The Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation awards grants to GCISD Educators for classroom materials and school-wide and district-wide initiatives. Each year, the “Star Grant Patrol” visits the campuses with fun and fanfare.
Find more #GCEFwishGRANTED photos on Twitter from @GCISDEdFound
2023-2024
28 grants = $74,611.00
The Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation “Star” Grant Patrol awarded funds for 28 Grapevine Colleyville projects totaling $74,611.00 on Friday, December 1. In an atmosphere of excitement, educators were surprised at their campus and proclaimed winners with oversized checks.
$15,000.00 – GCISD Learning Grant, awarded to Lisa Pedevilla; grant will support professional development and curriculum alignment across the district.
$10,425.00 – BUILD: A K-1 Early Reading Intervention, awarded to Meredith Burns; district-wide initiative for professional development, grades PreK-12
$7,352.00 – Coding, Robotics, 3D Printing, Curricular Connections, Gifted Instruction…Oh My! awarded to Heather Hagar, Cannon Elementary School
$5,000.00 – Success Through Sensory: awarded to Melissa Solomon, Timberline Elementary School
$5,000.00 – NASA; awarded to Kyleigh Whitsell, Stefani Donaldson, Chloe Roe, Peyton Meyer, 3rd Grade, Cannon Elementary School
$4,200.00 – Enhancing Teacher Modeling with Document Cameras; awarded to Irene Sotelo, Timberline Elementary School
$3,000.00 – Colt Grove; awarded to Janellis Ramirez, Karen Boyse, Andy Thomason, Juanita Priesand, Colleyville Middle School/Colleyville Elementary School
$2,500.00 – Automotive Tool Shop Improvement; awarded to Doug Poteet, Grapevine High School
$2,500.00 – Heart Health; awarded to Bree Moody, Dove Elementary School
$2,500.00 – CA Phoenix Mechs Robotics; awarded to Sarah Roberts, Collegiate Academy
$2,000.00 – GCISD Culinary ProStart Team; awarded to Amber Owens, Grapevine High School
$1,980.00 – “DASH”ing Into the World of Coding; awarded to Amanda Miller, Glen Hope Elementary School
$1,500.00 – Classroom Charging Stations; awarded to Shauna Hunter, Grapevine Middle School
$1,500.00 – Lego League; awarded to Tiffani Giffard, Glen Hope Elementary School
$1,500.00 – Improving Student Learning through Document Cameras; awarded to Alejandra Paniagua, Cannon Elementary School
$1,477.00 – Tools for Success!; awarded to Ashley Mitchell, 5th Grade, Dove Elementary School
$1,450.00 – Infinite Musical Theatre; awarded to Casey Muckley, Colleyville Heritage High School
$1,000.00 – “Hot Shot” Coffee Business; awarded to Diane Elliott, Doug Hood, Angelina Curtis, Grapevine High School
$856.00 – CA Cooking Club; awarded to Kaci Hill, Collegiate Academy
$700.00 – Rise and Shine Coffee Cart; awarded to Maber Martinez, Heritage Middle School
$668.00 – From Facts to Inspiration: Granting Non-Fiction Books for Lifelong Learning, awarded to Leah Robertson,Glen Hope Elementary School
$500.00 – Blitzing to a Higher STAAR Passing Rate: Incorporating Lowman Materials in the English 2 Classroom; Leesa Palmer, Colleyville Heritage High School
$450.00 – Chargers for Students; Lori Payne, Grapevine High School
$380.00 – Bridges Bulldog Juggling Team–Equipment; Linda Lancaster, Bridges
$338.00 – Newline Document Cameras; Angela Norris, Cross Timbers Middle School
$335.00 – Into the Game of Chess; Christi Cooper, 2nd Grade, Heritage Elementary School
2022-2023
24 grants = $69,778.00
$15,000.00 – C&I Learning Grant, awarded to Dr. Julie Leslie and the Curriculum & Instruction team; district-wide initiative for professional development, grades PreK-12
$6,000.00 – Increase in Student Involvement in eSports, awarded to James Guess and Kimberly Phillips, Cross Timbers Middle School and Heritage Middle School
$5,000.00 – Decodable Literacy Library K-2, awarded to Jennifer Pettit, Ha Dinh, Paige Summers, Becca Middlebrook, and Emily Matheny, Cannon Elementary School
$5,000.00 – Just Words, awarded to Courtney Ervin, Grapevine Elementary School
$5,000.00 – Camera & Film Equipment, awarded to Courtenay Harris, Grapevine High School
$5,000.00 – Continuing to Build a Strong Literacy Foundation in GCISD, awarded to Jenna Brosette, district-wide initiative, grades PreK-2
$2,500.00 – ProStart Culinary Team, awarded to Amber Owens, Grapevine High School
$2,500.00 – Astronomy Telescopes, awarded to Tanner Hannah, Leslie Singles, Jason Crump and Stephanie Ovalle, Colleyville Heritage High School, Marion Brekken Science Grant
$2,477.00 – Exploring Earth Space Science, awarded to Julee Sanders, Grapevine High School
$2,425.00 – PreK – The Most Important Year: Learning Through Play, awarded to Jenny Coffey, Timberline Elementary School
$2,186.00 – Sparking Insight in Graphic Literacy with Spark Timers, awarded to Daniela Barbaro, Marisela May, Johanna Preston & Rachel Hill, Cross Timbers Middle School
$2,000.00 – Colleyville Heritage DECA School Store, awarded to Stephanie Neal, Colleyville Heritage High School
$2,000.00 – Human Services Classrooms Kitchen Upgrades, awarded to Bailey Gross, Stacie Cooper, Katie Adams and Chelsea Lanier, Cross Timbers Middle School
$1,986.00 – GCISD Robotics, awarded to James McCarthy, Grapevine High School, Marion Brekken Science Grant
$1,789.00 – Project 9 Square in the Air!, awarded to Bree Moody, Dove Elementary School
$1,689.00 – Cannon RISE Classroom Needs, awarded to Samantha Heller, Cannon Elementary School
$1,613.00 – Dove ECSE, awarded to McKenzie Martin, Dove Elementary School
$1,500.00 – Sensory Learning, awarded to Kimberly Michelle Miller, Dove Elementary School
$1,400.00 – Take Note 2.0, awarded to Kelsey Anderson, Don Gilley, Sharla Strong, Rachel Sakakeeny, Patricia Reed, Patricia Parent
$730.00 – Biotechnology and Chemistry in Agriculture, awarded to Kirsten Shriver, Alexis Allen, Rachel Dunn, and Alex Kuykendall, Grapevine High School, Marion Brekken Science Grant
$700.00 – Creating Rigorous Small Group Interventions, awarded to Kristin Clary, Amy Smith, SamanthaPark, and Melissa Blackburn, Dove Elementary School
$600.00 – Strategies for Challenging Your Gifted Student Book Study/Professional Development, awarded to Louisa Hilton, Dove Elementary School
$350.00 – GHS Calculus – Calculus in Motion, awarded to Sterling Bristow and Sherrilynn Lee, Grapevine High School
$333.00 – Supporting the Whole Child & Their Unique Needs, awarded to Elyse Hahne, Timberline Elementary School
Congratulations to all of our Grant Recipients! You are all Stars!
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2021-2022
23 grants = $71,400.79
$ 25,000 – C&I Professional Learning Grant, awarded to Dr. Lani Norman and Curriculum & Instruction team; district-wide initiative for professional development; grades PK-12
$ 7,448.68 – Nonfiction Reboot at Bear Creek, awarded to Jessica Vitek, Bear Creek ES
$ 7,429.00 – Learning to Love Literature, awarded to Jessica Snowden, Nicole Whiteside & Juana White, Silver Lake ES
$ 5,000.00 -Building a Strong Literacy Foundation in GCISD, awarded to Jenna Brosette, district-wide initiative, grades K-5
$ 3,135.22 – Math and Science Concepts, awarded to Tamara Bailey & Kerri Hendrickson, Grapevine ES
$ 2,500.00 – Fences: Moonshot, awarded to Heath Hamrick & Laurie Alsobrook, iUniversity Prep
$ 2,500.00 – TES Ballet Folklorico Dance Group, awarded to Patricia Adame-Carlos, Magdalena Malanowski, Yesenia Casas, Laura Cabrera-Garcia, Timberline ES
$ 2,433.60 – A Crescendo of Sound: Broadening Horizons in Music Theory, awarded to Casey Muckley, Colleyville Heritage HS
$ 2,425.68 – Literacy Library for Emergent Readers, awarded to Cindy Garcia & Kari Griffith, OC Taylor ES
$ 2,176.00 – Displaying Student Work on Magnetic Whiteboard Walls, awarded to Joseph Parthemore, Heritage MS
$ 2,000.00 – Authentic Investigations in AP/Super BIO, awarded to Julee Sanders, Grapevine HS
$ 1,500.00 – Nutrition and Wellness Lab, awarded to Karen McCrary, Bridges
$ 1,300.00 – Gator Farms-Chicken Coop, awarded to Brittany Cohen, Glen Hope ES
$ 1,085.00 – Computer Club Startup, awarded to Benjamin Schubert. Collegiate Academy
$ 900.00 – Spectrometers for AP Classes, awarded to Cortney Franks-Kays & Sonya Loughran, Colleyville Heritage HS
$ 891.41 – A Math Kit for All, awarded to Taylor Deering & Melissa Ward, Bear Creek ES
$ 782.04 – Autopsies, Not Dissections, awarded to Robyn Johnson, Heritage MS
$ 712.99 – Bridges Floral Design TSFA Manual & Materials, awarded to Andrea Brankin, Bridges
$ 692.20 – Tapping into Your Potential, awarded to Debra Tridico, Kelsey Anderson, Sharla Strong, Patty Parent, Patti Reed, & Rachel Sakakeeny, district-wide initiative for Special Education, Adult Program ages 18-22
$ 576.00 – Organic Chemistry Lab Equipment, awarded to Sonya Loughran, Jason Crump, & Cortney Franks-Kays, Colleyville Heritage HS
$ 400.00 – Hi-Low Books, awarded to Tracy Lemerand, Bear Creek ES
$ 350.00 – Flexible Seating and Whisper Phones, awarded to Samantha Sifford, Glen Hope ES
$ 162.97 – Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program, awarded to Sarah Ganus, Grapevine ES
Support programs like these and others!
2020-2021
11 grants = $28,056
$ 5,850.00 – Connecting on the Couch: A Virtual Learning Experience, awarded to Melissa Johnson, Timberline ES
$ 5,000.00 – STEM Trailblazers, awarded to Julie Brenegan, Cannon ES
$ 4,478.00 – Making Literary Magic for Readers, awarded to Erin Wahpekeche Grapevine ES
$ 4,000.00 – High School Band Recording Equipment, awarded to Brooke Irby, GHS
$ 2,878.00 – I can play with my friends, awarded to Kamalani Kaku, Bransford ES
$ 2,500.00 – GHS Sensory Room, awarded to Joon Choi, GHS
$ 1,949.00 – Silver Dance Sound System, awarded to Gigi Gonzalez, CTMS
$ 646.00 – Remote Research Resources, awarded to Sonya Loughran, CHHS
$ 455.00 – Virtual Cooking Club, awarded to Lauren Jackson, Collegiate Academy
$ 200.00 – Makey Makey, awarded to Angela Harris, Glenhope ES
$ 100.00 – Ipad, awarded to Katie Kloboves, GHS
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2019-2020
23 grants + awards = $84,182
The Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation “Star” Grant Patrol awarded funds for 23 Grapevine-Colleyville ISD projects totaling $70,935 on Friday, December 13. In an atmosphere of excitement with drummers and oversized checks, teachers were surprised in their classrooms and proclaimed winners by Foundation Elves.
Additionally, on Wednesday, December 4, all GCISD campuses received endowment grants and awards totaling $13,247.
$15,500 – C&I Professional Learning Grant, awarded to Suzanne Newell and Curriculum & Instruction team; district-wide initiative for professional development; grades PK-12
$14,000 – Digital Collection Data for All, awarded to Tony Zahn; district-wide initiative for science; grades PK-12
$8,000 – STEM: Building, Making, Coding and More, awarded to Tony Zahn & Jennifer Hylemon; district-wide initiative; grades K-11
$10,000 – 2Words: Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, awarded to Jay Zeller; district-wide initiative for athletics & fine arts; grades 6-12
$2,000 for Biotechnology in AP/Super BIO, awarded to Julee Sanders; Grapevine High School science; grades 10-12
$1,500 – Technology and Music Literacy in the Band Room, awarded to Kimberly Beene; Heritage Middle School fine arts; grades 6-8
$1,920 – Certified Hospitality & Tourism Management Professional, awarded to Kate Burkhart, Grapevine High School, Technical Education & Career Center; grades 10-12
$653 – Engaging Struggling Readers, awarded to Terry Popp and Lisa Grimes; Cross Timbers Middle School English language arts; grades 6- 8
$3,500 – Leveled Take-Home Books, awarded to Jennifer Elsen; Bear Creek Elementary School; grades K-5
$1,770 – Water Quality Analysis, awarded to Sonya Loughran, Jason Crump & Becky Brindley; Colleyville Heritage High School science; grades 9-11
$750 – Fences: Moonshot, awarded to Heath Hamrick & Laurie Alsobrook; iUniversity Prep; grades 7-12
$468 – OSMO for Concrete Learners, awarded to Emily Brown; Grapevine Middle School, Special Education/RISE; grades 6-8
$139 – Math Olympiad Elementary Team, awarded to Anjalie Gilby; Colleyville Elementary School gifted & talented math; grades 4-5
$1,500 – Reality Works Babies, awarded to Stacie Cooper; Colleyville Heritage High School family consumer science; grades 9-10
$1,000 – Without Dance, What’s the Pointe?, awarded to Kristy Lilley; Colleyville Middle School fine arts; grades 6-8;
$1,000 – Earth Tank, awarded to Lydia Hatch; Early Childhood Development Center
$1,000 – Picture Perfect Science and STEM, awarded to Chelsea White; Cannon Elementary School science; grades K-5
$1,918 – Patterns of Power for Powerful Writing, awarded to Tonya Dean, Kelsey Dyck, Alyson Feaster & Tovah Woodcock; Colleyville Elementary School English language arts; grade 1
$1,767 – The Colt Accomplice: Podcast Initiative 2.0, awarded to Kristy Lilley; Colleyville Middle School English language arts; grades 6-8
$1,000 – Don’t Lose Focus!, awarded to Lauren Vise & Rachel Malette; Bransford Elementary School fine arts; grades 4-5
$900 – Robotics Club & Competitions, awarded to Jared Clarke & Jerry Price; iUniversity Prep STEM; grades 6-12
$250 – Little Changemakers, awarded to Crystal Reimer; Dove Elementary School; grades PK-5
$400 – Fostering Literature Circles, awarded to May Palos; Bear Creek Elementary School English language arts; grade 3
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2018-2019
28 grants + awards = $115,945
The Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation Grant Patrol awarded funds for 28 Grapevine-Colleyville ISD projects totaling $91,700, on Friday, December 7. Additionally, all GCISD campuses received endowment grants and awards totaling $24,245 – resulting in a total of $115,945 grants to-date for the 2018-19 school year.
District Initiatives:
$ 25,000 – GCISD Professional Learning, awarded to Dr. Suzanne Newell and Curriculum & Instruction team; district-wide initiative for professional development; grades K-12
$ 11,871 – STEM: Data, Building, Robotics, and More, awarded to Tony Zahn and Jennifer Hylemon; district-wide initiative for STEM; grades K-12
$ 10,000 – Advancing Robotics in GCISD, awarded to Nate Dunn, Maxwell Miller, Keanan Matthews-Hall, and Daniel Kim; district-wide initiative for middle school STEM; grades 6-8
$ 9,000 – 2Words: Monumental Impact, awarded to Jay Zeller; district-wide initiative for athletics; grades 6-12
$ 6,400 – Midwest Band Clinic for GCISD Band Staff, awarded to Nick Thomas, Shannon Gill, Lauren Jones, Kim Beene, Paul Najera, Jennifer Gish, and David Zahrndt; district-wide initiative for fine arts; grades 6-12
$ 4,000 – Exceptional Pre-K Experiences, awarded to Kristi Brown; district-wide initiative for pre-K
Teaching Grants:
$ 3,000 – Collecting and Analyzing Real Time Data in Chemistry, awarded to Joshua Bergerson, Erin Smith, Michael Nottingham, Nathan Cooper, and Patton Garay; Grapevine High School chemistry; grades 9-12
$ 3,000 – 21st Century Biology: Part 2, awarded to Julee Sanders-Diehl, Madeleine Backstrom, Courtney Bingham, JJ Burton, and Andy Jacobs; Grapevine High School biology; grades 9-12
$ 2,793 – Spectrometer Upgrade, awarded to Sonya Loughran, Jessica Bell, Jason Crump, Cortney Kays, Michael Turner, Tanner Hannah, Miral Kiwasmi, and Leslie Singles; Colleyville Heritage High School science; grades 9-12
$ 2,500 – Barred Instrument Overhaul, awarded to Ashley Benson; Bransford Elementary School fine arts; grades preK-5
$ 2,000 – Nonbreakable Mirrors for Silver Dance Team, awarded to Gigi Gonzalez; Cross Timbers Middle School fine arts; grades 6-8
$ 1,820 – Taking Robotics to the Next Level, awarded to Keanan Hall; Grapevine Middle School STEM; grades 6-8
$ 1,278 – Flipped Classroom via Swivl, awarded to Nicki Clem, Diana Schmitz, Cindy Pearson, and Sheila Shimmick; Colleyville Elementary School, multiple subject areas; grade 4
$ 1,000 – Filling in the Gaps, awarded to Ellena Lee; Silver Lake Elementary School music; grades 3-5
$ 1,000 – GHS RISE Vocational Training Initiative, awarded to Debra Tridico, Doug Hood, Diane Elliott, and Olivia Griswold; Grapevine High School special education; grades 9-12
$ 975 – The Union of Two Great American Artists: Robert Frost and Randall Thompson, awarded to Thomas Rinn; Colleyville Heritage High School fine arts; grades 9-12
$ 750 – Dash Robot, awarded to Angela Harris; Glenhope Elementary School gifted education; grades K-5
$ 750 – Pivot Interactives Lab Improvement, awarded to Steven Rains; iUniversity Prep science; grades 11-12
$ 741 – Qball-Whatcha Say? Let Scholars Be Heard, awarded to Holley Grosberg, Megan Randle, Shauna Hunter, Anna Weston, and Tanya Kellerman; Dove Elementary School; all subject areas; grade 3
$ 645 – Literature and the Arts, awarded to Dr. Jamie Halliburton, Raschel Boyd, Taylor Wallis, Cathy Swick, and Angela McClure; Bransford Elementary School; all subject areas; grades preK-5
$ 500 – Art Attack, awarded to Cathy Swick, Dr. Jamie Halliburton, and Angela McClure; Bransford Elementary School; all subject areas; grades preK-5
$ 500 – English Classroom Library, awarded to Andrea Brankin; Bridges Accelerated Learning Center language arts; grades 9-12; .
$ 500 – New Bridges Speech Team., awarded to Pennie Walters; Bridges Accelerated Learning Center multiple subject areas; grades 9-12
$ 500 – Art As We Know It Podcast, awarded to Kim Thibodeaux and Alex Alkire; Colleyville Heritage High School multiple subject areas; grades 9-12
$ 402 – Fun Food Friday, awarded to Shannon Kennedy; Timberline Elementary School special education; grades K-5
$ 300 – Phoenixes Read!, awarded to Mark Dye and Kristinia Haney; Collegiate Academy language arts; grades 9-12
$ 300 – The Colt Accomplice: Podcast Initiative, awarded to Kristy Lilley; Colleyville Middle School multiple subject areas; grades 6-8
$ 175 – Kimochis for Social/Emotional Learning, awarded to Jennifer Pettit; Cannon Elementary School; grade K.
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2017-2018
22 grants = $ 100,140
On December 15, 2017, the “Star” Grant Patrol awarded funds for 22 Grapevine-Colleyville ISD projects totaling $100,140. Congratulations to all 2017-18 grant recipients!
District Initiatives:
$ 25,000 – GCISD Professional Learning, awarded to Dr. Suzanne Newell and Curriculum and Instruction Directors & Coordinators for professional development, grades K-12
$ 24,500 – Expanding Design Thinking and Problem Solving in STEM, awarded to Tony Zahn and Jennifer Hylemon for Science/STEM, grades K-9
$ 15,000 – Creating Beyond the Screen, awarded to Tony Zahn for Instructional Technology, grades PreK-5
$ 4,600 – Assessing ASPIRE Academics, awarded to Becky Manning, Alex Fingers, Dr. Wynette Griffin, and Shannon Tovar for ASPIRE Academy reading and math, grades 1-8
$ 4,600 – Get Fit With DrumFIT, awarded to Kensley Sutherlin and elementary physical education teachers, physical education, grades K-5
$ 4,150 – Embracing the Challenge of Effective Reading, awarded to Sharon Gardner and Curriculum Staff for Reading, English, & Language Arts, grades 6-12
Teacher Grants:
$ 7,500 – Making Music, awarded to Jamie Halliburton, Ashley Benson, and Cathy Swick of Bransford Elementary School Music, grades K-5
$ 2,000 – I Can Read, awarded to Heather Almodovar, Elia Reyes, and Patricia Adame-Carlos of Timberline Elementary School, Reading, grades 1-5
$ 2,000 – 21st Century Biology, awarded to Julee Sanders-Diehl, Madeleine Backstrom, Courtney Bingham, J.J. Burton, and Andy Jacobs of Grapevine High School Biology,grades 9-12
$ 2,000 – Program Growth Support Equipment for Pony Pride Dance Team, awarded to Kathryn Mercer and Krysta Brewer of Grapevine Middle School Fine Arts, grades 6-8
$ 1,849 – Job Skills, Shredding, awarded to Debra Tridico, Nikki Cook, Diane Elliott, and Doug Hood of Grapevine High School Career Prep 1 and 2, Practicum of Human Services, grades 9-12
$ 1,669 – Words Their Way for Everyone!, awarded to Rebecca Sporrer, Cecilia Shipley, Amy Hisel, Lori Jackson, Sheri Thompson, and Taylor Wallis of Silver Lake Elementary School, Spelling, Vocabulary, and Writing, grades 1-5
$ 1,100 – Swivl Around and See Good Instruction, awarded to Shauna Hunter and Katelyn Covert of Dove Elementary School, Suzanne Barker of Grapevine Elementary School, and Janie Stach, GCISD Coordinator of Instructional Technology, grades K-5
$ 1,000 – GMS L.E.A.D.S.-Leadership that Encourages Action to Develop Success, awarded to Jamie Nutt and Laura Koehler of Grapevine Middle School for Leadership/TeamBuilding/ Communications, grades 6-8
$ 1,000 – Fences: A Night to Remember, awarded to Heath Hamrick and Laurie Alsobrook of iUniversity Prep Academy for Secondary Social Studies, grades 7-12
$ 460 – Juggling Equipment for Juggling Club, awarded to Linda Lancaster and Brenda Ewing of Bridges Accelerated Learning Center for Social Studies, grades 9-12
$ 400 – Accessing for Differentiated Learning, awarded to Cindy Pearson, Sheila Shimmick, Mackenzie Feaster, Rebecca Smith, Natasha Murray, Catherine Auker, Holly Bowman, and Deborah Hedges of Colleyville Elementary School for Reading, grades 3-5
$ 360 – Recording Boxes for Quality Video Presentations, awarded to Christina Hayes and Will Boykin of Glenhope Elementary School, grade 5
$ 312 – Phonetic Awareness-Rhyme Time, awarded to Keari Hatton, Shauna Barnard, Leah Thomas, and India Maine of Dove Elementary School for Humanities, grade K
$ 300 – Cyber Security Training and Competition, awarded to Jerry Price of iUniversity Prep Academy for Computer Science, Engineering, and Instructional Technology, grades 9-12
$ 240 – Egg Incubator, awarded to Kelsey Boatwright, Michaela Gilmore, Corrie Kaufmann, and Jeanette Hill of Bransford Elementary School for Science, grade 1