Building For A Successful Future
Bob Stewart, Frontier Trail, $600

Students attended before and after school sessions to construct bridges from blue prints, demonstrate roller coaster physics, research alternative energy sources and design and construct scale models of homes. These "hands-on" activities will demonstrate the practical application of the knowledge students are acquiring on a junior high level answering the question, "Where will I ever use this?"

You Otter Hear It!
Christine Walker, Arbor Creek, $1,000

Since research on comprehension with audio support is overwhelmingly positive, Arbor Creek readers are now able to take home a personal cassette player, an audio version of the book, headphones, a writing journal and the actual paperback book to practice reading with support.  

Reading Boot Camp
Ryan Stidham, Bentwood - $1,000
Ryan Stidham, Pleasant Ridge - $1,000

This individually matched on-level reading program promoted student success at home and at school. Training sessions were held with parents of kindergartners helping them to provide appropriate modeling and to learn strategies to assist with fluency, comprehension and other reading strategies using the KALL curriculum.

Sensory Equipment Lending Library
Teresa Franzen, Northview, $1,000

This lending library now provides external sensory items to be made available to all Occupational and Physical Therapists in their daily contact with special education students. They are now able to use weighted blankets and vests to see if this method helps their particular special-needs child to feel calm and focus or to relax and reorganize by providing a grounded feeling or to relax and reorganize.

On Task Behavior Through Self Monitoring
Rebecca Miller, Green Springs, $175

Increasing work productivity, work accuracy and on task behavior, this self-monitoring program provided visual and auditory devices which helped students with time-management problems to independently monitor behavior and pace, freeing teachers from continual reminding and nagging.

Parent Involvement Fun Packs
Brenda Traughber, Green Springs, $1,375

Playing games at home with their children is what will increase achievement scores at Green Springs through the Family Fun-Packs. Each of 24 games address a different skill that needs to be further developed and parents can get involved through a fun, positive experience.

Reaching Reluctant Readers
Tracy Cook, Heritage, $1,000

Playaways are audio versions of books on MP3 players. Kids who are reluctant to read were exposed to literature that increased their confidence, stamina and comprehension by ensuring success in reading assignments, taking assessments and becoming a life-long reader.

Bringing Mathematics Home Through Technology
Connie Heinen, Olathe North, $4,800

Each year a greater number of students request assistance with acquiring a calculator for use in high school mathematics. The rental program at Olathe North was unable to keep up with the need. The Foundation was able to provide funding for the purchase of 60 additional TI 83 Graphing Calculators to be used in the school's rental program providing calculators for students for an annual $20 rental fee.

Let's Give Them Something to Talk About!
Lori Franklin, Olathe East, $720

"Picturing America" art prints received this year from the National Endowment for the Humanities were framed and displayed with grant funding. Additionally, podcasting equipment provided student narratives to accompany the art work. The podcasts are used by social studies students and teachers as well to provide conversation and make unit introductions where appropriate to the curriculum.

Action-based Learning Lab
Tara Griffin, Madison Place, $1,000

Through concepts based on brain research that supports the link of movement and physical activity to increased academic performance, this series of physically active stations are each designed to prepare the brain for input and processing. During physical education class, students have the opportunity to be physically active while learning math facts and/or reading site words.

Literacy for All English Language Learners
Patricia Garcia, Rolling Ridge, $280

Jumpstart preschoolers now have books written in Spanish to check out and take home. This encourages the opportunity for parents to read to their children at home providing a better foundation for these future kindergartners.

21^st Century Learning
Jeff Carlson, Woodland, $600

Taking an item that is usually considered to be a game or toy is what made this grant innovative. Connecting kids to programs like Big Brain Academy or Brain Age through the use of Nintendo DS Lite systems made these Woodland Elementary kids excited about learning and promoted a high level of interest. Because of Wi-Fi capabilities, students were able to encourage and challenge classmates, too.

Mrs. DuBroc's Girls Afternoon Book Club
Jeanine DuBroc, Olathe North, $600

All below-grade-level ELL girls were invited to participate in this program which innovatively incorporates social relationship building with a climate of reading for fun. The program supplied high-interest books that were written at a reading level that stretches these girls without frustrating them.

Leap Frog Tag
Kathy Faddis, Tomahawk, $550

Tag School Reading Systems by Leap Frog supported and enhanced individual language practice through technology giving students a non-traditional way of immediate feedback to individual readers. With 17% of first graders falling into the subgroup of pre-emergent and non-English speaking students, this tailored instruction directly met the needs of each first grader.

PECS Communication
Sarah Nolan, Heartland Learning Center, $1,000

The Picture Exchange Communication system, tried and proven in classrooms across the country as the key to unlock children's ability to communicate, helped kids at Heartland to be successful. This system alleviates communications barriers that lead children to becoming frustrated, shutting down and hurting themselves and even others. DVD Training also provided parents with skills to help their children communicate at home.

At Risk Youth Photography
Tina Yollars, CHOICES, $3,900

Responsibility, trust, and self-confidence were just a few benefits to this program. As these students worked to move away from the juvenile justice system, they developed a talent and took unusual interest in completing their assignments while learning the basics of digital photography.

LEAD Academy Database
Kerry Lane, Santa Fe Trail, $3,900

Santa Fe Trail's L.E.A.D. (Learning, Exploring, Achieving and Dreaming) Academy is a way for students to connect to school as well as give them an opportunity to discover themselves and the world around them. Fifty minutes per week a group of 12 students and a facilitator explore a specific interest in depth through this database program which provides a window at which they may look at their world more closely.

Building Bridges Through Communication
Machele Fisher-Haskin, West Dennis Support Center, $700

Students who are deaf and hard of hearing were able to visit the Kansas State School for the Deaf to enjoy socialization with other adult and peer role models in the non-hearing community. Essential communication and cultural aspects about the deaf culture were learned through lunch and other socialization periods.

Latino Dance Club
Randy Salisbury, Olathe North, $800

Participation in extra-curricular activities promotes academic success. That is why Olathe North was awarded funds to provide a student-requested Latino Dance Club. A district staff member provided dance training learned from another grant funded last year. A culmination program allowed the students to show their newly learned skills and celebrate with peers.

Letter Learning
Kristin Buck, Rolling Ridge, $1,000

Parent training, Letter Factory DVD, flashcards and a letter book provided at-home additional learning instructing students on letter identification, reading and phonemic awareness for this group of kindergartners. With 17 kindergartners that knew less than 12 out of 52 letters and had little parent involvement, this project allowed the student to learn with little or no assistance.

Brain Trainer
Rachel Humes, Indian Trail, $1,000

Another innovative way to incorporate the fun technology of a Nintendo DS to get special education students excited about learning. Brain Age software encompasses learning in many areas from math, and calculations to word blends and money skills and worked as a great reward tool as well as a "downtime" learning activity.

I Can Read It But I Don't Get It
Denine Larson, Fairview, $680

Providing research-based materials to supplement the resources currently used to teach reading comprehension was the focus of this Title I school's grant. The Comprehension Strategies Kit incorporated strategies to help kids improve their reading skills.

Step Towards Acculturation
Adriana Braswell/Margo Twaddle, Indian Trail, $400

Acculturation is a process in which members of one culture or group adopt the beliefs and behaviors of another group. This after-school club taught an understanding and appreciation of the culture new students ire adjusting to and helped them learn to be a participant in an American community. Guest speakers shared information on etiquette, local history, leadership skills and career opportunities.

From Boys Town to Panther Town
Michael Wolgast, Pioneer Trail, $1,800

The training of administrators to use this behavior modification training was the focus of this grant. The Boy's Town model teaches social and processing skills that can be used by both the student and the teacher on how to properly handle situations occurring during the school day. Thus, less time is spent in correcting behaviors, more time is spent on academics and thus, fewer office referrals. Trained staff then passed on techniques and strategies throughout the building.

Anna Sambitan – Fairview Elementary School
Flashmaster Success

These digital alternatives to flashcards helped teach basic math skills to fourth grade students, avoiding the devastating effect of not being able to quickly recall math facts has on students' future math skills. This device is a fun way for students to learn basic arithmetic facts because it works similarly to handheld gaming units, being used at home without the necessity of parent assistance.

Kindergarten Teachers – Woodland Elementary School
Kindergarten Rocks

This Readiness on Curriculum and Kansas Standards home learning program has linked the curriculum and standards that these kindergarteners are working on at school directly to the students' homes subsequently providing double exposure to maximize their learning opportunities in reading. After training, parents learned how to utilize the different activities in the homebound backpacks to address all categories of multiple intelligences giving the parents meaningful tools to help their children at home, regardless of their level of learning.

Carolyn Shunk – Ridgeview Elementary School, Title I Math
S'more Math

Third, fourth and fifth-grade students in all Olathe Title I schools participated in this summer math program which exposed them to measurement activities using manipulatives such as measuring tapes, wrist watches, measuring cups and spoons, and stopwatches which reinforced and strengthened their math skills over the summer break.

Kristin Falen & Terri Schmitt – Havencroft Elementary School
PALS Packs

A collaborative effort between this kindergarten teacher and school librarian called Partnering to Achieve Learning Success worked to bridge the gap between home and school, giving parents insight into what their child is learning at school and the opportunity to enrich their child at home through books and games directed at curriculum standards and goals.

Brandon Gillette – Olathe North High School
Operation: Weather

Weather balloons, launching devices, humidity recorders, GPS receivers and construction materials helped not only science students at Olathe North but also science teachers across the district delve into the science of meteorology.

Mary Grigsby – Prairie Learning Center
Headlines and Memories

Digital cameras, binding equipment and supplies allowed this at-risk group to create their own school yearbook. The project assisted these students in polishing their writing skills and exploring opportunities to express themselves in a positive way.

Judy Smith – Prairie Learning Center
Sewing for Soldiers

At-risk students who normally have very limited opportunities experienced the sense of accomplishment and pride by doing service for someone other than themselves. Students used new sewing machines and supplies to craft cooling scarves and helmet coolers which were then shipped, with assistance from the Disabled American Veterans, to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rick Wright – Madison Place Elementary School
Family Art Club

This after-school program targeted the need to involve families, as stakeholders in the educational process, by allowing them to participate in their child's endeavors through visual arts. Pottery wheels provided a unique art experience for parent and student alike and also promoted a line of communication between school personnel, removing barriers as families are welcomed in to the educational institution in a non-threatening manner. Parents can participated with their child in a weekly art experience in an environment that is positive, informal, creative and cooperative.

Nancy Keel – Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program
Block Fest

Specialized block sets that promote various math and science foundation activities are the heart of this University of Idaho program which provided learning centers and activities for parents and children ages 8 months to 8 years.

Jenny Prueter, Mike Potchad and Greg Pelligreen – Prairie Trail Junior High School
Technological Explorations

Taking students beyond the classroom was the goal of this mini-grant furnishing Garmin GPS units to junior high science students. Orienteering and geo-caching lessons were presented to the students through GPS technology. Students developed their own course and learned the concepts of triangulation and satellite technology while experiencing activities that stressed health and physical fitness through the direction of the physical education teacher.

Joe Bywater – Prairie Learning Center
Therapeutic Relationships

The Foundation was able to work with district resources to find transportation for these at-risk students to visit Wayside Waifs Animal Shelter. Students participated in a dog-training technique program providing them with exposure to a transitional pre-vocational experience. Students had the opportunity to practice self-control and listening while building their self-esteem and social skills in an off-campus setting.