Brownsboro ISD Doesn’t Need a Ground Hog!

Education Foundation Finds Winners Continue to Shine in BISD Classrooms

Punxsutawney Phil was not needed to predict the next six weeks at Brownsboro Independent School District.  Teachers were selected to receive grant funding from donors so that in the next six weeks, their students will be involved in innovative, creative, and fun learning programs.  These programs are not typically funded by tax dollars.

“Funding of these programs will begin immediately and all projects should be in place within the next six weeks—whether we have an extended winter or early spring,” said Tom Hunter, Superintendent of Schools, Brownsboro ISD.

“Teacher grants allow our teachers to dream,” said Milton Wallace, chair of the Brownsboro ISD Education Foundation grants committee.  “Because of our generous donors, their dreams become realities—some of which will impact the lives of their students forever.”

Eight grants totaling about $7,000 were awarded to educators at Chandler Elementary, Brownsboro Junior High School.

“This is the third year we have awarded grants to our classroom teachers,” said Tom Williams, President of the Education Foundation Board of Directors.  “We expect so much from our educators day by day.  It is good for their students to see their instructors awarded and recognized with a grant from donations to the Foundation.”  More than $30,000 has been granted totally by the newly-formed Brownsboro ISD Education Foundation.

The 2017 Grant Recipients include:

Encouraging Parental Involvement and Training, Jana Sherman, Carrie Ham; This grant for head start students’ parents/guardians will bring the parents to campus and assist them in learning how they can participate in the preparation of their students through workbooks, tutoring math skills, and interaction with the teachers. 
Build Those Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Skills, Kathryn Dixon; this project for Pre-Kindergarten students will introduce science, technology, mathematics—even engineering—to students at their young age. 
Lego-Mania Wall, Julie Henry; Pre-K through 3rd grade. Students who have the benefit of a Lego-Mania Wall in their school learn many skills including out of the box thinking, hand/eye coordination, and cooperation skills as well as having FUN while learning. 
Setting the Stage for STEM—Team One, Kelli Eaton, Sarah Jones; This team of teachers are creating a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program to reach students who are served in Responses to Intervention.  This program is designed to increase READING and math comprehension skills through ‘hands on’ materials that students use to create and design scenarios.
Setting the Stage for STEM—Team Two, Ann Patterson, Trista Thomison;’ Students in Kindergarten through the 3rd grade will be part of the creation of this team of teachers’ program also in STEM and reach students who are served in the Responses to Intervention.
Science is Important…Let’s Make it FUN!, Lara Cawthon, Lynnetta Bragdon, Emily Nix, Jodi Padgett, Chelsea Holcomb; With this grant, the second-grade team of teachers will have an outdoor weather station installed.  The weather station will allow the students to observe, measure, and make predictions of the weather.  This will be available to all Brownsboro Elementary students. 
Predator and Prey: Owl Pellets Lab, Tonya E. Tompkins; The pellets from owls will be observed and studied by the students; the bones of the prey will be studied and repositioned in science and discovery exercises.
Engineering Exploration Though Lego Robotics, Beth Bragdon; This teacher’s program will increase the number of participants in engineering and robotics.  To increase the Junior High interest, involvement and fun learning, robotic creation and perhaps competitions will be implemented.

Brownsboro ISD serves 2,850 students in one of the largest land mass districts—over 200 square miles—and several communities.  The District is one of the top-rated school districts in East Texas. 

Major donors to the Foundation include:  WRL Construction, Texas Pioneer Foundation, The Miller Fund Assisting Henderson County Charities, and an Anonymous Donor in Tyler. The adviser for the Foundation is Dr. Larry Goddard, Certified Fund Raising Executive and former Key Communicator for Education in Texas and Governor Perry appointee to two commissions regarding public and faith-based collaborative efforts.

The BISD Education Foundation is a separate 501(c)3 entity, public charity organization with a board of directors whose mission is to provide resources so that every student, every educator, every employee and their families have access to innovative and creative learning opportunities.  Tax-deductible donations may be sent to:  BISD Education Foundation c/o BISD Administration Office, P.O. Box 465, Brownsboro, Texas 75756.