The Nebo Education Foundation meets each month at 7:00 a.m. to discuss submitted educational grant proposals for students in Nebo School District. One of the goals of the foundation is to fund worthwhile projects in the district that provide resources to enrich student learning.
Congratulations to the following teachers that continue to invigorate students’ appetites for learning.
Mt. Nebo Middle – Tiffany Jacobson, Alexandra Franco, Jane Hailstone
Alexandra Franco, band teacher at Mt. Nebo Middle said, “We are so excited and grateful for this grant! We have heard that Payson has had a Mariachi band at the junior high in the past and we want to start it up again at the middle school. All of us music teachers at Mt. Nebo Middle have family from Mexico, so we are passionate about Mariachi and helping our Latinx kids know they have a place at our school. Payson has a large Latinx community, but we worry that the value they bring to the table can sometimes be overlooked. Their culture is incredibly important to all of us and we don't know of many groups in our Payson schools that are focused on preserving and honoring Latinx cultures, so we are excited to start something that people will talk about!”
Rees Elementary – Sasha Tew, Jenny Luke, Justin Craig
“As we met together as a fourth-grade team, we discussed ways that we could ignite in students a passion for reading. As we discussed we all came to the same conclusion, we need to bring more choice and independence in reading. So, along with small group instruction focused on reading skills based instruction, we are creating a time for students to choose and participate in book clubs. The whole focus of this time is to create a space for students to share thoughts about reading,” stated the fourth-grade teacher, Justin Craig. “The funding of this grant allows us as teachers to lead fourth-grade students, for years to come, in discovering a passion for reading. The stories selected fall under one of three guiding questions. The first focuses on the theme of kindness, perseverance, and how to treat others. The second is a focus on the author's voice and the author's craft. The third is a focus on figurative language and storytelling through verse, prose, and poetry. Ultimately, the funding of this grant, means the funding of a plan that will create life-long readers. Thank you to all members of the Nebo Foundation and to Rees Elementary for matching these funds.”
Mt. Nebo Middle – Teresa Stevenson
Teresa Stevenson, English teacher at Mt. Nebo Middle said, “I am beyond blessed and thankful to receive the grant. I will be purchasing a classroom set of Wishtree from Katherine Applegate for my class to read. This book talks about friendship and kindness. As my students are entering sixth grade, I believe they need to learn lessons on kindness and friendship. I believe this is a great book to help them explore new friendships and to learn how to be kind to others who are different from them. Thank you so much for this amazing grant and the opportunity it has provided me to help my students grow and learn.”
Payson High – Diana Lees & Alexandra Franco
“Teaching students to set goals and help them find a way to achieve them is a main aspect of the Payson High School Bagpipe Band. Over the last few years, our main focus has been to increase the number of students in the band. We have accomplished this goal even through COVID-19 setbacks. We did this by reinstating the bagpipe class at Payson Junior High and starting a club at Mt. Nebo Middle School. Our goal this year was to replace unusable instruments with new ones and get more bagpipe sets for these incoming students. The students and instructors have worked hard to show the school(s) and the community the worthwhile work that we do to bring culture, history, teamwork, and music to the communities. We are grateful for the help in fulfilling this year's goal. We look forward to future performances where we can share this gift with our schools, the district, and the community,” stated Diana Lees, band teacher at Payson High.
Anyone interested in the Nebo Education Foundation or who wishes to make a donation for education is encouraged to contact Lana Hiskey by email lana [dot] hiskey [at] nebo [dot] edu, by phone 801-354-7400, or mail 350 South Main, Spanish Fork, UT 84660.
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