Amanda Miley
Writing Tablets - $2,500.00
Mrs. Miley McKinley Early Childhood Center received a grant for $2,500.00 for Writing Tablets. Each kindergarten class will have a set of LCD writing boards for student use. The boards will replace whiteboards for many writing and math activities.   Kindergarten students will love being able to see their work come to life in rainbow colors.  Students will get hands-on practice with what they are being taught. They can receive immediate feedback from the teacher and be able to correct any errors. Using the attached pens, the students will work on their fine motor skills.

Bailey Busskohl & Kelsey Popham
Regulation Remedies - $3,000.00
Mrs. Busskohl & Mrs. Popham McKinley Early Childhood Center received a grant for $3,000.00 for Regulation Remedies. The Regulation Remedies project is a thoughtfully designed initiative that combines two essential components:Social Skills Resources: A collection of books, games, and crafts aimed at teaching positive coping strategies.Sensory/Break Area: A calming space equipped with self-regulation tools where students can practice the strategies they learn.These two elements will work in harmony, students will first learn a skill through engaging activities and then apply calming techniques in the sensory/break area.

Patty McClemans & Kelli Brinka
Arrow Vision: Capture, Create Connect $5,000.00
Mrs. McClemans & Mrs. Brink High School received a grant for $5,000.00 for Arrow Vision: Capture, Create, Connect. This project will enhance our district curriculum by providing students with authentic, hands-on learning in digital media while supporting our mission of Empowering All Students to Succeed in an Ever-Changing World. Through multimedia platforms, students will learn the fundamentals of media production, develop original projects, and apply creative and technical skills that are highly relevant in today’s digital society. As students engage in green screen production, video editing, public service announcements, and school broadcasts, they will build critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities. These experiences will allow students to apply academic skills in meaningful ways while exploring future careers in media, communications, and technology. This course will provide opportunities in an evolving field of media production and will help students gain confidence and real-world experience as they prepare for success beyond high school.

Cristina Brandsrud & Nichole Smith
Every Child Thrives - $1,600.00
Mrs. Brandsrud & Mrs. Smith Jefferson Elementary received a grant for $1,600.00 titled Every Child Thrives. This project combines academic support with social-emotional learning (SEL) to help students succeed in all areas. It uses hands-on activities, technology, and flexible learning spaces to keep students engaged and meet their unique needs. By incorporating movement, and interactive tools, it supports different learning styles while creating a positive, focused environment. The impact is immediate-students get the support they need to improve focus, participation, and confidence. Teachers also gain useful strategies to better support diverse learners. By blending academic and emotional support in a creative way, this project helps every child thrive in school and beyond

Chrissy Hakeman, Jessie Jans, Ronda Kvigne
El Restaurante - $2,000.00

Mrs. Hakeman, Mrs. Jans,& Mrs. Kvigne received a grant for $2,000.00 titled El Restaurante. A Spanish class going out to a restaurant would be a great opportunity for students to practice their Spanish in a real-life setting, by ordering food, asking questions to the waiter/waitress, and discussing their meal with classmates, all while using vocabulary related to food, drinks, and dining etiquette in Spanish. Students learning a second language often are reluctant to speak, fearing he/she will make a mistake. Students are allowed to fall back on English, the first language because everyone speaks this language. An outing in a Spanish Speaking atmosphere will enhance comprehension and fluency.  Students will learn and practice restaurant vocabulary along with restaurant manners in which to use in a real-life setting. This project provides a highly immersive and practical learning experience, allowing students to directly apply their language skills in a real-world situation.

Jamie Schlaht
Playground Upgrade - $1,000.00
Mrs. Schlaht Intermediate School received a grant titled Playground Upgrade for $1,000.00. It is a well known fact that recess benefits children in many ways. Some children prefer to use that time participating in a physical activity, however many children prefer to use that time to relax and reset. Giving these children the space to utilize their recess time in a way that best benefits them and their needs will in turn provide positive reinforcements in the classroom. We have many students that like to bring books outside, their drawing sketch books and markers or would just like a place to sit and chat with their friends.  There is an area on the playground that would be perfect for these tables so students have a place to do their preferred recess activity.

Katelyn Tschetter
A Little Spot of Difference - $700.00
Mrs. Tschetter Melette Elementary received a grant for $700.00 titled A Little Spot of Difference. Students in the Learning Center often come unable to identify their emotions. Moreover, it is difficult for them to regulate their emotions when escalating or feeling big emotions. With these books, students can obtain guidance on how to regulate and identify their feelings.

Mayce Kahnke
Wiggle Wobble Chair Feet - $850.00
Mrs. Kahnke Mellette Elementary received a grant for $850.00 title Wiggle Wobble Chair Feet. The Wiggle Wobble Chair Feet are intended to increase student focus.  It is proven that physical movement increases blood flow to the brain, which in turn will significantly enhance the ability to concentrate on specific stimuli while ignoring distractions.  The constant motion will better assist fidgety kids to expel energy while seated, which will reduce stress and increase time on task.

Quinn Merriam
Increasing Diversity - $1,000.00
Mrs. Merriam Mellette Elementary received a grant for $1,000.00 titled Increasing Diversity in Our Classroom Libraries. Students are excited to discuss books about their culture,  additionally, parents discuss their culture with me at conferences, and how they want their children to learn it also. Research on reading has shown that engagement is key to young readers developing fundamental skills used while reading. Engagement is increased by students finding books they can relate to and can connect to.  A current author-S.D. Nelson has created numerous picture books that represent Oceti Sakowin culture (Sioux) - and he is a member of the Standing Rock Tribe. Native Americans make up a large portion of our school demographics, these books will a great addition to our classroom libraries. 

Sierra Vanderzee
Counting on Success - $2,000.00
Mrs. Vanderzee Melette Elementary received a grant for $2,000.00 titled Counting on Success with Ten Frame White Boards. Ten Frames provide an opportunity for visual learning. They also help students to manipulate numbers and see their work. Ten Frames support number sense and place value understanding. This will help students practice addition and subtraction by organizing numbers, promoting strategic thinking, and building fluency with math facts within 20, which is a major first grade standard.  Ten Frames support our new math curriculum with heavy focus on manipulatives to support student learning

Shana Stone, Erica Paulson & Jessica Knight
CPR in Schools- $3,000.00
Mrs. Stone RN, Mrs. Paulson & Mrs. Knight Middle School received a grant for $3,000.00 titled CPR in Schools. The course utilizes modern teaching methods like virtual reality simulations to create engaging and realistic learning experiences, making it more accessible and effective than traditional training methods. The kit is easy to use and designed so that teachers, nurses, coaches or other staff can use it to teach CPR, AED use, and basic first aid.
The course is fully bilingual (English/Spanish) and is the most up to date course for schools.  Teaching CPR to students significantly impacts their learning by fostering a sense of responsibility towards others. It builds confidence in emergency situations, teaches lifesaving skills and promotes awareness about personal health and safety. Learning CPR and First Aid empowers students to potentially save lives!

Amber Thomas & Chelsea Brink
Engagement Station - $1,500.00
Mrs. Thomas & Mrs. Brink High School received a grant for $1,500.00 titled Engagement Station. This project aims to provide teachers with resources and materials to make lessons more engaging in the classroom for the students. Research shows that whenever students interact with engaging materials, they retain the information better which also helps them grasp complex concepts. There are six benefits of using engaging materials in the classroom: improved academic performance, increased retention and understanding, higher motivation and interest, reduced disruptive behavior, better emotional and social development, and long-term educational success. One of our professional development opportunities this year involved making a classroom more interactive.