CHARLOTTE — The MACS Education Annual Fund recently announced its Grants for Educational Excellence recipients for the 2017-’18 school year. The grants, totaling $103,849, were awarded to teachers with innovative ideas to enhance the classroom experience.
Grants for Educational Excellence are offered to teachers to recognize and support their creative initiative in providing students with new and different avenues in which to learn. Financial support of up to $2,500 is offered per project, or two or more teachers may combine projects for up to $6,000. Grants are funded based on innovation, creativity and the overall impact on the classroom experience.
Grant recipients are:
- Beth Acitelli, Lori Hoyle, Leo Maganares: zyBooks for Technology and Engineering, Technology and Engineering
- Jaimee Adams: Totally Advent and Totally Lent, Religion
- Crystal Androsky: Future Ready Library, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math
- Bernadine Armstrong, Mary Strauss, Patricia Frantz, Lynn Polian: Hands On Religion, Literacy and Religion
- Dawn Bonen-Clark: Google Read and Write, Literacy and Learning Enrichment
- Michelle Boyle: Brains Body & Books, Literacy
- Leslie Burg, Mandy Daigle, Leona Dedrick, Jessica DeMartine: No Bones About It, Science
- Maureen Cherry: Move to Stay Seated, MAP / Special Needs
- Mary Kay Connery, Linda Gimeli, Lynn Ruff: Makers Empire 3D Learning System, STEM, Science, and Technology
- Sister Agnes Cousins: Maps for Theology Classroom, Theology
- Josef Cruz: World Drumming, Music
- Melissa Davis, Ellen Deem, Katherine Austin: The ReSearch is On, Social Studies and Science
- Stacey Desormeaux: Teaching Through Truthful Tales, Literacy
- Patti Dickson: Phonics, Literacy
- Rebekah DiGavero, Carol Huss: Classroom Response System, Math and English SAT Prep
- William Fountain: Aeronautical Science, Science
- Meghan Hader: Let’s “Break Out” of the Box!, Math
- Amy Harrold: Drums Alive!, Music and Health
- Jennifer Heekin, Catherine McIndoe: Battle of the Books, Literacy
- Kelly Henderson, Patty Croghan, LouAnn Brady, Patti Dickson: Raz-Kids Science A-Z, Literacy
- Lisa Horton: Osmo in the Classroom, Technology
- Brian Joyce: Smart Music Interactive, Music
- Tara Kane: Connecting to the World Around Us, Social Studies
- Darlene Konopasek: Architecture is Elementary, Arts
- Celene Little: Learning Ally, Literacy
- Debra Ludde: STEM Learning Program and Robots, Technology
- Stanley Michalski, Tracy Shoff, Timothy Cook, Brian Joyce: Artist in Residence, Music
- Lisa Michalski-Gilkey, Charlotte Bruno: Character and Leadership Development, Leadership Enrichment
- Tracey Noonan: Bringing Back the Classics, Literacy
- Peggy Palasick, Shannon Ranaletta, Ann Miles: Let’s Talk!, Social Skills and Technology
- Lynn Polian, Mary Strauss, Patricia Frantz: LEGO Education, STEM Science, Math, Technology, Literacy, and Social Studies
- Jessica Rivas, Ashley Samuelson: Google Cardboard-Virtual Reality, Technology
- Jessica Rivas: Sphero Spark for Education, Technology
- Alethea Sproul, Linda Nagel, Miriam Olynick: Learning Support Lab, Learning Enrichment
- Carole Watson, Anne Loftin, Crystal Carney: Learning Ally, Literacy
- Patricia Wendover, Patricia Frantz, Mary Strauss: Laying the Foundation in Elementary School, Math, Science, Literacy, and Religion
- Tricia Wendover, Haley Crosby, Crystal Koury: Kinesthetic Learners Meet Success, Learning Enrichment
- Lydia Wenning: Everyday Fiction/Non-Fiction Read-Along Literacy Center, Literacy
- Rachel Wilken: Ceramic Arts Program, Arts
- Elizabeth Wise, Ashley Samuelson, Melissa Saunders: Battle of the Books, Literacy
MACS Education Annual Fund supports teachers, students
The MACS Education Annual Fund serves more than 5,000 students, teachers and principals in the nine Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools. Financial support from donors has enabled it to provide essential funds to equip principals and encourage teachers so they can educate students for a life based on Catholic values and academic success. Since it was established in 1993, the MACS Education Annual Fund has raised approximately $8 million for Catholic education.
Learn more
At www.macsedfund.org: Learn more about the mission of the MACS Education Annual Fund, or call Director of Development Ralph Perez at 704-370-3303.
The world can be a lonely place. Even on the school playground, one can find himself or herself surrounded by their peers, but feeling alone. In many ways, the playground is a microcosm of the community.
We often get so caught up in what we are doing, and who we are with, that we fail to notice those around us who might not have anyone to be with. As adults, this manifests itself during rides on public transit when we fail to notice someone sitting alone, and offer them a greeting. It shows when we sit in airport terminals and fail to notice lone travelers because we are engrossed in our devices. It shows in the workplace when we fail to notice the coworker eating lunch alone. When we think of it that way, it’s easy to see how children could become so focused on their game of tag or soccer that they fail to notice the lone child standing on the side and watching all of the action go on without them.
Maura Tyler, a second-grade student at Asheville Catholic School, is one student who took notice. Not only did she notice, but she decided to do something about it. Maura noticed that some of her fellow students sometimes had no one to play with during recess. For one reason or another, they did not get into the game of capture the flag, the swingset was full, and the basketball game had two even teams.
Maura noticed that no one else seemed to be aware that some of their peers were without a playmate as they continued on with their games. Her heart went out to these fellow students, and she began to formulate a solution.
“At first I thought about creating a club called ‘The Friendship Club’ to help other students make friends. When I talked to my parents about it, we thought of having a ‘buddy bench’ on the playground,” she says.
The buddy bench is a special bench where students can go when they have no one to play with. Other students who see someone on the buddy bench are encouraged to go over and offer to play with any student sitting there. Maura sold rocks to her family and friends to raise the $78 she needed to purchase the buddy bench. She recently brought the bench to Asheville Catholic School to place on the playground.
Principal Mike Miller praised Maura for her ability to see a problem and then do something about it. “It’s rare these days to come across people who identify a problem, and then work to do something about it. Maura sacrificed her own time and energy to help others make friends and have fun on the playground. Too many people want to complain and place blame. You just don’t see as much of that self-sacrificial mindset anymore.”
Maura says she wants everyone to know that the buddy bench is a place where anyone can find a friend. That’s something we need a lot more of nowadays.
— Contributed by Mike Miller