Teachers get some ‘Bright Ideas’
By Scott Nicholson

Some local teachers and students got a classroom boost in the latest round of “Bright Ideas” grant awards.

The winners in the grant program, which is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation (BREMCO), were announced at a luncheon in Boone Wednesday. Four Watauga County winners and one Avery County winner were on hand to talk about their classroom projects that were selected as “Bright Ideas.” Grants totaled over $4,000.

BREMCO district manager Susan Jones said the five winners were selected from nine applications, and said the grants would have a positive impact on 480 students. “We’re just so pleased to touch that many students,” she said.

Jones said the committee selecting the winners consider the number of children who will benefit, the ability of the program’s continuation from year to year, creativity on the part of the teachers, and the academic impact on the students.

Terri Miller of Green Valley Elementary School won a $390 grant for “Next Generation Composers.” She said the program will benefit 65 students in the fifth through eighth grades who are enrolled in strings and band classes. The grant will purchase software that lets young musicians record and publish their work. Miller said it will help students put their music on paper and have it published on a web site.

Josephine Sorrell of Mabel Elementary won a $396 grant to enhance reading. Her “Boosting Brains With Big Books” will use oversize books, a book caddy and puppets to help 88 young students in the classroom and after school program.

Kathy Butler, helped by Sondra Edwards, Jeanie Hawkins, and Ashley Johnson, won a grant of $1,444 for the system-wide “Fifth Grade Choral Festival.” Students from all elementary schools that participate in general music will learn four or five compositions, facilitated by an Appalachian State University professor. The songs will be presented at a choral festival at ASU next spring.

Anne Donadio and Jennifer Gray of Cove Creek Elementary won a grant of $1,025 to implement a “Community Reading Connection” for two first-grade classes. The program started with adults reading aloud in classrooms, and the grant will be used to buy more books and provide a reading network among the home, school and community.

Kimberly Tufts of Cranberry Elementary School won a grant of $506 for a “Global Neighbors: Asia” program for seventh graders. The program will expose students to various aspects of Asian culture, such as music, dress, foods and artifacts.

Andy Reese, chair of the school board, said BREMCO’s efforts were an example of the “total community effort” that led to the success of the county school system. “We’re very much aware of the fact we don’t teach students in isolation,” he said.

Since 1994, BREMCO has given over $213,000 in “Bright Ideas” grants, reaching more than 64,000 students in six-county BREMCO service area. Locally, grants have been awarded in 64 classrooms during that time.