LCEF Awards $53,000 in Education Grants to Lake Dallas ISD Teachers
Project Title: School to Home Instructional Support Kits
Grant Amount Received: $2500/Carol Heidemann Memorial Teacher Grant Endowment
Grant Director: Frances Bassham, Lake Dallas Elementary
Through this grant, students will have the opportunity to further develop their understanding of crucial math and literacy skills. They will receive foundational instruction in class, and then, through the use of the proposed activities, be able to improve their skills through at home application. This arrangement will also foster improved home-school relationships and create another opportunity for parents to deepen their involvement and understanding of their students’ academic progress.
Project Title: Enhancing Social and Emotional Well-being Through Sensory Integration
Grant Amount Received: $2500/LCEF Directors Teacher Grant Endowment
Grant Director: LaTonne Leftwich, Corinth Elementary
Students will have access to a dedicated space where they can engage with sensory tools and activities that help them manage stress, improve focus, and enhance self-regulation. As a result, the expectation is that students will exhibit better emotional resilience, improved interpersonal skills, and a more positive school environment, ultimately leading to enhanced academic performance and overall student well-being. Many students can benefit from a sensory room and it will be accessible to everyone. This inclusive approach ensures that all students have the opportunity to utilize the sensory room and gain its advantages.
Project Title: Spotlight Sessions: Learning Through the Lens
Grant Amount Received: $4,413.72
Grant Director: Elizabeth Espolt/Corinth Elementary, Lake Dallas Elementary, Shady Shores Elementary
The recording of teachers in the classroom serves as a valuable tool for professional development and instructional improvement. By capturing instructional strategies, classroom interactions, and student engagement, recordings provide insights into teaching practices, enabling educators to reflect on their performance and identify areas for growth. Reviewing successful teaching practices observed in recorded lessons, teachers can learn new teaching strategies. These insights can then be implemented in their own classrooms, contributing to improved academic performance among students. Moreover, these recordings facilitate peer observation, mentoring opportunities, and the sharing of best practices among faculty. Ultimately, teacher recordings contribute to enhanced educational outcomes by fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration within the teaching community.
Project Title: Falcon Lego Robotics
Grant Amount Received: $12,480.00/CoServ Charitable Foundation Grant & Josephine Hughes Sterling Teacher Grant
Grant Director: Karen Anderson, Kami Tipps, Allison McCown, Lake Dallas Elementary/Shady Shores Elementary/Corinth Elementary
Lake Dallas ISD elementary schools seek to further their STEAM initiative by providing computer coding resources to all elementary aged students. This approach will continue to develop our young students’ communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity, equitably preparing all ages for the future.
Project Title: 3D Printing for Elementary Students
Grant Amount Received: $2500/CoServ Charitable Foundation Grant
Grant Director: Kami Tipps & Jessica Phillips/Shady Shores Elementary
Shady Shores Elementary strives to enrich the curriculum and experiences for its students. In conjunction with our district’s STEAM initiative, this grant will facilitate hands-on interactive learning projects through the use of 3-D printing.
Project Title: Connection Corner for High School Students
Grant Amount Received: $5000/Josephine Hughes Sterling Teacher Grant
Grant Director: Dr. Kathy Schaeffer & Taylor Setliff, Lake Dallas High School
Social isolation in high school can have negative effects on students’ mental, emotional, and academic well-being. These challenges often lead to a sense of alienation and hinder students from reaching their full potential. This program will focus on promoting overall well-being by creating spaces where students can connect with others and engage in meaningful activities.
Project Title: Creating a Zen Zone: A Mindfulness and Relaxation Space for LDMS Students
Grant Amount Received: $5000/Drozd Family TeacherGrant
Grant Director: Heather Akins, Lake Dallas Middle School
As students navigate the increasing demands of academic, social, and personal life, mental wellness becomes a critical factor in fostering a thriving campus community. This grant will provide a designated, serene space on campus designed to promote mindfulness, reduce stress, and enhance emotional well-being for our students. The Zen Zone will include a variety of resources to support relaxation and wellness activities.
Project Title: Book Lending Program for Pre-K Families
Grant Amount Received: $2500/LCEF Directors Teacher Grant Endowment
Grant Director: Gloria Brandt, Lake Dallas Elementary
Early exposure to literature is crucial to developing students’ curiosity, listening skills, and a cornerstone to the foundation of learning. This program aims to foster early literacy and language development by providing diverse, age-appropriate books in English and Spanish. The initiative will support all learners and enhance cultural awareness among all students.
Project Title: Empowering Literacy Through Books: Mirrors and Windows
Grant Amount Received: $2460.42/Robin Hasserd Memorial Teacher Grant
Grant Director: Jessica Mondono, Lake Dallas Elementary
Reading is a critical foundation for academic success, fostering skills in comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking. The goal of this grant is to provide a culturally and linguistically diverse collection of books that will engage students' interests and support their literacy development. This grant will enrich Ms. Mondono’s classroom library with resources that will allow her wonderfully diverse group of students to see a reflection of themselves in books at various reading levels.
Project Title: Academics Are Instrumental
Grant Amount Received: $5000/DATCU Innovative Endowed Teacher Grant
Grant Director: Angela Reid
Through the implementation of newly acquired instruments, LDE will experience improved student engagement in the areas of daily application and routine performances. Playing instruments regularly aids in reading music, improves cognitive growth, and improves test scores in math and science. Playing instruments also develops fine motor skills. Parents will get to see students improve musically through performances throughout the school years as well as emotional and academic growth.
Project Title: Sparking Creativity through STEM in the Library
Grant Amount Received: $1645.86/Gary and Deena Peppers Teacher Grant
Grant Director: Heather Chambers, Lake Dallas Middle School
This grant aims to enhance the STEM materials collection in our middle school library. As the demand for STEM resources grows, this funding will enable us to acquire materials that sparks creativity and critical thinking. Students will benefit from engaging with hands-on projects independently, collaborating in groups, or participating in class activities. Our goal is to
empower our students to explore and create within the library.
Project Title: Teach to Learn
Grant Amount Received: $2500/Boeing/Atmos/Walmart Teacher Grant Endowments
Grant Director: Alexandria Dubek, Corinth Elementary
This grant will provide iPads to help integrate technology into the classrooms. The iPads will serve as a tool for students to create videos of the activities, games and sports the students have learned in their physical education class. These videos will create a library for students to access in and outside of school.
Project Title: Wall of Learning
Grant Amount Received: $2500/Robin Goodale Memorial Teacher Grant Endowment
Grant Director: Sara Schmidt, Lake Dallas Elementary
Students will explore a magnetic galvanized steel wall that holds different materials to create different routes for balls to travel. In addition, a set of magnetic wooden gears allows students to set up different systems. A STEAM/tactile wall builds fine motor, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Additionally, the wall aims to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and provide an inclusive, dynamic space for experiential learning within the school community. The STEAM wall will align with curriculum standards and promote exploration of cross-curricular concepts.
Project Title: Discovering Communities: The Power of Play
Grant Amount Received: $2500/Lora McCarty Henderson Memorial Teacher Grant Endowment
Grant Director: Victoria Bozarth
The classroom serves as an essential environment where children first encounter diverse cultures, fostering understanding and appreciation for differences among peers from various backgrounds. Students learn best through active role play and having direct experiences with diverse cultures and community helpers. Giving students these direct experiences will allow them to grow their linguistic abilities to explain what their communities are, who they are, and what their active role is. This grant will provide materials and resources to aid students in exploring their community.