DOUG PERRY

Students love their PE equipment so much it quickly wears out or becomes unsafe and needs replacement. At Murray, PE is an important part of our learning environment, some skills transcend the classroom and can be easily taught or reinforced through physical activity. Thanks to a grant from MEF, Viewmont instructors got the funding they needed this year to replace scooter boards, foam balls, cageball bladders, lollipop paddles, toss and catch paddles, and more.

Ms Frederick (Grant Elementary) used her MEF grant funding to purchase Indian food for her class to sample, coupled with a guest speaker from India who shared information about the country and culture. Experiencing different cultures, exploring what it’s like to live in different parts of the world, opens their learning experiences and encourages them to be curious and courageous.

Giving kids opportunities to step into leadership roles is important – and looking the part strengthens that goal. So, Ms. Sanchez requested MEF grant funding to purchase lab coats for her “Lead Scientists.” When the lab coats are out, students know it’s lab day and they get excited. The lead scientists ensure everyone participates and delegate different tasks.

Thanks to a grant through MEF, Ms. Wistisen’s 4^th graders at Horizon are learning to read the waves using good old-fashioned Slinky toys. These are great toys for illustrating the importance of waves, and how they are the mechanism for the transfer of energy. This is part of our student’s core science curriculum.

Ms Binggeli, Hillcrest JH Instructional Coaching stepped up this year to fill a couple of important teaching openings in the 8^th grade – US History and Math. For years she had accumulated ample supplies to teach at Murray High. But her new assignment left her without a good stock of classroom Supplies. No problem – she applied for an MEF grant and got the funding she needed to ensure her 55 students this year didn’t skip a beat in their learning.

Mr. Smith needed additional reading options for his Mythology Class. Thanks to some funding from MEF, he was able to acquire a set of two books from the acclaimed mythology author Rick Riordan. Kids now have the choice of the Red Pyramid and the Lightning Thief. Both stories follow young teens as they grapple with new powers given to them by being related to the gods. They are learning about heroes in class, exploring the hero’s journey by reading these Egyptian- and Greek-themed publications.