2017-2018 Grants-to-Teachers and Staff Scholarship Winners

The DPSF awarded $108,000 for grants-to-teachers and staff scholarships in December 2017. All awards were presented during DPSF Grant Gifting. Award winners are listed below by school.

Virginia Gallian Child Development Center

Karen Smith - "Sensory and Play"
Dorothy Atkins and Kevin & Emily Roden Pre-K Grants to Teachers

Gonzalez School for Young Children

Rebecca Bowers - Texas Pre-K Conference
Ann Windle and Delaney Gregory Pre-K Staff Scholarships

Heather Brisco - "Sing, Say, Dance, Play: Music Will Move My Day"
Delaney Gregory Pre-K Grant to Teachers

Diana Chavez - Master's in Speech-Language Pathology
Ann Windle Pre-K Staff Scholarships

Taryn Hope - "Science Inside and Out!"
CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Couri Sargent & Rebecca Bowers - "Don't Count Your Chickens Before Your Hatch"
CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Couri Sargent - SDE-Texas Conference for Pre-Kindergarten Teachers
Ann Windle Pre-K Staff Scholarship

 Bell Elementary

Monette Kane - "Let's Get Tech Savvy to Learn Vocabulary"
Groundhog Day Gala 2007 and CoServ 2017 Grants to Teachers

Katrena Leininger - National Reading Recovery/K-6 Literacy Conference
DPSF Staff Scholarship

Billie Lowrie - "Robust Robots"
CoServ 2008 & 2009 and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Becky Voight - National Reading Recovery/K-6 Literacy Conference
DPSF Staff Scholarship

Blanton Elementary

Kelli Brown - "Bringing Innovation to the Classroom" 
Groundhog Day Gala 2005 and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants to Teachers

Lisa Dorrell - "GaGa Ball for One and All"
LaGrone Family and LaGrone Memorial Grants to Teachers

Lynette Jones - "Learning is Bigger than Life"
Margaret Clarke and 2017 Employee Giving Grants to Teachers

Nicolas Miranda - "Ocarina Classroom Set 
DPSF 2017 Grant to Teachers

Angela Passons - "Environments and Ecosystems"
Doug Key Memorial Grant to Teachers

Thea Turner - "Chromebooks for Googling Einsteins"
CoServ 2014 Grant to Teachers

Borman Elementary

Christina Bonner - "Flexible Minds Flexible Seating"
Gene & Lynn Gumfory and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants to Teachers

Marti Couch - "Flexi Class"
Balfour Beatty 2007 and 2010 Grants to Teachers

Brandon Jones – "Dia De Los Muertos Calaveras"
VLK 2015 and DPSF Grants to Teachers

C. Lorraine Thompson - "Flexi Class"
DATCU 2014 & 2017 Grants to Teachers

Heather Thornburg - "Make-A-Space"
Drs. David & Bobbye Thomas and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants to Teachers

Cross Oaks Elementary

Stacy Bzdok - "It's Sew Exciting"
DPSF Grant to Teachers

Erin Finley - "Making Music Count"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

Diane Gruber - "Kindergarten Collaboration Stations!!!"
2017 Employee Grant to Teachers

Angela Marshall - "Get Comfy and Listen!"
Balfour Beatty 2009 and DPSF Grant to Teachers

Kayce McDade - "I'm Moving! I'm Learning! Flexible Seating Project"
Balfour Beatty 2008 and DPSF Grants to Teachers

Eliana Silverman - "Classroom Library and Shared Reading Materials"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

E. P. Rayzor Elementary

Melissa Leonard and Carleen Michener - "Full STEAM Ahead!"
CoServ 2017 School Wide Grant

Dawn Vaughn – "Dyslexia Programs"
Dawn Vaughn Dyslexia Grant-to-Teachers

Evers Park Elementary

Victor Cristales - "Math Motor Skills: Making Fact Fluency a Reflex"
Mathnasium & CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants for Teachers

Ginnings Elementary

Kay Adamson – "Look What I Created...I Can Wear It Too!"
Groundhog Day Gala 2017 and DPSF Grants to Teachers

Geoffrey Gauntt - "Helping Hands Make Helping Hearts"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Renae Lemmons - "Fantasy Book Club Shelves"
Groundhog Day Gala 2013 and DPSF Grants to Teachers

Michael Leonas - "Viva La Musica: The Orff-Schulwerk Initiative Project"
2017 Employee Giving and Howard Kasner Grants to Teachers

Margarita Ramos-Rivera and Alison Hardy - "Books to Go!"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Leah Teer - "Hi-Lo Library"
VLK 2014 and DPSF Grants to Teachers

Lauren Rice and Geoffrey Gauntt - "High-Interest Books for Older Special Education Students"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Hawk Elementary

Shelby Kerner - "Active Seating for Active Minds"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Hodge Elementary

Al Brown - UNT Bachelor's Degree
Norm Sisk Staff Scholarship

John Brandon Miller – "Can You Hear Me"
Groundhog Day Gala2006 and DPSF Grant to Teachers

Houston Elementary

Jill Arnold - "Reeling in Reluctant Readers to Read"
Teresa Andress, 2017 Employee Giving and DPSF Grants to Teachers

Paige Donahoo - "Lucy Calkins 2nd Grade Units of Study"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

Lori Gross and Gina Beidiger - "Unleashing the Reader and Writer in Me"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

Mary Mitchell, Patricia Boosa, Stacy Hamilton, Johanna Iaia and Dawn Ide - "Extra! Extra! Read All About It!"
Sawko & Burroughs and DPSF Grant to Teachers

LA Nelson Elementary

Denise Clyne - "Steaming Up the Art Room"

Larry Kerner and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants to Teachers 

Lee Elementary

Karsen Hatcher - "Family Fun Literacy Night - Reading is Our Superpower"
Groundhog Day Gala 2004 and DPSF Grant-to-Teachers 

McNair Elementary

Melissa Larabee - "Hear Ye! Hear Ye!"
CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Newton Rayzor Elementary

Laura Alfaro-Mendoza - "If You Give a Child a Book -- Keeps on Giving!"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Stuart Bates - "iPads for World Language"
Ben E. Keith and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants to Teachers

Jenny Goodwin - "Which is it, Read or Read?! Learning to Read is Tricky!"
DPSF Grant to Teachers

Ivonne Hunyh - "Using Books as Seed to Grow Children as Readers"
Stantec & 2017 Employee Giving Grants to Teachers

Melanie McGary and Heather Roberts - "The Missing Link: Handwriting Without Tears -- A Collaborative Approach"
Hugh & Bernadette Coleman and 2017 Employee Giving Grants to Teachers

Whitney Sirois and Jenny Goodwin - "Spiraling Math with Number Corner"
Mathnasium and 2017 Employee Giving Grants to Teachers

Pecan Creek Elementary

Denise Evans – National Reading RecoveryClassroom Literacy Conference
DPSF 2017 Staff Scholarship

Kent Hamilton and Juanita Ramirez-Robertson - Author! Author! Author!...Crafting Good Writers
Vicki Sargent and 2017 Employee Giving Grants to Teachers

Victor Lozada – Media and Music - Connecting the Classroom in a Digital Age
CoServ Foundation 2017 and Groundhog Day Gala 2003 Grants to Teachers

Providence Elementary

Mary Beth Dunning - "B is for Books"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Courtney Karns - "Music Stations"
Howard Kasner Grant to Teachers

Elizabeth Powelson - "Rok to Attention"
DPSF Grant to Teachers

Lena Stiggers - "Patriotic Tower Garden"
Wally Cooper and DPSF Grants to Teachers

Rivera Elementary

Dillon Downey - "All-Star Instrumentalists"

Doug Newcomer - "Judo in Public Elementary School
Groundhog Day Gala 2014 and 2015 Grants to Teachers

Phyllis Oliver - "The Four C's of Chrome"
CoServ 20112012 and 2015 Grants to Teachers

Gustavo Rodriguez  - "Reading for a Scientific Mind"
CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Raul Sanchez & Taheerah Flores - "Rivera's Explorers"
CoServ 2006 & 2007 Grants to Teachers

WS Ryan Elementary

Carolina Fernandez - "Classroom Library"
Balfour Beatty 2017 and Alice Smith Grants to Teachers

Shelley Langford - "Throw Your Voice with QBall"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Elizabeth Lopez - "Protecting Our Knowledge"
DPSF Grant to Teachers

Shelly Renfro - DISD Elementary Teacher of the Year
First State Bank Grant to Teachers

Savannah Elementary

Lara Isbell, Ann Athey, and Amy Liesveld - "The Parent Patron Project"
BookCents Library Grant to Teachers

Nancy Petolick - "Start Spreading the News"
Robert Colen McSween Grant to Teachers

Stephens Elementary

Lucy Susan Boone - "Crazy for Ozobots"
CoServ 2011-2012 Grant to Teachers

Kimberly Bullock - "Social Studies RULES (Recognizing, Understanding, and Learning Essential Skills)"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Nicole Sanders - "Innovative  Acceleration"
DPSF 2017 School Wide Grant

Woodrow Wilson Elementary

Karen McPherson, Rachel Denbeck, Molly Taylor, Mylina Yarbrough, Fernando Reyna, and Lynette Walker - "Third Grade is in Bloom"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

David Rowland - "A Place to Sit, A Place to Stand, A Place to Sing, Let's Rise to the Occasion!"
Balfour Beatty 2005 and 2006 Grants to Teachers

Calhoun Middle School

Brian Morrison - "Math at 30 Frames-Per-Second"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teacher

Crownover Middle School

Michelle Duck - Master's in Educational Administration
CoServ Foundation 2017 Staff Scholarship

Bonnie McCormick - "Breaking Out!"
DPSF 2017 Grant to Teachers

Dawn Regenold - "Reading is Thinking - Inquiry Reading"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Harpool Middle School

Jamie Shockley - "Room Escape Challenge"
DATCU 2005 and 2017 Grants to Teachers

Loren Wells - Graduate School
CoServ Foundation 2017 Staff Scholarship

McMath Middle School

Matthew Jones - "Equipping Today for Tomorrow"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

Robin Looney - "IC3 Certification Success"
CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Susana Mercado - "Taking Education Into Your Own Hands"
2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Denise Newbrand - UNT Doctoral Dissertation
CoServ 2017 Staff Scholarship

Blazer Powell - UNT Bachelor's Degree
Denton Public School Administrators' Association and DPSF 2017 Staff Scholarships

Amanda Wagemann - 8th Grade Field Trip to Perot Museum of Science and Nature
CoServ 2015 and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants to Teachers 

Bettye Myers Middle School

Ticcara Cassell - "Cooking with Skills"
CoServ Foundation 2017 and DPSF Grants to Teachers

Navo Middle School

Trevelyn Everitt-Gyure - "Master of Math"
Ray Braswell, Sr. and Jared Taylor Grants to Teachers

 Rodriguez Middle School

B.J. Garcia - "Cardboard Boat Regatta"
CoServ 2015 Grant to Teachers

Cody Martin - "Outdoor Education"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

Rachel Murphy - Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
Peggy Sparks and DPSF 2017 Staff Scholarship

Strickland Middle School

Michael Burris - Master of Music Education
DPSF 2017 Staff Scholarship

Michael Burris - "Mariachi Los Vikingos"
TDIndustries and DPSF Grants to Teachers

Christina Dearman - Mindful Schools Training: Mindful Educator Essentials Course
DPSF 2017 Staff Scholarship

Rene Hernandez, Susan Garrett, Johnny Mumford, and Kim Hope - "Random Acts of Kindness Week"
DPSF Grant to Teachers

Nachel Konemann - "Outfitting a Music Program"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

Jennifer Murray - "Accessing Technology for Students with Profound Intellectual Disabilities"
CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Braswell High School

Jazmine Farmer - "Evidence-Based Intervention Strategies"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Grant to Teachers

Kimberly Fritch - Graduate Degree in Educational Leadership
Gregory Family Staff Scholarship

Noel Hill - "Making it in the Real World"
2017 Employee Giving and Book Cents Grants to Teachers

Nora Kalmbach - "Imagination Has No Limits"
Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

John Parsons - "3D Printer for Creation of Non-Standard Shapes for Volume Calculations"
Ray Braswell, Sr. and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants to Teachers

Amy Rodriguez - "Sensory Room Initiative"
Balfour Beatty 2013 And 2014 Grants to Teachers

Denton High School

Mark Baker – "DHS Choir Projects"
McEwen-Deck Grant-to-Teachers

Carron Collier - "Communication and CooperationIncrease Achievement and Attitudes"
DHS PTSA Teacher Grant to Teachers

Jamie Covey - DISD Secondary Teacher of the Year
Ronny Crownover Grant to Teachers

Mary Dean - "Math in 'Living' Color"
DHS PTSA Teacher Grant to Teachers

Megan Gabriel - "Calculate Like it's 1999? Let's Not!"
CoServ 2017 SCHOOL WIDE INITIATIVE Grant

Etienne Illy - "Exploring Identity Through Art"
DHS PTSA Teacher Grant

David Knight - "Health Science Revamp"
DHS PTSA & Kristopherson Family Grants to Teachers

Amy Romero - Denton Chamber of Commerce/Adopt-A-School First Year Employee Grant and CoServ Foundation 2016 Grant

James Rosin and Martha Slack - "IntegratingTextiles and Needlework Into New Art Forms"
DHS PTSA & DPSF Grants to Teachers

Jennifer Phillips - "DHS StuCo Projects"
David Glass Grant-to-Teachers

Scott Heffley - "DHS Boys Soccer"
McEwen-Deck Grant-to-Teachers

Guyer High School

Sabrina Erwin - "Nearby Materials"
John Guyer Memorial and CoServ Foundation 2017 Grants to Teachers

Katherine Gengo - "Junior World Affairs Council Membership"
DPSF 2017 Grant to Teachers 

Amber Mumford - "Chromebooks in the Math Classroom"
CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Michelle Overton, Tracy Wilson, and Amber Mumford - "Ancillary Materials for Geometry"
CoServ Foundation 2017 and 2017 Employee Giving Grant to Teachers

Makayla Price - "REALM Magazine Printing Project"
Barbara Fischer and Chamber of Commerce 1st Year Employee Grant to Teachers

Ryan High School

Shannon Flanagan - "Casting Class"
CoServ Foundation 2017 Grant to Teachers

Jayme Kiraly and Don Goldston - "Arrows to Success"
Balfour Beatty 2015 and 2016 Grants to Teachers

LaGrone Advanced Technology Complex

Rebecca Hendricks - "Restore School Trailer"
Edwin Owen Fulton and CoServ Foundation Grants to Teachers

 Annex/Child Nutrition Services

Sandra Golden - "Mentor to Attend"
DPSF Grant to Teachers

Special Education Services

Jennifer Austin - 51st Annual Gatlinburg Conference
DPSF 2017 Staff Scholarship

Nykell Elkins - National Association of School Psychology Conference
iTeach Texas and Mike Gregory Staff Scholarship

Sara Pellegreen, Bea Magana, and Jennifer Murray - "See Me Sit"
DPSF Grant to Teachers

Sherri Ross - "Brain Beats"
Robert Colon McSween Grant to Teachers