The Grant Patrol: Members of the Goin’ Gold Band, Cheerleaders, MPISD Foundation Board, and, of course, Mascot Grrr, at the end of a long morning of handing out grants to MPISD teachers.
Fowler Dougherty: Vivian Fowler Elementary School teacher Jana Dougherty celebrates receiving her grant with her students, Becca Bell, Foundation VP for Programs, and The Grrr.
Corprew Barnett: Emily Barnett at Corprew Elementary receives her grant from Foundation member Suzie Castillo and The Grrr.
Wallace Schultz: Wallace teacher Tonya Schultz and her students are excited to receive a grant from Foundation Board member Sandy Bible.
Sims Owens: Annie Sims teacher Windey Owens and her students celebrate receiving her grant from Foundation VP for Finance/Governance Vikki Goates and The Grrr.
Wallace Rider: Wallace Middle School Principal Nathan Rider receives a grant for archery equipment from MPISD Superintendent Judd Marshall and The Grrr.
Contact: Judi Saxton
MPISD Foundation Awards Educator Grants
By 8:15 am on Wednesday, October 30, everyone was on the bus: members of the MPHS band, cheerleaders, “Grrr” the Tiger mascot and members of the Board of the MPISD Foundation. They were off to award $33,236.28 in Educator Grants to 36 teachers on seven Mount Pleasant ISD campuses: Annie Sims Elementary School, E.C. Brice Elementary School, Frances Corprew Elementary School, Vivian Fowler Elementary School, P.E. Wallace Middle School, Mount Pleasant Junior High School, and Mount Pleasant High School.
Grant recipients and their funded projects are:
Annie Sims Elementary School: Windey Owens to purchase chapter books for her 3rd-grade classroom.
E.C. Brice Elementary School: Sandra Cortez to purchase books for her dual language classroom library; Maria Flores to buy books for her classroom library; Carmelita Perez to buy Spanish books for her dual language classroom; and Jennifer Walker to purchase dictionaries for her class.
Frances Corprew Elementary School’s Assistant Principal Jay Silman is purchasing nine guitars for students to learn the basics of a guitar during Genius Hour. Gifted and Talented teacher Jamie King to buy three Lego Mindstorm Robot Sets to be able to participate at the Region 8 Area competition. Amanda Phillips to purchase games and activity supplies to utilize in math class. Emily Barnett to purchase six wearable communication devices to be used by non-verbal students to assist with communication; and Karen Crooks to expand the existent rock climbing wall and to buy additional mats.
Vivian Fowler Elementary School’s Maribel Castillo is purchasing books for her classroom library and Jana Dougherty to buy books for her classroom library.
P.E. Wallace Middle School’s Abdiel Luzunaris to purchase modified tennis courts, rackets and tennis balls to introduce the sport of tennis to the school. Janet Losey to buy MP3 players, tablets, and Chromebooks to assist students with reading. Deyanira Torres to purchase Breakout EDU kits and platforms to bring escape rooms into the reading classrooms. Leslie Amerson to buy flexible seating and technology for research. Karen Sisk to purchase flexible seating, Elda Hernandez, to buy flexible seating and technology for research, Jamie Carr, to purchase books for her classroom library. Magdalena Martinez to purchase an iPad and science supplies, Tonya Schultz to buy books and flexible seating, Dana Armstrong to buy flexible seating and books, Olga de la Torre Guzman to purchase science lab materials. Sonia Sanchez to purchase flexible seating; Tammy Davis to purchase math games and manipulatives, and Audrey Gillean to buy LCD writing tablets to practice math skills. Arely Nava to purchase flexible seating and materials for Dual Language Science, Kristina Powell, to purchase materials to enrich the hands-on learning experience. Principal Nathan Rider to purchase archery items to expand the archery program; Tara Flores to purchase EV3s Lego Mindstorm robotics kits; and Assistant Principal Tommy Ray to purchase chess mats and a large outdoor chess set.
Mount Pleasant Junior High School: Tina Terrell to purchase iPads; Lynn Lovell to purchase a PC; and Jack Jones to purchase an EV3s Lego Mindstorm robotics kit.
Mount Pleasant High School’s Jessie McDowell is purchasing a Graphics tablet, microphone kit, and other materials to be used for computer animation and Robert Taylor to purchase a new projector for the classroom.
“We are so thankful to the MPISD Foundation for again presenting grants to our staff members,” said MPISD Superintendent of Schools Judd Marshall. “These funds will allow our teachers to do things that will benefit our students that would not be possible without Foundation assistance as they fall outside the budgets for our campuses. These supplemental funds will help us enrich the learning experiences of our students. I am also very thankful to all our employees and community members who have donated to the Foundation. Without them, these grants would not be possible.”
“It is always exciting to surprise the grant writers on grant awards day,” said Mariela Crockett, MPISD Foundation Director. “The Foundation has awarded over $263,000 in grants to MPISD teachers and administrators in our five years of operation. We could not have been able to accomplish so much without the support from MPISD staff members and the Mount Pleasant community.”
Anyone interested in donating funds to the MPISD Foundation should contact Crockett at 903-575-2000.
Front row L to R: Lorena Ponce, Sidney Beles, Jeffery Bond
Back row L to R: Hope Powell, Peyton Quaid, Angel Garcia, Linzy Walker
Contact: Kelly Cowan
MPJH students selected for All-Region Choir
Seven Mount Pleasant Junior High School choir students have earned places in the Junior High All-Region Choir. Sulphur Springs Middle School held the auditions on Saturday, October 26. To obtain a place in the choir, each singer learned three selections and sung parts of each in a blind audition.
Those selected include eighth-graders Sidney Beles (Soprano 1), Hope Powell (Alto), Lorena Ponce (Alto), and Peyton Quaid (Tenor). Seventh-grade choir members selected were Jeffery Bond (Soprano 1), Linzy Walker (Soprano 2), and Angel Garcia (Tenor). Powell earned 1st chair honors, meaning the judges deemed her the best overall Alto they heard that day.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the choir students at MPJH,” said Junior High Choir Director, Joshua Miles. “Their hard work, dedication, and efforts at after-school rehearsals have paid off. I can’t wait to see everything else they accomplish this year and the years to come.”
The students will participate in the All-Region Choir clinic on Saturday, November 9, at Mount Pleasant High School and perform at the concert that evening at 5:00 pm in the High School auditorium.