KIDS FIRST PRESIDENT RICK UEBNER (RIGHT) PRESENTS CHECKS TO MARIPOSA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS. For over ten years the Mariposa County Schools Foundation has been giving grants to teachers in their classrooms to allow them to purchase items that their budgets wouldn’t normally allow. In fact, since 2001, $108,340 in grants has been distributed to Mariposa County classrooms.

Last fall, however, the governing board of the foundation decided to do something different. Instead of requiring teachers to fill out an application and proposal, and in light of the pressure on all classrooms in the district, the board chose to award a no-stringsattached check for $100 to every full-time classroom teacher in the district. That amounts to almost $13,000 in grants.

Reactions from the teachers has ranged from awed silence to jawdropping excitement. Pete Bothwell, art teacher at the high school said, “The $100 checks were a major boost to morale around here.”

KIDS FIRST PRESIDENT RICK UEBNER (LEFT) PRESENTS CHECKS TO MARIPOSA MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS ALEX KEETON, CRAIG DORMER, BARBARA HAMILTON, DAWN PEDERSON AND CHRIS COYLE. Teacher Marlene Miller observed, “After 15 years I’m down to zero calculators – thanks for the money to re-supply this critical need.”

Brooke Dobson at the high school bought a microphone for the computer so she can put audio files from her French class on her Internet Web site that the students can access and use for practice at home. Hally Swift at Woodland School bought a listening station for use in her classroom. A representative of the high school Associated Student Body said, “It will allow students to learn in a better atmosphere for the needed supplies we can now purchase.”

WOODLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STAFF IS PICTURED WITH KIDS FIRST BOARD MEMBERS RICK UEBNER AND ROGER LEONARD (BACK ROW). THEY EACH RECEIVED $100 FROM THE FOUNDATION. At Woodland Elementary teachers Donna Wight and Nancy Gunderson pooled their funds to buy CPS (Classroom Performance System) pads and a receiver so the teachers can share units between their two classrooms. This allows a teacher to make a quiz and project

t on a screen, the students responding on their individual pads for

mmediate feedback.

A Flip video camera was the choice of Trish Darcy at Woodland. Her students can film performances and critique them immediately. Holie Sprague moved to El Portal School this year and used the funds to buy a listening center for her new classroom.

Teacher Carol Baker called the grants “a substantial morale boost.” Her students used their new watercolors to paint their visions of a Miwok village. Steven McDonald at Lake Don Pedro Elementary bought new musical instruments for his classroom.

Another teacher observed, “My husband’s business has dried up, and I can’t spend what I normally do on my classes and students to enrich the curriculum. Bless you all.”

The Mariposa County Schools Foundation is able to provide these grants through the generosity of

ocal businesses, individuals, foundation members, and the success of the annual fund raising dinner and silent auction in June.

More details about the local organization can be found at its Website: http://www.mariposa.k12.ca.us/KidsFirst.