OSCODA — The first semester of the school year concluded recently and the Oscoda Education Opportunity Foundation (OEOF) announced they awarded three mini-grants to staff at both Richardson Elementary and Oscoda High School.
Third Grade teacher Amanda Goodman applied for funds for a literary unit based on the award winning book Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling. This grant will purchase a class set of the book so each student is able to read along during the unit.
Students will be able to use prior knowledge and connections to the State of Michigan and build a deeper understanding of the Indigenous peoples’ culture, the Great Lakes waterways, natural resources, habitats and native animals in Michigan.
They will also be able to map out the journey a tiny boat makes through the Great Lakes. Reading skills as well as writing, science, history and geography can all be a part of this unit and story.
Anne Negro, a first grade teacher, applied for funds to purchase social emotional Learning resources and tools, “Students need to feel safe, respected, and supported in order to do their personal best. Incorporating Social Emotional Learning encourages this to happen.”
Social Emotional can improve class climate and student motivation. It can reach students to self-regulate, become better problem-solvers, and goal setters. The resources will help students to better identify and regulate their feelings. The resources will also introduce students to different strategies they can use when their emotions are too big, or overwhelming.
The social emotional learning resources will also help them with setting goals, solving problems, and being more mindful. All of these things will help the students be more successful.
Oscoda High School Special Education teacher Stacey Schuknecht was awarded a grant to be used to help create a cooking part of the life skills program. The project will help students that need direct instruction on hands on learning in areas that most students acquire through observation.
Schuknecht will be purchasing some small appliances that would be used to teach cooking skills. A portion of her classroom will be converted into a kitchen area. Her vision is that will become a class of its own outside of the resource room in the future.
All of the grants are required to fit with Michigan Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP) formerly School Improvement Goals and have the endorsement of the building principals. The OEOF has earmarked donations raised through the Owl Club, payroll deduction program, and fundraising projects such as the Owls Spirit 5K Run/Walk to be used for the mini-grants. These grants are generally awarded at the beginning of each semester.
The next round of Mini-Grants are due in August of this year. Applications are on the OEOF website.
Organizers said they are proud to support the staff and students at Oscoda Area Schools. For more information about the OEOF readers can check the program out at www.oscodaeducationfoundation.org or on Facebook.
The Oscoda Education Opportunity Foundation offers mini-grants to all OAS staff twice a school year, September and January. Grants can be written for up to $1,000. Projects and/or materials must link to the Core Curriculum and School Improvement Goals for the building and the district.
