2023 Grant Recipient Updates
February saw Apex-area WCPSS schools receive money for everything from comfy chairs to maze boards to robots as the Apex Public Schools Foundation had their biggest grant awards season ever in 2023!
The APSF allocated more than $7,500 to five schools, which included the newly-formed Karen Sinders Memorial Teacher Grant. Grant recipients were chosen based on a number of criteria, including innovation of the project, the impact on the student population, and the sustainability of the project. Here is what our students will now have access to in their schools:
Family Math Night
The recipient of the Karen Sinders Memorial Teacher Grant was Jill Shea from Apex Elementary School. Apex Elementary School will host a community evening of all things math, encouraging students and their families to better understand how numbers are represented and relate to one another. Apex Elementary will use Nifty Numbers Family Math Night Kits to get people excited about math. All students will be invited and the kits are sustainable for years to come.
Elementary Flexible and Alternative Seating
We all know that sitting in rigid chairs isn’t great for concentration, and that’s especially true for kids with special education and sensory needs. Ainsley Lee and Katie Tio from Oakview Elementary School submitted this proposal so that ECS classrooms will have 14 new flexible chairs that allow kids to wobble and move while they learn.
Engineering Creativity Through Robotics
The 2023 KTL McDonald's of Apex APSF Teacher Grant was awarded to Marcia Ferreira of Olive Chapel Elementary School for a brand new robotics and coding program to serve 469 3rd and 5th grade students. This program will foster skills in math, science, and technology to help build 21st century skills.
School Specials’ Calm Corners
Lisbeth Fillard, Kiersten Sledge, Julie Gentle, Trey Robinson, Kimberly Tu, Lori Volpe, and TaKwanda Lawrence from Middle Creek Elementary School teamed up to provide safe spaces for children to retreat during overwhelming moments while they’re in their foreign language, art, STEM, and media classes. Pillows, sensory tiles, maze boards, and sand art are just some of the inviting materials that will be available for kids to use to calm down.
Extended Content Standards Classroom Enrichment
ECS classrooms support students with special needs who require a consistent and highly-structured classroom. Mei Lu and Abigail Foster of Apex High School received a grant to help enrich instruction in STEM, music, and art in the classes, serving more than 35 students in the first year.
The APSF is able to fund these incredible projects thanks to the help of community partners and generous donors. We hope to fund $10,000 in grants in 2024 – click here to help us meet that goal!