Teachers receive thousands in grants
Mar. 9—The Caldwell County Education Foundation awarded a total of $444,500 in grants to eight teachers to help purchase supplies for scientific, geographic, historic, physical and musical learning.
Moira Brookshire, a physical education teacher at Hudson Elementary School, received a grant for $2,000. She has invested in a program called Drumfit, which will allow students to play the drums along with music and learn routines to various songs. Moving along with the music gives students the physical exercise they need, she said. She plans on sharing the grant money with other elementary schools in Caldwell County.
"Every student in Caldwell County will be able to participate in Drumfit," she said.
David Brotherson, a science teacher at Hudson Middle School, received $1,900 to purchase new virtual reality headsets that will allow students to virtually travel to different countries.
Chad Davis of Gateway School received $1,500 to purchase supplies for a gardening club, where he intends to teach students about the connection between plants and humans. He thinks this will help create a sense of belonging at the school.
At West Lenoir Elementary School, STEM teacher Torie Hicks received a grant of $1,800 to help buy robots for her students, who will make mazes for the bots to navigate. Hicks said it will improve students' coding and critical thinking skills.
"I'm excited to allow them to keep growing," she said.
Carla Ingram, a world history teacher at South Caldwell High School, received a grant of $1,383.13 to purchase an atlas, supplemental books for students and lesson plans she can use in her geography class.
Matt Ingram, another history teacher at South Caldwell High School, received $550 to purchase replicas and posters from the 1900s to help his students visualize that era in history. He also hopes to purchase a variety of other artifacts, including radios from the 1950s, 8-track cassettes and a trunk from the 1800s.
Kami Sanderlin, a second-grade teacher at Horizons Elementary School, received $2,000 to purchase outdoor instruments for the Horizons playground. Students will be able to use them to learn about sound in science class and about pitch and volume in music class. Sanderlin said she wants to "get kids to be musically active on the playground."
Mary Katherine Taylor, the music teacher at Gamewell Elementary School, received $1,802 and plans to purchase approximately 30 sets of drums and drumsticks to help teach students about rhythm. Taylor will start with fourth-graders and eventually expand the program to the rest of the school. After students have learned how to play the drums, a performance will be recorded and published online to share with the community. She says all the grant money being put toward music is inspiring to see.
"It really speaks to the power of music," she said.
