The McMinnville Education Foundation (MEF) has awarded grant funds of more than $25,000 to 33 projects from the school district that extend learning opportunities for students, both in and outside the classroom. 

Teachers at all levels requested up to $1,000 to support additional educational projects including field trips; science opportunities; arts, history, and reading activities; and many other enrichment opportunities.

The winners will be celebrated at a dessert reception on Thursday, December 1 at 7 p.m. at the McMinnville Grand Ballroom.

Grant projects include:

Brinsea Mini Advance Chick Incubators; all elementary schools; Michelle Barff; for five incubators ($899.95)

Fifth Grade Band – Pilot Program; all elementary schools; Dave Barton and Marc Dana; for percussion kits, trombones  ($1,000)

Traveling Back in Time; all elementary schools; Kourtney Ferrua and Terry Nelson; for buses to Pioneer Days ($742.20)

Summer Reading Rocks; Buel Elementary; Alison Taylor and Sharon Buehler; for book bags, books and science experiments ($850)

Anatomy Equipment; Duniway Middle School; Jen Stokesbary for anatomy equipment ($901.94)

Fire it up!; Duniway Middle School; for a kiln ($1,000)

Modern Schoolhouse Rock; Duniway Middle School; Timothy Love for a Flocabulary subscription ($96)

Success Literature; Duniway Middle School; Judy Stuck for two group novels ($130.49)

The Notebook Doctor; Duniway Middle School; Kelly McIntyre and Nicole Bennett for sixth-eighth grade notebooks ($250)

You have to see it to believe it; Duniway Middle School; Heather Traff for easel and markers ($354.42)

Parent Support Center; Grandhaven Elementary; Kelly Janssen and Robyn Mikunda for chairs, sofa and parenting resources ($1,000)

Empowering Students with Learning Challenges; Memorial, Newby and Columbus elementary schools; Jolene Heinrich  for Shadow Project: books and sensory tools ($1,000)

Alternative Ceramic Firing Techniques; McMinnville High School; Dan Willis for kilns ($1,000)

Artistic Documentation; McMinnville High School; Christine Garrison for a Digital SLR camera ($690.83)

Creating Opportunity for College and Creative Careers; McMinnville High School; Christine Garrison for college tours ($1,000)

Cultural and Career Exposure through the Performing Arts; McMinnville High School; Bethany Mason for matinee performances at Portland Center Stage ($1,000)

Current Events European Style; McMinnville High School; Christine Walker for German student magazines  ($263.68)

Educational Technology that Promotes Relationships, Curiosity and Content; McMinnville High School; G. Pamela Chambers for iPad and Swivl Platform ($959)

Experimental Science – teaching discoverable chemistry with a Spectrophotometer; McMinnville High School; Meghan Martins for a spectrophotometer ($882.14)

Flags of Our Future; McMinnville High School; Nicole Long and Darcy Houston; college flags and banners and tools ($920.25)

Mexican Folkloric Performance Costumes; McMinnville High School; Cecilia Casillas-Rentsch for folkloric dance costumes ($1,000)

Salmon Watch; McMinnville High School; Chad DeYoung for a substitute and bus ($371.41)

Technology Access for All; McMinnville High School; Allison Eitzen for Chromebooks and hotspots ($1,000)

Thermal Label Printer and supplies; McMinnville High School; Kerry Naylor for printer, software and plant labels ($948.25)

Weld Inspection Kit; McMinnville High School; Chip Ford for welding toolkits ($572.40)

Worldwide Classroom; McMinnville High School; Christine Walker, Nancy Franssen, Erica Zimmerman and Mary Canchola for group conferencing system ($949)

Good Vibrations–It’s a sweet sensation; Newby Elementary; Brian Bixler for resonance bowl and Drawdios ($355.90)

You Can Ukelele Too!; Newby Elementary; Autumn Hayes for ukeleles and cases ($1,000)

Yoga for Everyone; Newby Elementary; Seyed Atharinikrouh for yoga mats ($350)

Multimedia Still Life; Patton Middle School; Sara Sanchez for drying rack ($775)

Surface Pro 4; Patton Middle School; Marc Dana  for Surface Pro 4 ($1,000)

16 November, 2016