Ranchwood Elementary
Top Hands
Grant Winners
Shelley Erdman - Soaring with Science and Math
My grant involves the adoption of a pilot from the crew at Southwest Airlines, Captain Kevin Hayes, and math and science PASS objectives. Captain Hayes, of Southwest Airlines, will visit my math and science classes about one time per month in the spring to assist in teaching math and science skills, demonstrate science concepts, assist students with hands-on experiments, and lead lessons and discussions regarding the character traits necessary to be a successful adult. The lessons that Captain Hayes will teach involve Southwest Airline’s acronym FLIGHT - Fearlessness, Leadership, Imagination, Gratitude, Honor, and Tenacity. The traits named in the acronym will provide a solid connection between character building lessons and the academic areas.
Captain Hayes will email, send pictures, share video, and a multitude of other information about flying both in the Air Force and for Southwest. He will bring flight plans for students to use in figuring distance, time, rate, and fuel consumption. He will bring his flight helmet, G-suit, replicas and pictures of the F-16 he flew in the Air Force and allow students to touch, try on and experiment. He will also bring great Southwest peanuts and pretzels and provide a graduation certificate for each student.
Mrs. Kellie Stennis
Mrs. Ashley Baker - Creepy Crawly Cycles
With this grant I expect second grade students to acquire new information about plants and organisms. The children will be able to classify organisms while observing phenomena. They will hypothesize (predict) about what will happen over time. They will be able to take the information they are gathering through observation and use it to perform simple investigations. Through observing the plants, butterflies, and frogs, students will see what a life cycle is first hand. Through Xenopus tadpoles (easily bred in captivity), students will watch the stages from tadpole to frog to egg and so on. By seeing the life cycle of a butterfly and frog, students will get a better understanding that life cycles are different from organism to organism. Students will also conclude that offspring usually resemble their parents. They will see what plants and organisms need for survival.
Mrs. Carol McKinley - Tubs of Fun
My grant, Tubs of Fun, consisted of 7 sets of Alphabet Teaching Tubs. Each of the 7 elementary sites received a set of Alphabet Teaching Tubs. Each set has over 150 objects, which gives at least 6 objects of each letter of the alphabet. This grant is being used with all ELL students, especially in the primary grades and students who speak little or no English. The older ELL students at Ranchwood helped separate all of the objects into each of the correct alphabet tubs. Having a set at each school site will help maintain continuity in the ELL materials for the ELL teachers. At Ranchwood, the Special Ed. teacher (who shares the ELL classroom) is able to utilize the components of the alphabet tubs, also.
Amber Shelton - Lights, Learning, Action
Lights, Learning, Action is a grant that provided a light table and accessories for my pre-k class. A light table is a in which light shines upward from under the table illuninating whatever is placed on it. The accessories that will add a new demension to our learning include x-rays, flower and leaf photos and color discs. This new center will help children understand how colors mix and give them a better understanding of their own bodies. The table can also be used in art projects and allow them to trace or paint with a clearer picture. The table is a lot of fun and the chidren really enjoy learning while they play!
