Assistance League of Temecula Valley runs the program to help educators

Twenty Murrieta Valley Unified School District teachers applied for Assistance League of Temecula Valley’s teacher grants for enrichment programs for their classrooms that could not be funded by the school district. A total of $8,405 grants were awarded.
Teachers received their grant money in the fall and have started implementing their proposals. At an awards reception on Wednesday, January 30, at the MVUSD district office, hosted by Mary Walters, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Connie Harris, Assistance League Scholarship/Grant Chairman, handed out Certificates of Appreciation to the teachers. Chapter President Denise Lanier, Grant Committee members Dorcas Shaktman, Joleen Buxbaum, Joan Price and Electra Demos also attended. Shaktman gave background information about Assistant League’s scholarship and teacher grant programs. She explained the grant selection process and told the teachers how impressed she ad the committee were with their proposals.
Teachers had the opportunity to describe their particular enrichment plan. Individual grants ranged from $120 to $500. Winning proposals included purchasing materials for a sensory center to increase learning for Special Education preschoolers, materials to increase social/emotional learning in middle school and materials for a new journalism class which publishes a student run newspaper.
The 20 winning teachers and their projects are:
Kimberly Arnold, Special Education, Pre-school SDC Class, Alta Elementary School:
Purchase materials for a Sensory Center within the classroom to increase learning for Special Education preschoolers who require sensory breaks throughout the day in order to assist them with learning.
Brandon Baily, 9-12, French, Murrieta Mesa High School:
BackJack chairs to increase kinesthetic learning in an in-depth way by providing comfortable seating.
Steve Basin, Grade 5, Antelope Hills Elementary School:
LEGO brick software materials and projects for Science using hands on materials.
Veronica Carney, and the first grade team, Tovashal Elementary School:
25 books by Julia Cook that address social skills that the students are learning.
Penny Chidester, Dance PE, Grades 9-12, Murrieta Mesa High School:
Pipe and drape room divider to increase space and numbers of students who can participate in Dance PE.
Angela Clay, Eighth grade Language Arts, Thompson Middle School:
Materials to increase Social/Emotional Learning in middle school
Grace Gamble, First Grade, Rail Ranch Elementary School:
Board games for the classroom to increase social, learning , listening, and attention skills.
Melissa Hacker, School Counselor, Grades TK-5^th, Cole Canyon and Alta Murrieta Elementary Schools:
Supplies, including journals, markers, pens, crayons, social/emotional books, and guidance.
Daniel Hoekstra, Seventh grade Language Arts and Social Studies, Thompson Middle School:
Purchase a monthly subscription to study.com to provide supplemental videos and curriculum, to increase language skills.
Melissa Juan, Special Education, SDC Class K-2, E. Hale Curran Elementary School:
Purchase for the SDC Class “The Learning Carpet” for use as Multi-modal approach for learning.
Ashley Kruger, School Counselor, grades TK-5, E. Hale Curran Elementary School:
Provide one “calm down” kit for every classroom in the school to create a place where students can use various sensory materials when they are under stress and experience anxiety.
Susan Lyrla, AVID, Grades 6-8, Thompson Middle School:
Office supplies which parents cannot provide, including binders, notepaper, and sheet protectors to help students with organizational skills, a main goal of AVID.
Tami McKillop, Adaptive PE, grades TK-5^th, Antelope Hills Elementary School:
Indoor Basketball Hoop Shooting Arcade Style Game (accessible to students in wheel chairs), to be used as sensory breaks for special needs, autistic, and other students who have special equipment or need a break. This Game addresses PE standards for gross motor skills, strength, etc., and addresses IEP Goals.
Megan Martinez, Math, grade 7, Thompson Middle School:
“Flocabulary” Songs and weekly videos subscription – which mixes music and math, increases vocabulary, and helps students master content.
Lauren Mayfield, English, Grade 10 and Reading Intervention, Special Education, English Learners, Intervention Students, Vista Murrieta High School:
A class set of 9 diverse novels that will be chosen with student input and used in small groups to read, enjoy, study, and analyze.
Markela Parsons, English, Grades 10 and 11, Vista Murrieta High School:
“Literacy in Action, Social Equity Unit” to build in-depth analysis of texts with in class reading, Book Talks, and Book Clubs. These activities will increase student reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
Dana Rice, Computer Science, grades 9-12, Murrieta Valley and Murrieta Canyon High Schools:
Purchase start up materials for new computer class, “Exploring Computer Science” which teaches creative, collaborative, and problem-solving skills that involve kinesthetic learning prior to the use of a computer.
Jennifer Rizzo, 8^th Grade US History, Thompson Middle School:
Purchase books for US History Class that appeal to middle school students. Small group instruction and taking Cornell Notes will help students learn about history in an interesting, exciting way.
Chris Scolinos, Fourth grade, Alta Murrieta Elementary School:
Purchase materials to increase Math and Science Learning, such as measuring tools, meters, etc. The goal is to offer students varied measuring tools to complete multi-step, hands-on real-world measuring tasks.
Loretta Scott, Journalism, Grades 9-12, Murrieta Canyon Academy:
Materials for new Journalism class that publishes a student run newspaper, The Phoenix Press. Materials purchased include a newspaper format template service, printing of the newspaper, and purchase of a scanner (to scan photos, student art, etc.).

     Assistance League Thrift Shop, 28720 Via Montezuma, Temecula, is the main source of revenue for all chapter programs. Assistance League of Temecula Valley is a non-profit, all volunteer philanthropic 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to serving the needs of families in Southwest Riverside County for the last 29 years. For more information about philanthropic programs or membership information, call 951.694.8018 or visit the chapter website at www.assistanceleague.org/temecula-valley/

Photo Caption: Grant recipients, district administrators and Assistance League representatives gather for a group photo after the presentations.