The Lytle Education Foundation is awarding grants to 24 Lytle ISD faculty members this Friday, January 18, 2013! The Foundation's gift to the Lytle ISD totals $14,961 with 14 projects chosen to receive funding. Grants are awarded for ideas aimed at broadening the horizons of classroom teaching. Since forming in the summer of 2011, the Lytle Education Foundation has awarded nearly $26,500 in teach project grants to teachers at the four campuses within Lytle ISD.
The 2013 Lytle ISD winners and projects named by the Lytle Education Foundation are:
Lytle Primary School
*Kindergarten Grade Level: Megan Felty, Tammy McDonald, David Wells, Maggie Pierce, Frank Lambaren, Carol Ketron - The Kindergarten grade level was awarded a project grant to enrich their planetarium project that involves science and communication lessons for their students which culminates in an event open to parents and the public. *Tammy McDonald - Mrs. McDonald will be awarded a grant to purchase reading materials on motivating subjects, popular characters and topics in order to strengthen her lessons on phonics, reading and vocabulary.
Lytle Elementary School
*4th Grade: Christine Pyron, Lisa Guevara, Lydia Zimmerlie, Natalie Lopez, Debbi Gouard, JanaBeth Parker - The 4th Grade Teachers will be awarded a grant for a unique “Composting with Worms” project to enhance their students’ understanding of waste reduction and the biodegradability of different materials in their garden.
*Patrick Chapa - Mr. Chapa will be awarded a project grant to work with his fifth grade students on robotics kits to improve their critical thinking skills.
*Wendy Conover - Mrs. Conover will be awarded a grant to create a Lego Club which will help students build creativity, develop science and fine arts skills with several programs, resulting in student masterpieces being displayed on campus.
*Kathryn Rubio - Mrs. Rubio will be awarded a grant to expand her music/theater arts curriculum with the ability to compose and produce pieces of work that can be performed to an audience as well as distributed traditionally and online.
Lytle Junior High
*Jessica Alexander - Mrs. Alexander will be awarded a project grant to educate her students and campus on digital citizenship with timely topics such as cyberbullying, online safety and privacy, and digital etiquette.
*Jessica Perales - Mrs. Perales will be awarded a grant to enhance the Pirate Pals Recycling Program her Life Skills students launched this year with new supplies to continue involving all four campuses with her students’ efforts.
Lytle High School
*Reagon Clamon - Mr. Clamon will be awarded a grant to expand the robotics technology program with his science, technology and math students.
*Mark Fender - Mr. Fender will be awarded a grant to upgrade software and equipment for the Lytle High School Band to practice and receive immediate feedback on the band members’ ability to perform the marching routines and programs in preparation for UIL competition.
*Michelle Grajeda - Ms. Grajeda will be awarded a grant to purchase iPad minis to facilitate in-group research and discussions for her Dual Credit and AP English students.
*Stephanie Lynch - Ms. Lynch will be awarded a project grant to purchase a CriCut die-cutting machine to expand the resources available to her Floral Design students in creating projects.
*Leslie Pedrotti - Ms. Pedrotti will be awarded a project grant to demonstrate geometric and algebraic relationships in real world applications with materials to build a Lego scale model of the City of Lytle.
*Lorri Van de Walle - Ms. Van de Walle will be awarded a grant to create a video news program with her technology students to showcase the projects, activities and events taking place in the district for viewing and online playback.
The grant applications, judged anonymously, requested that the applicants not only describe the project and materials being requested in detail, but to explain the rationale behind the project, their strategy to implement the project and the impact their idea will have upon their class, campus or district. Winners will present the results of their projects and the excitement it brought to their classrooms at a Foundation Donor Reception in May.
The Lytle Education Foundation was created in 2011 to seek the assistance of individuals, parents, alumni, businesses and civic organizations in our area to expand and enhance the educational opportunities and continue developing the future success of the Lytle ISD. Its mission is to partner with the community to provide resources to enrich teaching, inspire learning and to support educational opportunities for all students in the Lytle school district.
Lytle ISD is committed to providing students a learning experience that will have them prepared for life after graduation. The Texas ACT Council honored Lytle High School with a College Readiness Award, the district's technology initiative program was featured in Texas School Business magazine and the district was named Small District of the Year in the 2012 HEB Excellence in Education Awards competition.