CADIZ — Teachers at Harrison Hills City Schools have been awarded grants to enhance reading, math science and engineering concepts for their pupils.

Julia Carman, Sue Macenczak and Alisha Steele each received $700 Best Practice Grants from the Jefferson County Educational Service Center. Amber Fomenko, JCESC director of special education and professional development, presented the awards during the Harrison Hills school board meeting on Nov. 21.

Carman, a teacher at Harrison Central Elementary, will promote literacy through play with her project, “Puppets for Reading.” More than 113 students will enjoy using puppets during reading activities, which has improved their fluency and expression. The puppets allow students to connect with the characters, sparking their imagination and creativity. Through performing stories for younger students, they gain valuable experience in speaking, listening and the performing arts. Books from classroom collections, the McGraw-Hill reading series, and monthly themed stories inspire skits that students bring to life with enthusiasm and originality.

“I am using the grant money to purchase more culturally diverse puppets for our fourth-grade students. This was started several years ago from a grant from the ESC that I used to purchase puppets to increase students’ motivation and enjoyment of reading. It proved successful,” she commented. “Students absolutely love to utilize the puppets while reading a story. We have found that by allowing the students to pick out puppets to use while reading, students began to read more fluently and with greater expression. The excitement and motivation about reading dramatically increased. Furthermore, our more shy students especially enjoy using puppets. For many students, this brings out their inner imagination and personality as they ‘become’ the character of their puppet.”

She added that students love performing their stories for the younger students. In addition, they transform books and stories into plays.

“I am very grateful for this opportunity to add more culturally diverse puppets to our puppet family. More students will be able to identify with the various puppets. Many thanks to the Jefferson County Educational Service Center and the Best Practice Grant Committee.”

Macenczak, who instructs science at Harrison Central Junior-Senior High School, is introducing “Science and Engineering with 3-D Printing.” About 100 students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by designing and testing prototypes using CAD software and 3-D printing, which enhances engagement and hands-on learning in engineering and science. This approach allows students, including those with IEPs, to interact with manipulatives, fostering a deeper understanding of concepts. In science projects, students learn programming with Pyret and use 3-D printers to create and test parts, refining their designs through iteration. The availability of a printer in the classroom reduces financial burdens on families, ensuring all students can participate fully and gain real-life engineering experience.

“The project is for engineering concepts students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by designing prototypes using CAD, 3-D printing and testing their ideas,” she added. “This gives students real hands-on experience with science and engineering that they will use throughout life and increase student engagement.”

Macenczak said she has received numerous grants in the past which have enabled students to learn through hands-on activities, and they were excited to continue learning with the technology and complete projects throughout the year.

“I am so excited to be able to 3-D in school and actively have students as part of the process. We are getting a printer that can print in four colors and can be expanded to an eight-color print if needed. I have been able to 3-D print items needed for lab and that is reducing the cost for the school by having us be able to design and print materials used in multiple classes. Students find this really exciting to see the design process and then use the materials that we print.”

Steele, a fifth-grade intervention specialist at HCE, is incorporating “Marvelous Math Fun” into the classroom. The project provides more than 90 math and reading students with materials that enhance their number sense, mathematical reasoning and organizational skills. By collaborating with the math teacher, the project will create learning centers featuring engaging games and projects to reinforce these skills. Whiteboards will also be incorporated into daily activities, allowing students to work through complex problems more effectively. This approach will particularly benefit students who struggle with organization while making math learning more enjoyable.

“My proposed project will make learning math fun while developing a stronger foundation of number sense, mathematical reasoning, and fact fluency. I plan to work with the math teacher to develop learning centers to include reinforcing games and projects,” she said. “I would also like for the students to be able to have whiteboards to help them work through lengthier problems in the daily classroom activities. This would benefit those who have difficulty with organization. Along with in-class math supports, I have a love for teaching reading and I would like to extend books and magazines that involve mathematical situations such as ‘The Great Divide’ and ‘Sir Cumerfence and All the King’s Tens’ into the classroom to encourage students to find enjoyment in both reading and math.”

Steele is another previous grant recipient and said she has primarily provided reading projects through the funding. However, she was excited to expound on math resources this time.

“I am very humbled to be chosen for this grant. I am sure there were many deserving projects submitted and I feel very fortunate that the Jefferson County Educational Service Center chose to fund mine. I am very excited for the students and look forward to working with them using the new materials,” she concluded.

JCESC Superintendent Chuck Kokiko lauded the teachers for their ideas to help students succeed.

“The JCESC has supported efforts of our classroom teachers to bring forth insightful, innovative projects to fuel the students’ minds and improve upon their education, and the Best Practice Grants enable them to put those ideas into practice,” Kokiko added. “Every year, our district teachers continue to find unique methods for their classroom. We appreciate their hard work and are pleased to provide these opportunities and promote such creativity.”

Harrison Hills City Schools received a total of 45 Best Practice Grants over the past 14 years to enhance learning opportunities and other recipients included the Buckeye Local, Edison Local, Indian Creek Local, Southern Local, Toronto City and Steubenville City school districts as well as the Utica Shale Academy.