💜💛 Thank you to the The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt who awarded our teachers $60,000 in grants this year! The recipients were recognized at the Donor and Teacher Appreciation Breakfast, catered by Ms. Sage and her CDHS culinary students, this morning.
These grants help our teachers enhance classroom learning and directly benefit our students in so many ways. In the last 30 years, the foundation has provided more than $800,000 in grants to Central DeWitt educators. Thank you to all of the donors who help make these grants possible and congratulations to all of the recipients:
▪A Crayon for Every Student ($5872): Provide Logitech Crayons for each kindergarten student in each classroom. Logitech Crayon is a versatile, pixel-precise digital pencil that is paired with student’s iPads. Funded by the Helen Jeanne Helble Endowment.
Recipients: Anessa Petersen, Joanie Taylor, Tracey McCulloh, Lisa Fox, Megan Wellman
▪Advanced Level Camera Kit ($3,296): This camera kit will help yearbook staff develop professional skills and document Saber history. Funded by the William D. and Shirley J. Homrighausen Fund for Journalism Endowment, Bob Parrott Endowment, James D. Owen Jr. Foundation Fund, Henry Pelham Endowment, Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund.
Recipient: Jon Fisher
▪Art Department - Graphic Design Sublimation Printer ($2,235): To purchase a sublimation printer, heat press, ink cartridges, transfer paper, and tape for the High School Graphic Design courses and 8th grade students in Advanced Art Studio class. Funded by the Henry Pelham Endowment.
Recipient: Alexandria Naughton
▪Buddy Reading ($500): Create a designated area in the library where students can go with a friend to read books about different disabilities, inclusion, and respect. A place where they can interact with students with differing abilities from themselves. A place to learn not only from reading but from each other. Funded by the Wilma Owen Fund for Education Endowment.
Recipient: Megan Jackson
▪Building Fact Fluency One Card at a Time ($921): In Kindergarten and First Grades, our students love to play. Through playing math games, students can build number fluency and be successful in mathematics. Number fluency is the ability to know facts accurately and quickly. As students play games involving problems, they become fluent with their facts. Funded by the Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund.
Recipients: Rebecca Wackerle, Lauren Happ, Lauren Petersen, Tracey McCulloh, Joanie Taylor, Anessa Petersen, Megan Wellman, Lisa Fox, Tonia Dirksen, Gabby Paul
▪Decodable Books for Take Home Reading ($2,984): Decodable text is a type of text used in beginning reading instruction. Decodable texts are carefully sequenced to progressively incorporate words that are consistent with the letter–sound relationships that have been taught to the reader. Funded by the Max and Barbara Dull Fund, Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund, Henry R. Pelham Education Fund.
Recipients: Kim Burzlaff & Jenna Gerard
▪Document Cameras ($698): The document cameras will pair with projectors and allow students to present physically created works and allow teachers to deliver direct instruction to students using hand written documents and forms. Funded by the Henry Pelham Endowment.
Recipients: Christopher Law & Sara Garland
▪Ekstrand Playground ($20,000): This park and inclusive playground will move beyond minimum access and create a more usable play environment for children with varying abilities. Funded by the Lyndsey Hanas Memorial Endowment, Helen Jeanne Helble Endowment, Carolyn J. Ruggeberg Memorial Endowment, Fred and Doris Gerdes Educational Fund, Wilma Owen Fund for Education Endowment, Henry R. Pelham Education Fund, Bill Turnis Endowment, Central Community Educational Foundation 25th Anniversary Fund, Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund.
Recipient: Jen Hill
▪Ekstrand Saber Coffee Shop ($500): Create a working coffee shop within Ekstrand elementary solely run by third-grade special education students responsible for taking orders, making orders, collecting and handling money, providing proper change, delivering orders, and communicating with adults.
Funded by the Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund.
Recipient: Christine Keith
▪Food Trailer ($15,000): Students will get the experience of running a business as well as experience catering at different events. So not only will they further develop their culinary skills, but they will learn a lot about running a business as well as work on developing several employability skills. Funded by the Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund.
Recipient: Alisa Sage
▪Math Fact Fluency Kits ($1,544): Improve our student's number sense and numeracy through these math fact fluency kits. They provide real-world problems and hands-on games that students can play. Funded by Henry R. Pelham Education Fund.
Recipients: Christine Keith and Allison Paulsen
▪Peer STEM - ELA and Computer Science/Engineering ($3,324): Allow Special Education class to create connections between ELA and STEM to compete STEM Challenges at the same level as the general education students are. Funded by the DeWitt Bank and Trust Central Skills Trade Fund, First Central State Bank Endowment, Warren W. Waack Endowment, Stuedemann Endowment for Skilled Trades, Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund.
Recipient: Terri Smith
▪Sensory Tools for All ($850): Support students socially and emotionally through the use of calming tools, fidgets, games and books. Funded by the Carolyn J. Ruggeberg Memorial Endowment.
Recipient: Tanya Glennon
▪Stationary Bike for Special Education ($350): Make stationary bike available in special education behavior disorder classroom to use when students become agitated or need to release some physical energy. Funded by the Lyndsey Hanas Memorial Endowment.
Recipient: Melissa Hansen
▪Special Education Robotic Team Robots ($900): Special Education class to form a robotics team to compete at the same level as the general education students. Bring coding and computer science to life by designing sculptures, engineering mechanical movements, and engaging in computer programming. Funded by the Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund.
Recipient: Terri Smith
▪STEM lab development ($2,019): New drone to increase student access to pro-level production tools and is safe enough to fly indoors and near people, opening up new possibilities for student use of such technology. Funded by the Henry Pelham Endowment.
Recipient: Eddie Mercado
▪Whiteboards and Tech grant ($595): Provide students real-world microphones for podcasting, a green screen, and improved headphones to improve the quality of final projects. Include a mobile whiteboard to enhance the learning environment. Funded by the Anne Volkman Endowment and Central DeWitt Community Education Foundation Non Endowed Fund.
Recipient: Molly Reedy
If you are interested in donating to The Education Foundation of Central DeWitt or creating an endowment fund, please reach out to centraldewittedfoundation@gmail.com or call/text Brett McKamey at (563) 650-5985.
