N.B. Foundation awards $10,732 in classroom equipment grants

Ten New Bloomfield Elementary School teachers Tuesday were awarded nine competitive grants from the New Bloomfield Education Foundation for purchase of equipment to benefit student instruction. Front row, from left, are Megan Clinton, Kathy Howell, Jenny Goodman, Lori Ann Clark, Veronica Gares, and Bridget Maddox. Back row, from left, are Anne Brush, Penny Beck, Vicky Hopsecker, and Chad Craighead.
Ten New Bloomfield Elementary School teachers Tuesday were awarded nine competitive grants from the New Bloomfield Education Foundation for purchase of equipment to benefit student instruction. Front row, from left, are Megan Clinton, Kathy Howell, Jenny Goodman, Lori Ann Clark, Veronica Gares, and Bridget Maddox. Back row, from left, are Anne Brush, Penny Beck, Vicky Hopsecker, and Chad Craighead.

Twelve New Bloomfield R-3 School District teachers Tuesday morning received 11 classroom equipment grants totaling $10,731.90 from the New Bloomfield Education Foundation.

All of the money from the grants will be used to buy equipment used in classrooms to benefit New Bloomfield students.

The grants were handed out Tuesday morning in separate elementary school and high school assemblies.

Susie Hinrichs, New Bloomfield Education Foundation president, told the students during the assembly that although the grants were requested by their teachers, it is the students who will benefit through the equipment purchased for classroom instruction.

Teachers made requests for the grants, which were evaluated by the foundation and awarded to the winning teacher in behalf of the teacher's classroom students.

The high school band provided musical fanfare during each presentation.

Superintendent David Tramel said he is proud of the efforts by foundation volunteers from the community who held fundraising events to finance the grants.

"This is very unusual," Tramel said, "for so much direct classroom support provided by people from the New Bloomfield community who want to support their schools. This effort is extremely unusual, especially for a small school like New Bloomfield. This additional classroom equipment will provide a big boost in learning by students."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.