Gazette Staff Report

Several Mamou Elementary School teachers recently received grants to assist in the education of their students.
Katie McDaniel and Anita Callaghan are impacting student learning in their classrooms by writing grants for teaching resources and technology.
McDaniel (kindergarten teacher) wrote and received a $500 grant from Woodmen of the World and plans to utilize the monies for math manipulatives to help her kindergarten students learn Common Core standards in mathematics.
Callaghan (second grade teacher) was chosen for KATC TV-3’s Tools for Schools and received a classroom set of whiteboards and supplies. She also wrote a Dollar General literacy grant and received $1,000. Callaghan will use the $1,000 to purchase 12 interactive tablets, writing center materials and books for her students to take home to build home libraries.
Seven teachers wrote and will receive REAP grants this school year, which include laptops, smartboard projectors and tech tubs with Ipads for their classrooms to actively engage students in learning. The following teachers were awarded REAP grants, Angel Manuel (kindergarten), Brandi Dies (first grade), Anita Callaghan (second grade), Sarah Disatell (third grade), Saul Duos (fourth grade) and Jenny Fontenot (special education).
MES Master Teacher Nina David is impacting 525 students by building home libraries with books she received through a grant with First Book. Mamou Elementary students received high interest, age appropriate titles, such as Kindergarten Language Arts Success, Spooktacular joke books, Fast Train, Slow Train and Richard Scarry’s Pie Rats Ahoy, all in time for October fall reading. Over the past six years, David has written and received First Book grants for home libraries, impacting student learning through literacy.
Mamou Elementary School also encourages reading through Little Free Libraries and Prime Time Reading programs. Students at Mamou Elementary now have access to reading throughout the school day.