The CMS PTSA offers grants to CMS staff members to help enhance the learning environment at Community Middle School. Financial assistance is provided to staff members with ideas for projects that would benefit their students. The grants cover many different educational areas and usually range from $200 to $500 per project.
The PTSA awarded 4 Mini Grants for the 2009-2010 school year totaling $1, 168.55. Mini Grant recipients were as follows:
Anna Stein – Communicator Clearboard Classroom Kit – $121.99
The mini grant funds will be used to purchase a kit of 30 clearboards with related accessories. The clearboard provides benefits over traditional dry-erase boards such as the ability to instantly access student progress and change templates.
Theresa LaManna – Special needs classroom materials – $316.02
The mini grant funds will be used to purchase materials that cognitively target the vast abilities found in inclusion classrooms, as well as appeal to the special education population. Items to be purchased will be a set of illustrated classic novels such as A Tale of Two Cities, The Swiss Family Robinson and The Time Machine. Also purchased will be science related materials related to the respiratory & digestive systems and a human body flip chart.
Katharine Malec – Sexuality education materials for the 7th grade health curriculum and Stars – $230.54
The mini grant funds will be used to purchase materials that will allow students with learning disabilities have a better understanding of what changes occur during puberty by giving them the ability to visually see the changes rather than get a verbal description.
Cheryl Ciaranca – Hands Across the Water Club funding of micro-loans to entrepeneurs in impoverished nations – $500
The mini grant funds will be used to set up a start-up account with Kiva micro-finance. Students will be involved in the selection of small entrepreneurs in impoverished nations to receive micro-loans.