Sturgis Area Community Foundation teamed up with local service Clubs this month to provide grants to Sturgis teachers. With support from the Community Foundation, Sturgis Noon Kiwanis Club, Sturgis Eastside Kiwanis Club, and Sturgis Lions Club, six grants were awarded in support for classroom grants benefitting 13 local teachers and the students they serve.
Learn more about each winning project below.
Leader in Me Take Home Habit bags are intended to help families better understand the Leader in Me program so that lessons and learning can be reinforced at home. Each bag will contain two books and a corresponding activity page to reinforce the habits students are currently learning at school. Students in grades K-2 will have the opportunity to take the books home, and when they complete all eight “habit bags” they will send in a photo to be posted in the main hallway. This grant will help to repurchase books that were lost due to the pandemic shutdown, as well as, purchase new books to add variety to the existing collection.
Granting Organizations include: Sturgis Area Community Foundation, Sturgis Eastside Kiwanis and Sturgis Lions Club
The goal of Ashley Mostrom’s Class Auction project is to teach students how to apply real world scenarios and concepts of money to a classroom economy system. There are two class auctions throughout the year and one large project in relation to this unit, called Market Day. At the class auctions, students use the money they have earned and saved to buy real items. These items vary from small items such as snacks and beverages, to large items such as a sled at the winter auction or a pool float at the yearend auction. Grant dollars will help provide these items for students to purchase with their class money.
“In 5th grade, we do a year-long economics unit in social studies. Students are given class money at the beginning of the year and, over the course of the year, they learn about fees, gains, insurance, taxes, and so forth, all leading them to a better understanding of economics.” -Ashley Mostrom
Granting organization: Sturgis Noon Kiwanis
Second grade teacher Emma Hunt's grant award will provide her students with a sensory-friendly classroom to promote learning. Grant funds will help Emma purchase the sensory learning supplies her classroom needs like fluorescent light covers to dim lighting, and wobble cushions, fidget tools, a visual timer, and wobble stools that can be utilized by students who would benefit.
“Sensory tools will help encourage learning throughout our day, providing a calmer environment for all and a way for students to regulate emotions. All students will be using sensory tools like Play-Doh and kinetic sand during scheduled breaks throughout the day.” - Emma Hunt
Granting Organization: Sturgis Noon Kiwanis
With her grant from the Sturgis Noon Kiwanis, Sturgis Middle School teacher Morgan Pueschel will purchase a year-long literacy bundle and the materials needed to create the lessons and activities within each unit for her students.
“I currently have Made for Me Literacy 2, but since my students will likely spend three years in a row in my classroom, I would like to have Made for Me Literacy 1 prepped for the year, so they are able to have different units and activities each year they are in my classroom. Made for Me Literacy was created specifically for students with special needs and it is interactive and engaging for ALL students.” - Morgan Pueschel
Granting Organization: Sturgis Noon Kiwanis
With his Classroom Support Grant from Sturgis Noon Kiwanis, Andrew Phillips plans to implement an after-school leadership program for Sturgis High School students. The program will provide students in 9-12th grade an opportunity to participate in group dynamic/ leadership games, resiliency activities, and other lessons that are driven by the needs of students.
“My goal is to instill resilience and leadership skills into the high school students attending. Most importantly, my goal is to instill hope into some of our at-risk students in the building.” - Andrew Phillips
Granting Organization: Sturgis Noon Kiwanis
Eastwood Elementary School: Healthy Movement for Virtual Teachers
With a grant from Sturgis Area Community Foundation, teachers at Eastwood Elementary who are serving as online mentors and instructors will now have raising desks so that they can stand and move more often throughout the day. The goal of the grant was to help teachers better adjust to virtual instruction by providing them more opportunities for healthy movement as they instruct from the computer screen.
Granting Organization: Sturgis Area Community Foundation (Sturgis Public Schools Endowment Fund)