The Santa Barbara County Office of Education recently awarded grants for classroom projects to a handful of Santa Maria-Bonita School District teachers, the district announced in its monthly newsletter. The grants, which range from $500 to $1,000, will help teachers develop philanthropic, research, and learning projects for their students.
• At Ontiveros Elementary School, students in Linda Corely’s fifth grade class will use the grant money for a persuasive essay writing contest to encourage their classmates to support a cause, such as the Food Bank, Sierra Club, or Heifer International. Afterward, the students will vote on whether or not they were persuaded to get involved, and the class will put one if its plans into action.
• “Teacher On Special Assignment” Michael Muscio, who works with Migrant Program extended day teachers at eight schools, received three grants to plant oak trees in Santa Maria and rainforest trees in Brazil. Muscio’s students have already planted 200 trees at the city’s Los Flores Nature Preserve, and they are planning to raise money to aid reforestation in the Amazon.
• Students in Mary Cullen’s fourth grade class at Bruce Elementary School have become experts in their future careers thanks to a grant. Each student extensively researched a career, wrote about his or her chosen profession, and then presented it to classmates.
• Lastly, fifth and sixth graders in Adam Elementary School’s K Kids club will take Saturday classes on pet ownership and responsibility at the Santa Maria Animal Shelter. They’ll learn about animal safety and care, watch videos about pet over-population, and learn how to make treats for dogs. The K Kids will give a presentation to the school after finishing the classes.
This article appears in Mar 18-25, 2010.