Eight CMS teachers receive $25,000 in grants
Donors include Hornets, Fox Sports Southeast and CMS Foundation
visits to unique landmarks, museums, churches and monuments.
Melissa Ligh, English teacher at Vance High, received $3,000 to
purchase SwivlTM robots that record real-time video lessons. The technology
will enable students to revisit lessons, provide an avenue for parents to guide
learning and allow teachers to share lessons and best practices with other
teachers across the district.
Sherri Moore and Raymond Beamon, Career and Technical Education
(CTE) teachers at West Mecklenburg High, received $4,000 to provide CTE
academy students with formal business etiquette training. Students will use
their acquired skills during a culminating CTE community luncheon.
Lashay Morgan, elementary literacy facilitator, and Vache Davis-
Johnson, elementary counselor at Reedy Creek Elementary, received $5,000
to fund after-school group piano lessons. Students will be able to learn music
techniques and fundamentals.
he Charlotte Hornets and FOX Sports Southeast, in partnership with
T
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Foundation, awarded a total of $25,000
in Teacher Innovation Fund grants to eight Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
(CMS) teachers. The grants support dynamic ideas to educate students. The
teachers received the grants during a halftime ceremony at the Hornets game
against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 20 at Spectrum Center.
“We want our students prepared to live and work in the 21st century
and these grants will positively affect our ability to prepare them,” said Dr.
Clayton Wilcox, superintendent. “From elementary literacy to innovative
instruction in high school, these grants will help a lot of kids. We appreciate
the support of the Hornets and FOX Sports Southeast in working with the
CMS Foundation in making these grants available.”
The CMS teachers who received grants are:
Retired Lt. Col. Shawn Cowley, Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
teacher at Hopewell High, received $5,000 to fund a three-day African-
American history and heritage trip to Washington, D.C., which will include
Candace Richardson, English teacher at Northridge Middle, received
$3,000 to fund a diversity and inclusion presentation led by social activist
Sam White, as well as, a global equality leaders research project.
Kyle Ward, English teacher at West Charlotte High, received $5,000 to
fund an aquaponics farming system in the school’s greenhouse. Students will
conduct research and address community food deserts. It will also provide
student volunteer opportunities.
Through the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Foundation, the Hornets and
FOX Sports Southeast have awarded $250,000 in Teacher Innovation Fund
grants to CMS teachers since 2014. This is the seventh cycle of grants.
“The Teacher Innovation Fund empowers teachers to provide the best
educational experience possible to students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
community,” said Jeff Genthner, senior vice president and general manager
for FOX Sports Southeast. “We truly value our partnership with the Charlotte
Hornets and take great pride in supporting the educators serving Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools.”
High fliers
Olympic students study drones for aviation certificate
About 20 Technical NAF Career Academy students flew drones through
a makeshift obstacle course to showcase their newly acquired expertise at
Olympic High’s Drone Fly Day Nov. 11.
The event was the culmination of six weeks of aviation instruction.
Students used simulators in the after-school program, which will help them
earn a Federa l Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate.
“We want to provide anything we can for students that promotes
awareness and exploration,” said Mike Realon, Career Technical Education
(CTE) Academy coordinator at the Olympic Community of Schools.
There are projected to be 100,000 jobs affiliated with the drone-flying
industry, Realon said. Drones can save money, and possibly lives, on some
kinds of large-scale jobs. One example would be inspecting wind turbines in
the ocean, where a company could spend $10,000 a day just to fund a boat
to reach them.
“Anything to do with inspections, anything that’s dangerous, you will
be able to use a drone to do it,” Realon said, “and cottage industries are
popping up as people find out about drone uses.”
The program
was free of charge
through Olympic’s
partnership
with Centura
Education but
would normally
cost $1,200 per
student, Realon
said. Students
must pass an FAA
test to receive a
certificate. Students schedule the exam on their own and CTE pays for it.
James Freeman is a junior in the School of Technology,
Entrepreneurship and Advanced Manufacturing at Olympic. He plans to go
into game development but decided to pursue the FAA certificate to have
another option.
“I’m grounded in the engineering field but I like to do a little bit of
everything,” he said. “I recommend the program – it’s serious but it’s also
really fun.”
Parent Teacher Magazine • January/February 2018 • 3