The Refugio ISD Education Foundation presented 18 grant awards to winners of its Innovative Teaching Grants at the Refugio ISD Convocation held on August 7, 2023 in the newly renovated RHS Performing Arts Center. The awards helped kick off the welcome back ceremony for Refugio ISD staff members and make it possible for schools and departments to begin implementing their projects for the 2023-2024 school year. In total, $51,397.58 was awarded to facilitate innovative and creative instructional approaches to accomplish program objectives, goals, and initiatives of the Refugio ISD.

The grant title, award recipient(s), and amounts are listed below.

• "Bringing Books to Life #1"

  Melissa Linney(3rd) A Novel Effects subscription for a voice-driven app and 2 classroom sets of books for novel studies. $531.97

• "Bright Futures After High School Graduation" Awarded by HEB Twyla Thomas and Samantha Meza (9th-12th) College and military pennants for High School campus hallways $675.85

• "Learning Through Visuals" Yvelle Salazar (6th-8th) Classroom visual aids and sets of graphic history novels $750

• "Childrens' Concert Series" Fran Slack Memorial Ted Buhrts (6th grade Band) The first of 3 grants awarded by Mike Slack in honor of his mother, Fran Slack, who was a long-time Refugio music teacher. Attend performance of Victoria Symphony's "Peter and the Wolf" featuring Victoria Ballet Theatre $750

• "Let's Get Physical" Travis McClellan and Bradley Nelson (9-12th) Lab equipment $811.79

• "Project HUMAN" Travis McClellan (9-12th) Field trip to McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science in Houston $1,368

• "Giants of the African Savanna" Katie Green (9-10th) Field trip to San Antonio Zoo $1,536

• "Blast Off! An Out of This World Learning Experience" Ryan Linney, Jeanette Barraza, Leslie Haug (4th) Field trip to NASA Space Center in Houston $1,548

• "Don't Just GOOGLE It!" Katie Green (9-10th) Boreal Digital Compound Microscope $1,567.80

• "CTE-Nursing Uniforms" Sarah Lopez, RN, BSN and Jennifer Johnson, RN, BSN (12th) Scrubs and stethoscopes for the CTE Nursing Program $1,683.52

• "Bringing Books to Life #2" Fran Slack Memorial Monica Baron, Selina Silvas, Anna Garcia (PreK-2nd) Performance of CLICK, CLACK, MOO COWS THAT TYPE at the RISD Performing Arts Center by Ensemble Theatre of Houston $1,650

• "Special Education: Sensory Spaces for Non-Neurotypical Learners" (EC-5th Special Education) Furnishings and sensory items for Refugio Elementary School Sensory Room $2,000

• "Jack Is So Much More Than His Beanstalk" Fran Slack Memorial Anna Garcia (3rd-8th) Performance of "Jack and the Beanstalk" fairy tale at RISD Performing Arts Center by Ensemble Theatre of Houston $2,700

• "Raised Panel Saw" Kent Hawthorne (9-12th) Raised panel saw $4,915.06

• "Today a Reader...Tomorrow a Leader" Olivia DeLeon, Eli Boxell, Brooke Jessop, Malaise Williams, Melissa Linney (PreK-5th) Inchy's Bookworm Vending Machine for positive behavioral interventions and support $6,639

• "Feed Your Mind" Awarded by HEB Olivia DeLeon, Eli Boxell, Brooke Jessop, Malaise Williams, Melissa Linney (PreK-5th) Student books for vending machine $1,750

• "Welding Booths" Justin Southern (7-12th) Updated welding booths with built-in reflective shields which are welding fume exhaust ready that will facilitate use of multi-purpose welding machines and improve welding safety. $8,560.59

• "Calculators" Susan Sullivan Cox Memorial Allie Upton (6th-12th Math) Our largest grant ever was awarded in honor of Susan Sullivan Cox- RHS Class of 1969; a lifetime supporter of Refugio ISD; and a founding member and board member of the Refugio ISD Education Foundation. This award was presented by her husband, Delbert Cox; daughter, Dede Reese; and daughter-in-law, Kelley Fortenberry. Eight class sets of Texas Instruments NSpire CX II Graphing Calculators $11,960