OPEN GRANT REQUESTS
Barrett Elementary
PASS Program Sensory Room
Requested by Kimberly Charles
"We want to create a space for students in the PASS program for calming and activities to teach self-regulation."
Research indicates that students in the PASS program are especially likely to exhibit acting out behaviors, impatience, anger, aggression, impulsivity, and inappropriate emotional responses (Goodwin, 2013). Because students in the PASS program may exhibit significant behaviors, students need a place to go where they can calm down, de-escalate, or participate in activities that help them self-regulate.
Funding Needed:
$634
Today a Reader,
Tomorrow a Leader
Requested by Mellisa Owens
"Our objective is to use OSMO Word to integrate technology into the classroom, build creativity and a drive for learning, and develop fluent readers."
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We know students learn best with hands-on activities while having fun. Play based learning is invaluable for new learners such as first graders. Using OSMO Word, students will develop the foundational skills surrounding letter recognition and decoding. As they gain proficiency and confidence, students become challenged to spell more challenging words.
Funding Needed:
$910.80
Student Choice: 5th Grade Classroom Library
Requested by Edith Parker
"Student cultural and ethnic backgrounds vary a great deal, and the need for easy access to relatable literature is great. With this grant, I will purchase books for my classroom library for the 5th grade Barrett Elementary Students."
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I can combat student apathy, helping them connect with their own specific interests and strengths and giving them more autonomy, power, and control over their reading, which in turn, boosts their intrinsic motivation. I have proven in past school district experience that easily accessible and more relatable literature will motivate students to read, therefore, increase reading and reading comprehension.
Funding Needed:
$1,000
Empowering Kids Through Movement
Requested by Johanna Todd
"Ultimately, the goal of flexible seating is to better engage students and empower them with choices by providing diverse seating options."
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Flexible seating facilitates student-centered, collaborative learning, fosters a positive classroom community, and even promotes healthy, kinesthetic learning.
Funding Needed:
$2,749.59
Got Ya Covered
Requested by Carolyn Re
"We want to create a multi-purpose permanent outdoor covered space not only for our special needs wheelchair-bound students but as an opportunity for an outdoor classroom."
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The students that must remain in their wheelchairs during recess have no area that protects them from the hot Houston area sunshine. They would like the opportunity to be with their peers enjoying the outside in the least restrictive environment, yet remain sheltered from the heat and harmful UV rays. Teachers can also utilize the space for an outside classroom. There are many opportunities for science, reading, and math activities that can be experienced in the great outdoors.
Funding Needed:
$4,800
Gazebo Learning and Diggin' It
Requested by Deborah McQueen
"I would love to use these funds for a kid size gazebo or benches to be built around the school garden for the kids to sit and enjoy nature as they learn. The benches or gazebo will also be used for outdoor learning time for all classroom teachers to enhance any curriculum."
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Diggin' It at B.E.S. is a school-wide gardening experience for students to observe the Plant Life Cycle TEK with hands-on learning. Students are the main caretakers of the garden from weeding, seeding, watering, tending, and sampling their produce.
Funding Needed:
$920
Camera Coog Video and Photography Production
Requested by Jorge Salas
"Please help us provide a top-notch educational experience for students who are interested in learning skills in the field of photography and video production."
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Teaching students at such an early age to learn the post production process hones in on students creative imaginations, creates community, enhances learning and collaboration among all grade levels. We feel that giving students this opportunity will open up so many doors for them in the future well beyond high school. Through the use of an iMac, adobe software, studio lighting, along with a DSLR camera, students will write, record and produce a daily school news broadcasting. Additionally, we will be teaching our students hands on how to take, edit, and publish photographs ranging from everyday school activities to expert level compositions for school and district wide programs.
Funding Needed:
$3,000
Crosby Elementary
Meaningful Math with Manipulatives
Requested by Amy Glover
"Students need math manipulatives in their hands everyday! My grant will provide them with age appropriate resources to keep them engaged in math and make their learning more meaningful to them."
I picked out manipulatives and resources that align with the grade level objectives. I plan for the students to use these manipulatives during whole group lessons and during math stations. They will be provided with a lot of opportunities to discuss their reasoning while modeling their mathematical thinking!
Funding Needed:
$460
Fast, Fun, and Fluent
Requested by Alicia Jordal
"The best way to increase fluency is to hear yourself read, repeatedly. The best way to increase reading ability is to increase fluency. Fluency is something that is beneficial for all readers. If we increase everyone's ability to read, it will benefit all subjects."
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There are a million ways to use an iPad in the classroom, but there are not that many tools to use to hear yourself read. With an iPad mini the students would be able to upload material, record themselves reading the material, and in the end, listen to themselves read.
Our students will also benefit by having mini iPads for differentiation. You can have students log on to instructional apps such as Education Galaxy, Spelling City, Epic, Learning Farm, and Reading A to Z. Our newly adopted curriculum from Pearson also includes an online portal for students to listen to books online. We also teach Social Studies, and we can utilize our content that we teach by logging in to Studies Weekly on the iPad and letting the students listen to the content read aloud.
Funding Needed:
$4,890
Math Resource
Requested by Emily Henderson
"My goal is to provide a work space for students with a variety of different learning disabilities and cognitive deficits to feel comfortable while learning."
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I believe with the right tools my student's will show progress and enjoy learning just how fun math can be using hands on activities, manipulatives and games.
Funding Needed:
$1,000
I Like to Move It, Move It
Requested by Cindy Whigham
"Equipment needed for "Move It, Move It" will provide musical, emotional, social, and physical development of all students."
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This grant will help to develop and improve fine and gross motor skills, rhythm and movement, balance, dance, hand-eye/foot-eye coordination, and flexibility while increasing students' heart rates and keeping them actively engaged. Activities will foster the social and emotional growth through teamwork and cooperative learning. The developmentally appropriate equipment will assist in meeting and/or surpassing this goal while meeting state standards, as several of the Physical Education and Music TEKS are aligned with each other and connect to the emotional/social behavior intervention plans of the PASS and Life Skills programs.
Funding Needed:
$4,991.04
Growing Giants for the 21st Century
Requested by Amy Graham
"Our grade level is working to help our students acquire skills and knowledge to help them become successful learners and prepare them for jobs that haven't even been created in the workforce yet."
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With this grant we will be able to work in both small groups and independent study, thereby implementing differentiated instructional goals to reach all levels of learners. Students will be able to use hands-on manipulatives along side the technology to reach different learning styles. They will also develop research skills necessary for academic growth. Students will be able to read, write and compute using IPADS and the Osmo learning system which will help in small group and station groups.
Funding Needed:
$5,000
Drew Elementary
Flexible Seating for Maximum Engagement!
Requested by Courtney DeBosse
"Flexible seating allows kids to choose where they learn best and to work comfortably. We want them be where they are comfortable and productive."
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Learning environments can have a direct impact on student achievement. According to research, today's students require environments that encourage discovery and deeper learning, and flexible design is fundamental to the next generation of teaching and learning. We as a team have decided to make the switch over to alternative seating. We look forward to introducing our students to a new way of learning.
Funding Needed:
$5,000
Mini iPads for Mini Learners
Requested by Erica Corso
"This grant will us to take a technology driven generation and give them hands on experiences using their love for technology to improve their overall education."
These students will practice mastering math skills, improve reading abilities, be given opportunities for coding, and prepare them for 21st century jobs that don't even exist yet.
Funding Needed:
$5,000
From Struggling Readers to Tomorrow's Leaders
Requested by Valerie Guillory
"Many of our students are unable to read or they really struggle with it due to their lack of basic reading skills. The goal of this reading program is for our students to become confident fluent readers."
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We are Special Education Resource teachers helping Special Education students in grades 1-5. The All About Reading program is a research based program that will differentiate instruction of the necessary reading skills our students lack. It allows for instruction to be taught using a multi-sensory approach: using sight, sound, and touch. This is perfect for our struggling readers, because it is interactive and FUN! Reading is such a vital part to learning as it is cross-curricular and this is our solution to closing the gap.
Funding Needed:
$1,546.05
Lucky Little Learners
Requested by Jessica Scheig
"The Osmo Learning System is designed to bridge together the real world and digital technology of the 21st century for the classroom. This product takes an iPad and makes the digital learning a step better by becoming hands on in interactive ways."
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Osmo allows all different styles of learning to be addressed, creates positive interactions, increases logical reasoning, and can be used in numerous settings such as small groups or whole class. In addition to our already existing iPads in the classroom, Osmo would allow for reading interventions with struggling readers, or with number sense and mathematical concepts for young mathematicians. The acquisition of this product would continue our districts movement as a district of innovation, guide reading, math and arts through the games that it provides. But shhh! Don't tell the students that they are learning! They think they are just having fun! Engaging lessons and innovative learning is the key to the success of the technology dependent student in out ever changing world.
Funding Needed:
$950
Newport Elementary
Fill the Bookshelf
Requested by Wenona Harris
"I would use this grant to fill my bookshelf with books to accommodate all reading levels in my classroom."
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Having a classroom of diverse learners, makes it hard to provide books for all reading levels. This would not only help lower leveled readers, but the higher leveled ones too. Filling the bookshelves in my classroom with books for all levels of readers will also build confidence in my classroom of readers.
Funding Needed:
$1,000
The Writing Center
Requested by Cindy Herrera
"I believe this project will provide students the unique experience of focusing in their writing when they are stationed to be at the center. The center will have unique writing resources along with fostering collaboration among students."
This center is specially designed to give my students their own place to write! This roomy center seats up to 4 students, with plenty of tabletop space for 4 students to write or 2 students to work on computers! The 8 storage cubbies are perfect for holding paper, pencils, crayons and anything else students need to get creative. Plus, the center is adjustable in height?so supplies are only an arm?s reach away and accessible from either side! Sturdy hardwood center features an easy-clean melamine tabletop. Writing is one of the most intimidating subjects I teach. My students are English language learners and writing is the last stage of fluency to develop.
Funding Needed:
$621.19
Building Grade Level Vocabulary Skills Through Speech Therapy
Requested by Darci Todd
"Building vocabulary skills though speech-language therapy is part of the teamwork process in collaboration with teachers across grade levels to meet the districts high expectations."
Tier II vocabulary words appear frequently and are critical to comprehension across academic disciplines. They are high utility words that empower students' command of academic language. Currently, research suggests that there are insufficient resources to teach Tier II vocabulary in existing curriculum options. Evidenced-based practices suggest utilization of multi-modalities for instruction. This innovative approach would include explicit instruction of vocabulary by making semantic associations through the use of various language acquisition materials. Because Tier II vocabulary words appear across multiple academic settings, explicit instruction will impact all content areas, increasing comprehension and command of academic language. Crosby ISD seeks to achieve a district-wide climate of high expectations and professional teamwork.
Funding Needed:
$1,054.80
Making Connections with Students through Capturing Kids' Hearts
Requested by MacKenzie Paige Spencer
"Capturing Kids' Hearts is a 2-day training designed to help teacher's create classrooms where students feel connected to others in a way that allows for improved behavior management and student success."
We would like to send teachers that have not had the opportunity to attend the training previously so they have the chance to learn how to develop the self- managing, high-performing classrooms that other teachers have been able to accomplish using the techniques learned at Capturing Kids' Hearts. Techniques learned at the workshop will aid teachers in dealing with student conflict, negative behavior, and disrespect. Flip Flippen, CEO of the Flippen Group (which is responsible for creating this program) said it best when he said, "If you have a child's heart...you have their mind." We must connect with our students and they must know we care in order for their best learning to occur.
Funding Needed:
$5,000
Power Reading Online Dr. Marie Carbo
Requested by Kimberly Ingram
"This program is researched based to bring student reading levels and comprehension up by at least one school year."
All of the resource and tier 2 students I work with are one year or more behind in reading and comprehension. Studies have shown that in as little as 8 months students gained at least 15 months of reading levels and comprehension. Power Reading Online gives the students the power to choose genres and text that holds their interest level but keeps the text on the instructional level. Often students are embarrassed to get books in the library due to their reading level is not age appropriate text. This program will not only increase their reading levels but help encourage the love of reading.
Funding Needed:
$1,000
Guided Math Game Plan with Reagan Tunstall
Requested by Valerie Perry
"Guided math helps us build a student centered math program that allows us differentiate learning for each student to help them excel in math."
Reagan Tunstall will join us to demonstrate her playbook of guided math. We will get an in-depth, play-by-play guided math workshop featuring hands-on demonstrations, classroom-tested management strategies, and real-life classroom guided math. Reagan will help coach us through practical strategies to ensure we become a math MVP to our students and school. She will demonstrate warm-ups, station rotations, and get the big picture of what guided math is while at the same time having guidance in the details of each component.
Funding Needed:
$4,912.50
Read Fluently with Read Naturally
Requested by Kay Henley
"The Read Naturally fluency progress monitoring and phonics programs will help document and move forward the academic development of my dyslexic and Tier 3 students."
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This program focuses on fundamental phonics skills that are crucial building blocks in literacy development. Fluency and phonics are key features of balanced literacy. This program will meet the diverse needs of the students I work with, while meeting state dyslexia requirements, and RTI progress monitoring requirements.
Funding Needed:
$785
Engaging TEKS Are Fantastic with StoryWorks From Scholastic!
Requested by Laneka Egans
"This grant is a must have for teachers who are innovative, invested, and eager to see their students reach their full potential."
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The subscription includes a lesson plan and scope and sequence. Scholastic also completely addresses students on the bubble for meeting, approaching, or targeted to exceed expectations of the STAAR Test according to most teacher opinions and district data. StoryWorks passages are easy to navigate, colorful, current, relevant, and downright engaging. Most students willingly follow the steps as facilitated and the data we collect shows evidence of progress when used as a supplemental resource in 5th Grade reading language arts classrooms. The integration of science and social studies also supports our need to make learning relevant and connected to real word problem solving strategies. Teachers need challenging vocabulary that target higher level questioning, but also address prerequisite skills in order to attain mastery. All readiness and supporting TEKS are included through creative use of graphic organizers and well thought-out open ended comprehension connected activities.
Funding Needed:
$1,214.07
Guided Math with Reagan Tunstall Workbooks
Requested by Victoria Matthews
"The purpose of guided math is to meet the developmental needs of students as they learn math concepts throughout the year."
As teachers we are determined to meet students where they are at and guided math is a perfect resource to do just that. This resource will help students grow vertically and improve consistency in instruction by reducing procedure adjustment time between grade levels due to the utilization of the same resource. In conjunction with Guided Math Game Plan with Reagan Tunstall, we would like to use this amazing resource in our classrooms.
Funding Needed:
$5,000
Crosby Kindergarten
Let's Wiggle and Learn!
Requested by Christina Hernandez
"Our younger students are engaged with movement and technology; why not incorporate both into our everyday routine? This grant will help my students become 21st century learners."
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I currently have a variety of flexible seating options in my classroom that were funded by previous grants. However, the number of students in my classroom has grown in recent years and I am in need of additional resources to accommodate my students. I love seeing how focused and engaged students are when using these quiet, non-distracting seating options. In addition to these flexible seating resources, I am looking to expand my technology stations with more age-appropriate learning tools. These learning tools will bring interactive learning to my classroom through a variety of activities that will extend students' knowledge with shapes, numbers, letters, words, and more. Crosby ISD is great at supporting teachers to keep students comfortable and engaged in the classroom.
Funding Needed:
$505.92
Crosby Middle School
Racking Up Art
Requested by Laura Gonzalez
"Use of the drying rack helps students build upon their projects across several days or weeks."
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Because CMS has now added a 2nd art teacher, we have doubled the size of students we teach, and thus need more storage space to dry artwork. Since many projects run concurrent with each course, another drying rack is needed so that the art teachers are not having to share the current drying rack and having to move it across the school with each project. We offer extensive lessons on composition, color theory, elements and principles of art, and craftsmanship. All of these are not possible to teach in a one period class. Thus, projects are expanded across days and weeks to help students understand the value of hard work, dedication and patience. Between periods, artwork is in need of drying horizontally to allow students to apply layers and add effects.
Funding Needed:
$1,000
Catnip Mini Station -
All Aboard!
Requested by Kevin Fontenot
"Mathematicians learn and grow together. We are the conductors of all numbers and teach our students to make sense of them. Research has shown that students positively respond to visual vocabulary."
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Catnip's Word Wall(s) would allow our LEP students and all students to grasp math TEKS and utilize academic vocabulary in purposeful talk. Math centers allow a prescriptive focus that aims to produce student growth and appeal to multiple learning modalities. Last school year, one of our elementary colleagues, challenged their class to successfully complete 500,000 IXL (TEK-specific math differentiated learning program) questions. Having eight mini-iPads would allow for a rotating center of devices on our grade-level team, which would provide more frequent and consistent access to this stellar district-purchased program (IXL). We thank you for your consideration as we strive to move our students from good to great. Please join in being All Aboard!
Funding Needed:
$4,294.84
The Spirit of Crosby - Please Don't Stop the Music!
Requested by Jennifer Godoy
"We are excited for the growth of the CMS dance program and would like to add items to show it in the stands and on the contest floor."
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Our program has grown to 287 dance class students and our Dance team, the Star Steppers, is the biggest it has been in it's 13 year history, with 43 members. With the addition of our second dance teacher we are sharing music list and using technology and Apple Music from our laptops and iPads, to really enhance our classes. A new portable radio is needed for our second classroom and gym space for the dance team.
Funding Needed:
$2,215
Boomwhackers!
Requested by Jay Nelson
"Since we already have several performance-based classes at CMS, this new initiative allows for a different demographic of students to have a quality musical experience without the added pressure of after school events in front of an audience."
I have been asked to teach a new general (non-performing) music class at CMS. As there is no funding I would like to get some materials for this class. My goal is to create some fun ways to learn about music by using non-traditional instruments (buckets, boomwhackers, etc.). These materials would allow the students to learn about music fundamentals in a non-threatening way and any performing would only be done in the classroom.
Funding Needed:
$688.08
Crosby High School
Digital Art Drawing Pads
Requested by Tyra Baxter
"The drawing tablets and the abundance of tools they come with will promote growth among the students. Without them they are lacking the technology and the ability to truly learn to create digital work."
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Digital Art students are learning all about creating masterpieces using the Adobe Suite products including Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop where they will be creating their masterpieces. Instead of using traditional art materials all work is done on their Macbooks. Students need and will use daily drawing tablets that will connect to their Macbooks to create their works of art.
Funding Needed:
$2,000
Inventive Independent Reading Initiative
Requested by Stephanie Starkey
"In order to build stamina, as teachers, we would like to allow students to pick engaging texts that peak their interests."
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By having an expansive YA novel collection, students will be more likely to read a novel in its entirety. We have found that students do not engage or have difficulty selecting books in the library. As teachers, with extensive classroom libraries, selections become more customized for each student. CISD is implementing in the English classrooms self selected, sustained reading in the curriculum. With this initiative students are granted opportunities to be stimulated by their own reading choices. Overall, this will allow students to approach the EOC with not only stamina but also improves inferencing skills and reading comprehension in order to be successful meeting the required testing objectives. The grant aligns with District goals and objectives by increasing the percentage of students being successful on the EOC test.
Funding Needed:
$1,937.15
Igniting Careers
Requested by Paul Odom
"This grant will help reach the Crosby ISD district goal of students being adequately prepared to enter the workforce."
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This will be accomplished when the students are able to earn their NCCER certification which is an industry recognized certification that will allow our students to go to work. Students will have the opportunity to practice welding with the welding rods and improve their skills. In sum, the welding rods will be used to Earn Industry Recognized certification credentials from NCCER. This will allow the students to learn real world employable life skills. This also coincides with the district's objective of increasing student certifications so that they are college and career ready.
Funding Needed:
$1,000
Student Superheroes
Requested by Kristi Thompson
"With this grant, we will be able to effectively train students in the classroom to not only learn CPR, but to respond to life-threatening illnesses and other emergencies."
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Imagine how our community could benefit from over 200 high school students having in-depth, hands-on training in CPR and First Aid each school year. Sitting in our classrooms now are the future teachers and healthcare providers for our community. These students are eager to learn and willing to help others around them. As students are trained, we will see a ripple effect as they educate their peers about the importance of CPR & first aid training. Putting these skills in the hands of tomorrow's leaders will truly impact the health of our community!
Funding Needed:
$5,000
Don't Stop BeLEAFing!
Requested by Kelly Padgett
"The purpose of this garden is to give students a chance to grow plants as well as their skills and knowledge in a multitude of ways."
First, students will discover the growth process and cycle of production plants in Agriculture. They will see each stage of a plant's life, from germination to the end product of a vegetable. Second, students will learn the hands-on skills needed to create, maintain, and harvest a vegetable garden. These students will be responsible for constructing the garden shape, spreading the soil to a level depth all around, and reading planting instructions. From there, students will be responsible for watering and measuring plant growth throughout the growing periods. Finally, this year long project will teach students responsibility. It is their job to tend to the garden and learn when to water and harvest to gain the best vegetable yield.
Funding Needed:
$1,000