EDUCATION EXTRA.

Variety of grants given

for Springfield projects

The Springfield Education Foundation has given grant awards totaling a record $15,600 to teachers in the district. The foundation supports projects that directly benefit teachers and their students.

The latest awards bring the total awarded in the past three years to $32,000. The 21 projects funded this year include:

Alicia McGraw, Springfield High School, $781.83 to purchase weather materials and instruments that allow students to gain enhanced knowledge in reading, interpreting and sharing their understanding of local and global weather systems;

Wayne Strong, Goshen School, $1,000 toward the purchase of speakers to further develop the school's sound system. Last year, he received a mini-grant for a sound-board and put on five musicals;

Frank Sprouse, Hamlin Middle School, $1,200 to purchase a smart board, a large computer-linked white board that uses black and color styluses that provide for student instruction, feedback and assessment in real time; and

Mark Ripley, Guy Lee Elementary, $291.42 to purchase "Whisper Phones," which are devices to help children focus and hear themselves when they read or spell.

To raise additional funds, the foundation is selling a 16-month calendar of artwork created by Springfield students.

The 2006-2007 calendars are $10 each and are available at all Springfield schools.

Superintendent, board members honored 

Springfield School Superintendent Nancy Golden is one of three Oregon superintendents and two school board members named by the Education Commission of the States National Center for Learning and Citizenship in the second slate of members of its 100 District Leaders for Civic Engagement and Service-Learning Network. They join a superintendent and a board member selected earlier this year.

Members were chosen from a national pool of applicants, based on their leadership and commitment to integrate and sustain quality citizenship education and service-learning in K-12 schools. They will work to deepen support and broaden awareness of the importance of these issues by writing articles, conducting workshops and hosting policy forums. They will be honored at a reception in Salem on Jan. 29.