The Goddard Education Foundation is committed to providing opportunities for teachers to think creatively to benefit their students' academic and social-emotional skills. Oak Street Elementary counselor Mrs. Buresh, sought to implement new techniques to teach students positive self-awareness strategies.
Manipulatives such as sand timers, scented markers, and stress-relieving fidgets are incorporated into a previous initiative called Calm Down Tiger Tubs. Mrs. Buresh explains, “By having these tools available for our students, they can begin their journey towards finding positive strategies that allow them to be in a ready state to learn.” Teaching students how to approach situations that may influence their emotions strengthens their social skills throughout their educational and professional lives.
Joyce, a first-grade student at Oak Streek Elementary, shared “I sometimes need to take a little brain break, and my teacher helps schedule breaks so I can be ready to learn.” These materials are intentionally used in classrooms to help students understand how to manage their self-awareness and how to self-regulate their emotions. Mrs. Buresh describes, “Helping students learn social-emotional skills is the foundation for 21st-century learning skills that employers desire graduates to have.” In the preliminary stages of a child’s education journey, understanding positive approaches to handling stress will benefit them for years to come.
Learning how to manage emotions with positive calming practices is essential for future success. Mrs. Buresh explains, “It equips them with the skills they need and the time to practice them so they can become caring and productive members of our community.” The Goddard Education Foundation is proud to support these initiatives to foster student success through Innovative Teacher Grants.
“Play-based learning creates a fair and positive environment,” says Mrs. Hummer, an Early Learning teacher at Amelia Earhart Elementary. With the support of an Innovative Teacher Grant provided by the Goddard Education Foundation, Mrs. Hummer can apply play-based learning tactics in her classroom.
With Mrs. Hummer’s Innovative Teacher Grant, along with help from the USD 265 Maintenance department, she built a LEGO wall for students to utilize as a creative outlet for play-based collaborative learning. Mrs. Hummer explains, “It can accommodate the needs and abilities of all learners and eliminate any hurdles in the learning process. It is a maker space for any age and subject area.” This will create a versatile learning experience for a wide variety of subject matter and for students of all abilities.
By using the LEGO wall, students experience open-ended, creative projects to further their cognitive development. Staff motivates students to overcome obstacles while using makerspace manipulatives. Mrs. Hummer expresses, “Students are encouraged to be persistent and engage in play.”
The hands-on learning opportunity in Mrs. Hummer’s classroom motivates students to utilize creativity when solving problems. She states: “It creates a foundation for creative expression, collaborative learning, and a community-oriented mindset.” Students are learning how to find creative solutions to difficult problems with the help of manipulatives implemented by innovative teachers. The Goddard Education Foundation is passionate about providing these opportunities for students and staff to explore creative expression and execution. Thank you, USD 265 Maintenance Department, for building the Lego wall and helping expand possibilities for our youngest learners.
The Goddard Education Foundation helps provide innovative resources for classrooms across the Goddard School District. Goddard Academy students now have access to new PE equipment with the help of an Innovative Teacher Grant.
Mr. Vang, Goddard Academy PE Teacher, expressed, “The need for my program is to encourage students to be physically active. Having new and different equipment available helps ensure there is something everybody will enjoy and give students an active break from sitting at a desk.” Mr. Vang is committed to creating positive learning environments for his students. In PE, students learn to work as a team, problem-solving skills, communication, and thinking skills, all vital for life after graduation.
Physical activity is important for student’s physical health and social-emotional health. These new PE materials allow for students to learn how to communicate positively with others. Mr. Vang states, “All of these educational outcomes will help prepare students for the future.” The incorporation of new equipment such as soccer balls, soccer nets, golf balls, and putting greens allow students to experience a variety of physical activities while working as a team.
Innovative teachers throughout the Goddard Public School District are leaving positive impacts on their students. With the help of Innovative Teacher Grants, teachers such as Mr. Vang, are able to assist in growing student success, connectedness, and health.
Innovative Teacher Grants, provided through the Goddard Education Foundation, maximize student success by granting opportunities for educators to incorporate new strategies to teach lifelong skills. At Clark Davidson Elementary, Mrs. Hepner, with the help of an Innovative Teacher Grant, has integrated culturally enriched dramatic play centers in two early childhood special education classrooms.
Mrs. Hepner describes the play centers as “specifically designed to foster language-rich environments to help dual-language learners develop communication, social, and cognitive skills.” These play centers target a variety of student needs, but as Mrs. Hepner expressed, “Students may have different needs and self-identified learning styles, but everyone loves to play. It bridges any learning or communication gaps creating a safe, caring, and positive environment.” This opportunity to play with classmates expands beyond childhood playtime and delves into the essential skill of working cooperatively with others.
CDS students using these innovative manipulatives can close the gap between learning academic and social skills. Mrs. Hepner explains, “After a full day of learning, it is important to develop social skills. While working at these intentionally designed learning stations, students enhance life skills like playing, following the rules, self-regulation, language development, and fine motor skills. All the while applying and growing their imagination and teamwork capabilities."
The activities implemented in early childhood classrooms, like Mrs. Hepner's, prepare students for a successful start to Kindergarten and the rest of their educational journey through USD 265. Through the Goddard Education Foundation's support of innovative teaching grants, we can continue to enrich the skills students develop for lifelong success.
The Goddard Education Foundation supports fundamental learning strategies that aid teachers in crucial aspects of their curriculum. At Explorer Elementary, Mrs. Vermillion and Ms. Graber’s Kindergarten classrooms now have access to hands-on manipulatives for their ELA program through the incorporation of new materials provided by an Innovative Teacher Grant.
These two Kindergarten teachers explained, “Having these materials will impact our entire Kindergarten population.” The incorporation of these new materials and manipulatives will not only increase reading comprehension and literacy skills but will also enhance teamwork and critical thinking for these developing minds. Mrs. Vermillion and Ms. Graber are committed to the growth of their students’ minds both academically and socially, focusing on educating the whole child starting at the beginning of their academic career.
As students start their journey with Goddard Public Schools as kindergarteners, learning ELA skills is vital to growth in the subject later in their lives. Access to these innovative ways to learn only enhances their skills. Mrs. Vermillion and Ms. Graber express: “Providing hands-on activities are crucial in the development of student learning.” Kindergarten is the foundation for the rest of a child’s development in education. These two kindergarten teachers are excited to see their student’s: “enthusiasm for learning letters, letter sounds, and becoming readers!”
Innovative Teacher Grants give teachers the opportunity to develop their classroom style and productivity by expanding beyond the standard curriculum. The Goddard Education Foundation is dedicated to giving teachers the opportunity to grow in their teaching style to adapt to new young minds.
Ashley Allen, a Kindergarten teacher at Amelia Earhart Elementary, saw a need for educational manipulatives that would increase her students’ fine motor skills. “Being exposed to STEM manipulatives that encourage them to think outside the box and show their creativity is a huge benefit to growing students,” shared Mrs. Allen.
With the help of an Innovative Teacher Grant, Mrs. Allen was able to purchase STEM geared manipulatives, games, and creative play toys. Each day, Allen’s kindergarten class utilizes ‘Morning Bins’ as a start to their day, giving them time in the morning to adjust to being at school while warming up their brains for the day. The 20 Morning Bins are filled with different STEM activities and manipulatives, purchased with the GEF grant, giving the students a different Morning Bin to utilize daily.
“Fine motor skills are very important skills to develop and help us become better writers, drawers, etc. STEM play is also important for brain development and helps encourage students to think outside the box. The best thing I can give my students first thing in the morning is time for creative play.” Shared, Mrs. Allen
Thank you for supporting the GEF, and helping make innovative opportunities possible for Goddard Public Schools classrooms.
An Innovative Teacher Grant provided by The Goddard Education Foundation inspires student innovation. The grant awarded to Mrs. Osborn’s classroom encourages the incorporation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through LUMA Robots.
Mrs. Osborn describes LUMA as “friendly, programmable robots that make coding approachable and fun.” These robots allow students to learn skills transferable for STEM careers such as coding, building, and problem-solving. Mrs. Osborn believes this project will “light up student’s enthusiasm for learning” and give students “the opportunity to explore the real-world applications of robotics and coding.”
Students use LUMA to solve challenges such as building a wagon to hold LEGO pizza and cupcakes and creating an obstacle course that robots move through by coding the robot to perform. One of Mrs. Osborn’s students, Charlie Nelson, describes using LUMA: “Coding is a blast! It is so fun to see what it will do; we can even make musical notes and add in sounds or noises.” Another student, Breanne Schreiner, says, “I like the building, I like seeing how things turn out and what to do to fix it.” This wide variety of challenges stimulates the needs of a diverse array of student learning styles.
With her Innovative Teacher Grant, Mrs. Osborn is building life-long problem-solving skills and preparing students for careers in STEM fields. These lessons will benefit students for the rest of their lives!
Let’s ROAR in 2024! The GEF partnered with First National Bank, Lange Real Estate, and CoFellow Coffee Parlor to show appreciation for our #265 Family! Starting in January, the Blue and White Goddard Activity Bus made its way to every school and department in USD 265. First National Bank, Lange Real Estate, and CoFellow Coffee Parlor joined the GEF on the “bus” to help provide ALL educators with FREE Chick-fil-A breakfast, hot coffee, SWAG, and raffle prizes. Each week, educators were greeted with warmth, kindness, and appreciation.
Thank you, First National Bank, Lange Real Estate, and CoFellow Coffee, for jumping on the “bus” with the Goddard Education Foundation. We appreciate your willingness to serve and support the 6,300 students and 1,200 educators of Goddard Public Schools. Your support helps inspire minds and expand possibilities for our #265 Family. The GEF is grateful for YOU!
“If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we'll figure out how to take it someplace great.” - Jim Collins
Interested in jumping on the “bus” with the Goddard Education Foundation for the 2024-25 school year? Contact Dane Baxa at 316-794-4000 or danebaxa@goddardusd.com or visit www.goddardef.org to learn more.
The Goddard Education Foundation is providing opportunities for teachers to discover alternative ways to benefit their students' learning styles. Inspired by previous Goddard Education Foundation grant winner Julie Campa, Jenni Dinkel is bringing history alive at Eisenhower Middle School.
Mrs. Dinkel works with students of varying abilities and recognized a need for mixed learning styles in her classroom. She requested the incorporation of a reader's theater with her history lessons. Students dress in the period costumes and reenact historical events. With her Innovative Teacher Grant, Mrs. Dinkel explains she is “able to integrate history and literacy in one lesson disguised as a costume party.” This has a huge impact on her students' understanding of their material, “reenacting history will help visual and auditory learners comprehend a time period that is so far removed from their current life.”
After the class's most recent production of The Life of Andrew Jackson, 8th grade student at EMS Karlynn Keatley, explained that Mrs. Dinkel’s class is “a class where we can get our work done and have fun at the same time!” She explained that doing reader’s theater for history lessons helped her “understand the culture and perspective about how they dressed and lived.”
Through Mrs. Dinkel’s Innovative Teacher Grant, she provides her 8th-grade students with historical costumes and props to recreate and visualize the events of the 1700-1800s. The students can grasp concepts and events from a different perspective, helping them understand their history.
This Innovative Teacher Grant allows Eisenhower Middle School students to explore how they learn and impacts students of all levels and abilities.
Vrana Chiropractic and Lighthouse Chiropractic are teaming up to offer $25 Sports and School Physicals May 1 - 31, 2024, and July 15 - August 9, 2024. ALL proceeds will be donated to the Goddard Education Foundation! Thank you, Vrana Chiropractic and Light House Chiropractic, for ensuring our USD 265 athletes are ready for another school year and partnering with the GEF to help expand opportunities for our #265 Family!
The Goddard Education Foundation helps provide innovative opportunities and resources for classrooms across the Goddard School District. In Mrs. Lilly’s 4th-grade classroom at Explorer Elementary, her students can participate in unique learning experiences by incorporating “Morning Bins for Creative Collaboration” into daily class time.
After COVID, Mrs. Lilly recognized a need to build the social skills of students in her 4th-grade classes. With the resources provided by a Goddard Education Foundation Innovative Teacher Grant, Mrs. Lilly’s students experience various educational activities while incorporating cooperative and collaborative practices. Mrs. Lilly provides 30 bins with different activities challenging students to utilize their critical thinking skills while also cooperating in groups to solve problems.
Morning bins are rotated every day, giving each student the opportunity to utilize five tubs per week. “This would give them a variety of exposure to different activities without getting bored,” Mrs. Lilly explains. This initiative also provides an opportunity for teachers to help manage groups and teach them to work together while the students are “playing.” This project has had huge benefits on the way children work together, “children being able to work through conflict or disagreement calmly and kindly.”
The social skills students build while utilizing these resources are essential to their future success. Mrs. Lilly understands the importance of collaboration with others and has made an innovative change in her classroom. “The goal of this project is to instill the knowledge and ability to work together and should impact the students through the rest of their academic and work lives.” The Goddard Education Foundation sees the need to support students academically and socially as they grow through the Goddard Public School system.
“Self-regulation is a learned skill,” says Mrs. Benteman, a counselor at Amelia Earhart Elementary. Thanks to an Innovative Teacher Grant provided through the Goddard Education Foundation, Mrs. Benteman was able to provide Calming Tool Kits for 45 of Amelia Earhart’s classrooms.
A few years ago, Benteman helped implement “Calm Areas” for students in every classroom. However, teachers were using their own resources to supply tools for students to use in their “Calm Area.” Now, every teacher will have a fully stocked Calming Tool Kit that will help students learn the skill of self-regulation in their “Calm Area” without having to leave the class setting. “Keeping students in the classroom is essential for maximizing student success. These tools, along with the designated area in their classroom, will allow us to keep students in the classroom even when they need a break to re-regulate,” shared Benteman
The social and emotional needs of students are becoming more apparent as the world rapidly changes. Mrs. Benteman hopes the Calming Tool Kits provided through an Innovative Teacher Grant will help provide students with a secure environment where they can learn to manage their emotions in a healthy way. The Goddard Education Foundation is grateful to help provide innovative resources for students that provide a safe, caring, and connected environment.
With your support, the Goddard Education Foundation provides opportunities for students to create lasting relationships despite their differences. Adaptive and Mixed-Abilities Teacher Ms. Kelley has reinstated Eisenhower High School’s Circle of Friends Club, which connects students of all abilities through fun activities and events.
Ms. Kelley saw the need for a Circle of Friends club at the high school level. She explained, “Circle of Friends works to build a bridge to aid students with special needs, who may struggle making connections with their peers.” With her 2023 Innovative Teacher Grant, the Circle of Friends club held a winter party on January 19th complete with hot chocolate, cookie decorating, movies, games, and a tie-dye station. A member of Circle of Friends, Andi Ozbun, says these activities allow her to “get to know others, learn life skills, and have fun with friends.”
Through their engagement in Circle of Friends, Eisenhower High School students learn to appreciate their fellow classmates' differences, “we’re all just people,” Terri Hallowell, a Junior at EHS, expressed. Aiden Koester, a Junior at EHS explained that Circle of Friends has given him an increased sense of empathy and perspective for his peers. Aiden explains “there are no downsides: the club is free and you get more out of it than you put in.”
Through the Goddard Education Foundation’s Innovative Teacher Grants, Circle of Friends has created a family at EHS and promotes inclusion for all students. #265family
Thank you to the 350+ business partners, community leaders, and volunteers who united in support of Goddard Public Schools at Oz, on Saturday, March 24th, 2024, for a spectacular journey "Somewhere over the Rainbow." Because of the generous support of all involved, over $130,000 was raised to inspire minds and expand possibilities for the students and educators in our #265Family. THANK YOU.
Read more about Oz 2024 by clicking the link below. https://goddardpsks.sites.thrillshare.com/o/gef/article/1541025
Only 30 Tickets remain for the Goddard Education Foundation's Oz, Fundraising Event from 5:30 - 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Vail in Downtown Wichita. Tickets to Oz include all the food, beverages, and Wizard of Oz fun you can imagine.
Visit https://secure.qgiv.com/event/oz2024/ to purchase your tickets or table sponsorship today and help positively impact ALL 6,300 students and 1,200 educators of USD 265-Goddard Public Schools. You won't want to miss this opportunity of a lifetime, it's going to be Oz-some!
What kind of event will Oz be like? Check out this video for some of the highlights from 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRa91KQERuU
Last Call to nominate an individual for the Goddard Public Schools Hall of Fame Class of 2024! The Goddard Education Foundation is proud to recognize Goddard Alumni and Retired Staff who have positively impacted the world. Submit your nomination BY Friday, February 2, 2024! Complete the nomination form by visiting https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLMYuOL2ATkI0TYJIJ4TiGCTBYL5R_97E414K-EyWSObjo-Q/viewform?usp=sf_link
Sara McDonald, age 79, of Wichita, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. Sara was an educator, mentor, coach, district leader, advocate, and USD 265 Board of Education representative during her 56 years of dedicated service to her beloved Goddard School District.
Joining the district in 1967, Sara taught Kansas History and math to 7th-grade students. Sara would always tell you that, first and foremost, her passion in education was teaching students. Her motto, "work smarter, not harder," is remembered by her former students today.
As the Goddard School District grew, so did Sara's involvement. She served as the Math Department Chair and was instrumental in developing technology for the district.
Sara retired in 2006 after a 39-year career in the Goddard School District. Retiring from teaching but not service to the district, Sara concluded her fourth term in January 2024, representing 16 years of district leadership. She was instrumental in service to the Goddard Special Education Cooperative, helping provide opportunities and services for ALL students to be successful.
For dedicated service and leadership, Sara was inducted into the James B. McGee Memorial Honor Ring in 2015. In 2017, Sara and Ruth Wood would be the namesakes for the Goddard District Legacy Award.
In October 2022, Sara McDonald was inducted into the Goddard Public Schools Hall of Fame. To learn more about Sara's enduring legacy, click below.
https://www.goddardef.org/o/gef/page/2022
A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Antioch Christian Church, 3741 W. 15th St. N., Wichita, KS 67203. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests contributions to be made to the Goddard Education Foundation. You can make a donation in honor of Sara McDonald by clicking here, https://secure.qgiv.com/for/saramcdonaldmemorial/
The Goddard Education Foundation is proud to recognize Goddard Alumni and Retired Staff who have positively impacted the world. Please consider nominating a distinguished Goddard Alumni, Retired or Former Staff, or All-Americans (Student Group, Organization, Team, or Family) for the Class of 2024 by the end of the day on February 2, 2024. To nominate an individual today visit, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLMYuOL2ATkI0TYJIJ4TiGCTBYL5R_97E414K-EyWSObjo-Q/viewform?usp=sf_link
Calling all small business owners! The Goddard Education Foundation is preparing for our 2nd Annual Oz Fundraising event on March 23, 2024 and we need your help! We are looking for Live Auction Items, Raffle Prizes, and Gift Certificates for goods or services. If you have a small business or would like to donate to help the GEF's fundraising efforts at Oz, please email aleivian@goddardusd.com or call 316-794-4007. To learn more about Oz or purchase tickets, visit https://secure.qgiv.com/event/oz2024/.
Please help us welcome Karaline Scott, the new Community Relations Intern for Goddard Public Schools and the Goddard Education Foundation!
Karaline Scott is a senior at Goddard High School. During her time at GHS she has been involved in many extracurricular activities including varsity cheer, marching band, and Kansas Association of Youth, but was looking for a unique experience to finish out her final semester with USD 265 before graduation. She reached out, seeking an internship with our Community Relations Department to expand her marketing and communication skills.
Karaline decided to pursue an internship at the Central Administration Center with the Goddard Education Foundation and Community Relations team because of the connection she has with the Goddard community. She has been attending Goddard Public Schools for the past 13 years and is the daughter of an educator in the District. Karaline says she admires USD 265’s ability to recognize and appreciate students and staff, and knows firsthand the impact and importance of the Goddard Education Foundation and public schools in Kansas. She is excited to get involved with innovative educators in the District as well as tell their stories in a creative way. She hopes to learn more about photography and videography as well as enhance her storytelling skills during her time on the team. She will be working on numerous projects and initiatives including Oz, the GEF's fundraising event, the “Roar on 54” magazine, Innovative Teacher Grants, and other school public relations projects.
We are excited to have Karaline Scott join our Community Relations team!
