Classroom Grant Recipients

Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; Mary Hollow, teacher and grant recipient; Karen Browne, President, TBA Credit Union; Robin Ahart, Marketing Coordinator, TBA Credit Union; Mrs. Hollow's 4th grade students, Fife Lake Elementary.

Mary Hollow, Fife Lake Elementary 4th grade teacher, was awarded a $500 Classroom Grant that the entire school will benefit from! The funds will be used to purchase books for students who participate in a computerized reading program called "Accelerated Reading". When students reach their reading goals, they are rewarded with a new book of their choice during honors ceremonies held throughout the school year.

The grant money will help buy over 200 books for the program! Congratulations, Mary!

Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; Karen Browne, President, TBA Credit Union; Lori Westman, grant recipient.

Lori Westman, Augmentative Communication Consultant for TBAISD, is TBA Credit Union's most recent Classroom Grant recipient. The $500 award will be used to create 45 Low-Tech Toolkits for Communication to be utilized by Speech-Language Pathologists who service students within the five county area.

The kits will help therapists spend more time with their students while giving a 'voice' to students who cannot talk, cannot be understood, or cannot otherwise express themselves effectively. Congratulations, Lori!

Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance; Roxann Kitchen-Smith, counselor and grant recipient; Karen Browne, President, TBA Credit Union.

Roxann Kitchen-Smith, counselor at Bellaire Elementary, was awarded a $500 Classroom Grant for a "You Can Choose" DVD series that helps students learn behavioral, social, and life skills. The video provides teachers and counselors with a springboard for group discussion and starts children on the path to positive, healthful choices. Congratulations, Roxann!

Cherie Correll, teacher and grant recipient; Karen Browne, CEO, TBA Credit Union; Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency.

Cherie Correll, Central Grade School Art teacher, was awarded a $500 Classroom Grant to use towards a special art project that will include all her 5th grade students this spring. Environmental artist Patricia Innis will be working with Cheri's students to help them understand how history, culture, science, and the visual arts influence each other. Congratulations, Mrs. Correll!

Sharon Dionne, Principal, Central Grade School; Stephanie Jackson, teacher and grant recipient.

Stephanie Jackson, first grade school teacher at Central Grade School, was recently awarded the first Classroom Grant of the year! The grant will be used to purchase a "Time for Kids" magazine subscription for each first grade student. The magazine incorporates reading and writing while integrating science, social studies, and math. Congratulations, Mrs. Jackson!

John Yeomans, President, TBA Credit Union; Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; Staci Short, teacher and grant recipient; Dale Kasza, Principal, Kalkaska High School.

Eager to provide hands on learning experiences, science teacher Staci Short will use her $500 grant to purchase supplies that will enhance the laboratory portion of the Applied Science-Forensics course being offered at Kalkaska High School. Materials purchased will be used to help students explore forensic science techniques such as ink chromatography, fingerprinting, and shoe print analysis.

Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; Diane Young, secretary; Mandy Blumenfeld, counselor; Rita Watts; John Yeomans, President, TBA Credit Union.

Building self esteem and confidence in students, Lisa Craker, 7th Grade Principal at Traverse City East Junior High, and her colleagues will be using their $500 Classroom Grant to enhance the lives of sixth and seventh grade students who come from economically challenged households. Congratulations!

John Yeomans, President, TBA Credit Union; Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; John Failor, teacher and grant recipient.

John Failor, SCI-MA-TECH Director at Traverse City Central High, was recently awarded a $500 Classroom Grant. The funds will be used for the FIRST Robotics Team and will be used to purchase tools and additional parts needed to build the robot. Congratulations, John!

Jami Gray, teacher and grant recipient; Karen Browne, VP Finance, TBA Credit Union; Robin Ahart, Marketing Coordinator, TBA Credit Union; Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; Larry Douglas, assistant teacher.

Students demonstrate how the new equipment works while jamming to "Funkytown"!

Looking for fun and innovative ways to encourage students to get fit, Jami Gray, Elk Rapids Middle School Physical Education teacher, decided to incorporate dance in her gym classes! Using the $350 Classroom Grant to purchase an Xbox console and Dance Revolution pads, Jami's students are now bopping their way to a healthier lifestyle!

Brian Klauer, TCAPS Montessori Director; Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; Tamara Batcha, TCAPS Montessori Spanish teacher and grant recipient; John Yeomans, President, TBA Credit Union.

Tamara Batcha, TCAPS Montessori Spanish teacher, was awarded a $500 Classroom Grant on February 1, 2007. The funds will be used to support learning in their Spanish program by providing students with music, books, games, and felt boards to enhance their understanding of the language. Congratulations, Tamara!

Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; John Yeomans, President, TBA Credit Union; Robin Ahart, Marketing Coordinator, TBA Credit Union; Shar Bogard, Library Coordinator and grant recipient.

Grant recipient Shar Bogard, Library Coordinator at Glenn Loomis Elementary School, was recently awarded $500 to sponsor the school’s Poetry Café. Each April, the school converts the library into a café and gives students an opportunity to recite poetry written by them or poetry they like. During the month long event, guest poets and authors come in to encourage students to be creative in the writing process.  Congratulations, Shar!

John Yeomans, President, TBA Credit Union; Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; Katherine Wolterink, teacher and grant recipient; Peter Olson, Principal, Benzie Central High School.

Katherine Wolterink, ninth grade school teacher at Benzie Central High School, was recently awarded a Classroom Grant that will be used to take her students sailing on the Manitou. This exciting Great Lakes adventure will be the finale to a unit the students will study on sea-faring literature, history, and science. Congratulations!

Standing: Robin Ahart, Marketing Coordinator, TBA Credit Union; John Yeomans, President, TBA Credit Union; Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency. Sitting: Judy McPhee, teacher and grant recipient.

It was with pleasure that TBA Credit Union and MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency awarded Judy McPhee, Kindergarten teacher at Old Mission Elementary School, a Classroom Grant to purchase big books for her class. These books help students learn to read and will benefit this year's class and many future classes passing through Mrs. McPhee's room!

John Yeomans, President, TBA Credit Union; Merrill Harvitt, MEEMIC Insurance/The Harvitt Agency; Josh Rothwell, Teacher and Grant Recipient, Kingsley Elementary School; Karl Hartman, Principal, Kingsley Elementary.

Josh Rothwell, third grade school teacher at Kingsley Elementary School, was recently awarded the first Classroom Grant of the year! The funds will be used to take 100 students on two field trips this year to the AuSable Institute in Mancelona. Congratulations!