Over $28,000 Donated to LCSD1 for 2019-2020 School year

The Cheyenne Schools Foundation (CSF) announced the recipients of the 2019 Excellence in Education and Student Enrichment grants at the LCSD1 Board of Trustees Meeting held on October 21, 2018. Classroom teachers in Laramie County School District #1 (LCSD1) will receive $28,024 for 19 grants in 16 schools. Six schools will also receive $3,500 for their participation in the Run for #1 held on October 5th.

Funding for the grants came from local businesses, LCSD1 employees, participants in the Run for #1, along with a generous gift from the Carlton family. District employees contributed almost $8,500 through their payroll deduction program.

Local businesses that donated $3,000 or more were Kohls, First Education Federal Credit Union, Blue Federal Credit Union and Taco John’s International. Local businesses that donated $1,000 or more were McGee, Hearne & Paiz, Hickey & Evans, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming, and Microsoft. Contributions from 20 local businesses totaled over $26,000.

The Cheyenne Schools Foundation was started in 1995 and gives grants directly to classroom  teachers in LCSD1 for projects that are beyond the capacity of the school district’s budget. To date, CSF has raised more than $600,000 to support district students.

2019 Excellence in Education Grants
($3,000 maximum)

AVID College Trips $2,832.00
Johnson Junior High Chris Griffin
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college-prep elective class offered in grades 7-12. The program prepares students performing in the academic middle and who may be first-generation college students or from under-served populations to be accepted in a four-year university. Visiting college campuses is an invaluable experience for students to visualize their goal.
Sponsor: Blue FCU

For the Love of…. Reading $3,000.00
Hebard Elementary Christina Hayes
This grant will fill our library with books where students can see their own faces and can connect with the characters because the character they see in the book will be similar to their cultures, homes, and experiences. These books will help teach children that they can love to ready through familiar faces and exciting and interesting topics.
Sponsor: Taco John’s International

It’s a Keeper! $1,771.73
Alta Vista Elementary Janice Lee
This grant would provide supplies for five different art projects for our 6th grade students: Silk Painting, Acrylic painting, Quilling, Alcohol Ink paintings and Wildlife Drawing.
Sponsor: Microsoft

“One Book, One School” $2,095.00
Cole Elementary School Virginia Jorden
The goal is to provide children an opportunity to meet and connect with a successful Wyoming author. Under the umbrella of “One Book, One School,” students will have an opportunity, during the day to meet, and learn from Ken Thomasma’s storytelling and writing workshop based on his Indian Paintbrush Book Award winning Naya Nuki. In the evening, Ken will make a 30-40 minute storytelling presentation to families and the community on Sacajawea, the Lew & Clark Expedition, and their connection to Naya Nuki. Ken will meet separately with grades 4, 5 and 6 for a grade-appropriate writing workshop.
Sponsor: Carlton Family

3-D Printer $2,480.00
Meadowlark Elementary Karyn Smith
This project will provide a 3-d printer to enhance the instructional technology available in the school. The printer will provide additional opportunities for students to work with cutting-edge technology, implement the engineering design process, and receive real-world practice with the new state computer science standards.
Sponsor: First Education FCU

Podcast your way to a Creative and Engaged Classroom $2,848.00
Davis Elementary Winona Williams
Hearing (audio recognition) is a much under-utilized medium for demonstrating learning. The art of listening and speaking has become increasingly more difficult to teach in an era that relies on visual learning through computers and phones. Podcasting is one technology tool for learning that gives students a chance to “show what they know” in short and simple sound recordings that have them collaborating, reflecting, composing and preforming in all subjects, for all ages, and all ability levels.
Sponsor: LCSD#1 Employees

AVID Book Kits $1,103.96
Rossman Elementary Brenda Jenkins
AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) Book kits would be sent home monthly with each family to promote oral language, comprehension, home-school connection and WICOR strategies (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading). Each kit contains a book, a parent guide, a writing activity, information about AVID, WICOR, Costa’s Levels of thinking, and a feedback from. Each teacher would also have a set of books to use as a reference for family questions.
Sponsor: Kohl’s

Project Playaway $1,617.28
Johnson Junior High Corinna Price
Purchase audio books called Playaways for my classroom so Special Education students can read age appropriate books by listening to and following along with the paper novels that I already have in my class.
Sponsor: Enterprise Holdings

2019 Student Enrichment Grants
(maximum $1,000)

Elementary World Language Enrichment $974.00
Central HS/Hobbs ES Sarah Evans
High School world language students will prepare and present monthly world-language enrichment lessons to 5th and 6th grade classes, increasing cultural and linguistic proficiency and motivation for mastery in both groups. A multicultural event for elementary students at the high school in May will culminate the year’s project.
Sponsor: Carlton Family

Growing Kids and Veggies $1,000.00
Hebard Elementary Christina Hayes
Students will use a hydroponic system to grow fresh fruits and veggies learning about the life cycle of plants and animals, as well as hypothesis, measure, compare, and test different plants and how they grow. Nutrition and health can also be addressed with this project.
Sponsor: LCSD#1 Employees

Breakout EDU $800.00
Dildine Elementary Michelle Ottoes
Breakout EDU is a hands-on, immersive learning game platform adaptable to any grade level and any curriculum area. Students are motivated to work together using content area knowledge and critical thinking to solve problems and open locks. The purchase includes 6 re-usable physical kits plus platform access to 1,500 ready-to-use, standard-aligned games.
Sponsor: LCSD#1 Employees

Rooted in Reading $1,000.00
Hebard Elementary Julie Kramer
Books give us roots. Our words give us wings. Our goal is to create an interactive learning space within our library that will capture imaginations and teach literacy and STEM in tandem. We hope to inspire children to dream big and activate their imaginations by combining literature with hands-on activities to solidify learning and create a bridge to encourage further inquiry.
Sponsor: Hickey & Evans

Engage and Excite Math Fact Fluency $1,000.00
Henderson Elementary Lydia Rayfield
The purpose of the “Engage and Excite Math Fact Fluency” project is to create a teacher/student resource of math games. Math facts can be challenging, boring, and repetitive. Games can help all students become involved in the learning process by providing students of all academic levels to have fun while learning very important math skills.
Sponsor: Blue Cross/Blue Shield

Snack Cart Business $600.00
McCormick Junior High Dana Knight
The students in the PALS program (Program for Adapted Living Skills) have been working on improving not only their academic skills, but also their functional communications, living skills and vocations skills. We would like to introduce a snack cart delivery business for the 2019/2020 school year. Our students will purchase snacks and drinks locally. They will take orders from staff members, fulfill the orders, and deliver them to staff in the building. With this program, students will work on functional and vocational tasks in an engaging and motivating way.
Sponsor: Carlton Family

STEM Fridays $1,000.00
Pioneer Park Elementary Mary Kinstler
The 5th and 6th grades will foster interest in STEM by integrating all five classrooms to investigate STEM activities. Activities in these areas will prepare the students for future opportunities in our ever-changing world by developing an ability to problem solve which will transfer to other content areas and life skills.
Sponsor: First Education FCU

Le Dejeuner Francais dans La Creperie $910.00
Johnson Jr. High/Central High Sarah Scott
French 1B (Jr High) and French 1 (HS) students study French foods and meal practices during third quarter. They learn to describe their foods and order in a café or restaurant. Students will experience an authentic French lunch at La Creperie, Fort Collins. Students will order their lunch in French. Parents will be invited.
Sponsor: Carlton Family

World Languages Day – UW $1,000.00
East HS/South HS Mary Johnson
Each year our students have the opportunity to visit the UW campus in Laramie, WY. This is a chance for them to compete against other students from around Wyoming. They are also able to see program offerings from UW. Any funds we would receive will defray the cost of registration for this awesome day in Laramie.
Sponsor: McGee, Herne & Piaz

Game-Based Learning in Spanish Class $992.14
Central High School Katy Brammer
Game-based learning can be an effective way to review and acquire material. In Spanish class, games helps students practice the language in a low-risk and fun environment. This project will allow the Spanish department to purchase games that will increase student awareness and understanding of grammar topics and vocabulary.
Sponsor: LSCD#1 Employees

Intro to Circuit Building $1,000.00
Adolescent Day Treatment Program (ADT) Sarah VanRensselaer
Provide materials and kits for an Intro to Circuit Building Classroom set for an elective class that was just approved for our school for students who are all on an IEP.
Sponsor: Carlton Family