Mini-Grant Project Winners

2019-20 Mini grant winners from Crosby Elementary School, with John Seegers (far right) a foundation board member

Q-Ball-Junior High; Deborah Kraus-$190 – This grant will purchase a Q-Ball, which is a throwable, soft foam ball with a wireless microphone . The Common Core state standards have speaking and listening standards that need to be met. The students will practice these standards, as well as, increase their critical thinking skills with use of this ball. The students will be more engaged, which will give them more opportunities to learn from one another and think analytically.

Indoor Recess Bins (K, 1st, 3rd)-Crosby; Christine May-$1,200 – This grant will give all the students access to hands-on activities on all indoor recess days. These materials should be able to be used for many years with very little expense to sustain the program.

Omnimax Theater Tickets at the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry-Jefferson School; Lisa Frasik-$1,440 - This grant will give the opportunity to approximately 220 5th Grade students to experience a show in the Omnimax Theater. This field trip offers our students an educational opportunity that many of them would never experience otherwise. This directly correlates to Harvard CUSD #50 Strategic Goal/Theme#1: Academic Achievement, Goal #2: Maximizing Opportunities for Students. Not only is this single field trip talked about for years to come both pre and post trip, it opens a plethora of doors to our 5th graders, who experience hands-on activities that pull from both out Common Core Mathematical Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.

Magnetic Write and Wipe Boards-Crosby; Kimberly Differding-$396 –This grant will supply Magnetic Write and Wipe boards. I use a research based word study instruction program called “Words Their Way” in my classroom. This program teaches students to look for patterns in words. I have learned through my Reading Specialists Master’s Program and Interactive Strategies Approach book study that there are specific steps to word learning. The first is word building. With magnetic white boards I could have the students frequently building words and manipulating the letters in words. The next step is work reading, followed by written spelling. The magnetic white boards would allow the students to complete both of these activities. Not only can I use them for reading and spelling, the students will also be able to use them to practice math facts.

Hooves to Heal-High School; Ashley Kuecker-Zurba-$480 – This grant will give students the opportunity to go on the Hooves to Heal/the work With Me program. The programs are designed to enhance the lives of children and adults who are mentally and physically challenged, by using equine therapy. Each student in the Cross Categorical room has a social emotional goal that falls under the emotional support this program offers. This allows the students who are working on these goals to apply what they have learned in a different setting that also reassures them it is applicable in real life.

Stem Buddies-Jefferson and Washington; Amy Handley and Erin Kruckenberg-$1,500 -This grant will fund supplies for all fifth grade students and all of the pre-K classes to participate in cross-age learning partnerships which leverages the mentor/student relationship to achieve academic and social emotional learning for both Jefferson and Washington students. STEM offers students hands-on opportunities to collaborate, lead, develop a growth mindset, and, of course, to learn. Activities will be planned to allow “scientific investigation” through multifaceted activities that offer learning that follow the Next Generation Science Standards for all students.

Flexible Seating Implementation-Crosby; Jo Ann Bomkamp-$850 - This grant will supply me with the opportunity to expand my flexible seating options in my classroom. Flexible seating promotes engagement, responsibility, and student-directed learning. This mind set enriches academic, psychological and social growth for my kindergarten students. The spaces I want to create will increase learning, achievement, and concentration while allowing movement in the classroom. When students are able to move and engage in learning there is an increase of oxygen released to their brains helping them to be more cognitively alert, which then allows them to process and retain concepts proficiently. Students will have an increased sense of responsibility and take ownership within their classroom with flexible seating options. Flexible seating research indicates that when freedom of choice is given students enjoy working, thinking, and creating. In addition, comfortable student-friendly classrooms promote a sense of home and well-being, keeping minds focused and ready to learn.

Bilingual Intervention Enrichment-Crosby; Teresa Diaz and Elissa Thiersch-$1,000 -This grant will fund supplies to be used during bilingual intervention in order to provide a more enriching learning environment. We plan to purchase book pouches so students are able to take their books home, to enjoy reading with their families and to be proud of the progress they are making. We believe this will help increase home involvement in student learning, which has a significant impact on student progress. We also plan to purchase a variety of manipulatives to help our students build fine-motor strength and work their muscle memory to encourage stronger writing and literacy skills. Our goal is to cater to and support a variety of learning styles to help our struggling students reach proficiency in reading and writing.

Cultivating Creative Minds-Crosby; Alaiyha Bryant and Cortney Sindelar-$441 -This grant will support the K-3 Art program and curriculum. We have been working diligently on a multicultural art curriculum for the next school year, which encompasses exploring different cultures around the world through various art media and processes. The resources requested for this project are 150 fine art prints from various cultures around the world, which will allow us to enhance our art curriculum by providing us with the visual and tactile resources needed to successfully execute this program.

Establishing a K-3 Clay Curriculum-Crosby; Alaiyha Bryant and Courtney Sindelar-$511 -This grant will fund the purchase of a variety of tools and materials used in the ceramic and sculptural arts to support the K-3 visual arts program. Students will participate in a scaffolded clay curriculum to build their artistic abilities through exposure to a variety of new and different techniques.

Growing and observing plants through LED-Jefferson; Monica Murillo-$1,400 -This grant will fund the supplies for students to have hands on experience of learning how to grow plants. Through the use of LED lights students will be able to conduct an investigation to determine what materials plants need for growth. They will grow a plant utilizing the “stack-n-grow” system using appropriate amounts of water, light, soil and air while conducting investigations on the plants’ height over a period of time. Students will also compare and contrast how the growth light provides the plant with the nutrients needed that may be obtained from the sun. Additional exploration will occur as students experiment with different variables and hypothesis on the impact that the variable had on the plant’s growth.

Inside Recess Classroom Supplies-Jefferson; Tammy Morris-$520 -This grant will be used to purchase board games, card games, movies, dice and coloring books. The supplies will be used when the student cannot go outside during recess time. Providing the students with different options keeps the students engaged and the number of referrals go down.

4th Grade Field Trips-Jefferson; Becky Buckley-$1,500 -The grant will partially pay for the Discovery Center Museum in Rockford and the Milwaukee Zoo field trips for the 4th grade. Many of our students have never been to a zoo. During the trip they are able to connect classroom science lessons with actual observations of the animals. Key components are adaptations, habitats, survival skills, body structure, predator and prey, and their environments. The trip to the museum allows students to connect concepts they have learned throughout the year while participating in ‘hand on’ activities. The students participate in a roller coaster physics class. Students construct roller coasters using foam tubing marbles to learn about force, energy, and motion. Students are able to experiment with properties of matter, force and energy.

Take Home Math Games for Families-Crosby; Kristi Juarez-$750 -This grant will provide a home school connection with games that parents can utilize to help engage struggling students in learning important Kindergarten math concepts.

Basic Needs Supplies – Junior High; Taylor Koester-$400 - This grant will provide basic needs supplies for students. The goal is to have the burden or worry of funding school supplies lifted. Our first goal in the strategic plan is student success and to maximize every student’s potential and growth. If we can meet the basic needs, or at least close the gap, of all of our students in order to maximize their potential while they are students of Harvard District 50, then it brings us closer to reaching that goal.

Celebrating Our Students: PBIS Incentives-Junior High; Andy and Lindsey Nicky-$500 -This grant will enhance the current Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program. The students are praised with “Hornet bucks” for demonstrating correct behavior in all environments of the school and community and these bucks can be used to purchase raffle tickets for various items. Larger drawing items have included iPods, Chromebooks, Milk Days ride wristbands, Robotic Learning Tools and Wireless headphones. All raffle items are administration-approved and selected by a committee of Jr. High staff, with suggestions from students.

Bunny Care-Jefferson; Cathy Cartland-$250 -This grant would be used to acquire one or two bunnies from an animal shelter. The bunnies will be used to address some problem behaviors at our school. We have various behavior plans for students, but there are certain students who do not respond to those programs. Caring for animals often brings out a kind and nurturing side of stressed-out youths. At-risk students identified by staff would be responsible for the rabbits’ care during the school year. Rabbits fare well in a hutch outside in the winter, and volunteer staff would care for the rabbits at Jefferson during the summer.

Future Focused Wednesdays Genius Hour-Washington; Steve Torrez-$500 - This grant will allow for a school/community connection to reinforce our college/career initiatives. We will spend one Wednesday per month where parent / students / community volunteers will present, provide video’s promote volunteerism and project based learning to encourage exposure and ideas for college/career focus at Washington School.

Liberty through Libros-Washington; Sonia Alvarez-$750 -This grant will fund the purchase of authentic Spanish language texts for our library. Currently our library offers a multitude of texts; however, the vast majority of these texts exist solely in English. A significant portion of our student population is comprised of learners whose home language is Spanish and scholars enrolled in our Dual Language Program.

Yoga at Jefferson-Jefferson; Casey Seyller and Julie Theisz-$600 -This grant will partially fund 4 yoga classes for all students at Jefferson. The yoga program will provide a basic understanding of yoga, as well as, its health benefits. Yoga has the potential to be a lifelong practice in their everyday lives. This program can teach the students the power of deep breathing to help with stressful situations.

Life Cycle Study-Washington; Valorie Revere-$300 -This grant will fund the cost of ladybug houses for each classroom, ladybug larvae, and a cup of caterpillars for each classroom. The students will be using their observational skills and will continue to build their descriptive vocabulary through the experience. They will be able to categorize the types of insects and widen their factual knowledge. Observing, explaining and illustrating life cycles can be an important milestone for children that can help children understand the world around them and to connect them with nature.

Library Markerspace Project-Crosby; Belena Garza-$1,200 -This grant will fund the purchase of additional STEM and STEAM materials. In library, centers are used as part of the daily activities with students. I try to use centers that encourage creativity, math and logic, and technology. It is a way to integrate STEM into the daily curriculum. My students enjoy these activities along with reading their books.

Crosby/High School Language Exchange Program-Crosby and High School; Steven Beesley and Armondo Valdes- $90 -This grant will fund the supplies for the Exchange Program. The Program is designed to provide Harvard High School students and Crosby dual Language/Bilingual students with another outlet to apply their communicative skills in an authentic foreign language environment in the classroom. The goal is to have HHS students visit and work with Dual language/Bilingual classes at Crosby school during the school day. Students will plan and develop activities in conjunction with their teachers.

The above pictures show a Crosby third-grade science Mini grant event that paid for numerous science and physics principles to be demonstrated to the entire third grade class. There also were many opportunity for hands-on exposure by the students to several physics-related “experiments.”

The above video brings you a “Sky Art” event put on by Crosby Elementary School as part of a HCEF Mini grant award. Just look at the happy and delighted faces of these kids as they form the image of their mascot, Harvey Hornet, from on high. A fascinating video!!

Mini-Grant Awards for 2018-19 School Year
The Harvard Community Education Foundation’s (HCEF) Mini* grant committee
is pleased to announce the following winners for the 2018-19 academic school year:
*(Applicants requesting approximately $1,500 or less)

Omnimax Theater Tickets at the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry- Jefferson School; Lisa Frasik- $690- This grant will partially fund a field trip to the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, where approximately 230 5th grade students will have the opportunity to experience a show in the Omnimax Theater. This offers students an educational opportunity that many of them would never experience otherwise. This opportunity provides a culmination of different concepts that are studied throughout the year in both science and mathematics curriculum.

4th Grade Field Trips- Jefferson School; Becky Buckley- $1,250- This grant will partially fund 2 field trips for the 4th grade classes: The Milwaukee County Zoo and the Discovery Center Museum in Rockford. The trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo will help all 4th grade students better understand how animals have and use external structures that support survival, growth, and behavior. Seeing the animals live also adds to the students learning. This is an annual trip that is a favorite among the students. The trip to the Discovery Center Museum allows students to connect concepts they have learned throughout the year while participating in hands on activities. They learn about force, energy, and motion and have the opportunity to experiment with properties of matter, force, and energy. Many students have never had the opportunity to visit a zoo or museum, making these a unique experience. Both trips are a fun, engaging way for the students to learn.

Life Cycle Study- Washington School; Valerie Revere- $275- This grant will fund a lady bug house, ladybug larvae, and a cup of caterpillars for each classroom. The children will be able to observe the stages of development for both the lady bug and the butterfly. The students will be engaging in many opportunities to enhance their language, literacy, math, and science skills with the activities developed around the observation, care and study of both the lady bug and butterfly. This makes for a great opportunity for these young students to learn.

Guitars- Junior High School; Daniel Petersen- $1,320- This grant will fund the purchase of 14 guitars for the students of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. This project will enhance and enrich the current curricular goal of making students lifelong learners and consumers of music. The new guitars will inspire interest and motivation, and allow students the opportunity to work on playing in groups supporting teamwork, cooperation, and group problem solving. These instruments will be used all year long, positively impacting 600 students.

Guitar Lessons- Junior High School; Daniel Petersen- $1,150- This grant will fund an after school guitar lesson program throughout the school year, which includes 10 guitars with cases. It will run in conjunction with the Free Guitars for Future Stars program, which is a program that supplies guitars and guitar lessons to children from low income families within McHenry County. The students will receive a weekly lesson, and if they complete the program, will be allowed to keep the guitar. This program will provide students with a skill that can continue with them for a lifetime.  

Poetry in the Classroom- Crosby School; Maria McEvilly- $1,968.49- This grant will help to partially fund Santillana USA A+ Spanish Poetry kit. This will allow students to learn and perform Spanish poems in class, rhyming stories, riddles, and tongue-twisters. This will take place once per week in Spanish class, impacting approximately 150 students in the dual language program. For first grade learners, the oral component is key to language development. This program is expected to help students develop their Spanish fluency.

First Grade Intervention Enrichment- Crosby School; Kim Lamz, Deb Grover, and Dani McCarthy- $986.31- This grant will partially fund supplies and materials to enhance first grade students receiving English Reading Interventions. This award will allow the grant writers the opportunity to buy leveled readers in color which will be valuable to students as they learn about using context clues to decipher texts. This will also fund a variety of manipulatives to help students build fine-motor strength and work their muscle memory to encourage stronger writing. This grant will positively impact approximately 55 students annually.

Mega Vox Purchase- High School; Korey Coffer- $2,500- This grant will fully fund the purchase of a Mega Vox Dual Deluxe Air Package microphone system with dual channel headset mics to replace the current failing device. This will allow voices to be projected during marching band rehearsal outside without the need to shout. This will also allow soloists to use the microphone during performances so he or she can be better heard by the crowd. It will also be used during the annual marching band festival on the field. The speakers, which are Bluetooth compatible, can be used with a metronome to help the band keep a steady beat. This device will be an asset to the entire band program.

Flexible Seating- Crosby School; Jo Ann Bomkamp- $500- This grant will partially fund the purchase of flexible seating for the classroom. The materials will allow the teacher to promote engagement, responsibility, and student-directed learning. The spaces that will be created will increase learning, achievement, and concentration while allowing movement in the classroom.

World of Music- Washington School; Wanda Carli- $316.31- This grant will partially fund the purchase of multicultural music sets with multiple CDs, to expose kindergarten children to the music of the world. The students will have the opportunity to play instruments they have never even heard of before, while listening to CDs with music from around the world. The children may even be able to play these instruments at the concerts each year. This project will help to promote the acceptance of diversity among the students.

Interactive Indoor Recess Tubs- Crosby School; Christine May- $375- This grant will partially fund the purchase of indoor recess tubs for second grade students to use during indoor recess days. These tubs will offer creative, hands-on, STEM based alternatives for students when they are not allowed to go outside for recess.

Inside Recess Classroom Supplies- Jefferson School; Tammy Morris- $375- This grant will partially fund the purchase of indoor recess supplies and totes for the students of Jefferson school to use during indoor recess days. These supplies will include such things as board games, movies, playing cards, dice, and coloring books. This will offer a variety of activities for the students when they are not allowed to be outside during recess.

Royal Oak Farm Orchard Field Trip- Washington School; Wanda Carli- $817.23- This grant will partially fund a field trip to Royal Oak Orchard for all Pre K and ECSE students. The children will have the opportunity to learn about farming and how apples are grown, take a ride through the orchard, pick apples, and have a snack containing apple products. Though the HCEF is only able to fund part of this, it will reduce the cost to each student to a minimal amount so they can attend. The transportation costs are expected to be funded by the State.

Extended Curriculum Robotics- Junior High School; Amanda Thompson- $1,875- This grant will partially fund the purchase of more Robots and supplies for the Extended Curriculum which participates in the First Lego League Robotics competition each year. Currently the Extended Curriculum has nine robots, which is enough for 3 teams. This program is growing, resulting in more teams, which requires more robots. These robots can be used year after year. This will benefit approximately 60 students annually. The remaining funds have been requested through the technology budget.

PBIS Tier 2 Incentives- Junior High School; Deborah Kraus- $200- This grant will partially fund the purchase of rewards for the PBIS Tier 2 Check-in/ Check-out students. PBIS Tier 2 interventions are intended to effectively and efficiently support students while giving them the tools to take responsibility for their behavior and academics. These rewards will reinforce this intervention and help students successfully participate. This program benefits approximately 50 students each year.

Romeo and Juliet in the House- High School; Taryn Galasso and Caren MacKenzie- $1,125- This grant will partially fund bringing a live Shakespearean performance to the Harvard High School for freshman students. “A Crew of Patches”, a Shakespearean acting troupe, will come to Harvard High School to perform Romeo and Juliet in the gym. This is a unique cultural opportunity for the freshman students, approximately 225 students. This is beneficial for the students, as it helps the students gain a much deeper understanding of the humor, satire, and depth of emotion Shakespeare’s words convey. Understanding dramas is one of the Common Core State Standards as well. The committee is hopeful that the remaining funds can be secured through title money, thereby making this a free opportunity for the students.

iPad Portable Video Labs- High School; Karen Kruckenberg- $750- This grant will partially fund the purchase of tripods and iPad holders, light sets and lighting equipment, microphones and cases for their existing iPads.  These would be available in the library for video productions. They are “portable” so can be taken throughout the school to be used in the video studio, classroom, or anywhere else throughout the building they may be needed. The media lab is expanding its reach and getting more and more students involved in the process of video creation. It is the committee’s hope that the remaining requested funds can be provided through the Technology budget.

Exploring with Rovers- High School; Audra Humy- $720- This grant will partially fund the purchase of Texas Instruments Innovator Hubs, Rovers, and I/O kits. This will be used by Math Club/Team, high school math courses, and potentially a coding club connected to future course offerings in computer science. This can impact students in grades 6-12, encouraging teachers and students to explore and learn together. These devices will engage and connect students and teachers in fully utilizing TI graphing calculators that already exist in the classroom. It is the committee’s hope that the remaining funds requested can be provided through the Technology budget.

Learning about the World around us through Technology GPS- Jefferson School; Amy Handley- $637.70- This grant will partially fund the purchase of Handheld GPS Navigators and Fieldmaster Orienteering kit. These will be used to help students gain new perspective about their location in the world and how the world around them is organized through the use of latitude and longitude. Students will see technology as a link between science, geography, and people. These will be used within the classroom, as well as external locations such as Lions Park, in an effort to address mapping skills from the science and social studies perspective.

Whiteboards- Junior High School; Clarissa Saliwanchik- $380.79- This grant will fund one portable whiteboard, primarily for AVID tutorials and in language arts class. The purchase of a whiteboard will give the students an opportunity to work in small groups to work together to complete homework and problems on the board. This will help promote the WICOR standards in the classroom. The original request was for two whiteboards. It is the committee’s hope that the Technology budget can purchase the second whiteboard for this project.

Rewarding Positive Behavior in the School Environment- Junior High School; Andrew and Lindsey Nicky- $250- This grant will partially fund rewards for students to enhance the current PBIS program at the Junior High. The rewards purchased will be administration approved and selected by a committee of Junior High staff with suggestions from students. Students have the opportunity to earn Hornet Bucks through good behaviors, which can then be placed into raffles to win these rewards quarterly during the school year. This helps encourage students to participate in positive behavior all year round.

Software Program: Finale version 25- Junior High School; Lindsey Boyette- $350- This grant will fully fund the purchase of the music notation software Finale Version 25, which will help to customize instrumental curriculum for Harvard Schools. This software can be used to write a method book focused on 6th-8th grade band grade curriculum. This is a start to a progressive, growing program to expand resources through 5th-12th grade.

Movement Powered Learning- Crosby School; Patricia Conlon Grosso- $472.19- This grant will partially fund the purchase of alternative seating and fidgets. According to research, movement can empower students to learn using their whole bodies, senses, minds and emotions. There is a need for creative ways to support students within their zones of sensory comfort and processing, promoting their best function. This project will help to ensure calmer students and classrooms, which will in turn allow more energy for learning and optimal student performance.