Blog Archives

Cards for the troops!

12/19/2020

Thank you College Park Elementary teachers for helping me with the cards for the troops! (the kids made the cards in art class and filled them out in their homeroom classes)

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If you have followed my art and/or teaching then you know that one thing that I am proud of is that I actively pursue grants for my classroom. I actually started writing grants when we first moved to Florida back in 2009, and I honestly did it because...I needed something to do to keep me from bothering my husband while he was working on his PHd stuff. I am totally serious.

Picture this...money for my classroom!

I knew that if I didn't have anything to keep busy that I would be interrupting his work flow...and we just moved so I didn't have any friends yet to hang out with, so he was my only entertainment. Oh, and I also wanted to do MORE for my students at the title 1 rural middle school where I worked, there is that of course! But the real reason...to keep myself busy! Turns out, I am pretty good at writing grants. When I left from Florida this summer I had received over twenty-five grants ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to larger grants of over a thousand...from Donors Choose to Educational Foundation grants in Martin and Palm Beach counties.

I have given some presentations on my approach to grants locally when I lived in Florida- grant writing it is something that I really enjoy doing, and obviously it is great for my students! I can't wait til this pandemic is over and I can go to face to face conferences again, would love to do an updated presentation for my art colleagues! And I would also like to try for some higher dollar grants to impact a larger audience...just thinking out loud.

Intracoastal Realty Teachers' Fund Grant

My first grant this year was a local grant through Intracoastal Realty. We are under Plan B right now, so that is half the kids coming on Monday/Tuesday...everyone remote on Wednesday and then the other group coming on Thursday/Friday. I am constantly planning for the 'what ifs' of if we go back to full remote learning due to Covid, and also just trying to think of ways to get some basic supplies home to the kids. My idea for this grant was for the 5th graders to each receive a sketchbook, mini colored pencil set and pencil to use at home for our remote weeks when we start back in January...and so that I send them home with something just in case it is longer. I selected these particular materials because we could customize them in class....and I chose 5th grade since they are the oldest grade level, our 'seniors'.

I found all of the materials on Amazon, got them quick, they reimbursed me- everything was SO easy! In class we looked at stationary and talked about designing coordinating vs matching sets. Each student can choose whatever they want for their design/theme...but it has to coordinate or match with the pencil set.

I made sure to bag up the materials for the classes I would not see this week while I am working on my NCCAT professional development...the result is a bag of creativity ready to take home for the winter break! I can't wait to see what they fill their sketchbooks with! (...since the pieces 'match' it makes it easy to place them together if they get separated!)

Donors Choose, Grant 1...
and a special TV appearance!

Ready for the big screen? Ummmmm...maybe not, but my necklace got some rave reviews!

Yup, that is MY face on the TV! Thanks so much WECT for featuring my Donors Choose grant! I was getting ready for bed and saw that I had a message to my FB art account from Frances Weller asking me to do a 30 second video about my grant. I had already 'taken off my face' for the night (ya'll won't see me without my brows filled in and eyeliner on- EVER!) so I messaged her back to let her know I would take care of it first thing in the morning- and I did! I woke up at 4am and did a few takes in my home studio, sent them to her and sure enough, my video aired on the 6 o'clock news that night! My grant for art supplies for my students with special needs was FULLY FUNDED within minutes of the segment airing!

We have really been focusing on colors and shapes, and things that will help them with their hand eye coordination, like gluing! The kids LOVE gluing these colorful foam shapes down and tracing them.

Look at all the fun stuff from this Donors Choose project!! We got out the paint dobbers right away for the 'leaves' on our fall trees. Can't wait to use all of the other materials!

...a community donation?!

...someone saw me on the news and the next week brought a Staples giftcard to school! It was perfect timing, I needed to buy some new paint cups to have enough for two at each table. I was gonna have to spend my money- but the giftcard took care of it!

Donors Choose, Grant 2!

Folks kept donating to my classroom even after the first project was funded so DC contacted me about writing up a second project- so I did! I wrote a grant for mats and other materials to help me display our artwork at school and in the community.

...and we already put the materials to good use! This is our display at the State Employees Credit Union on Racine!

Donors Choose, Grant 3!!

...and this just happened in the last week- I had a third Donors Choose grant to get fully funded! I noticed that my little learners have trouble staying in their seats (like...it's a constant battle) Normally I would be like, 'whatever, it's cool'...BUT there is this little GLOBAL PANDEMIC going on so I kinda need them to stay in one spot (and I am cleaning those spots CONSTANTLY, so I need them to limit their movement). I figured if I could offer an option to stand and work at easels at the table that might help with the wiggles.

Our district voted to go Plan A when we come back in January, which is full capacity learning (remote still an option for those that choose...not exactly sure how that will go for us teachers...?) So my anxiety level has gone through the roof since I will teach EVERY student at school (400+) and having more bodies in the room means less chance of proper social distancing. I spoke with a friend that is a nurse and she mentioned maybe having my door open for some air flow...and that made me think that maybe we could take the easels outside and sit on the patio outside the art room to do our work, or haul out some folding tables. Not sure how I am going to make it happen, but it is something that is on my mind. I have a few weeks to figure it out.

But for now, I am happy about the easels coming our way- they will ship in January!

Still pending...
(in case you wanna help out, or tell folks)

I still have another 'live' grant out there, check it out!

...next grant...?
Not sure yet- stay tuned!

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NCCAT...virtually!

12/14/2020

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I may or may not have mentioned it, but I was selected to attend NCCAT- yay! Man, I was so excited! I went to NCCAT years ago, for two different workshops (click here to read about those, totally worth it!) This year I was supposed to go to Ocracoke but guess what? Yup- Covid. (shakes fist, brow furrows) I was super bummed but when I looked at the workload for the virtual version of the course and talked to my principal she told me to stick with it since my leave time and sub were approved. So- I spent the week on my couch in my pajamas learning SO MUCH about Google Classroom and all kinds of fun apps and web sites I can use with my students. I actually worked much longer days than I do when I teach! Whew!

Virtual teacher becomes virtual student! And yes, I was using three devices PLUS my phone to do this course!

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Coming soon...

12/2/2020

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This will all make sense soon...

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What's under YOUR mask?

12/1/2020

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SO...MUCH...MOISTURIZER!

Wearing my mask all day has been tough on my skin. I feel like my face and lips are constantly sore and chapped so my new routine is wiping my face off mid-day with applications of moisturizer first thing in the morning and after the mid-day face wipe.

I like this Bath and Body Works scented spray sanitizer to spritz on my mask and apron a few times a day...and this lip balm helps with the chap, and smells minty...'cause it gets funky wearing that on my face all day #HotBreath

I am working on my hands, those are a MESS. Between the constant hand washing, hand sanitizer and cleaning the tables and supplies after every class...let's just say I won't be a hand model any time soon, so that is my next 'project'.

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Cards for the troops!

Granted!

Intracoastal Realty Teachers' Fund Grant

Donors Choose, Grant 1...and a special TV appearance!

Donors Choose, Grant 2!

Donors Choose, Grant 3!!

Still pending...(in case you wanna help out, or tell folks)

...next grant...? ​Not sure yet- stay tuned!

NCCAT...virtually!

Coming soon...

What's under YOUR mask?

SO...MUCH...MOISTURIZER!

Archives

Donors Choose, Grant 1...
and a special TV appearance!

Still pending...
(in case you wanna help out, or tell folks)

...next grant...?
Not sure yet- stay tuned!