Funding for frogs, plants, books, technical support, musical instruments and writing programs are among grants awarded through the Albany Public Schools Foundation fall classroom grants which amounted to $6869 for 15 classrooms. 

Grants were awarded as follows:

FOR MUSIC AND THE ARTS PROGRAMS

·      Isaac Andrew, Director of Bands at South Albany High School received $500 for sheet music for a special spring community concert-“A Night of Movie Music” to be performed at the PIX Theatre and supported by the Albany Historic Society.

·      Megan Ratliff, band and choir director at Timber Ridge secured $500 for new, multicultural musical instruments.

·      Amberlynn Lane, music teacher at Lafayette Elementary, received $275 to support a program enhanced with video logs and voice threads.

·      Andy Nelson, band director, North Albany Middle School, was granted $474 for a metronome and software to support band rehearsal and performance.

·      LeAnn Wind, choir teacher, North Albany Middle School, was granted $500 to support the fall musical performance of Disney’s Aladdin Jr.

FOR SCIENCE AND MATH

·      Anna Sokolov, business to school liaison, Albany Options, was granted $300 for native plants for a rainwater collection project which is in partnership with the City of Albany.

·      Sixth grade Timber Ridge teachers Judy Brownell and Tassay Gillispie received $275 for frogs to dissect in science classes.

·      Katy Kelly, science teacher, North Albany Middle School, received $382 through the Greater Albany Rotary Club for copies of Oregon author William Sullivan’s book: Oregon’s Greatest Natural Disasters.

FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS

·      Samantha Jordan, Tangent Elementary physical education teacher, will have $439 to purchase exercise equipment for students to use independently or in groups.

·      Josephine Fleetwood, business to school liaison, secured $960 for class materials to assist South Albany High School and a middle school establish health careers clubs. Curriculum and instructor training will be provided by Oregon Pacific Area Health Education Center in affiliation with Samaritan Health Services and Oregon Health and Science University.

FOR READING AND WRITING

·      Albany Options language arts teacher and library coordinator, Deanna Kozak received $889 for non-fiction books through a special grant funded through the Greater Albany Rotary Club.

·      Jen Murray, Timber Ridge fourth grade teacher, will use the $200 grant she received to add headphones and CD players to assist in reading skills development.

·      Jessica Jamison-Wells, sixth grade teacher, North Albany Middle School, received $425 in support of the after school writing club which publishes a book at the conclusion of their work.

·      Lauri Renshaw, seventh grade language arts teacher, North Albany Middle School, received $250 through a special Greater Albany Rotary Club grant for children’s books and CDs.

·      Bonnie Anderson, sixth grade teacher, North Albany Middle School, received $500 to support a cross-curricular writing project.

The foundation allocations committee, chaired by Cordell Post, considered 20 grant applications amounting to more than $15,000 in the fall cycle. In addition to administering a $2000 grant donated by the Greater Albany Rotary Club, the Foundation will administer $2000 in classroom grant monies from the East Albany Lions Club.  Grants are funded through private donations and through fund-raising events – a 5k- and 10-mile run and a swim-a-thon in the spring.

The spring classroom grant applications are due the last Friday in January.