Valencia High School world languages teacher Jennifer Thompson said she used her own money to purchase Spanish-language books for her students to aid in language instruction.
In her second year at Valencia, Thompson said she was at a Title I school before where many students were not literate and only spoke Spanish, so she found a set of books that would help those students with their reading skills.
On Tuesday at the William S. Hart Union High School District administrative office, Thompson received two sets of books from the Santa Clarita Valley Education Foundation for her students as part of the foundation’s annual grant program.
“Last year was the first year I did this with the set that I bought with my own money,” Thompson said, “and some of the kids said, ‘This is the first time I’ve ever read a high school book and enjoyed it.’ … I’m so excited to have books and now have more variety.”
Thompson was one of 10 teachers from SCV schools who received classroom materials as part of the foundation’s grant program, with this year’s batch having a combined value of about $11,500. The foundation has been awarding grants for 25 years and has now invested nearly $600,000 in the program, according to Joe Satorhelyi, executive director of the program.
The grants ranged from learning materials for kindergarten students to computers to help junior high and high school students develop media skills.
The full list of grants received were as follows:
- Emily Carpenter, North Park Elementary: Secret Stories, a set of 13 items for increasing proficiency in phonics and phonemic awareness.
- Teresa Parks, Meadows Elementary: Felt Board Stories, a set of felt board items and kits to support kinesthetic narratives for both special day and general education kindergarten students.
- Emily Terry, Pico Canyon Elementary: Studio items in support of the Pico Canyon after-school video club/news station, including a green screen, lighting kit, tripod, iPad, MacBook Pro, and lavalier microphones.
- Sarah Sumplolec, Castaic High School: A Dell computer and monitor to design and print The Daily Howl, the student newspaper.
- Kevin Fulleman, Arroyo Seco Junior High: Reyes Vihuela and Reyes Guitaron instruments with requested strings and accessories for a new mariachi program.
- Jessica Thompson, Valencia High School: Two class sets (36) of “Esmeralda, La Tortuguita Marina” and “Agentes Secretos y el Mural de Picasso” to aid in language instruction.
- Kristi Schertz, Marissa Hyke, and Erica Hardbarger, Saugus High School: Huntington’s Disease mini-lab and “What’s in a Trunk? An Ivory Elephant Expedition Lab” kits to teach biotechnology.
- Sarah Romero, Old Orchard Elementary: Folklorico dresses and skirts in support of an elementary-level folklorico program.
- Marisol Holcomb, Highlands Elementary: Seven Breakout EDU kits in support of game-based learning.
- McKinna Withers, Rosedell Elementary: Four touchscreen Chromebooks for kindergarten special needs students with fine motor challenges.
According to Satorhelyi, the grant process started in June when applications were submitted, followed by a committee reviewing those to determine which to fund.
Jim Backer, president of the SCV Education Foundation board of directors, thanked the teachers in attendance on Tuesday for the creative ways that they are seeking to teach.
“Thank you for submitting these outstanding grants and for all the energy you put into them and the creativity and imagination you’re using to get your kids to learn more, to find learning more important,” Backer said.
