Click here to apply for the 2013 STAR Teacher Grant Cycle.
STAR Teacher Grant Information
BECAUSE OF YOU and your contributions to payroll deduction, we have at least $40,000 to give away in STAR Teacher Grants! That’s more than ever before. In addition to payroll deduction contributions, we also received a tremendous outpour for the Mary Ann Polnick Memorial Fund, a 35 year educator who spent 31 of those years within AISD. Mike Dudley in honor of his wife Judy Dudley, a longtime teacher at Fannin Elementary will give two STAR grants to two deserving teachers at the new Myra Martinez Elementary.
The AEF raises money each year to honor outstanding AISD teachers with classroom and instructional grants. STAR (Supporting Teachers with Academic Resources) Teacher Grants are awarded in September of each year for classroom projects that support curriculum and enrichment activities. The STAR Teacher Grants are funded by the AISD Payroll Deduction Donation Campaign and matching funds from Kaye Price-Hawkins Priceless Literacy and The Greathouse Foundation.
We can be proud that because of you, during the 2011-2012 school year, AISD teachers were awarded over $37,000 which greatly impacted the learning of at least 2/3 of the students in AISD. Please be sure to complete a payroll deduction form and view the “AEF Showtime” brochure to learn more about our important programs. AEF is the only foundation in our community that gives back 100% of its payroll contributions to benefit Abilene ISD teachers and students. Please complete the top page and keep the last copy for your records. You may send completed forms via the pony to: AEF / Jean McMillon / One AISD Center. This year we are asking each campus to enjoy the show and continue to make a difference for our students. If your campus reaches 100% participation, AEF in partnership with AISD will provide your campus with rewards including passes for wearing jeans and leaving school early, and popcorn for the entire campus. If an individual donates a one-time donation of $60 or more or gives at least $5 a month through payroll deduction their name will be placed in a drawing to win one of three 32” flat screen TVs provided by Aaron’s! Thank you again for supporting the Abilene Education Foundation through payroll deduction and for having a starring role that changes lives.
2012 STAR Teacher Grants
See the 2012 STAR Grant Winners below
The AEF raises money each year to honor outstanding AISD teachers with classroom and instructional grants. STAR (Supporting Teachers with Academic Resources) Teacher Grants are awarded in September of each year for classroom projects that support curriculum and enrichment activities. The STAR Teacher Grants are funded by the AISD Payroll Deduction Donation Campaign and matching funds from Kaye Price-Hawkins Priceless Literacy and The Greathouse Foundation.
69 teachers received AEF grants for innovation learning projects. A total of $47,180 was awarded at 17 different locations throughout AISD Thursday as the annual AEF Prize Patrol made its yearly round. AEF has given approximately $273,000 in teacher grants since beginning the program seven years ago. Money raised mostly by payroll deductions fund the teacher grants. This year’s payroll deduction campaign is underway. For more information about AEF, contact executive director Jean McMillon at ext. 5577.
2012 STAR Grant Winners
| Grant Title | School | Lead Teacher |
| Reading: The Next Generation | Abilene High | Kelley Birk |
| A Growing Music Library to Nurture Growing Musicians | Abilene High | Michelle Lessing, Paul Walker, David McKnight |
| Painting Our Future | Abilene High | Julie Simer |
| The Mentorship Theatre Bridge Project | Abilene High | Chad Kennedy |
| CSI Cooper Cougar Style! | Cooper | Beth Green |
| Fashion Faire from Hardware, Plumbing and Home Improvements | Cooper | Marsha Morgan |
| Density Explored | Clack | Mary Haney, Jodi Jacques |
| Mile a Million | Clack | Karrie Taplin |
| Calculating on Calculators | Clack | Whitney Bickerstaff |
| Common Ground | Clack | Aysun Marshall |
| An Apple a Day Keeps the Reading Jitters Away | Clack | Linda Perkins |
| Success is just a Click Away | Craig | Sherri Golden |
| Flipping the Classroom | Craig | Angie Kenley |
| Go Figure with NEO2 | Craig | Kathy Ellison, Susan Piersall |
| Is Reading Simply Black Letters on a White Page? | Craig | Melody Cook |
| They Can’t Believe They Want to Read! | Madison | Catherine Hennessey |
| Reaching for the STAARS! Review..Revise..Renew | Ward | Billie Walker |
| May I have a word please? Teaching vocabulary using mobile technology | Ward | Cynthia Ladyman |
| Flowers for Christy…integrating the curriculum into the care of our school | Ward | Cynthia Ladyman |
| Rug Doctor: Note Specialist | Ward | Elizabeth Burns |
| The Circle of Life | Ward | Elizabeth Burns |
| The World is Waiting for You! | Ward | Beth Reeves |
| Promethean Board | Ward | Amber Diersing |
| Music for the Ears leads pathways through the Years | Austin | Shelly Reed |
| Circuits are a Snap! | Austin | Jennifer McLean |
| Minute to Win It!-Fluency Fun | Bassetti | Patricia Eurich, Hillary Hernandez, Carla Hutchins, Anna Matthews, Kelly Thompson |
| Technology Implementation to Bridge Academic and Social Success in Multiclassroom Environments | Bassetti | Kari Simpson, Marsha Stewart, Dorothy West |
| Seeing Through the World of Touch | Bonham | Amanda Butt |
| The Apple You Can’t Eat! | Bowie | Geraldine Cardenas Wills |
| I Write the Songs | Dyess | Kayla Fowler |
| iJourney: An “App”lication Exploration | Dyess | Rosemary Abila |
| Daily 5 Comes Alive at Dyess | Dyess | Judy Powell–Third Grade Team |
| NXT Generation: Programming the Future | Jackson | Carol Burson |
| Sweet Success with a NEO2! | Jackson | Tanya C. Miles |
| “Kindle” up with a good book! | Jackson | Gretchen Reicheneker |
| Rock Solid Learning | Johnston | Patti Walker, Gina Holt, Debra Arroyo |
| High Strung, in CASE You Didn’t Notice! | Johnston | Patti Walker |
| A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action | Lee | Karen Richard |
| I Pod Touches in the Classroom | Long | Chandra Mathis, Tina Enriquez, Todd Whisenhunt, Julie McNally |
| Wanted: Promethean Board Reward: Students who love learning & can’t wait to come to school | Martinez | Rebecca Talk |
| I think I can, I think I can. Yes you can, while having FUN | Martinez | Rebecca Talk |
| iLearn, iPractice, iUnderstand! iPads for Super Second Graders | Martinez | Amy Davidson |
| Money Makes “Cents” to Second Graders: An Incentive Program Teaching Everyday Economics | Martinez | Melissa Bell, Amy Davidson, Nikki Roy, Sunny Walton, Jessica Youngblood |
| Martinez Tigers’ Imagination Creation (Art) | Martinez | Heather N. Henderson |
| Art Smart | Martinez | Heather Henderson |
| Martinez Musicians Afterschool Club | Martinez | Carey Kitts |
| Read 180 + 2 iPads+ Priceless Lifelong Learning | Martinez | Kathy Olney |
| Math is FUNtastic! | Ortiz | Yolanda Pineda-Gabehart |
| We All Have a Story to Tell | Taylor | Josie Rektenwald |
| If They Build It, Learning Will Come! | Taylor | Josie Rektenwald |
| Leap into Learning! | Taylor | Tanjena Famble |
| Soaring into Social Studies and Science | Taylor | Amy Patton, Ronald Owens, Sharon McPherson, Wendy Moreland |
| Second Graders can be Scientists Too! | Taylor | Amy Packer |
| Neo2 Helps Me It’s True | Taylor | Kim Hancock |