Summerville High School Foundation is proud to have recently awarded checks for Bear Grants from Round I of the 2020 grant funding year. Funds for these grants were donated through local businesses in the Foundation’s annual Sponsorship program. The mission of the SHS Foundation is to enhance education for students in arts, academics and athletics.
We supported another trip to the city of San Francisco for 90 students and chaperones to see the play, “Hamilton.” We helped to fund a bus with a grant of $2730. The students have related study projects they must do to attend this event and each student is required to write a monologue. The winning writer is featured on stage reading their winning entry. Last year a Summerville student won the contest! We have granted nearly $6000 toward this project over the last two years.
Staff members Jamee Dahl and Stephen Sweitzer wrote a grant for $900 to enhance the Character Counts program which promotes a positive school atmosphere on campus, emphasizing trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Character Counts succeeds because it is funded in part by the district budget. The principles of the program are incorporated into classes and activities, rewarding positive behavior, and supported by teachers and staff. Character Counts contributes to all parts of life at Summerville High.
The second grant of $1,000.00 was awarded to drama teacher, Nichole Markle, to help take sixteen students and chaperones to the 2020 Ashland, Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Students will not only see several performances , but will participate in theatre workshops at Southern Oregon University.
Math teacher Leah Gissler developed a program this year to use interactive notebooks to enhance learning with her students. She received a Bear Grant to help accomplish this goal.
The Foundation Board of Directors is looking forward to reviewing grant requests in 2020/2021 school year. Wayne deGennaro, the Bear Grant Committee Chair, and the Foundation board members are grateful to the community for it’s support that makes grants like these possible.
