2024 Enrichment Grant Recipients
Animal Needs & Hatching Chicks
Taylor Wiklinski, Grindstone - $ 885
Teachers on my kindergarten team have received grants that provided their students with the real life experience of hatching and caring for chicks in the classroom. After seeing the excitement and learning that takes place in these classrooms, I would love to have the same enrichment opportunity for my students. Two of the other teachers would like to have a safe brooder box for chicks which is included in this grant. They currently use glass aquariums which are not meant for chicks to live in.
Back 2 School Bash Event
David McElroy, Berea Midpark Middle School - $2,500
The Back 2 School Bash Event began in the 2023-2024 school year and aims to welcome Berea-Midpark Middle School students back to school and celebrate the first full week of being back in our buildings. Last year's event featured a teacher-staffed dunk tank, video game truck provided by OMG Gaming, light refreshments (popcorn and water) and an opportunity for socialization and connecting with peers, teachers, and our community supporters.
BMMS Garden Club
Michael Pearl, Berea Midpark Middle School - $ 650
The BMMS Garden Club has revitalized the Common Area Courtyard where students and staff eat lunch outdoors. We have planted 100's of perennials and annual flowers, built modern wood seating and Adirondack chairs, a student vegetable garden, and installed a Japanese Koi Pond. We are now in need of funds for the upkeep of our projects.
BMMS Titan Wellness Day
Dawn Sansone, Berea Midpark Middle School - $3,000
A day of Wellness to teach students about mental health and the importance of taking care of themselves. Our program will help to enrich the Portrait of a Titan competencies of Communicator, Adaptability and Empathetic learner.
Celebrating Diversity: Parent/Teacher Conferences
Shannon Chrnko, Berea-Midpark High School - $1,100
Through the celebration of holidays, presentation of students' cultures by students, providing childcare through the National Honor Society, and a help desk through the counseling department, the hope is to build a foundation and welcome our families during conferences.
Certified Trauma & Resilience Specialist Train-the-Trainer
Meredith Ondak, BCSD - $ 10,250
The Certified Trauma and Resilience Specialist Train-the-Trainer program is designed to equip identified staff members with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to effectively train others in trauma-informed practices. This model ensures the sustainability and scalability of trauma-informed care within BCSD by creating a network of qualified trainers who can support the learning and application of these critical practices into our school community. To learn more about the certification, please click here.
Community Based Resource Room Art Materials
Johnnie Brooks, Brook Park Elementary - $535
I am requesting a grant in the amount of $535.50 to provide art materials for my special needs students that attend art in my classroom as well as for use when I travel to their Community Based Resource Room (CBRR) to provide art lessons. My art supply budget provides supplies for our art students as whole. But our special needs students need different resource materials to provide them with effective and enriching lessons.
Family Literacy Take-Home Bags for English Learners
Patricia Power, Big Creek Elementary, Brook Park Elementary, and Grindstone - $2,000
My goal is to provide take-home literacy bags (for elementary English learners of all ages) to promote and encourage family literacy outside of the classroom. Students will have the opportunity to take home lots of different bags with books, games and activities throughout the year, and the various levels of books means that as kids grow their literacy skills, there will be new literacy bags to take home that are specifically appropriate to their academic needs. Students and families can enjoy these bags as long as they would like, and when they return them, they will be able to take another bag home to read!
Getting Inventive with Makey Makey
Chuck Spittal, Berea Midpark Middle School - $785
Students in my 5th and 6th grade technology classes will use Makey Makey boards to explore and create new and innovative ways of connecting to and controlling computer programs. Using their creativity and developing technology skills, students will use everyday objects to invent things like video game controllers, interactive artwork, musical instruments, and anything else they might imagine. If you are unfamiliar with Makey Makey, you can view their website by clicking here.
Great Berea Train Show Diorama
Thomas Conti, Berea Midpark High School and Berea-Midpark Middle School - $860
A collaboration between Mr. Conti’s high school art students and art club along with Mrs. Kupchik's middle school art students. We will be creating a working scale model railroad diorama installation. The project will expose our students to skills needed to create 3-dimensional landscapes, electrical transformers for train operation, tunnel/stone effect, bridge design, scale building architecture and signage design. This would be both a school and community project that would be on display at the 2024 Great Berea Train show and possibly other area locations. (possible areas district art show, local libraries or rec centers)
Grindstone Fourth Grade Generation Geniuses
Stephanie Cox, Grindstone - $1,400
Teachers will be collaborating to develop a science curriculum to meet the Ohio Science Standards through deeper learning and hands-on experiences. The program will further support the district purchased science supplemental Generation Genius, by providing the hands-on materials to fulfill the DIY activities included within the fourth grade program.
Grindstone Third Grade Generation Geniuses
Anne McNally, Grindstone Elementary - $1,700
Teachers will be collaborating to develop a science curriculum to meet the Ohio Science Standards through deeper learning and hands-on experiences. The program will further support the district purchased science supplemental Generation Genius, by providing the hands-on materials to fulfill the thirteen DIY activities included within the third grade program.
Mural for Beautification of BMMS
Megan McCully-Frankenfield, Berea Midpark Middle School - $1,575
My students will create additional permanent murals for the courtyard garden project. They will also create murals in the Art/Music wing to replace drab and gray wall space using Art/Music themes...also permanent. Students will create large murals using specific and appropriate materials that are expensive and cannot be covered through student fees.
Music for All
John Chapman, Brook Park Elementary - $715
Our program will provide instruments to allow ALL students to make music! These instruments align within the Universal Design for Learning framework (UDL). This will allow for students with varying abilities to participate and be successful in all music activities.
Popcorn Palooza-BPE 3rd Grade Economics Immersion
Renee Nedoma, Brook Park Elementary - $4,600
Recently, the Teacher-Based Team at Brook Park Elementary worked on a Unit Plan for Economics Strand of the Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum. This extensive plan also encompasses multiple subject areas such as reading, writing and math, specifically those standards identified as critical needs by our research into the Ohio State Testing data analysis. We strongly believe this classroom learning can truly be intensified with real, hands-on experience. Therefore, we would like to incorporate these skills involved with being an entrepreneur to ACTUALLY create, manage, and produce popcorn as our product to be sold for Titan Tickets or otherwise during the school year.
Science Fair in 8th Grade
Dawn Barchanowicz, Berea Midpark Middle School - $1,500
2024-2025 8th Grade students will be participating in an 8th Grade Science Fair. Students will work with their science teacher, family, and Mr. Kushlak in completing research and conducting experiments utilizing the Scientific Method.
Sophomores Surviving Shakespeare
Danielle Krivak, Berea Midpark High School - $660
Four years ago, after noticing that students were struggling with comprehension and interest, we changed the way that we teach Julius Caesar in our co-taught classes. We now teach the entire play through drawing pictures of the important metaphors in the play. Students use their class notebooks to illustrate depictions of critical scenes in the play and this becomes the basis of our class discussion and assessment.
Spanish Literacy
Holly Lamovsky, Berea Midpark High School - $350
Spanish students will read various novels in Spanish through Flangoo. They will engage in teacher-created deeper learning related to those novels in the classroom. Students will acquire new language and increase literacy in their second language.
STEM Table Tubs
John Kruggel, Grindstone - $1,445
We have new teachers on our team that would like to start using STEM table tubs because they see the benefit of other classrooms that already use them. With 5-6 classes all doing table tubs first thing in the morning, we will need 30 separate table tub activities at a time. We plan to rotate these every two weeks and then pick 30 new table tubs every 2 1/2-3 months.
Titans Spirit Store
Amanda Prok, Berea Midpark Middle School - $1,375
We are opening up a Titans Spirit Store at BMMS. This will be a student run store where our Titans can turn in their PBIS points to purchase tangible items from our spirit store. It is basically a mini Amazon company within our school building. Our student run store will deliver purchased items to students in store specific packaging material.
Taylor Wiklinski, Grindstone - $ 885
Teachers on my kindergarten team have received grants that provided their students with the real life experience of hatching and caring for chicks in the classroom. After seeing the excitement and learning that takes place in these classrooms, I would love to have the same enrichment opportunity for my students. Two of the other teachers would like to have a safe brooder box for chicks which is included in this grant. They currently use glass aquariums which are not meant for chicks to live in.
Back 2 School Bash Event
David McElroy, Berea Midpark Middle School - $2,500
The Back 2 School Bash Event began in the 2023-2024 school year and aims to welcome Berea-Midpark Middle School students back to school and celebrate the first full week of being back in our buildings. Last year's event featured a teacher-staffed dunk tank, video game truck provided by OMG Gaming, light refreshments (popcorn and water) and an opportunity for socialization and connecting with peers, teachers, and our community supporters.
BMMS Garden Club
Michael Pearl, Berea Midpark Middle School - $ 650
The BMMS Garden Club has revitalized the Common Area Courtyard where students and staff eat lunch outdoors. We have planted 100's of perennials and annual flowers, built modern wood seating and Adirondack chairs, a student vegetable garden, and installed a Japanese Koi Pond. We are now in need of funds for the upkeep of our projects.
BMMS Titan Wellness Day
Dawn Sansone, Berea Midpark Middle School - $3,000
A day of Wellness to teach students about mental health and the importance of taking care of themselves. Our program will help to enrich the Portrait of a Titan competencies of Communicator, Adaptability and Empathetic learner.
Celebrating Diversity: Parent/Teacher Conferences
Shannon Chrnko, Berea-Midpark High School - $1,100
Through the celebration of holidays, presentation of students' cultures by students, providing childcare through the National Honor Society, and a help desk through the counseling department, the hope is to build a foundation and welcome our families during conferences.
Certified Trauma & Resilience Specialist Train-the-Trainer
Meredith Ondak, BCSD - $ 10,250
The Certified Trauma and Resilience Specialist Train-the-Trainer program is designed to equip identified staff members with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to effectively train others in trauma-informed practices. This model ensures the sustainability and scalability of trauma-informed care within BCSD by creating a network of qualified trainers who can support the learning and application of these critical practices into our school community. To learn more about the certification, please click here.
Community Based Resource Room Art Materials
Johnnie Brooks, Brook Park Elementary - $535
I am requesting a grant in the amount of $535.50 to provide art materials for my special needs students that attend art in my classroom as well as for use when I travel to their Community Based Resource Room (CBRR) to provide art lessons. My art supply budget provides supplies for our art students as whole. But our special needs students need different resource materials to provide them with effective and enriching lessons.
Family Literacy Take-Home Bags for English Learners
Patricia Power, Big Creek Elementary, Brook Park Elementary, and Grindstone - $2,000
My goal is to provide take-home literacy bags (for elementary English learners of all ages) to promote and encourage family literacy outside of the classroom. Students will have the opportunity to take home lots of different bags with books, games and activities throughout the year, and the various levels of books means that as kids grow their literacy skills, there will be new literacy bags to take home that are specifically appropriate to their academic needs. Students and families can enjoy these bags as long as they would like, and when they return them, they will be able to take another bag home to read!
Getting Inventive with Makey Makey
Chuck Spittal, Berea Midpark Middle School - $785
Students in my 5th and 6th grade technology classes will use Makey Makey boards to explore and create new and innovative ways of connecting to and controlling computer programs. Using their creativity and developing technology skills, students will use everyday objects to invent things like video game controllers, interactive artwork, musical instruments, and anything else they might imagine. If you are unfamiliar with Makey Makey, you can view their website by clicking here.
Great Berea Train Show Diorama
Thomas Conti, Berea Midpark High School and Berea-Midpark Middle School - $860
A collaboration between Mr. Conti’s high school art students and art club along with Mrs. Kupchik's middle school art students. We will be creating a working scale model railroad diorama installation. The project will expose our students to skills needed to create 3-dimensional landscapes, electrical transformers for train operation, tunnel/stone effect, bridge design, scale building architecture and signage design. This would be both a school and community project that would be on display at the 2024 Great Berea Train show and possibly other area locations. (possible areas district art show, local libraries or rec centers)
Grindstone Fourth Grade Generation Geniuses
Stephanie Cox, Grindstone - $1,400
Teachers will be collaborating to develop a science curriculum to meet the Ohio Science Standards through deeper learning and hands-on experiences. The program will further support the district purchased science supplemental Generation Genius, by providing the hands-on materials to fulfill the DIY activities included within the fourth grade program.
Grindstone Third Grade Generation Geniuses
Anne McNally, Grindstone Elementary - $1,700
Teachers will be collaborating to develop a science curriculum to meet the Ohio Science Standards through deeper learning and hands-on experiences. The program will further support the district purchased science supplemental Generation Genius, by providing the hands-on materials to fulfill the thirteen DIY activities included within the third grade program.
Mural for Beautification of BMMS
Megan McCully-Frankenfield, Berea Midpark Middle School - $1,575
My students will create additional permanent murals for the courtyard garden project. They will also create murals in the Art/Music wing to replace drab and gray wall space using Art/Music themes...also permanent. Students will create large murals using specific and appropriate materials that are expensive and cannot be covered through student fees.
Music for All
John Chapman, Brook Park Elementary - $715
Our program will provide instruments to allow ALL students to make music! These instruments align within the Universal Design for Learning framework (UDL). This will allow for students with varying abilities to participate and be successful in all music activities.
Popcorn Palooza-BPE 3rd Grade Economics Immersion
Renee Nedoma, Brook Park Elementary - $4,600
Recently, the Teacher-Based Team at Brook Park Elementary worked on a Unit Plan for Economics Strand of the Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum. This extensive plan also encompasses multiple subject areas such as reading, writing and math, specifically those standards identified as critical needs by our research into the Ohio State Testing data analysis. We strongly believe this classroom learning can truly be intensified with real, hands-on experience. Therefore, we would like to incorporate these skills involved with being an entrepreneur to ACTUALLY create, manage, and produce popcorn as our product to be sold for Titan Tickets or otherwise during the school year.
Science Fair in 8th Grade
Dawn Barchanowicz, Berea Midpark Middle School - $1,500
2024-2025 8th Grade students will be participating in an 8th Grade Science Fair. Students will work with their science teacher, family, and Mr. Kushlak in completing research and conducting experiments utilizing the Scientific Method.
Sophomores Surviving Shakespeare
Danielle Krivak, Berea Midpark High School - $660
Four years ago, after noticing that students were struggling with comprehension and interest, we changed the way that we teach Julius Caesar in our co-taught classes. We now teach the entire play through drawing pictures of the important metaphors in the play. Students use their class notebooks to illustrate depictions of critical scenes in the play and this becomes the basis of our class discussion and assessment.
Spanish Literacy
Holly Lamovsky, Berea Midpark High School - $350
Spanish students will read various novels in Spanish through Flangoo. They will engage in teacher-created deeper learning related to those novels in the classroom. Students will acquire new language and increase literacy in their second language.
STEM Table Tubs
John Kruggel, Grindstone - $1,445
We have new teachers on our team that would like to start using STEM table tubs because they see the benefit of other classrooms that already use them. With 5-6 classes all doing table tubs first thing in the morning, we will need 30 separate table tub activities at a time. We plan to rotate these every two weeks and then pick 30 new table tubs every 2 1/2-3 months.
Titans Spirit Store
Amanda Prok, Berea Midpark Middle School - $1,375
We are opening up a Titans Spirit Store at BMMS. This will be a student run store where our Titans can turn in their PBIS points to purchase tangible items from our spirit store. It is basically a mini Amazon company within our school building. Our student run store will deliver purchased items to students in store specific packaging material.
