Nine CMS teachers receive $37,500 in grants
Donors include Hornets, Fox Sports Southeast and CMS Foundation
The Charlotte Hornets and FOX
Sports Southeast, in partnership with
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Foundation, will award a total of $37,500
in Teacher Innovation Fund grants to
nine Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
teachers. The grants will support
dynamic ideas to educate students. The
teachers received the grants during a
half time ceremony during the Hornets
game against the Denver Nuggets on
Friday, March 31, at Spectrum Center.
“The Hornets and FOX Sports
Southeast are great partners with
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools,” said
Superintendent Ann Clark. “Their
generosity in awarding these grants will
benefit our teachers and our students.
We appreciate their support of CMS.”
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
teachers receiving grants are:
n Hannah Bendfeldt, pre-
kindergarten teacher at Billingsville Elementary, received $5,000 to purchase
3Doodler sets, birdhouses and garden supplies to transform the school into a
green, sustainable part of the community.
n Ashleigh Donner, first-grade teacher at Cornelius Elementary, received
$5,000 to purchase mobile white-board tables for the classroom to create a
flexible and collaborative learning environment.
n AmyLeigh Harrison, career and technical education/apparel teacher at
Rocky River High, received $5,000 to purchase sewing machines equipped
with Wi-Fi and camera lenses. The equipment will be used to create
educational videos and tutorials to enhance the learning experience.
n Maggie Mason, third-grade math and science teacher at Davidson
Elementary, received $4,000 to fund the Math and Movement program, a
kinesthetic and multi-sensory approach to learning mathematics.
n Kristi Orange, dean of students at Greenway Park Elementary, received
$3,500 for a secular mindfulness program designed to help students manage
stress, regulate emotions, cultivate
meaningful relationships and improve
academic outcomes.
n Justin Pierce, digital photography
and arts teacher at Hough High,
received $5,000 to build a student-run
design studio to reframe the classroom
experience and encourage student
collaboration.
n Colleen Rogers, Exceptional
Children teacher at Greenway Park
Elementary, received $5,000 to fund the
10-week BRIDGES program. It provides
resources to support school and home
partnerships through targeted social-
emotional learning for students and
community engagement for parents.
n Teresa Taylor, family advocate,
and media coordinator Kimberly Ray at
Idlewild Elementary, received $5,000 for
literacy-based instruction and technology
in dramatic activities.
”We are pleased to be able to assist these outstanding teachers as
they educate our community’s youth,” said Hornets President & COO
Fred Whitfield. “The Hornets and FOX Sports Southeast are proud to lend
our support and play a role in helping provide new, creative educational
opportunities for local students.”
Through the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Foundation, the Hornets and
FOX Sports Southeast will award a total of $250,000 in Teacher Innovation
Fund grants to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers from 2014-2017.
This is the sixth cycle of grants distributed. The organizations have previously
awarded a total of $184,900 to 50 teachers.
“The Teacher Innovation Fund empowers teachers to provide the best
educational experience possible to students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
community,” said Jeff Genthner, Senior Vice President and General Manager
for FOX Sports Southeast. “We truly value our partnership with the Charlotte
Hornets and take great pride in supporting the educators serving Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools.”
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Parent Teacher Magazine • May/June 2017 • 4