Teachers Squeeze "Limeades For Learning" for Grant Money
Supporters of New Caney ISD helped fund about $8000 in teachers’ projects through Sonic Drive-in’s “Limeades for Learning.” Customers who bought a drink at Sonic in September had the option of voting online for specific teachers to win grants as part of the restaurant chain's campaign to help public school teachers inspire their students to learn. Sonic, in partnership with Donors Choose, awarded $543,805 nationwide to 1,279 schools over the five week campaign.
16 projects totaling $7,840.36 in New Caney ISD, all at Sorters Mill Elementary, were granted. Brenda Dockens was awarded materials totaling just under $2500 for five projects. One of her proposals was to help recreate the first Thanksgiving for her students. She wrote in a thank you letter to Sonic, “My Pre-K students are going to be excited beyond belief when they see an 8 foot teepee that they can go inside and imagine that they are Indians at the first Thanksgiving. How exciting that you have helped me to create such wonderful experiences for my students that they would not have otherwise.”
Shannon Chance’s music class was granted 10 tambourines, 10 woodblocks, and 10 hand drums at a cost of more than $486. In Chance’s proposal, she had written that because of budget restrictions, she had bought many of the instruments that were currently in her classroom. Another teacher was awarded an incubator and egg turner to demonstrate to students the life cycle of a chicken, while another received a wireless netbook to create animated math lesson plans that resemble video games. Dictionaries, puzzles, magazine subscriptions, and ipods were also awarded to teachers through the program.
“These teachers truly amaze me!” said Sorters Mill Elementary Principal Trish Musick. She said 5th grade math teacher Kimberly Palmer was the motivating factor for other teachers to get involved. Once Palmer won approval for her first project, everyone got busy trying to secure the needed materials that the budget couldn’t afford. Palmer went on to secure two more grants, for a total of $1440 in projects.
Musick said they did plenty to get the word out through the social networking site Facebook and their churches. They also took advantage of good old fashioned face-to-face interaction with Sonic customers on Tuesday evenings during half-price burger night. She said the Sonics in Porter, New Caney, and Kingwood were huge supporters in the effort as well. Individual donors could also send money to the teachers’ projects through donorschoose.org. That helped secure some of the more expensive items.
Musick is ecstatic and can’t praise her teachers enough. “They are completely dedicated to helping kids be successful learners. I am so incredibly proud of their attitude and willingness to go that extra mile!”
Donations for six remaining teachers’ proposals from New Caney ISD are still being accepted at donorschoose.org.
