Hermiston Education Foundation hands out $15,000 in grants
By Jennifer Colton, Hermiston Herald.
Republished with permission. This article was originally published November 11, 2011 by the Hermiston Herald.
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| Rocky Heights teacher Stefani Wyant shows off a video a student made using an iPad application. The Hermiston Education Foundation awarded a number of grants to elementary teachers to bring additional iPads and iPod Touch devices into the classroom. Photo by Jennifer Colton |
The Hermiston Education Foundation announced more than $15,000 in grants for local teachers on Wednesday night.
The Foundation announced its 2011 fall grant recipients during a reception at Armand Larive, including classroom technology, frog dissection materials and books for a volunteer program.
Fourteen projects were funded, and for the first time, the organization was able to offer three $2,000 grants. One of those grants will purchase graphing calculators at Hermiston High School, and the other will bring children’s author Derek Munson into the district for a full-day visit at each of the district’s elementary schools.
“We are working with the Hermiston Education Foundation, all five elementary schools and parent groups from four of the five elementary schools so this $4,000 program might only cost us $400,” Michelle Jensen, Desert View counselor, said.
The final $2,000 grant was awarded to Kim Walker’s “Xylo-fun” project to replace the marching band’s battered xylophone, which she brought to the reception.
“This is one of the instruments we take with us for marching band so it is pushed over fields, it’s outside, it’s in the rain, and being a percussion instrument, you have to beat on it. That’s how it makes its sound,” Walker said.
Walker also invited two students, Aracely Chavez and Isaac Rodriguez, both sophomores, to demonstrate on the old xylophone.
After the demonstration, Sherman said HEF was able to provide larger grants this year because of the amount of money received through its annual fundraiser .
“One of the reasons that we have been able to give the amount we gave in the grants was that we had a very successful ‘Beef and Beach’ in February,” Sherman said. “We’re going to do that again.”
The next Beef and Beach is scheduled for Feb. 11, 2012. The fundraiser includes all-you-can eat crab, beef kabobs and side dishes. Tickets are $30 and will be available at the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce and the Hermiston School District office.
For more information on the HEF and its grants, visit www.hermistoneducationfoundation.org.