Fort Rucker Thrift Shop presents Coffee County teacher grants

Two Enterprise City schools and one Elba school received teacher grants from Fort Rucker Thrift Shop during a presentation event on Thursday, Oct. 25.

All $6,552 in grant funds were raised "almost exclusively from what we sell from things that are donated to us or consigned to us," Fort Rucker Thrift Shop Board Chairman Staci Bentley said.

"We're just so happy that you all took advantage of the program that we're offering," she said. "We know that teachers are so undervalued, and we're just happy that we can give back in a small way."

Blane Freeman, a choral teacher at Dauphin Junior High School, said the grant funds he received would go toward purchasing a backdrop for show choir competition performances for the Expressions.

"Other show choirs, especially middle school, have backdrops and lights, and we're just looking to step it up," he said.

Freeman said the backdrop will include iconic images from Memphis, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City.

Wendy Sammons, a seventh-grade teacher at Coppinville Junior High School, said her grant funds will go toward purchasing microscopes and a light box for her students.

"I'm always looking for ways to do things hands on," she said. "They get to watch plants grow from seeds to full maturity, and then take some of those leaves off, look at them under microscopes. They get to see that whole process."

Phillip Smith, a science teacher at Elba High School, said his grant funds would also go toward purchasing microscopes so his students may see and study bacteria found around their school.

"They're going take samples, bring them back and grow the samples under a controlled environment, and then try to identify some of the things that are growing," he said.

Others who received teacher grants were Stephanie Robertson of Daleville High School, Laura Traylor and Megan Johnson of Lisenby Primary School and Michelle McDonald of D.A. Smith Middle School.

Teachers must apply to receive teacher grants. According to Cue McCollister, publicity chair for the Thrift Shop, applications are graded on a rubric focusing on certain criteria.

When applying, teachers are asked to explain the project they hope to use the grants to fund. Teacher grants are presented annually, and each teacher's grant amount is based on the project and its cost.

For more information on teacher grants or how to apply, visit www.fortruckerthriftshop.org.