreesboro City Schools system”, said David LaRoche, MCSF vice chairman. “Throughout the summer, foundation members reviewed and recommended anonymously-submitted grant requests.

LaRoche said it is a difficult task to determine how to allocate resources to best benefit the children of the Murfreesboro City School System.

“All of these teachers have great ideas about how to use technology and innovative methods to teach science and math,” he continued. “I wish that we had funding for all of the applicants, so we encourage unsuccessful applicants to try again next year.” 

The foundation asks educators from the Murfreesboro City School System to submit two-page proposals outlining a request for funding that will help them teach math and science to their students.

“It is always interesting to see how our educators plan to incorporate cutting-edge technology into their classrooms”, said LaRoche.

It is common for applications to request technological teaching assets, including interactive white boards and “ELMO” video projectors.

Recently, the foundation has seen more requests for e-book readers, and tablet computers.

Not all grant proposals are high-tech.

Cason Lane Academy’s 5th-grade classrooms will receive funding for the purchase of butterfly habitats that will give the students hand-on experience with life-cycle science.

The grants are also an opportunity for young teachers to equip their classrooms with the teaching tools they will be using for the rest of their careers.

Sarah Lasater, in her second year teaching at John Pittard Elementary, is receiving a grant to purchase “math manipulatives,” or physical tools that younger students can use to learn difficult math concepts.

“I think it would have taken years to build a library of these teaching tools with the limited classroom budget we are given every year. With this grant, I will be able to start the school year with a full assortment of mathematical teaching aids and accompanying literature,” said Lasater. “These tools really help me get my students’ scores up. They have so much fun playing with the blocks, they sometimes forget that they are learning.”

The foundation will distribute approximately $24,000 in this round of grant approvals.

The money was raised at the “Excellence in Education” dinner, honoring former congressman Bart Gordon, held earlier this year.

The foundation also raises funds at an annual fashion show.

This year’s fashion show will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 the Stones River Country Club.

The 2011 grant recipients will be recognized and honored at this event.

The City Schools Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization.

Chartered in 2005, the MCSF was created by volunteers from the community who wanted to supplement the resources available to the Murfreesboro City School System.

To date, the MCSF has awarded approximately $201,000 in parity and grants to teachers to enhance science and math.

More information can be found at www.cityschools.net/foundation.html .

Murfreesboro City Schools Foundation 2011 Grant Recipients

Erma Siegel Elementary

Andrea Elliott – “Interactive White Board”

Emily Clark – “Never Bored … With SMART BOARDS”

Margaret Lane – “At Their Fingertips”

Rachel Pepper – “Teaching Smart”

John Pittard Elementary

Diane Byrd – “iPod and iLearn”

Jennifer Austin – “Ti-15s for our 4-6 TEAMS”

Martha Aiken – “Teach Me Elmo”

Sarah Lasater – “The Many Representatives of Math”

Northfield Elementary

Bess Turner – “The Smart Way to Go”, “From Flintstones to Jetsons,” “Technology ‘Centered’”

Judy Gritton – “Live with ELMO”

Mary Suzana St. John – “Look What I Can Do”

Micky Brooks / Bess Turner – “Catch Me If You Can”

Mitchell-Neilson Primary

Peggy Currier – “Keeping to Outdoors in Focus”

Shannon Minner – “We’re Nooked on eBooks,” “Go Research Science”

Cason Lane Academy

Betsy Lynch – “Making Math Matter”

Debbie Hickerson – “Loving our Lab Time,” “Butterflies Alive, Oh My”

Kathy Latondress – “Math + Science X Related Literature”