The Cumberland County Public Schools Foundation received seven grant applications from elementary and high school teachers totaling $13,575.

Proceeds raised from the 2015 Walk for Education fundraiser totaling $6,377.89 were available for distribution.

On May 9, the foundation awarded one grant totaling $654.89 to benefit Cumberland Elementary School and on May 23, awarded three grants totaling $5,732 to three teachers at Cumberland High School.

The Cumberland Elementary School Grant totaling $645.89 was distributed to CES Goes PBIS! Positive Behavior Intervention System team members: Chiara Hoyt, Brenda Carrier, Emily Overstreet, Georgina Handy, Glenda Grubbs, Jennifer Turner, Laurie Shelton, Ashely Blackwell, Pamela Stepko, Stephanie Hammonds and Tiffany Hurt.

This project will increase academic time on task through encouragement of positive behavior. Which will lead to increased academic success. PBIS is a system designed to encourage and reinforce positive behaviors by setting clearly defined expectations for behavior throughout the school. These behaviors are instilled through the use of a student oath, as well as schoolwide assemblies and daily reminders by the principal and teachers. Students are recognized for appropriate behavior and demonstration of the school-wide expectations (determined, unified, kind, engaged and safe).

As students internalize these behaviors, they begin to develop into productive citizens who can and will meet their academic and social potential.

The Cumberland High School grants, totaling $5,732, were distributed as follows:

• Stem/Robotics — Myrna Barr (CHS Grade 9) — $3,332.

The robotics program at CHS stems across all learning communities. Students focus on engineering design, building, math, technology, as well as marketing, branding, finance, budgeting, purchasing equipment, safety and promoting the team. They experience real-life situations that prepare them for the workplace, because 90 percent of jobs today involve some sort of STEM. The goal of this program is to instill knowledge, skill set and a love for all things STEM so that students are equipped to pursue such careers.

Through the entire robotic building season, along with the pre-building season (students attend workshops and a kick off rally at VCU) the students worked hard to meet challenging goals. They design, strategize, build, program, drive and transport the robot to competition. They must set up safety rules, comply to FRC rules and also promote and market their team to community leaders, to fellow team members, to industry and to FRC judges and related professionals.

• Speak & Listen — Charles Kesner (CHS Grade 10) received $600. In the foreign language classroom, it is fairly easy to evaluate reading and writing. However, speaking and listening, which are arguably more important, are very difficult to assess. With audio recorders, it will make assigning speaking assignments significantly easier to assign and grade.

• Colored Graphing Calculators — Heather Sutton (CHS Grade 10) received $1,800. This project will help math students to differentiate equations based on the color presented on the graph. This will allow students to better assess various math questions and determine the best possible answer.

In September, Cumberland County Public School students solicited funds from family and friends to participate in a Walk for Education. In addition, community churches, groups and organizations either participated in or contributed to the walk.