Tomball Education Foundation Awards Over $62,000 in Grants to TISD Educators

TOMBALL – The Tomball Education Foundation awarded 22 grants to Tomball ISD educators across 13 different campuses, totaling $62,009.09 to be used on innovative projects they submitted through the grant process. 

The Tomball Education Foundation provides funds for educational projects and activities that are beyond traditional funding. Funds are used to facilitate student achievement and skill development, recognize and encourage staff excellence, and expand community involvement from individuals, businesses and civic organizations.

Since 2018, TEF has awarded over $210,000 in grants to employees of Tomball ISD. 

Congratulations to the 2021-2022 Grant Recipients: 

INTERACTIVE COMPUTER SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

Tomball High School & Tomball Memorial High School

Aaron Guidry

David Monroe

 

 

The Interactive Computer Science Technology Enrichment Program is designed to allow our students to exhibit the software that they write in new ways. By purchasing Raspberry Pi?s that can control Arcade Cabinets, we can have the student body experience computer science and gain interest in this field, while providing feedback about the two dimensional interactive games our students create. By funding virtual reality headsets, we can have our upper level computer science students create 3D environments and get practice with critical skills in head and hand tracking for real-time stories, applications, and games. This grant would take our computer science program to the next level by incorporating interactive experiences that are educational, fun, and amazing while preparing our students for their future studies and careers.

 

CRITICAL THINKING CAMPUS-WIDE INTERVENTION

Tomball Star Academy

Elicia Moody

 

 

The goal of this innovative intervention is to simultaneously improve analytical and logical reasoning skills, reinforce numeracy, and boost attitudes toward math and problem-solving through KenKen puzzles. Getting our students to play with numbers also builds their math-confidence! The innovation is to implement a school-wide competition for which homeroom can complete the most (and the most difficult) KenKen puzzles each 9 weeks. All students (and teachers) will be taught how to solve the puzzles, then their reasoning and numeracy will improve as they gain experience and "level up!" Puzzles will also be available as class warm ups or post-test desk activities in all classrooms.

 

IMPROVING RELEVANCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Tomball Star Academy

Science Team

Marissa Logrono

Timothy Cifelli

Mitchell Cate

Karen Smiddy

 

 

As a science team, we would like to implement the use of Oculus Virtual Reality Experiences to allow students to make deeper and more relevant connections to science content. Virtual reality gives us the unique ability to bring science models to life, making them more interactive for students to practice a higher level of evaluative and predictive scientific questioning. The ability to ask and answer questions is the basic definition of science and we want to inspire students to see that they too can seek out the answers to their own questions. Oculus will allow us to take students through experiments that would otherwise be unsafe and let them manipulate variables that we couldn't otherwise control at this level.

 

 

READ WITH THE STARS SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

Tomball Star Academy

Kelly Riley

 

 

Instead of just talking about the importance of community service, this grant will make it possible for our students to put action behind their words. High school students will participate in a service learning project to benefit an elementary school in our district. Books, manipulatives, and a QR code attached to a video reading will be bundled in a box to allow younger students to develop a love for reading while boosting their skills. Meanwhile, my students are practicing their speaking skills and earning a service learning endorsement through our community college.

 

AUDIO/VISUAL EQUIPMENT FOR PODCASTS & LIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tomball Star Academy

ELA Team

Maggie Torres

Lauren Henson

Kelly Stahmer

Kelly Riley

 

 

This grant will provide our students with the opportunity to master core objectives by way of project based learning in English Language Arts. With use of the audio/visual equipment provided by the Education Foundation, our students will encourage a positive culture through shared experience.

 

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING LAUNCHPAD

Tomball Star Academy

Karen Smiddy

 

 

Enrich personalized learning in the science classroom with new options for student choice and dedicated classroom workspace and resources for project-based learning. Provide opportunities for students to engage in higher-level thinking by exploring authentic science questions, brainstorming and prototyping solutions, and showcasing their work for the community. The grant provides an opportunity to build a collaborative culture with students, teachers, community experts, parents and volunteers working together for student success.

 

 

ENGINEERS DESIGNING WITH 3DOODLERS: MAGIC AT THEIR FINGERTIP

Tomball Junior High & Tomball High School

Regina Garceau

 

 

Imagine students using technology to create bridges or buildings or even some of the fastest airplanes that they could dream up. If students can dream it, they can create it with 3Doodlers, 3D printing pens. Perfectly capturing the power of the 3Doodler Start and Create pens allow students to bring their creations to life simply by drawing them in three dimensions. Imagination becomes reality.

 

 

ENGAGING EMERGENT BILINGUALS THROUGH COMMUNICATIVE GRAMMAR

Creekside Park Junior High

Jennifer Keogh

 

 

The purpose of this grant is to provide Emerging Bilingual students with intentional and targeted grammar instruction in ELLA/Newcomer and EL Reading Lab classrooms. The proposed Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics program provides hands-on grammar practice along with a student-driven, online learning experience that consists of videos, writing activities, and grammar games. Students will develop and grow their written and oral communication skills as they gain confidence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

 

STORYBOOK BRIDGES TO BILINGUALISM

Creekside Park Junior High

Kristina Lozano

 

"Storybook Bridges to Bilingualism" builds a classroom library of classic children's books in Spanish in order to create relevant learning experiences for beginning language learners. Students will have the opportunity to use familiar classics to expand vocabulary, fluency and decoding practices in the target language. The bilingual library for the Spanish 1 classrooms will allow students to begin the adventure to bilingualism with a relevant learning experience in an innovative way. Students will grow into global citizens as the books open the path to bilingualism and form a bridge between new and established language learning.

 

OSMOS FOR INNOVATIVE LEARNING

Timber Creek Elementary

1st Grade Team

Gayla Coward

Cyleen Davis

Melissa Bell

Janice Pace

Amy Schneider

Kristin Shockley

 

 

Tangible learning tools bring out the best in students! Adding to our Osmo/iPad collection will allow equitable access across our grade level, allowing more students to enjoy the rich and creative learning experiences with fellow classmates during their technology stations. With Osmo, engagement happens organically, making it easy for students to WANT to practice essential skills and become successful. This form of technology does not isolate the learner from the outside world, but aims to bring the learners together and build interactive social intelligence.

 

DIGITAL POLLINATOR CONSERVATION ADVOCATES

Creekside Forest Elementary

Victoria Hunsucker

Holly Steed

 

 

Be a pollinator advocate! Observe and create projects about pollinators in our thriving garden by utilizing an outdoor camera, connected app, and I-pads. This project will support the use of technology in an innovative way, making digital access to the garden available from classrooms via an I-pad app during the instructional school day. "We want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive."

 

iPAD INTERACTIVE LEARNING

Lakewood Elementary

Rebekah Ulicnik

 

 

Our class is getting ready for the future by building reading skills and math number sense using manipulatives and technology. They are building words and getting immediate feedback. They are able to compose various number sentences to hit a target number. The iPad and Osmo station are inspiring them to reach their goals.

 

UNLOCKING DOORS TO THE HEART

Willow Creek Elementary

Cindy Hamilton

 

 

Unlocking doors to the heart and mind of students through the use of multicultural puppets will provide representation for all students on campus. The versatility and flexibility of adding puppetry will help children benefit with a greater awareness of themselves and how they respond to the world around them.

 

FOREVER FRIENDS

Northpointe Intermediate

Emily Adams

 

 

Forever Friends revolves around a group of students dedicated to encouraging, and supporting students in our developmental classes to grow socially as well as academically. Students have been designing science experiments, holiday crafts, life skills lessons, gross motor activities but limited resources led to a loss in creating activities. With additional resources, the freedom of designing activities and lessons that meet the unique needs of each of our developmental students will continue.

 

RAISING READERS RIGHT FROM THE START

Wildwood Elementary

Alison Love

 

 

The goal of Raising Readers From the Start is to begin targeting our early elementary students, and families, through board books by partnering with parents and guardians. Students and families will be able to access board books through the school library, as well as during monthly family Raising Reader Nights. We will create a culture of reading in families and the community, ensuring that children have the tools they need to grow as readers.

 

PRACTICE MAKES PROGRAMMERS: USING iPADS TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE

Wildwood Elementary

Alison Love

 

 

This grant gives each student, pre-k through fourth grade, the opportunity to spend time each week critically thinking and problem solving while coding and programming, using 12 iPads provided by Tomball Education Foundation and technology resources the campus already owns. Students will design and complete challenges that inspire innovation and collaboration, targeting developing skills for 21st century career choices with Ozobots, Dash robots, Sphero, and more! Exposure on a regular basis to coding paired with critical thinking and problem solving is an exciting and collaborative way for Tomball ISD students to succeed.

DIGITAL ART - STOP MOTION AND MORE

Wildwood Elementary

Kimberly Bowman & Megan Weeks

 

 

Our grant allows students to utilize art technology such as stop motion in the elementary art classroom. Stop Motion Animation is fundamentally sound for fostering storytelling through creative problem solving, and character development. We intend to help our students become lifelong learners through the future of art and technology, and creative careers. Creative problem solving is a skill that all students need as they grow in this idea generation, and becoming proficient with these real life skills and knowledge will help them in all core subjects, and their future endeavors.

 

COACHING TEACHERS WITH SWIVLS

Wildwood Elementary

Samantha Wilson

 

 

Coaching Teachers with Swivls allows specialists to guide prekindergarten through fourth grade teachers through more effective coaching cycles by giving them a clear picture of reality. These devices allow for thorough recording of an entire classroom so a teacher can focus on what the students are learning. Without Swivls teachers have to rely on specialists to collect data on their classroom instruction, but with Swivls the teachers take ownership of creating their own goals for instructional improvement.

 

VOLTERA PCB FABRICATION

Tomball Memorial High School

Vanessa Coronado

 

 

Bringing digital electronic designs to life, TMHS STEM courses are using a Voltera V-One printed circuit board (PCB) printer. They are able to use 21st century skills to convert their computer created circuit designs to working 3D printed circuit boards. This technology is used in top schools and universities around the world and enables students to create unique and innovative solutions that meet the needs of 21st century products. Leaving behind theory and putting their designs to work, STEM students can now invent and innovate designs of their own creation.

 

GOING GREEN AND GROWING READERS

Grand Lakes Junior High

Melissa O’Brien

 

 

Going Green and Growing Readers is a grant for five Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ 12.4" 256GB with Wi-Fi and folio cases. This grant will help English Language Arts and Reading teachers to more effectively gather, share, and collaborate about real time data on student reading levels and in class data. By using these tablets, teachers will create less environmental waste, be able to more easily share information across campus, and collaborate to determine ways to improve student growth.

 

ADAPTIVE OUTDOOR MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Decker Prairie Elementary

Sarah Wade

 

 

Current playground equipment is sorely lacking in terms of special education student needs, particularly play through music. In addition to other issues, special needs students do not have the ability to access the existing play structure due to the need to climb stairs. The desired equipment will greatly benefit all students by incorporating play through adaptive musical instruments. Studies have shown that play through music will help the child with pre-reading skills, math progress, vocabulary, gross motor skills, and physical, emotional and social development.

 

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ABOUT THE TOMBALL EDUCATION FOUNDATION 
The Tomball Education Foundation, founded in 2017, is an independent, non-profit corporation established by parents, local businesses, civic organizations, alumni and community leaders to make a positive impact on public education. The Foundation is governed by a board of directors who represent a cross-section of the community and have a sincere interest in the Tomball Independent School District's students and their success. 

 

ABOUT TOMBALL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tomball ISD educates students to become responsible, productive citizens by providing innovative, individually rigorous, and personally valuable educational experiences. Founded in 1908, Tomball ISD now encompasses 83 square miles in northwest Harris County and southwest Montgomery County, and is located approximately 30 miles from downtown Houston. The district currently educates over 20,500 students at 22 campuses.