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GOLIAD – As the Goliad ISD Education Foundation paraded down school hallways with silly string, confetti and music courtesy of the high school band, students took a break from the schoolwork to see what all the fuss was about.

The foundation awarded $54,753.63 in grants to teachers in the Goliad school district on Wednesday for innovative teaching projects. The foundation, which is in its first year, raised $166,000 through a founder’s drive to fund these grants as well as other awards for teachers and students.

“The sole purpose is to put money back in the district,”said Pam Hailey, executive director of the foundation. “We want to give them more than tax dollars because the budgets get cut by a lot.”

Teachers submitted 27 grant proposals for various projects last December and a grant committee selected 15 of those, which will impact 178 staff members and 4,223 students. The teachers whose proposals were accepted found out Wednesday through the foundation’s first prize posse.

The group traveled to the four Goliad school campuses and stopped at teachers’ doors to tell the good news while waving pom-poms and blowing bullhorns. The teacher, covered in glittery confetti, then accepted a giant check, balloon bouquet, ribbon pin, a door hanger, a packet of information and a hug from Superintendent Sam Atwood.

“This is great because the kids get to see the excitement about the money and what it’s for,”said Crystal Althof, a third grade teacher at Goliad Elementary School who submitted a proposal for a literacy library with fellow teacher Karie Wimberly and reading specialist Jo Ann Reitz.

The library will have all levels of books for instructional use, rather than independent reading like the current library, Wimberly said. Teachers can check out sets of books about science, social studies, fables or other genres to use in class.

“We’ll have more selection and opportunity to expose them to more literature,”Wimberly said. “We run out of resources so I think we do need it. We have to model the fun of reading for the students. Literacy is the foundation of education.”

Dawn Butler, an English teacher at Goliad High School, accepted a grant that will purchase the first Interactive Whiteboard and Classroom Response System in the district. The programs allows the teachers to create virtual lessons on a whiteboard and students can answer questions through the response system, which also allows touch-screen interaction.

“This is for all my students who don’t want to write down every answer on a piece of paper anymore,” Butler said. “Now they can use technology, which I know they’d rather have.”

The Special Education Department received a grant to create an outdoor classroom and research center garden at the high school for the special education life skills students to experience hands-on learning. The prize posse created quite a stir as they went through the campuses, and the group tricked special education teacher Kristin Billow by passing by her classroom once.

“I’m so psyched because ya’ll walked by earlier and I thought ‘Oh no! There goes my garden!’” Billow said.

Another grant, given to the high school theater department, will fund video equipment for a video technology class. In the class, students will learn about movie making, camera systems and video presentations. The class will also have the resources to sponsor a Goliad High School Film Festival.

“I figured if I really deserved it, ya’ll would come by,” said teacher Dan Lauderdale. “I hope we can use this to give back to the community. I hope to have a film festival by the end of the year. I have kids trying to make videos on their laptops so this will help a lot.”

Pamela Bond is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6578 or pbond@vicad.com, or comment on this story at .

breakout

Goliad Education Foundation Innovative Teaching Grants

“Eat Your Colors in Fruits and Vegetables” granted $4,996.53 at Goliad Elementary School for a fresh fruit and vegetable bar.

“Picture this ‘a la carte’!”granted $3,514 at Goliad Elementary School (first grade) for an Elmo visual presenter and five Bretford Interactive Learning Center Carts, adding multimedia equipment in daily lessons.

“Take Technology Home”granted $5,000 at Goliad Elementary School (second grade) for a Powersync iPod Cart and 20 iPod nanos, with which teachers and students will create podcasts for use at home and in school.

“Leapin’ Learners through the Literacy Library” granted $4,978.03 at Goliad Elementary School (third grade) for book collections and resources that will create a literacy library, which will also host author visits and guest readers.

“Fit for Life” granted $3,473.96 at Goliad elementary and intermediate schools for fitness equipment to create an outdoor physical fitness obstacle course.

“Accelerated Learning with Accelerated Math” granted $3,717.58 at Goliad Intermediate School for a computer-based mathematics program.

“Walk a Hundred Miles in My Shoes” granted $2,092.15 at Goliad Middle School for a walking program that will satisfy the new state-mandated fitness test requirements.

“Teachers and Students ‘Projecting’ Creativity” granted $5,000 at Goliad Middle School for multimedia and technology equipment that will allow an entire class to view 2-D and 3-D materials.

“Burn Baby Burn!” granted $990.85 at Goliad High School for external CD/DVD burners to use with school-furnished Apple Macbook laptop computers that students can burn multimedia presentations with.

“Picture This!” granted $1,050 at Goliad High School (Goliad Academy) for implementation of an innovative photography class, which will provide a high-interest elective for at-risk students.

“Welcome to the Jungle”granted $5,000 at Goliad High School (science department) for an outdoor classroom and research center aquatic habitat.

“Social Studies Multimedia Technology Integration”granted $3,535 at Goliad High School (social studies department) for five LCD projectors.

“Smart-E-P.A.N.T.S.” granted $5,000 at Goliad High School (language arts department) for an Interactive Whiteboard and Classroom Response System.

“Outdoor Classroom and Garden” granted $5,000 at Goliad High School (special education department) for an outdoor classroom and research center garden.

“Video Visions and Vistas are Viable” granted $4,996.57 at Goliad High School (theater department) for video equipment to create a video technology class.