Pierre Educational Foundation

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Pierre Educational Foundation

PO Box 94

211 South Poplar

Pierre, SD 57501

ph: (605) 773-7300 info@pierreeducationalfoundation.org

Past Recipients

Mini-Grant Applications are due October 1st and April 1st of each year.

$96,679.01 has been awarded since the mini-grant program was established in the fall of 1996.

Fall 2008

$545.00 to Hope Armstrong at Georgia Morse Middle School for “Marble Roller Coasters!” This grant will teach the 6th grade students the standard for physical science – describe how push/pull forces act on an object producing motion. The marble’s course would allow the students to experience success or failure immediately and first hand.

	$650.00 to Karen Pogany at Jefferson Elementary for “Portable Pages.” This grant will provide each child in Mrs. Pogany’s classroom the opportunity to read “just right” books with their parents nightly. Currently, Mrs. Pogany does not have enough books at higher levels to sustain the project for the most advanced first grade readers.
	$1,039.32 to Bob Gill at T.F. Riggs High School for “Multi-Media Super Computer Lab.” This grant will allow Mr. Gill to put together 8 high speed computers that have all the requirements to create and produce digital technology. This is the final phase of the Multi-Media project.
	$2,000.00 to Bethany Amundson at T.F. Riggs High School for “Pierrecussion Drumline.” This grant will cover the purchase of one snare drum, one set of marching quad toms, and one bass drum, and the carriers for each. The current equipment is over ten years old and many of the drums are cracked, broken and falling apart. Through drumline performances, students learn various math concepts such as fractions and division and gain self confidence and respect by being part of this group and performing in the community and at various state events. In addition to the PEF funding, they will also be raising additional funds.

Spring 2008

	$375.00 to Hope Armstrong at Georgia Morse Middle School for “Embryology Unit.” This grant will purchase 3 replacement incubators and turners and 2 clamp lamps with light bulbs. This unit aligns with our state standards for 6th grade Life Science covering the differences between hybrid and purebred traits. The students will be able to view the process of embryonic development up close and personal, creating a real-life experience rather than learning through photographs.
	$700.00 to Katie Nagle at Central SD RSVP Program for “Reading Buddy Program.” This grant will be used for books, training materials, and pre and post tests. RSVP Volunteers read with students once a week during the school year, working on reading skills identified by the classroom teacher. RSVP Program provides volunteers with training and performs background checks of the volunteers.
	$260.00 to Kathy Norwick at McKinley Elementary School for “McKinley Newsletter.” This grant will allow for a new digital camera to be purchased for the 5th grade students to use while putting the newsletter together. To enhance the newsletter that the students put together, they also take pictures to go along with their article using a digital camera.
	$1,198.00 to Kathy Cruse and all Pierre Public School Elementary Music Teachers for “Music Map Curriculum Series.” The Music Map method is a fun and effective way for young children to learn pre-reading musical notation. This series and its hands-on approach, students become more involved and are subjected to a much more concrete representation of musical components.
	$1,208.00 to Denise Harford and Jane Johnson, Washington Elementary School, for “Disk O’Sits.” With all today’s visual stimulation it is harder for some of the kindergarten students to stay on task. The Disc O’Sits are round inflatable disks with smooth tactile bumps. These allow students to work on postural training and balance activities while seated. These lets the students “wiggle” while still being focused on their learning.
	$533.70 to Karen Pogany, Jefferson Elementary, for “Kids on the Ball!” Similar to the “Disk O’Sits” grant, balls will be used as chairs in this classroom to increase alertness and sustained concentration, for kinesthetic learning activities, and for exercise breaks. In addition, these balls will be used as a strategy for helping students with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and/or Sensory Integration Issues.
	$828.50 to Darlene Braun, St. Joseph School for “Cushions for Kids.” Also similar to “Disk O’Sits” and “Kids on the Ball,” research shows that sitting on a large exercise ball promotes learning through movement because it allows for “active sitting”. The proposed cushions mimic these balls because they allow for extra movement that many children require Research shows that after a time only the students who need the aide will tend to use them.
	$599.80 to Bob Gill, T.F. Riggs High School, for “Building Computers Using New Components.” Each year Bob buys computer components from district funds so the students can build a new computer from scratch. All previous motherboards have had onboard video, but these motherboards need a special video card.
	$1,000.00 to Pam Kean, Occupational Therapy Staff for Pierre Public Schools for “Meeting the ‘Sensory Diet’ Needs of Students.” This grant will expand the tools the Pierre Public Schools will have available to implement sensorimotor strategies in the classroom setting/home environments for those students who have difficulty attending or sustaining a level of focus to learn efficiently.
	$453.37 to Tami Merrill, Georgia Morse Middle School, for “Wii have Power Too!” This grant will purchase a Wii for GMMS since many students are unable to participate in PE due to physical, emotional, and/or mental disabilities. Specific students, with Autism and Traumatic Brain Disorders, are often times traumatized by large group instruction, fast paced/action activities with concrete dangers (as movement of balls, persons, equipment), therefore, they are unable to participate in class to enhance their overall well-being and health. It is important to implement an alternative program to assist these children in learning that maintaining good health can be fun.
	$392.50 to Norm Neilan at the Boys and Girls Club for “SPEED Stacks.” This grant will allow the B&G Club to purchase one set. Sport stacking helps students develop bilateral proficiency equal performance on both sides of the body. By increasing bilateral proficiency, a student develops a greater percentage of the right side of the brain, which houses awareness, focus, creativity and rhythm. Sequencing and patterning are also elements of sport stacking which can help with reading and math skills.

Fall 2007

	$1,350.00 to Ruth Smith, T.F. Riggs High School for “Coaching Connections with the Tablet Computer.” This grant will purchase a tablet computer for the math coach since she is not ‘eligible’ for one of the tablets purchased through the state Classroom Connections project. Daily access to a tablet will allow the Math Coach to provide on-going support for the integration of technology into instruction and learning for high school students.
	$510.00 to Darlene Braun, St. Joseph School for “Talking Pens.” The talking pen has been the premier instrument for developing fine-motor skills through pattern tracing and is a proven tool for developing perceptual motor skills. They are used to develop gross and fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, laterality, directionality, auditory perception, form perception, ocular pursuits and spatial relationships. This grant will allow St. Joseph School to purchase three talking pens.
	$323.00 to Beata Ferris, Georgia Morse Middle School for “8^th Grade Photography Module.” The students will use the digital camera and storage devices to take pictures of events, activities and projects around the school. The photos will then be edited and upon instructor approval will be posted on the Tech Ed website. Photos will also be emailed to Oahe TV for possible publication on the local public access channel.
	$1,000.00 to LeRoy Fugitt, T.F. Riggs High School for “Photography Class.” The photography curriculum is a comprehensive beginning-intermediate level class. With the purchase of the new tablet computers we now have Adobe Photoshop available for student use, but do not have the cameras required for instruction and student use on class projects. This grant will also support Bob Gill’s Multimedia / Website project by purchasing a camera that he will also be able to use.
	$696.00 to Susan Peterson & Hyrma Zakahi, T.F. Riggs High School for “Podcasting in Foreign Languages.” PODcasts are portable on demand audio or video broadcasts. It is a rapidly growing medium for sharing information and students will use it to produce their own audio samples in the target language. In addition to the student driven activities, teachers can provide listening activities with native speakers or create their own listening activities for student practice.
	$1,800.00 to Sarah Seamands, T.F. Riggs High School for “Students & Technology: GPS & ArcView,” a joint project between Riggs High School, SD Discovery Center and the Summer Recreation Program. Students will be introduced to the basic operation skills so they will become familiar with the technology and be able to use the GPS efficiently and effectively. This grant will purchase 15 GPS units.
	$875.00 to Jamie Griffith, Buchanan Elementary School for “TextTalk.” A schedule will be set up for whole class vocabulary enrichment activities with the kindergarten and first grade classrooms. The lending library, with copies of the Read-Aloud books, will allow students the opportunity to take these books home and read with family members. Students will have already been exposed to the content of the book and will therefore be able to engage in conversation with family members regarding the books.

Spring 2007

	$3,000.00 to Ruth Smith, Riggs High School for Classroom Connection Software, which will provide teachers with software to create lessons for teaching with the new laptops being implemented this fall.
	$1,015.00 to Dan Cronin, Jefferson Elementary for Train Your Brain; software for a brain-centered effective instructional strategy that helps students develop skills and use knowledge.
	$500.00 to Kathy Kraft, McKinley Elementary for McKinley Elementary Leveled Book Room; a central location in the school that will include book sets from beginning to transitional readers.
	$179.99 to Bob Gill, Riggs High School for Continuation – Multimedia/Website and DVD Project. This phase of the advanced multimedia project is in its third year. The item to be purchased is a Studio Plus 7---USB Version 10.5 Video Capture. This capture component will help students by teaching them the latest video production techniques.
	$2,000.00 to Occupational Therapy Staff of Pierre Schools for Inclusion; inclusive programming supports social interactions with typically developing age peers. This project addresses the following: innovative/creative projects 2) emphasizes life long learning skills 3) involves students, parents & community 4) has demonstrable measurable outcomes.

Fall 2006

	$900.00 to Margaret Peggy Rose, Riggs High School for Enhancing Public Speaking & Presentation Skills Through the Use of Video Critiquing which will incorporate basic pubic speaking expertise along with outside help from local TV and media experts. It will emphasize the life long learning skill of self critiquing.
	$889.00 to Bob Gill, Riggs High School for Continuation - Multimedia/Website and DVD Project-Website Component. In this phase of the project, students will learn how to take quality photographs and place them on CDs or DVDs. They will learn how to enhance and resize the pictures so they are suitable for a website.
	$1,675.00 to the Boys & Girls Club of Pierre for BrainPop Out of School Time Learning. BrainPOP is an interactive education program that provides curriculum-based content covering Science, Math, English, Social Studies, Health and Technology. BrainPOP focuses on grades 3 through 12. BrainPOP, Jr is aimed at Grades K-3.
	$1,000.00 to Darlene Braun, St. Joseph School for A Laptop for Learning. St. Joseph School has a Smart Board the entire staff desires to use. Therefore, the board and attachment equipment needs to move to different classrooms. A roving laptop simplifies the use of the Smart Board for multiple classroom use. The Smart Board accommodates different learning styles and encourages the use of technology. It encourages critical thinking in students and is interactive.
	$1,000.00 to Bruce Venner, Riggs High School for AP Laptops. The AP (advanced placement) calculus and AP psychology classes currently use the computers in lab room 2002. Additional laptops would make it possible for AP classes to meet in room 228 (regular classroom) and free up the lab. The laptops are more powerful and can better run the AP system.

Spring 2006

	$630.00 to Barb Newman at Jefferson Elementary for A Young Musician’s Guide to Composing –a workshop that addresses composing and arranging music with specific guidelines, reading, listening, analyzing and describing music. It is aligned with the National Standards for Music Education.
	$460.00 to Joan Crabtree at Buchanan Elementary for Purposeful Playgrounds – to purchase stencils for a map of the United States and another of the World and paint these on the playground along with painting walking lines on the black top.
	$582.60 to Darlene Braun at St. Joseph School for Teaching the Craft and Traits of Writing Through Literature – a program that emphasizes life long learning skills, teaching students to write with the help of great authors; leading students to recognizing that the ability to put one’s thoughts in written form is necessary.
	$2,343.00 to Darlene Braun at St. Joseph School for Boost Up the Brain – curriculum that is designed to develop and enhance the physiological and neurological readiness skills of the students. Activities are visual perception, and eye-hand coordination. The Boost Up activities specifically develop essential connections within the brain which leads to improved learning for all students.
	$1,044.85 to Deborah Hepper at Georgia Morse Middle School for Realization of the Impact of Water on Erosion for the Middle School. One of the standards involves instructing students about erosion and weathering factors related to water. The sixth grade has tied this standard to the geography of South Dakota – specifically the Black Hills, caves, Badlands, the Northeastern region in relation to glacial evidence with lakes and the Missouri River. The best way to teach this is through first hand experience by constructing models of rivers and streams and applying variables of water to the models.

Fall 2005

	$500.00 to Ruth Smith, Principal of Washington & McKinley Schools for Bushels of Books – a program to start a concerted effort to bring the classroom libraries up to the minimum recommended level. Eventually, the goal would be to have a minimum of 500 books in every classroom K through 5^th grade.
	$2,250.00 (6 sessions at $375) to Kristie Maher, SD Discovery Center for E-Missions: Real Life Science, Math & Technology – an innovative, distance-learning program that simulates real-life emergency situations in order to enhance science, math and technology skills.
	$200.00 to Ruth Smith, Principal of Washington & McKinley Schools for Kids Walk – a loop that has been previously painted on the playgrounds of these schools and needs to be updated and redone.
	$1,779.85 to St. Joseph School for a new central laser colored printer to enhance technology education and empower the students to improve writing skills.
	$1,460.00 to Bob Gill, teacher at Riggs High School for his Advanced Multimedia and DVD Project. This is the second phase of his project where students will learn how to create multi media presentations, and transfer their projects to DVD.

Spring 2005

	$3,219.30 to Pam Kean, Pam Dravland, Gern Barnett and Jill Berger for Oral-Motor Therapy – Sara Rosefeld-Johnson’s approach for children six months to seven years.
	$2,216.00 to Betty Hanson for Boost Up-Smart Climbing Wall for Buchanan Elementary students.
	$996.88 to Bob Gill for Advanced Multimedia and DVD Project for purchasing software and hardware to update hard drives, etc.

Spring 2004

	$730.00 to Kathy Cruse and Ronda Wollman, McKinley School for Classroom Jeopardy.
	$2,000.00 to Kim Livermont, Washington School, for Fourth Grade Guided Reading.

Fall 2004

$3,770.00 to Pam Kean and staff for Therapeutic Listening Program.

Spring 2003

	$2,000.00 to Judith Miller and committee at Jefferson School for “No Child Left Behind” books.
	$1,000.00 to Betty Hanson at Buchanan Elementary for Early Literacy materials, under the Guided Reading Program, already in place for grades one through three.
	$2,194.85 to Lisa Feller of the USD Pierre Campus for advance GERI Manikin and program, “Enhancing the Clinical Skills of Student Nurses.”
	Up to $700.00 for 30 Rocky Mountain Digi-Walkers to Nancy Boe & Ruth Smith for use at elementary schools and Georgia Morse Middle School.

Fall 2002

	$820.00 to Washington school fourth and fifth grade teacher Lisa Coppess for globes.
	$525.00 to Riggs Teacher Susan Peterson, for the German Program Club.
	$2,600.00 to Riggs English Department teacher Peggy Rose, for an LCD Projector System.
	$1,500.00 to Catherine Collins-Adler of the Pierre / Ft. Pierre United Way for its Ready to Read program (Hughes and Stanley Counties only).

Spring 2002

	$500.00 to Morse Middle School teachers Nancy Boe and Nancy Mundt for Jump Against Drugs Assembly.
	$1,646.00 to Morse Middle School teacher Beth Schneider for Accelerated Readers program.

Fall 2001

$1,000.00 to Riggs computer teacher Bob Gill for Website Development for the Pierre Educational Foundation.

Spring 2001

$700.00 to Buchanan Elementary teachers Linda Geraets, Ronda Samuelson and Jackie Carlson to purchase books for the Loving Literacy program.

Fall 2000

	$500.00 to Buchanan Elementary School to provide books for first grade Reading Recovery program.
	$500.00 to Washington Elementary School to provide books for Reading Recovery program.
	$185.00 to McKinley Elementary School for 25 copies of Laura Wilder’s “The Long Winter” to be used by Kathy Cruse in teaching fourth graders the history of South Dakota.
	$3,819.00 to Riggs Science Department to purchase A.P. Biology Computer Interface and lab equipment.

Spring 2000

	$1,071.00 to the SD Discovery Center and Riggs High School computer practicum class (teacher Bob Gill) to build a three-computer network.
	$250.00 Countryside Hospice for books and videos for the Hospice library for families and children who ask for assistance with end-of-life issues and ongoing bereavement concerns.
	$750.00 to the SD Discovery Center to provide youth science scholarships to participate in science-based projects and workshops (under the guidance of Dick Termes).

Fall 1999

	$600.00 to Doreen Miller of Pierre Public Schools for supplemental reading materials about social studies and science, intended for second graders.
	$1,450.00 to the Right Turn for a program to certify teachers to teach students to repair and upgrade computers (Hugh Newmiller, Director).
	$500.00 to the Capitol City Children’s Chorus for sheet music (Barb Newman, Director).

Spring 1999

	$500.00 to Bob Gill for a digital camera for the Computer Technician Practicum.
	$1,050.00 to the SD Discovery Center for low-income children to attend a program called “Mother Goose Asks Why?” a literacy program that promotes science.
	$1,000.00 to Growing Up Together, for a program called “Building Youth and Community Assets through Parent Support,” which promotes the Boys Town Model of Common Sense Parenting classes.

Fall 1998

	$1,500.00 for “Warriors of Light” program for students to get involved in after-school project of a positive nature (Joanne Beare, Coordinator).
	$800.00 to purchase a digital camera for Bob Gill’s Computer Technician Practicum.

Spring 1998

	$1,000.00 to help CHAP, inc. begin its “Kids on the Block” puppet performances to help dispel fears about people with disabilities.
	$1,000.00 to help fund “Computer Technician Practicum” at Riggs High School.
	$1,500.00 to help Pierre Volunteer Fire Department implement a program in schools called “Fire Drills – The Great Escape.”

Fall 1997

$500.00 to the Capital City Children’s Chorus to enhance educational opportunities while the chorus represented South Dakota in Washington during Christmas ceremonies.

Fall 1996

	$1,440.50 for a color printer for Sandra Paterson’s art classroom at Riggs High School.
	$2,000.00 to purchase a computer for the Senior Center so high school students can help senior citizens learn how to use computers.
	$2,000.00 to Buchanan School to help pay training costs for teachers to learn the BoysTown Model of teaching values in the classroom.
	$2,000.00 to buy computer parts and equipment for Bob Gill’s “Computer Technician Practicum” at Riggs High School, which teaches students how to build and repair computers.
	$500.00 to the SD Discovery Center’s “South Dakota Water History Trunk” project to help young people realize how important water (and the river) is to South Dakota – past and future.
	$399.00 to Oahe, Inc. to help those with developmental disabilities (skills-building they need to behave appropriately in a social setting).

(list updated November 5th, 2008. Kim Brakke)

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