Wednesday, June 24, 2009
There were some excited Waco ISD teachers, administrators and students in late May — and it had nothing to do with the end of the school year. On May 27-28, the Waco ISD Education Foundation SurPrize Patrol “ambushed” a number of teachers in their classrooms to let them know that their grants had been selected to receive funding. This year, the foundation awarded almost $100,000 in grants for truly exciting programs that will enhance the educational experience for students.
A committee of 24, made up of former WISD teachers, current administrators, foundation board members, donors, taxpayers, alumni, parents, business owners (employers) and civic representatives, meticulously reviewed 64 grant applications before allocating funds for 28 programs. The selected programs fit the foundation’s mission to focus on programs that fall within four areas — early childhood development, enhanced programming for advanced students, extended education for staff and emphasis on student performance.
“The teachers are on the front lines. They know the specific children in our district and they have the ability to grow and adapt with them, year by year,” said Traci Marlin, Community Resource Coordinator for the district. “Our grant process works wonderfully to support the evolution, because the teachers are the ones who invent the projects we fund (as opposed to us deciding how the funds were spent from our end). We work hard to hone the process to find the most amazing, innovative projects available to Waco schools.
“Awarding classroom grants to teachers is a happy, feel-good cause, but it is also very serious stuff. The educational opportunities provided by the Education Foundation are what the Waco community wants to see in our schools. Our projects are what Waco teachers think our Waco kids need to learn, not legislators in Austin ruling for statewide situations. The priorities are suggested by our front lines and chosen by our local citizens — the ones who are truly affected by the successes or failures of our education system.”
This year, some of the projects funded include “Crime Scene Science” at Carver Academy, “Laying Down Tracks for the Future” at Lake Air, “Where on Earth is Science” at Crestview Elementary and “It Blooms, It Hops, It Swims, It Flies” at Hillcrest PDS, to name a few. Other schools receiving grants were Bells Hill, Brazos Middle School, Brook Avenue, Cesar Chavez, Doris Miller, Meadowbrook Elementary, Mountainview Elementary, Provident Heights Elementary, South Waco Elementary, STARS Academy, Tennyson, and a combined grant between A.J. Moore, University High and Waco High. Grants also were provided for music education at the elementary level and to libraries.
The Foundation began funding grants in 1997, when just $1,500 was awarded. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $759,324 dollars in 233 grants to WISD teachers.
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Lori Fogleman has certainly seen her share of award and prize winners in her time at KWTX and Baylor, but she claims that she has never won a big prize herself. That all changed May 7 when she won a $5,000 lawn make over from Fitzgerald Lawnscapers through a raffle benefitting Keep Waco Beautiful (KWB).
Lori bought two raffle tickets with no expectation of winning. She was absolutely flabbergasted when she was notified by phone that she had the winning ticket, saying she hooped and hollered. “It blew my mind when I was called,” she said. Even several days later, Lori was still over the moon about her prize.
Although Lori and husband, Richard, have not firmed up their landscaping ideas, she did say their home includes an interesting interior garden area by our front door that would benefit from some creativity.
This year’s raffle was a big success for more than the Fogleman family. KWB sold more than $8,000 worth of tickets. The money will continue KWB’s mission of making Waco a cleaner, safer, more beautiful place to live and work. Some of the organization’s big annual projects are the Brazos River Cleanup, Lake Waco Cleanup, Used Tire Recycling Day and Hazardous Waste Collection Day. The group also has been involved in a number of high-profile beautification projects over the years, such as the lighting of the Suspension Bridge and building of Heritage Square. Plus, organizers say to stay tuned – KWB will unveil a big, exciting new fundraiser set for this fall.
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One presidency is over and one is just beginning for the Oliver family. Susie Oliver has completed her year as president of the Junior League of Waco, but husband, Dub, is just starting his new position as the 12th president of East Texas Baptist University (EBT).
“It was fantastic,” Susie said of her year as League president. “I had a fabulous board, so everything ran very smoothly.”
Her biggest highlight was the success of the Deck the Halls Gift Market, which raised $20,000 more than its goal.
“We were worried about the economy, so we cut the budget where we could when we started the year. My goal was to leave the league financially sound, and we are,” she said.
But Susie is not going to fade away from the JLW or Waco. Dub and Susie’s daughter, Callie, will be a senior at Reicher, so Susie will continue to live here during the coming year. In fact, she plans to do a Junior League double placement of helping with the Clifton House and volunteering at the NICU in 2009-2010. That is, when she is not putting miles on her car to Marshall, Texas.
“Callie is head cheerleader at Reicher, so I will stay to watch her cheer on Friday nights and then hop in the car and drive to Marshall, so I can be at ETB’s games on Saturday,” Susie said.
The Olivers will stay in an older home on the ETB campus while the president’s home is being renovated.
“The 11th president did the same thing we are; his wife stayed behind for one year because their child was a senior in high school. So we plan to keep our house on the Baylor campus for the year, and then do one big home move,” Susie said.
Susie and Callie, who are both popular local swimming teachers, did conduct their last summer swim classes in June. Susie, who has taught swimming almost every year since she was in high school, plans to hang up her swim goggles once she moves. She doesn’t say whether she will keep up her involvement with the Junior League.
“I loved all the projects and all my placements. I think my favorites were working on Moonlight Moves and my year as Provisional Trainer. It also was so great to meet people outside of Baylor. I wouldn’t take anything for the experience,” she said.
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The first concert I ever attended was at the HOT Coliseum. It was back in the 1970s and my older sister, Becky, and some of her friends took me with them to see Chicago. I have been a big fan of the band since then.
Now I get to relive that experience because the Providence Foundation is bringing the legendary band in to perform for the hospital’s 105th Gala Celebration. The date is February 10, 2010 and the location is once again the Coliseum. The foundation likes to bring in big name musicians for its galas. The Fifth Dimension performed at the 95th Gala while Amy Grant took stage at the 100th Anniversary Celebration. More details will follow in the months ahead about the 105th Gala, and I’ll be sure to buy my ticket as soon as they become available.
