Teacher Grants

2011 Fall Great Ideas Grant Winners

Aspen Grant Winners

Tiger Tech Club

$1000

Stacy Martins

Tiger Tech Club will be a new technology club offered to 4th through 6th grade at Aspen Elementary. The mission of the Tiger Club is to explore new technologies to support the school and our community. The club will introduce members to existing audio and video recording equipment to new computer editing software. The $1000 will be used to purchase Apple's Logic Studio and Final Cut software. This club, which will impact at least 15 students at initially, will be a service to the school and community by making community service announcements. This audiovisual club could be replicated at others schools, as broad technology skills are essential in our 21st century world.

Journey to Health

$262

Brittney Newman, Diana Koeth, & Jan White

Journey to Health is an initiative to implement hands-on materials into Aspen Elementary's second-grade science curriculum. The program is based on the body's systems, organs, and the nutrients required to maintain health. The materials, including assessments, were designed with New Mexico state standards in mind. Each child will receive their own hands-on kit of materials, which will expand on the lessons received in class.

San Ildefonso Feast Day Field Trip for Aspen First Graders

$150

Sharon Allen

Sharon Allen's first grade class will embark on a cultural journey in late January 2012 to the San Ildefonso Pueblo Feast Day. The students will learn about the traditions and celebrations of local Native Americans. A student in the class from San Ildefonso will also be performing traditional dances during the feast day; his family will be sharing food and stories with the class after the dancing. After the field trip, armed with knowledge, the students will demonstrate what they learned by completing a creative project.

Chamisa Grant Winners

Spread the Word: All Kids Can!

$840

Jennifer Kieltyka

The Chamisa Elementary living skills class and 6th grade leadership team will encourage diversity and friendship in their school. The students plan to begin a mentoring lunch program and open a school store that will help them include more students from the special education program. The initiative emphasizes respectful and kind behavior, language, and promotes leadership skills in students about to transition to middle school. Students and teachers will work together on activities such as assemblies, a poster contest, and a planning a final social event. The new school store plans to be profitable after the first year.

Spectacular Cellular Science

$150

Valerie Adams

Chamisa Elementary science students will get to have the benefit of using new science materials. Valerie Adams' 5th grade classroom will be receiving microscopes that will augment their lessons in chemistry, physics, and biology. While the initial project will be with one 5th grade classroom, the school hopes to eventually use the microscope in different classes in order for all students to benefit.

Mountain Grant Winners

Creating a 21st Century Media Center

$100

Marilyn Branton

LAPSF will aid Mountain Elementary's technology department in updating their equipment with a new set 25 pairs of headphones to be used by the entire school when using computers. (use survey monkey comment about headphones?). Headphones can eliminate many of the distractions present in larger classrooms and audio can help engage a child in a learning program.

Lights, Camera...Education!

$900

Kimberly Clayton

Mountain Elementary students will become photojournalists starting in 2012 with the addition of digital cameras to their classrooms. 3rd to 6th grade students will create slideshows, powerpoint presentations, science reports, and art projects with Canon cameras based on new lesson plans from excited Mountain teachers. The incorporation of technology into the classroom is an important part of a shift in education; mastering the sometimes complex menus, settings, and effects possible in digital photography will benefit students into their adult lives.

Pinon Grant Winner

Dale Chihuly Glass School-Wide Unit Pinon Elementary

$1000

Stephanie Rittner

In this avant-garde project, art teacher Stephanie Ritter was inspired by renowned glass blower, Chihuly. 4th, 5th, and 6th, grade students at Pinon Elementary will be watching a video on the art of Dale Chihuly, learning about the effect of light and color in 3-dimensional forms, and building a group installation of sculpture. Instead of blowing glass, the students will be making their shapes with aluminum wire and clear polyester film and will participate in a discussion and critique of the installation and its pieces. The installation will be featured in the Pinon lobby in Spring 2012.

LAMS/LAHS Grant Winner

Music Theory in the Digital Age

$1000

Greg Henderson

Greg Henderson's music students learn best when they have individualized attention. While they must practice together in order to hear the whole sound of a piece, music-instruction software has been shown by Henderson to be especially beneficial to his students. The use of this software decreases interruptions and increases productivity; modern students are especially interested in computers. Los Alamos Middle School band, choir, and orchestra students' music talents will benefit from this software

LAHS Grant Winner

Microscope Cleaning and Repair

$1000

Barbara Musgrave

In a pragmatic and valuable plan, Los Alamos High School science teacher Barbara Musgrave is going to have the school's microscopes cleaned and repaired. Microscopes are necessary in classes like biology, geology, anatomy, and physics, but 75% of the classroom microscopes need maintenance. Musgrave contacted other schools, who recommended a reliable service team who will arrive early next semester to fix the microscopes. As many as 500 students will benefit from the measure.

2011 Fall Great Ideas Grant Winners

2011 Spring Great Ideas Grant Winners

2010 Fall Great Ideas Grant Winners

2010 Teacher Grant Winners

2009 Teacher Grant Award Winners

2008 Teacher Grant Award Winners