When Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation showed up Wednesday to deliver news of the innovative grant award, Raguet Elementary was ready. Everyone at the campus was seemingly in on the big news – except for the four teachers who wrote the grant.

Once Deidre Merseal, Grace Beaty, Vonda Hoppe and Stacie Adkins discovered they had received a grant totaling $4,500 from the foundation the celebration was on. Students lined the halls cheering while the four teachers paraded the oversized novelty check through the school. Cheerleaders and the drum line from Nacogdoches High School only added to the festivities.

The award – one of the 15 grants given out to NISD faculty at a grand total of more than $35,000 – will pay for a Growing Readers One Book at a Time with Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine.

“This morning was just fabulous,” said NEF Executive Director Erin Windham. “The excitement at all the campuses we visited was just off the charts. This has quickly become one of my favorite days of the year.

This is the second year NEF has awarded classroom grants after first forming up in 2022. On Wednesday, seven out of nine NISD campuses received at least one innovative grant from the foundation. Teachers and faculty can apply for grants to fund innovative projects in their classrooms that might not be otherwise available in the district’s annual budget.

“There’s a process in place to inform faculty about the application period, then our NEF Board of Directors get involved as well as assistance from outside the school district and foundation to judge and rank applications,” Windham said. “I’m grateful for the support of our board, the support of the district and the support of our community in contributing to the foundation.”

NEF seeks contributions from the area, but NISD teachers also made a strong financial commitment this year, pledging more than $30,000 themselves. That was returned on Wednesday.

Innovative grants awarded on Wednesday include:

Linsey Taylor, Carpenter Elementary, $1,500 for updating the library’s fiction section.

Nallely Mejia, Wendy Pollette and Jessica Maynard, Fredonia Early Childhood Center, $3,198.80 for Parent and Family Engagement at the Early Childhood Stage – Parent Classes (English and Spanish sessions of reading skills).

Crystal Bradsher, Jessica White, Troy Beam and Blake Watson, McMichael Middle School, $4,479.50 for Pitch Perfect: Tuning into Musical Success - Our grant aims to enhance the band program through the use of tuners.

Michaela Farr, McMichael Middle School, $1,000 for Dragon's Brew Coffee Bar – students would have to “apply” for a job, make, maintain, or transport products, and be responsible for making monetary transactions.

Monica Gryder, Tabatha Thornton, Allison Grimes and Ron Watson, Mike Moses Elementary School, $4,500 for Science Camp Outdoor Education to send the fifth-grade students to Science Camp Outdoor Education Camp Olympia in Trinity in November 2024. 

Lindy Arbuckle, Nacogdoches High School, $1,378.87 for Reaching New Heights with Rotational Motion where students will gain access to exciting demonstrations and hands-on experiments for students to learn about rotational motion and torque.

Jody Franks, Nacogdoches High School, $1,150 for Growing our Learning: Leaps & Bounds, a grow tower that defies all of those misconceptions and introduces the idea of asking, "Just what does a plant really need to grow?"

Heather Palach, Nacogdoches High School, $1,403.89 for Combined Gas Laws Lab, lab equipment that’s invaluable in chemistry classrooms for hands-on experimentation.

Jacqueline Elise Meyer, Nacogdoches High School, $1,444 for Interactive Labs to Enhance AP Psychology to increase enrollment for AP Psychology and increase the number of students taking and passing the AP exam.

Rachel Krygsman and Dr. Katherine Whitbeck, Nacogdoches High School, $500 for Lamp-Lite Players Present: The Glass Menagerie by Tennesse Williams - In addition to reading and viewing the filmed version of the play, the students will engage in a live performance by the Nacogdoches Lamp-Lite Players in the NHS Auditorium, followed by a talkback with the actors. The grant also covers NHS culinary arts class to cater a meal for the Lamplite Players.

Luke Shadix, Nacogdoches High School, $1,500 for Welding Shop Clothing to have on hand for lower income students to be able to participate and learn in the shop.

Leslie Bortz, Nacogdoches High School, $1,500 for Cake Showcase & Noodle Bar for students to demonstrate their culinary knowledge and skills with a cake design showcase and full noodle bar, including a printer for edible ink that would allow students to imprint custom designs on desserts.

Deidre Merseal, Grace Beaty, Vonda Hoppe and Stacie Adkins, Raguet Elementary, $4,500 for Growing Readers One Book at a Time with Inchy's Bookworm Vending Machine.

Emily Drewery, Kimberly Teas and Alyssa Wharton, Thomas J. Rusk Elementary, $4,500 for Engagement Lab-Materials Only to create and fully transform a traditional learning space into our very own Engagement Lab that will bring lessons to life in an interactive environment with endless possibilities. Drewery also received $1,498.34 for Magical Math Library where students will practice daily problem solving skills in their reading and also learn about mathematicians who were global changemakers in their community.

Math problems should always be this fun to solve.

Fifth-graders in Emily Drewery’s classroom at Thomas J. Rusk Elementary put their math principles to work to resolve an escape room problem.

From the beginning of the exercise, students advance past each step by deciphering math problems. From there, problems must be worked out to reach the end of the exercise. The first team to solve is the winner.

Drewery used a $250 mini-grant received this month from Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation to purchase materials for the exercise. The mini grant provided funds for Drewery to purchase new locking plastic toolboxes, letter-word locks that are resettable, 24 mini locks with keys, 30 three-digit resettable locks, steel padlock hasps, 16 blank puzzles that she is able to print problems onto, one set of acrylic password puzzle pieces, and 12 tangram puzzles.

“I am overwhelmingly grateful to NEF for their support through this mini grant,” Drewery said. “The mini grant provided me with everything needed to complete this specific escape classroom as well as supplies that can be used in countless other escape classrooms.”

The students in Drewery’s class huddle together while a clock counted down on the screen at the front of the room. Fifth-graders were sharing hunches with teammates, and scribbling answers to math problems, hoping to be the first to solve the escape room puzzle. An exclamation of “Yes!” is heard as the first group enters the correct code to open a locked box and access more clues.

“Students are given real world problems to practice the skills we are currently working on mastering in class,” said Drewery. “As they answer questions, their answers either unlock boxes or lead them to search for another clue around the room. Clues can be found under desks, hidden in pictures around the room, or inside another envelope/box that they are required to unlock. 

“On average, students answer roughly 20 questions before the final challenge allows them to open the key chest (prize box).”

The escape room project is more than just fun, Drewery said. It hews closely to the math curriculum Texas fifth-graders are expected to master by year’s end.

“Because the environment is so engaging, I am able to up the rigor of the questions that the students are solving,” she said. “The problems progressively increase in difficulty as the challenge continues. At the beginning of the challenge, students are faced with computation problems and by the end of the challenge, students are solving multi-step STAAR formatted problems.” 

Once the exercise begins at the start of class, students are assigned to teams and work together to reach the solution. The partnership and coordination among the students are also significant. 

“I love the collaboration that occurs during an escape room,” said Drewery. The group aspect is a crucial part of the escape classroom because there is a magical element that happens when the students begin to trust each other enough to begin brainstorming through the clues.

“It is risky to trust someone with your thoughts and ideas as you are trying to work through a very challenging situation, especially when the reward is great, but when students reach this level of trust with their peers, a small thought or idea might just lead to discovering the next clue needed to escape. And when a student is right about their hunch, the victory is so sweet because it is quickly celebrated by the whole group.” 

Erin Windham, Executive Director of NISD’s Education Foundation, said Drewery’s project reaffirms everything her board of directors wants to accomplish with classroom grants.

“Seeing Ms. Drewery’s class in action reaffirmed everything we want to do with the Foundation,” said Windham. “I was so proud to see what was going on in the class, and just how much the students were enjoying themselves. 

“Ms. Drewery has done an outstanding job with this project, and I’m glad we were able to make a small difference with our contribution.”

This is going better than anticipated.

Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation is exceeding its own fund raising expectations in its second year, and the group’s board of directors are ready to begin creating endowments from the large contributions received this year. 

While it’s early in the second year of the Foundation’s existence, the organization is moving quicker than expected towards its goal of establishing endowments that will provide annual funding for innovative teaching grants for the school district.

Last month, Massey Rose Foundation awarded NEF $50,000, proceeds from the Old Town Rig Down held Sept. 16. Organizers of the fundraiser had promised a $25,000 contribution then, on the night the check was presented, doubled the amount.

Combined with the more than $30,000 pledged to the Foundation by NISD teachers and staff to begin the new school year, the money on hand can be set aside, generating revenue in future years while protecting the principal.

Establishing endowments doesn’t mean the education foundation slows its fundraising efforts, but ensures there’s an established source for revenue to guarantee a certain level of support in years to come. 

Last fall, NEF awarded $250 mini grants to NISD teachers, totaling a little more than $2,500. In the spring, the Foundation provided innovative grants, topping $14,000. 

At Fredonia Early Childhood Center, where three grants were received last spring, new teaching aids – including hands-on math and reading programs and interactive learning centers involving Legos – are positive influences on classrooms full of four-year-olds. 

“Stories are coming to life as students retell them using our magnetic felt boards and story props,” said Pre-K teacher Wendy Pollette. “And future engineers are in the making as students build with legos on our Lego walls.” 

At Nacogdoches High School, five teachers – including Lindy Arbuckle – received funding for a technology integrated physics lab that came with model drag racing cars fueled by CO2 canisters.

“While introducing the project and explaining how the cars would be triggered my students immediately started volunteering information about what physics principles would affect the speed of their car,” said Arbuckle, who teaches AP Physics 1. ““By funding this project you gave all of my students a better lasting memory of what they learned this year.”

This fall, so far 13 mini grants have been awarded; the application process remains open through the end of October.

“We raise this money to give it away, to give it back to our NISD staff for use in the classroom,” said Erin Windham, the Foundation’s Executive Director as well as NISD’s Community Engagement Liaison. “I’m grateful for the generosity of our community, but especially so for the generosity of our own staff. 

“Their commitment this year, to triple last year’s pledges, indicates they understand our mission. We’re here to help them in the classroom.”

The foundation is exploring an initiative that would support NISD paraprofessionals, or teaching aides, looking to obtain their degree and teaching certificate, similar to a “grow your own” program that could help existing staff members in their move to the classroom and address the shortage of qualified teachers around Texas.

Rick Craig, publisher of The Daily Sentinel, and Josh Edwards, managing editor of The Daily Sentinel, present a Walls Foundation grant to Terrence Reeves, President of the Board of Directors of the NISD Education Foundation.

The Carmage and Martha Ann Walls Foundation awarded $2,500 to the NISD Education Foundation. The presentation was made Thursday, June 29, by Rick Craig, publisher of The Daily Sentinel, which is owned by Southern Newspapers Inc., the publishing company founded by Carmage Walls.

“We’re grateful to The Daily Sentinel and the Walls Foundation for this generous contribution to our efforts,” said Erin Windham, Executive Director of the NISD Education Foundation. “We take these donations and funnel them into the classroom to benefit the efforts of our teachers, which directly impact the students of Nacogdoches ISD.”

The NISD Education Foundation connects community resources with the needs of the school district in order to support the mission of NISD. The Foundation uses funding to enhance and complement that mission, understanding that everyone in the community is responsible for creating a quality educational system.

The Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation’s mission is to provide opportunities for excellence in education, promote innovation in teaching, and partner with the community to enhance the quality of education for all students.

Twenty Nacogdoches High School students were recognized Tuesday night during the inaugural Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation Scholars Banquet held at the Malcolm Rector Center for Advanced Careers & Innovation.

The students represent the top 20 graduates in the Class of 2023.

During the banquet, the students were introduced. Then, the students honored their most influential teacher from their education career at NISD.

The banquet and ceremony was catered by NHS culinary art students.

“This was an opportunity for the Foundation to acknowledge some of the best and the brightest at Nacogdoches High School,” said Foundation Executive Director Erin Windham. “All of us have teachers who contributed to our education and our success. This is a chance for students to honor them as well.” 

Students recognized (alphabetically) on Tuesday and their most influential teacher:

Nicolas Bacarisse and Andy Watts; Mikayala ‘Mia’ Bentley and Jared McNeely; Matthew Dossett and Jared McNeely; Aidan Finnerud and Penny Long; Lindsey Grier and Jared McNeely; Cassandra Gurrola and Lynette Stephenson; Daniel Hook and Jared McNeely; and Whitley Howell and Lisa Fuller.

Also, Holden Kelly and Jared McNeely; Alyssa Kwiatkowski and Kristin Thomas; Jessica Moreno and Darius Tubbs; Vivyan Nieberding and Kristin Thomas; Jordan Rankin and Becky Martin; and Noah Satir and Nathan Ponder.

Also, John ‘Garrett’ Schmid and Coach Carrie Scroggins; Harrison Russell Smith and Coach Jamien Phillips; David Taravella and Rebecca Jaramillo; James Teekell and Sonja Schulz; Veronika “Nika” Willardson and Coach Chris Moody; and Kevin Zhu and Kristin Thomas.

It’s been a year of firsts for Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation, and that continued Wednesday, when the Foundation awarded innovative grants totaling more than $14,000. NEF board and district officials visited NISD campuses during a rolling celebration that included the Golden Dragon Marching Band drumline and NHS cheerleaders.

“Today is why we created the Foundation,” said Executive Director Erin Windham, who is also NISD’s Community Engagement Liaison. “It’s to award grants written by our staff for use on programs and materials that will be a direct benefit to NISD students.”

The larger innovative grants are the first awarded by the newly formed NEF, which organized last year and named a board of directors. Last fall, NEF kicked off its fundraising efforts and awarded mini grants that totaled a little more than $2,500.

Grants awarded include:

• The Amazing Shake: Interpersonal Communication Skills, McMichael Middle School, Reagan Fitch Reyna, Emily McKenzie, Annemarie Story, Suzanna Sanchez and Crystal Kilmer.

• Growing Readers: Magnetic boards, story pieces, books, Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center, Adelaide Harber.

• Hands-on Math and Reading: Manipulatives, Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center, Wendy Pollette.

• Interactive Learning: Legos, Engineer/Roller Coaster, Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center, Angela Edge.

• Technology Integrated Physics Lab: Cart & Track System, Nacogdoches High School, Lindy Arbuckle, Aaron Cortes, Maria Garcia, Justin Guillory and Zachary McNeely.

• Lab Kits Environmental Science: Mapping Earthquakes, Soil, etc., Nacogdoches High School, Justin Guillory.

• Unit Assessment Books in Library, Emeline Carpenter Elementary, Linsey Taylor.

• Color Theory Product Club: Cutting Edge Color Techniques, Nacogdoches High School, Jan Holland.

Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation obtained its 501(c)(3) designation in 2022, and all contributions are tax deductible. Contributions can be made directly to the Foundation by going to its website, www.nef-4dragons.org, or by calling (936) 569-5000, ext. 8893. The Foundation’s email address is nef@nacisd.org.

Nacogdoches High School teachers (from left) Justin Guillory, Zachary McNeely and Maria Garcia shown with Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation president Terrance Reeves.

McMichael Middle School teachers (from left) Annemarie Story, Suzanna Sanchez, Reagan Fitch Reyna, Crystal Kilmer and Emily McKenzie shown with Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation president Terrance Reeves.

Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation Executive Director Erin Windham (left) shown with Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center teacher Wendy Pollette.

Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation Executive Director Erin Windham (left) shown with Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center teacher Angela Edge.

Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation Executive Director Erin Windham (from left), Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo and Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center teacher Adelaide Harber.

Nacogdoches ISD Director of CTE Coy Van Valkenburgh, NISD Education Foundation Executive Director Erin Windham and Nacogdoches High School cosmetology teacher Jan Holland.

Emeline Carpenter librarian Linsey Taylor with NISD Education Foundation Executive Director Erin Windham.

The first grants were awarded Tuesday by Nacogdoches ISD’s Education Foundation. The mini grants went to 12 teachers on six NISD campuses. Mini grants are capped at $250 each and went out to NISD staff less than a year after the Education Foundation was formed last December.

Teachers completed a brief online form to apply for the grants, and a committee established by the Foundation went through the applications. The Foundation’s Programs Committee chaired by Dr. Freddy Avant organized the grant application process and decided on the awards.

“We wanted to make an immediate impact on our staff and classrooms,” said Education Foundation Executive Director Erin Windham. “This allowed us to address perhaps a small need in some classrooms and to let everyone know this Foundation is going to not only raise money but send that money back to the classroom.”

The Foundation kicked off its initial fundraising campaign in September at a football game at Dragons Stadium. During the game, the Foundation sold spirit towels and spirit bandanas with all proceeds going to fundraising efforts. Money raised by the Foundation will fund a number of initiatives within the district, such as grants to teachers and staff that would pay for innovative projects to benefit NISD students.

Requests for mini grants ranged from young children’s literature written in Spanish to tap shoes that will be used year-to-year in middle school dance courses to robotics components for high school technology students.

During the spring semester, NISD staff will have an opportunity to apply for larger grants that will be awarded before the end of the school year.

“These applications will be much more involved because of the larger amounts of money we’ll be awarding,” Windham said. “After the holidays, we will provide instruction to our staff on how to complete the applications for the larger awards.”

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all contributions are tax deductible. Contributions can be made directly to the Foundation by going to www.nef-4dragons.org. Call (936) 569-5000, ext. 8893 or email nef@nacisd.org for more information.

Teachers receiving a mini grant this week include:

Adrianna Eason, Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary, $197.96

Donna McCune, Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary, $250

Linsey Taylor, Emeline Carpenter Elementary, $248.36

Lindy Arbuckle, Nacogdoches High School, $179.70

Victoria Perry, Nacogdoches High School, $250

Jo Anna Shaffer, Nacogdoches High School, $149.99

Travis Squyres, Nacogdoches High School, $250

Wendy Pollette, Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center, $250

Jordan Matheny, Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center, $170

Cori Crittenden, Nettie Marshall Early Childhood Center, $245.77

Lauren Bueno, McMichael Middle School, $250

Nallely Mejia, Thomas J. Rusk, $136.87

Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation kicked off its initial fundraising campaign during the football game held Sept. 16 at Dragons Stadium. During the game, the Foundation sold spirit towels and spirit bandanas with all proceeds going to fundraising efforts.

Money raised by the Foundation will fund a number of initiatives within the district, such as grants to teachers and staff that would pay for innovative projects to benefit NISD students.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all contributions are tax deductible. Contributions can be made directly to the Foundation by going to www.nef-4dragons.org. Call (936) 569-5000, ext. 8893 or email nef@nacisd.org for more information.

Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation is kicking off its inaugural fundraising campaign Friday, Sept. 16, at Dragon Stadium when Nacogdoches High School hosts Chapel Hill in the annual Black-Out game.

The Foundation will be on hand around the stadium for fundraising and to provide information about the group’s efforts to pump additional money into NISD teachers’ classrooms. During the game, the Foundation will be selling spirit towels and spirit bandanas with all proceeds going to fundraising efforts.

Money raised by the Foundation will fund a number of initiatives within the district, such as grants to teachers and staff that would pay for innovative projects to benefit NISD students. The first set of awards – mini grants that NISD teachers will apply for – will go out later this year. In early 2023, the Foundation will begin the process of presenting larger “innovation” grants for which NISD teachers will also be able to apply.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all contributions are tax deductible.

Contributions can be made directly to the Foundation by CLICKING HERE. Call (936) 569-5000, ext. 8893 or email nef@nacisd.org for more information.

Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation Executive Director Erin Windham and three board members were at Thomas J. Rusk Elementary Wednesday to visit with teachers about the Foundation.

Joining Windham at TJR were Terrance Reeves (board president), Amelia Commander (vice president) and Ed Pool (vice president).

NISD launched its foundation late last year and is preparing its public fundraising kickoff on Sept. 16 at Dragon Stadium. That night, when Nacogdoches High School hosts Chapel Hill, is the annual Black-Out game for the Dragons and the Foundation will be on hand around the stadium for fundraising and to provide information about the Foundation. During the game, the Foundation will be selling spirit towels and spirit bandanas.

Money raised by the Foundation will fund a number of initiatives within the district, such as grants to teachers and staff that would pay for innovative projects to benefit NISD students. The first set of awards – mini grants that NISD teachers will apply for – will go out later this year. In early 2023, the Foundation will begin the process of presenting larger “innovation” grants for which NISD teachers will also be able to apply.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all contributions are tax deductible.

Contributions can be made directly to the Foundation by CLICKING HERE. Call (936) 569-5000, ext. 8893 or email nef@nacisd.org for more information.

The Board of Directors of the newly formed Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation learned Thursday the organization received notification of its 501(c)(3) status, meaning it can begin accepting tax deductible donations.

“We really got that back much sooner than we anticipated,” said Erin Windham, the Foundation’s executive director. “Oftentimes, that process can get drawn out over several months, so we feel fortunate to have that document in hand.”

With the application process seeking state and federal authorizations complete, the Foundation can move forward with fundraising plans, including a campaign that’s expected to kickoff in September or October. Money raised by the Foundation can fund a number of initiatives within the district, such as grants to teachers and staff that would pay for innovative projects to benefit NISD students.

“We’ll spend the summer organizing the Foundation’s committees and establishing a timeline for the initial campaign,” Windham said. “There’s a tremendous amount of work to be completed, but it’s an incredibly exciting time for the Foundation.”

During Thursday’s meeting the board also elected its initial set of officers. Terrence Reeves was selected president and is joined on the executive board by the following vice presidents and their committees: Ed Pool (Development), Dr. Freddie Avant (Programs), Amelia Commander (Marketing & Events), Ron Collins (Finance & Governance), Judge Jeff Davis (Secretary) and Mariko Badders (Executive Committee Director-at-large).

Four more directors unable to attend last month’s initial meeting were also named to the board on Thursday. Carlos Paloma, Garth Hinze, John Fleming, Dr. Kavita Vyas and Mindy Winslow were approved as directors, bringing the board’s total to 20. Winslow is the NISD Board of Trustees representative and is considered an ex officio member of the Foundation and will not vote.

PHOTO INFORMATION: Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation officers are shown (from left): Executive Director Erin Windham, Amelia Commander, Mariko Badders, Dr. Freddy Avant, President Terrance Reeves, Judge Jeff Davis and Ed Pool.