Downers Grove district awards grants to teachers

The Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 recently awarded 18 teacher grants to support innovative learning and instruction that aligns with the district's curriculum and strategic goals.

"The Education Foundation aims to enrich education for District 58 students, and our Teacher Grants Program is one way we can achieve this goal," Education Foundation Grants Committee Chairwoman Karoline Kellam said.

The foundation annually awards grants to teachers and staff who have a good idea with a solid plan, but lack funding to implement it. Teachers submit their grant applications in September, and the Grants Committee conducts a blind review of all grant proposals in October.

Proceeds from the Education Foundation's fundraisers - which include Oktoberfest, the spring concert, the Harlem Wizards game and the Green Apple program - cover the cost of the grants.

This year's recipients are:

• Catherine Boyce, Pierce Downer first-grade teacher, to incorporate hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) centers into her science time. The new resources will help motivate students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.

• Alison Brechtel and Matt Cunningham, Herrick English-language arts teachers, and Nicole Ferroli, Addie Kostellic and Kate Nickell, O'Neill English-language arts teachers, to enhance their classroom libraries with engaging and popular books at a variety of reading levels to promote choice reading among students.

• Maureen Bresnahan, El Sierra speech-language pathologist, to enhance student vocabulary and general concept knowledge through weekly language lessons.

• Caitlin Choinski, Henry Puffer and Highland social worker, to start a social-emotional learning preschool library with age-appropriate books that promote different social-emotional topics, such as coping skills, friendship and emotions.

• Rose Cloud, band teacher at Hillcrest, El Sierra, Lester, Whittier, Highland, Pierce Downer, Herrick and O'Neill schools, to revitalize the district's jazz instruction. Her project will create an improvisation curriculum and provide the beginning materials to support student learning and performance in jazz band and new jazz workshops.

• Michele Crowley, Highland and Herrick English learner teacher, to provide English learners with bilingual texts to use at home, with the goal of increasing parental involvement, literacy scores and social-emotional growth among English learners.

• Karina DeLeón and Cynthia Rodriguez, the district's kindergarten through-third-grade biliteracy teachers, to provide students with visual supports to help them improve their math skills and become flexible mathematical thinkers.

• Christina Diaz, the district's fourth- and fifth-grade biliteracy teacher, received bilingual and Spanish mentor texts to model and teach reading comprehension strategies and writing skills.

• Melissa Eckdahl, Christina Gamboa, Hayley O'Reilly and Michelle Schmidt, Kingsley resource teachers, fourth-grade teacher and occupational therapist, to install HOVRs on a few desks and tables. A HOVR is an under-desk foot swing designed to let students move while seated. Research has shown that the HOVR can enhance student focus, productivity and health.

• Janet Hecht and Eareen Yambao, O'Neill and Herrick music teachers, will start the "I-kulele, Ukulele, We-kulele" program, which will provide music students with ukuleles to inspire fun, educational and lifelong music learning.

• Katie Hurckes, district interventionist, to fund a Family Math Night at Kingsley and El Sierra schools this spring.

• Mary Loversky, El Sierra librarian, and Angela Vahle, Highland librarian, to purchase books that will support instructional units in the new Benchmark English-language arts curriculum resource.

• Janette Richelia, Pierce Downer social worker, and Emma Grisamore and Grace Claussen, Pierce Downer kindergarten teachers, to host a weekly social-emotional learning center time for kindergartners, focusing on mindfulness, emotions, calming strategies, friendship, problem-solving and more.

• Deborah Roach, O'Neill resource teacher, to provide high-interest, age-appropriate books for students who read below grade level.

• Ericka Zagorski, Whittier sixth grade teacher, to begin The Memory Project. This project invites students to help cultivate global kindness by creating portraits for children around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as violence, war, extreme poverty, neglect and loss of parents.

For details about the Education Foundation, visit www.58foundation.org.