Saline Area Schools is dedicated to developing 21st-century learners who can collaborate, think critically, communicate, and be creative. Students who have difficulty reading, who have a challenge with focus, who can’t see, and are English language learners have a difficult time keeping up in school. When collaboration and being self-directed is expected to occur and reading is involved the challenge is magnified tenfold. Capti Voice is the award-winning reading tool that will dramatically reduce this imbalance.
Apple Watch and Breathe
Apple Watches have an app called Breathe. When using this app, it provides a multi sensory (physical and visual) experience. During times that our students are experiencing moments of stress, anxiety and other emotional irregularities, the staff have used their personal Apple Watches to help de-escalate / calm students using the Breathe app. The staff place the watch on the childÛªs wrist and assist the student in the breathing exercises. The Apple watch also has a timer that is also multi sensory, which helps students with understanding of time and when to transition in the school environment.
An Outdoor Makerspace: Learning through Play!
From perspective taking to learning in a group, students learn and develop best through play! Recess is an opportunity for our students to practice and generalize skills of communication, collaboration, and creativity in a genuine, yet unstructured setting. However, the playground is not always accessible or equitable for students as they may not be interested in activities such as football or soccer. I propose that we encourage opportunities for play and learning using the Everblocks from Stemfinity as a step towards building an outdoor makerspace!
AP Spanish Language & Culture Headsets
In AP Spanish Language and Culture, students are constantly listening to authentic sources to help with their listening comprehension. In addition, they have to be able to record themselves speaking in Spanish for other activities. An example is the informal speaking portion in which they have the schema of a conversation and then need to respond. They do not know exactly what the person will be saying but rather an idea so their responses are impromptu responses and they need to be recorded. These headsets will allow them to record themselves without all of the additional noise that is around them—including other students.
The Leader in Me
This request is for a 3-year rollover grant for $10,500 each year (followed by subsequent grant requests in 2019/20, and 2020/21) to fund the implementation of The Leader in Me at Woodland Meadows Elementary School. The Leader in Me is Stephen CoveyÛªs whole school transformation process. It teaches twenty-first century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader.
Increasing Student Motivation for Learning Science 2018/19
This grant request funds to conduct activities to engage middle school Science Olympiad participants in deep learning of science through field trips and to boost team morale. We plan on taking a least 5 field trips to places like the planetarium, natural history museum, and university labs for herpetology, genetics, and engineering. Team t-shirts and sweatshirts will boost team spirit and confidence.
Service Learning Budget
We are asking the FSAS to create an annual budget of $10,000-$12,000 to support, sustain, and grow the service learning activities that take place in Saline High School.
Secondary Schools Writing Association National Conference
Funding will support the travel and training of 6 SHS Writing Center consultants at the National Conference of the Secondary Schools Writing Centers Association. These students will then return to SHS to implement and share ideas, practices, tools, and activities with our full consultant staff and all of the students through the SHS Writing Center.
