Haywood County Schools Foundation gave 160 grants to teachers totaling $38,877 for the 2017-18 school year.

This year, grants were sponsored by Evergreen Packaging, First Citizens Banks, QuickDraw, the Arc of Haywood County, and the Haywood County Schools Foundation. The grants fund resources for teachers and staff to enrich the learning experience for students.

Teachers and staff from across the district applied for the grants this fall, and winners were selected after committees representing each grant reviewed applications. Teachers who won grants were invited to a Grant Recipient Reception at Tuscola High School on November 14.

“Thanks to the QuickDraw grant, my art classes will get to create screen printing projects,” Dustin Keyes, art teacher at Pisgah High School, said. “I’m looking forward to this project because it allows the artists in the school to create things to enrich the school.”

Keyes plans on having his students design posters and shirts. The classes will then pick a few designs to mass produce and sell for different school events.

“QuickDraw serves as the main funding source for Haywood County Schools’ art teachers, and we were thrilled to be able to fully fund every art project this year,” Sandra Hayes, QuickDraw committee member, said with a smile. “Projects like these are how art exploration is going to create the next generation of innovators.”

Grants ranged from $375 to fund assistive technology aids at Clyde Elementary, to $210 to purchase circuitry kits at Tuscola High School, to $199 for a renewable energy K’NEX set for the 3rd grade Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program.

“Reading through these grants is one of the highlights of my year,” Lorinda Whaley, First Citizens Bank financial sales manager, said. “It is completely evident that Haywood County Schools teachers want our children to succeed in every way possible, and First Citizens is proud to partner with the Foundation to help teachers do that.”

Each grant sponsor has different requirements and focuses of study. The QuickDraw art grant provides funds for art teachers to purchase materials for art education projects. The First Citizens Bank grant provides funding to schools and teachers for reading initiatives. The Evergreen Packaging grant focuses on projects that promote math and science.

Professional growth and development are the focus of the Haywood County Schools Foundation grant and is available to teachers, faculty, and staff. Funding for the professional development grants was raised through Haywood County Schools Foundation fundraisers like the Mardi Gras Ball and bingo.

For the past five years, the Arc of Haywood County has provided grants to Haywood County Schools’ Exceptional Children (EC) teachers. This year, the Arc received 32 applications for grants and was able to fully fund each one, totaling nearly $11,000.

“We were able to do this through a $7,500 grant from the United Way and a large, gracious donation from one of our committee members,” Arc Executive Director Steve Brown said. “We hope these grants will go a long way in helping the EC students of our school system.”

Noal Castater, Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher at Waynesville Middle School, has received several Haywood County Schools Foundation grants in the past. This year, he was awarded the Evergreen Packaging Math and Science grant, First Citizens Bank Reading grant, and Haywood County Schools Foundation Professional Development grant. All the grants Castater was awarded were for different projects and workshops he plans to implement in his classroom.

“I feel the hardest part of teaching is creating engaging projects that students will buy into,” Castater said. “Thanks to the classroom grants I received from Evergreen and First Citizens, I’m able to provide my students with exciting, hands-on STEM projects that have real-world applications.”

Using his $422 Evergreen Packaging Math and Science grant, Castater has developed an innovative packaging design project for his 330 middle school students. Students will learn the importance and widespread everyday use of how packaging design affects their lives by creating hands-on projects. They will start the unit by building basic boxes before advancing to complex foldable drag racers, airplanes, and rockets.

Castater said the packaging projects will teach students the mathematical and scientific applications of geometric design, telescoping, creating tessellations, evaluating material strength and performance, converting two-dimensional drawings to three-dimensional products, and designing and building according to specifications. Castater plans to stress the importance of how to conserve resources by using as little material as possible to protect the environment.

Students will also learn how these math and science activities relate to real-world applications in business, marketing, and the financial side of packaging with shipping, retail, mail order, and decorative designs.

“Today is always an inspirational day because we are able to recognize and reward some of the most innovative teachers from all across our county,” Haywood County Schools Foundation Executive Director Jenny Wood Valliere said. “These are the teachers who are ensuring that Haywood County Schools stays in the top 10 percent of school districts in the state.”

If you would like more information about funding classroom projects, contact Haywood County Schools Foundation Executive Director Jenny Wood Valliere at 828-456-2400.

2017-18 ARC Grant
Grants were handed out to the following educators:
• Melanie Ashe, county-wide
• Kristi Blackburn, Junaluska
• Lana Brooks, Hazelwood
• Mary Beth Brown, county-wide
• Kimberly Caron, Hazelwood
• Alda Chambers, Junaluska
• Kathryn Clontz, county-wide
• Lisa Cook, PHS
• Gretchen Denton, Bethel and BMS
• Ashley Dillard, Riverbend
• Cindy Early and Heather Phillips, THS
• Sarah Floyd, Clyde
• Cyrena Goodwin, PHS
• Virginia Hawken, Clyde
• Misty House, Meadowbrook, CMS, PHS
• Jessica Igwe, North Canton
• Reah Landau, county-wide
• Rebecca Massie, CMS
• Kathleen Morgan, Hazelwood
• Jessica Perry and Kathryn Clontz, Clyde
• Jessica Perry and Amanda Parton, Clyde
• Courtney Phillips, PHS
• Lauren Queen, county-wide
• Angela Ray, Hazelwood
• Jennifer Rigdon, Bethel
• Casey Roberts, WMS
• Jill Robinson, PHS
• Gloria Rose, Clyde
• Talina Royer, CHHS
• Traci Wike, county-wide
• Jacqueline Willis, Clyde

2017-18 Evergreen Packaging Math and Science Grant
Grants were handed out to the following educators:
• Sam Yancey, Jonathan Valley
• Chelsea White, Clyde
• Wendy Underwood, Clyde
• Lana Brooks, Hazelwood
• Patrice McCoy, WMS
• Lindsey Arhart, Riverbend
• Jim Davis, THS
• Anita Painter, CMS
• Nikki Barker, Riverbend
• Sandra Hermida, WMS
• William Saxon, WMS
• Mandy Williamson, Hazelwood
• Noal Castater, WMS
• Amy Harrington, BMS
• Emily Fama, BMS
• Julie Smith, BMS
• Deidra Boone, BMS
• Haley Donaldson, Bethel
• Sally Hundley, BMS
• Jennifer Mullins, Junaluska
• Valerie Guyer, North Canton
• Talina Royer, CHHS
• Megean Wantz, Clyde

2017-18 First Citizens Bank Reading Grant
Grants were handed out to the following educators:
• Noal Castater, WMS
• Dawn Gudger, Hazelwood
• Nikki Barker, Riverbend
• Laurie Bass, WMS
• Tonya Greene, Jonathan Valley
• Sharon Cagle, North Canton
• Wendy Underwood, Clyde
• Jan Davis, Clyde
• Jonathan Serenius, Jonathan Valley
• Jennifer Mullins, Junaluska
• Michelle Knapik, BMS
• Lindsey Arhart, Riverbend
• Neisha Cochran, North Canton

2017-18 Haywood County Schools Foundation Professional Development Grant
Grants were handed out to the following educators:
• Leslie Buchanan, Riverbend
• Adam Stewart, WMS
• Melissa Collins, Bethel
• Jennifer Rigdon, Bethel
• Anita Painter, CMS
• Jennifer Mullins, Junaluska
• Amy Tiller, CMS
• Jaime Graeber, WMS
• Maggie King, Riverbend
• Emily Ferguson, CMS
• Gloria Rose, Clyde
• Suzanne Bigsby, Riverbend
• Spencer Reeves, BMS
• Michelle Mahoney, PHS
• Angela Stephens, WMS
• Melisa Williams, Hazelwood
• Jim Davis, THS
• Kathryn Boyer, Bethel
• Sandra Hermida, WMS
• Jennifer Parton, WMS
• Lisa Mathis, North Canton
• Vicky Messer, WMS
• Betty White, WMS
• Misty Griffin, WMS
• Jessica Coward, Hazelwood
• Kathryn Clontz, Clyde/WMS/THS
• Tara O’Loughlin, WMS
• Suzanne Orbock Miller, THS
• Kendra Plemmons, BMS
• Brandon Smith, CMS
• Julie Thompson, Hazelwood
• Ann Lanzi, county-wide
• Amy Harrington, BMS
• Sally Hundley, BMS
• Neisha Cochran, North Canton
• Shawn Parris, BMS
• Dillon Ingle, THS
• Noal Castater, WMS
• Emily Fama, BMS
• Laurie Bass, WMS
• Faron Charlie Edwards, WMS
• Paula Nichols, Junaluska
• Valerie Guyer, North Canton
• Sandra Myers, CMS
• Lisa Lawrence, CMS
• Ira Hyde, Junaluska
• Tim Wise, THS
• Phyllis Burchfield, Bethel
• Dorine Styles, Bethel
• Marlene Creary, Junaluska
• Julie Smith, BMS
• Brenda Wheeler, BMS
• Alex Deutsch, county-wide
• Jody Schaffer, BMS
• Caroline Bethea-Brown, CHHS
• Andrew Chase Smith, PHS
• Melinda Rogers, county-wide
• Penny Squires, PHS
• Chris Frodsham, BMS
• Stephanie Morgan, PHS
• Crystal McCracken, BMS
• Carol Clarke, Hazelwood
• Megean Wantz, Clyde
• Karen Kreitzburg, WMS
• Jennifer Mabry, BMS
• Becky Pope, Hazelwood
• Deidra Boone, BMS
• Robin Rogers, THS
• Namchuam Williams, Junaluska
• Elise Parham, BMS
• Angela Pless, THS
• Joel Sellers, Junaluska
• Rebecca Smith, BMS
• Lindsey Costner, BMS
• Angela McHenry, Bethel/Riverbend
• Candy McCoy, Riverbend
• Judy Johnson, Riverbend
• Barbara Fowler, THS
• Mary Ann Shoaf, School Nutrition Services
• Karen Jones, BMS
• Kendra Kirkpatrick, North Canton
• Julie Green, BMS
• Anita Clark, BMS
• Lori Heatherly, WMS
• Kim Jackson, Information Technology Center

2017-18 QuickDraw Art Education Grant
Grants were handed out to the following educators:
• Julie Buchanan, Junaluska/Hazelwood
• Kara Faust, CMS
• Dustin Keyes, PHS
• Carrie Hooper, Clyde/Meadowbrook/North Canton
• Stephanie Kea, THS
• Angela Cloud, BMS
• Tara O’Loughlin, WMS
• Caroline Ottinger, Bethel/Jonathan Valley/Riverbend