The Refugio ISD Education Foundation helped Refugio ISD staff kick off their school year with a BANG on Monday, August 12th! The Foundation treated all RISD staff to a Loaded Baked Potato bar and a variety of homemade sweets. Following lunch, REF presented their highly anticipated 5th Annual CATWALK to announce the Innovative Teaching Grants to be awarded for the 2024-2025 school year. Nineteen grants totaling $33,592.93 were awarded to facilitate innovative and creative instructional approaches to accomplish program objectives, goals, and initiatives of the Refugio ISD. Several special grants were handed out in honor of the Susan Cox Memorial, the Fran Slack Memorial, and because of support from the AEP Foundation. The Bobcat Mascot made a surprise appearance with the delivery of a "TOP SECRET" briefcase for REF Board President, Roz Keck. Once opened, it was revealed that the Foundation was able to hand out envelopes containing $150 in CASH for each classroom teacher as a way to supplement any out-of-pocket expenses they may experience during the year. REF truly thanks all RISD employees for their dedication to Refugio students and wishes them a successful year!

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

Our first 3 grants are being funded by a very generous grant from the American Electric Power Foundation. Patrick King, representing AEP, presented these first three awards.

• “You Light Up the Room” Bradley Nelson (11th-12th Physics, IPC) $316 Students will have the opportunity to have hands on experience wiring a dollhouse with Direct Current. Through this activity they will learn how circuits work and practical functionality of ohms law.

• “Keep the Momentum Rolling” Bradley Nelson (9th-12th Physics, IPC ) $1,396 These momentum carts and tracks will allow us to get real world calculations on friction, conservation of energy, and the relationship between mass and force. Attachments can also be purchased at a later date to include optics and image formation as well.

• “8' Long Mapp Bed Joiner” Kent Hawthorne (9-12th) $3700 The purchase of a new joiner will help current and future students learn how to carefully use shop equipment to successfully plan and complete a project that they choose.

Our next six grants are being funded by the Fran Slack Memorial Account. Fran was a music teacher in the district for many years, and many of us were blessed to be influenced by her passion for music and the fine arts. The Slack family has been a great supporter of the Foundation for the past 5 years.

• “A Christmas Carol” Ted Buhrts (7th & 8th Band) $1,000 The Middle School Band will attend “A Christmas Carol” play by Charles Dickens at Harbor Playhouse in Corpus Christi.

• “Goosebumps” Ted Buhrts (Band 6th) $1,000 The 6th Grade Band will attend a musical performance of “Goosebumps” at Harbor Playhouse in Corpus Christi.

• “It’s Alive! FrankenSTEM” Monica Baron, Sylvia Diaz, Margaret Castellano (3rd-8th) $1195 Drama has emerged as a pivotal element in literature, offering students of all age groups a valuable opportunity to cultivate more effective learning techniques, strategies, and solutions. We are excited to extend an invitation to The Bright Star Touring Theatre to stage “FrankenSTEM”, a captivating production where students will delve into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math to bring the Doctor’s latest invention to life! This initiative aims to further enrich and diversify our students’ literary encounters by introducing them to innovative approaches in literature.

• “Bringing Books to Life II” Monica Baron (PreK-2nd) $1650 Main Street Theatre will perform Elephant and Piggie’s “We Are in a Book”. Drama is ideal for cross-curricular learning and is a valuable tool for use in many subject areas. It develops literacy skills, and instead of sitting still and listening, students are encouraged to move, speak and respond to one another. Students who are challenged by reading and writing often respond more positively to the imaginative and multi-sensory learning offered by drama. Drama helps students develop skills such as creativity, inquiry, communication, empathy, self-confidence, cooperation, and leadership. Most importantly, drama is fun, making learning both enjoyable and memorable.

• “Different, Not Less” Britni Bernal (Early Childhood-1st) $1589 Classroom materials are needed to supply the PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities) self-contained classroom. Cognitive or intellectual development is one of the biggest goals of early childhood education. It deals with strengthening and growing a child’s ability to think, reason, and understand concepts.

• “Music to Our Ears” Britni Bernal (Early Childhood-1st) *$500 Music-related educational materials for the PPCD classroom.

• “Checkmate Champions” Olivia DeLeon, Melissa Linney (3rd-5th) $400 During UIL competition last year, we realized that elementary students love to play chess. Starting a chess club at RES will offer a valuable STEM experience, enhancing students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Chess encourages strategic planning and logical reasoning, fundamental components of STEM education. It will also expose them to mathematical terms and spatial reasoning. Additionally, it teaches good sportsmanship, promotes respect, patience, and resilience. By providing a positive and engaging extracurricular activity, the chess club will enrich our school’s culture and contribute to students’ academic and personal growth while fostering a lifelong appreciation for the game.

• “Walking the Miles of History from Past to Present” Tammy Wills (3rd) $740.93 A frequent feeling expressed by American students is one of apathy towards history and sciences. They don’t feel connected to the past or the structures that are in place in our society. Yet, social sciences impact our lives on a daily basis. This grant has the intended purpose of connecting students to the very important concepts we cover in social studies. “Walking the Miles of History from Past to Present” will allow students to experience real world views in addition to resources found within the curriculum. While all students are here to learn, these resources will allow them to have fun with it. TIME magazine will give them the extra information about what is going on in real time and what is to come. Students learn differently and these resources will allow the differentiation for the different learning types. My ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between history and the present to encourage students to be curious, engaged, and life-long learners. (September)

• “Blasting Off in Third Grade” Tammy Wills, Melissa Linney, Kelley Solomon (3rd ) $812 Third grade is an exciting year for science students as they learn about our Solar System beyond Earth, the moon, and the sun. They begin to explore the other planets in our solar system, gravity, and the relationship between objects in space and Earth. This grant is for a field trip to NASA in Houston to give students the opportunity to explore what they have been studying beyond the classroom.

• “The Study of Light” Chasey Duncan (5th) $904 Students will use laser pointers to study light. Laser pointers will allow students to discover through hands-on lab activities that light travels in straight lines, can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed. Headsets with microphones will be used for classroom and lab activities. The microphones will allow students to record their lab findings and complete research.

• “Quick and Easy Transitions with 2nd Grade” Margaret Soderholtz & Ryanne Koether (2nd Gr) $1,500 The 2024-2025 school year will begin a new tradition in 2nd grade. The students will transition between 3 classrooms and teachers. We need systems in place to make their transitions as easy and quick as possible. Each 2nd grade teacher will have a cart to organize the daily supplies for their homeroom class. The cart will transition with the students. Each student will have a chair pocket that will go with them through the day. Book bins will be used in each classroom to store each students' books, folders, and journals. A file organizing tote will store behavior folders for each class.

• “Nourish Your Mind and Soul” Olivia DeLeon, Brooke Jessop, Eli Boxell (PreK-5th) $2,000 Last year, RES was awarded a book vending machine and books. The book vending machine and books were used by staff members to promote positive behaviors of their students. Along with the books, we incorporated a positive office referral that staff members would complete and give to the student. The student then chose a free book from the machine and took a picture which was displayed on a bulletin board for celebration. This has been extremely beneficial in building school culture. Students were rewarded for being a good friend, honesty, hard work, attendance, and helping others. There are so many benefits to this project. It definitely boosts self-confidence, minimizes negative behavior, and helps to motivate students to display positive behaviors. The books will be used to refill the machine for the upcoming school year. Another big takeaway is the students get to read the books with their family members. This will help to grow relationships at home as well as at school.

• “Multi-Process Welding Machines” Justin Southern (7th-12th) $4798 These two new machines will be used to teach and test all types of welding, Stick, Mig, and FLUX Core to add to Industry Based Certifications.

The last group of grants are funded by the Susan Cox Memorial Account. Susan was an RHS alumni, an avid Bobcat supporter, and was a Founding Donor and Founding Board member for the Refugio ISD Education Foundation, and a life-long friend to many on the Board. Kelly and James Fortenberry, Susan’s son and daughter-in-law, and Delbert Cox, Susan’s husband, were present to honor Susan and the recipients of the following grants.

• “Experiencing the USS Lexington” Margaret Soderholtz, Ryanne Koether, Kelley Solomon (2nd) $1572 Students need to grasp the significance of the symbols, traditions, and festivities representing the American values and ideals that shape our national identity. Furthermore, they need to develop an understanding of the historical importance of landmarks, monuments, and celebrations at the local, state, and national levels. The USS Lexington Museum is an American monument/symbol that is located only an hour away from Refugio. The students will view the 3D Film Aircraft Carrier: Guardian of the Seas as an introduction. Then they will rotate through hands-on activity stations involving dynamics of flight, ship building and buoyancy, and communication with sound-powered telephones.

• “Bobcat Academics” Travis McClellan, Twyla Thomas, Amy Waer (9th-12th) $3520 This program is designed to celebrate year-long student practice and participation in UIL Academic Events. Additionally, the program is designed to better equip academic coaches to build academic champions.

• “Bobcats Walk/Run for Life” Clarissa Rosas, Alexa Deal $5,000 Refugio ISD is seeking a grant in the amount of $5,000 to fund the project: “Bobcats Walk/Run for Life”. Our goal is to host a 5K in honor of suicide prevention. This project would provide support to our students and community by promoting mental/emotional wellness. The topic of suicide is often stigmatized, and “Bobcats Walk/Run for Life” would show our community that we are comfortable talking about mental health challenges. The project also carries the goal of informing our students and community of support services that are available if they are experiencing thoughts of suicide. Mental health is invisible, meaning that we are not always able to see what others are going through by looking at them. Bobcats Walk/Run for Life would give us a platform to help others to not feel alone in their struggles and encourage them to get help if needed.