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Perry Office Plus $100,000 Education
Overhaul
Four winners will be selected
to receive a furniture makeover, one in each category:
Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College or
University.
Finalists
Elementary
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Middle School
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High School
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College/University
Hettie Halstead Elementary - 5th
Grade Classroom
Copperas Cove ISD - Nominated by Katie Rudesheim
Who
uses the space:
5th grade students use this space.
Why it doesn’t work:
Due to enrollment, our school had to add another 5th grade room
and it was put together with the furniture that could be scrounged
from other classrooms in the building. Some students have to sit at
tables, others sit at uneven desks that do not match. The room does
not have enough storage space or the proper desks to hold the
students' supplies. The students' backpacks must be stored on hooks
that are too small to hold all of the students' belongings. The dry
erase boards are old and dull, which causes problems with the
clarity of the posted text.
What
would work better:
This furniture overhaul would allow the students to have more
personal space in the classroom, which helps them develop ownership
and responsibility of their materials and a better learning
environment. More storage would allow the teacher to stay organized
and new dry erase boards would provide a better presentation of
material.
The Bottom Line:
The environment of a classroom can definitely play a major role
in the way students act throughout the day. When a classroom is
clean and orderly, it makes the room more relaxed and therefore an
easier and more comfortable learning environment is taking place.
Jefferson Elementary -
Stage/Resource Room
Temple ISD - Nominated by Mary Beth Gaspard
Who
uses the space:
I work with my resource/content mastery students sometimes at
the same time the speech pathologist sees her students in this
space-the school's stage. It is used as a computer lab for tutorial
programs for academic interventions in reading and math during the
school day as well as for after school tutoring. It is also used as
a space to produce materials for use in the special needs classroom.
Why
it doesn’t work:
The stage is still used for children's programs. We have to move
everything around, condense it so that all the materials, tables,
and computers are hidden and enough room is made for the program.
What would work better:
There is a need for fixed, concealed storage of seasonal
classroom materials as well as moveable storage which could be used
to partition off specific work areas to minimize student
distractions. A furniture overhaul would benefit the students
because it would give us the ability to minimize student
distractions when we have multiple groups meeting.
Rapoport Academy Elementary - First
Grade Rooms
Nominated by Blaire Wilson
Who
uses the space:
Two first grade classes share this room that is divided in half.
Currently that makes for a total of 34 students and 2 teachers.
What doesn’t work:
The desks are all different heights and cannot be adjusted. The
chairs are all different colors and heights so some student can
barely fit under their desks and some are way too low. There are no
additional tables at which students can work . There is little to no
storage space. The random shelving is mismatched and falling apart.
The students have no place to hang their backpacks.
What
would work better:
If students had desks and chairs that were the correct heights, they
would be able to sit correctly. Additional tables or seating would
allow for group work. If we had better storage space or any
cabinets, the learning environment would be much less busy and
distracting. Better organization of the students’ backpacks and
coats would make the room safer, too.
The Bottom Line:
These students work so hard-----they deserve a more calm,
organized and less crowded learning environment!
Southwest Elementary - Kindergarten
Classroom
Belton ISD - Nominated by Clare Kanouse
Who
uses the space:
Kindergarten students work at stations designed for them to practice
what has been taught by the teacher.
Why it doesn't work:
I have four very wide, very large, and very heavy tables for
students to work at. They are cumbersome and take up a lot of room.
I have some very long shelves for storing manipulatives which chop
up the room and makes it very hard to provide the learning stations
that kindergarten students so desperately need. As a result, it can
get very loud and distracting because I cannot close off spaces for
them to work in.
What would work better:
Smaller, newer, lighter tables would help student have more room
to move around. They would not be sitting back to back with not much
room to get up and down. Small cubby type storage units, perhaps on
rollers, would section off the room in many different ways to
provide the privacy for students to work together learning and
growing.
Elementary | Middle School | High School | College/University
Middle School / Junior High Category
Bonham Middle
School - Library
Temple ISD - Nominated by Julie Popelka
Who
uses the space:
The library is the heart of
our school and is used by not only the students (6th, 7th and 8th
grade) daily, but by the faculty during all meetings and in-service
days, and by parents during our Parent night celebrations. The
students read, study and do research here, and at lunch or before
school they come in just to be in here.
Why it doesn’t
work:
Our school is celebrating
its 40th anniversary this year and the furniture in here is
celebrating its 40th anniversary as well. The tables have become a
wobbly and squeaky over the years and the chairs and circulation
desk are VERY scratched up. Sometimes the students are in here for
hours at a time, and the furniture is just very hard and
uncomfortable.
What
would work better:
I would love for the kids
to have a warm environment in which to read and study, with
furniture that is attractive as well as comfortable. The library is
an ideal place for the students to do research as it has both
computers and books for reference. We also encourage reading for fun
and comfortable furniture would certainly invite leisure reading.
The Bottom Line:
We love the library but
would love it even more if the furniture were in better shape. What
better way to promote reading than to have a library with nice
furniture and an inviting environment?
Brazos
Middle School - Life Skills Class
Waco ISD - Nominated by Lisa Hernandez
Who
uses this space:
Life Skills Students. This
is a group of students which we are trying to prepare for the world.
The curriculum involves preparing meals, washing dishes, cleaning
up, washing and drying clothes. Students are able to get jobs in dry
cleaners and restaurants after High School with the skills they have
learned in school. To do so, their room needs to be set up in the
right manner.
What
doesn’t work:
With so many various needs
in one space, this room doesn’t have the division for the different
areas of instruction.
What would work
better:
We need to split the room
into different areas (Kitchen, hands-on, work area, computer area).
We need more storage.
The Bottom Line:
These are great kids that
need that little extra. This overhaul would help improve the
curriculum for all student in Life Skills and promote independent
living after High School.
Copperas Cove Junior High School
- Library Media Center
Copperas Cove ISD - Nominated by Katie Rudesheim
Who
uses the space:
All students at Copperas
Cove Junior High School use this Library Media Center.
Why it doesn’t
work:
The computer tables are old
cafeteria tables and garage sale tables. We have to place extra
desks next to the tables to set printers on. Because the tables were
not designed for computer use, electrical cords are everywhere. Most
of the chairs are broken and sit very low to the ground and are not
sturdy enough. We are so limited for storage that we had to move all
of our educational videos.
What would work
better:
With new tables and chairs, we could transform the lab into an area
that is more accessible to students. We would also have enough room
for future technology growth. One day, we would like to have enough
room and equipment for an entire class to be able to use the lab
space at the same time.
The Bottom Line:
New furniture would give our library a new lease on life. The
library is the heart of Copperas Cove Junior High School and it
shines, but if we won this overhaul, our library wouldn't just
shine, we would dazzle!
Florence Middle School - Special
Education Room 8
Florence ISD - Nominated by Carol Bizzell
Who
uses the space:
We have Learning Disabled students. We have several autistic
students; some even with Aspergers Syndrome.
Why it doesn't
work:
We really do have quite a
bit of space, but the furniture does not meet the needs of the
students. We also have the last few 6 and 8 foot tables in our
building. I use these to keep the students close and in small
groups.
What would work
better:
We need to have an
atmosphere that is soothing and semi-private if behavior escalates.
The Bottom Line:
We really need a facelift
to better serve our special students.
Elementary | Middle School | High School | College/University
Academy High School
- Library
Academy ISD - Nominated by Patsy Cross
Who
uses the space:
Students grade 9-12 use the
library for checking out textbooks, library books, and using
computers.
Why it doesn’t
work:
Most of our tables are
rectangular which takes up more space and are harder to get around.
Our tables, chairs, and bookcases could be updated. Some of our
tables and chairs are chipped.
What would work
better:
Round tables would make it
easier for students to be able to move around in the library. We
need some new caster chairs which make it easier for the students to
move in and out at the computers.
The Bottom Line:
Newer furniture would
enhance the students’ desire to do a better job on their activities.
Belton High School - Journalism
Class
Belton ISD - Nominated by Kathy
Person
Who
uses the space:
My classroom is used for my
journalism, yearbook, communication application, and AVID students.
Why it doesn’t
work:
My classroom is full of a
hodge-podge of old desks. Many of the desks are broken and there is
an array of colors. It is not conducive to creativity! Right now,
our yearbook computers are in a closet which makes a tight squeeze
during yearbook class.
What would work
better:
Most of what we do is
project-oriented. It would be great to have work tables to replace
the old desks that we have so the students could actually spread
their papers out to work. Also, work tables would be great to
open-up space for my yearbook computers.
The Bottom Line:
My classroom is always busy
and should be a place for creativity and encouragement but it is
very drab and "unsettled”.
Holy Trinity
Catholic High School - Computer Lab
Nominated by Luciana Herman
Who
uses the space:
All students and faculty
use this lab.
Why it doesn’t
work:
The computer lab is
comprised of a number of old tables that the computers sit on. There
is also a teacher's desk and a technology cart housed in this
classroom. The students who use the computer lab have issues with
space.
What would work
better:
The work for the yearbook
and the newspaper are done in this lab, and it would be great if the
students had tables/desks that allowed them to work on the computers
and the layouts with ease.
The Bottom Line:
All students use this lab for their computer classes and for the
computer work required in their other subjects. The students have
expressed an interest in redesigning the lab so that it is more
space and educationally efficient.
Meyer High School - Science Lab
Rapoport Academy - Nominated by Beau Sallee
Who
uses the space:
Due to the lack of
classrooms, not all of the classes that meet in this room are
science classes, although most are. This room is also used by
Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and Robotics students.
What doesn’t work:
The students sit atop
stools that screech across the cement floor and at small narrow
tables that lack a proper space to work. Also, the science lab does
not have a proper whiteboard, but instead, a laminate material that
is incredibly difficult to clean.
What would work
better:
The HON SmartLink products
fit with every need that we have. We need a functional, organized,
learning environment that
allows for the mobility of students and desks, as well as, a
whiteboard system that allows multiple teachers to use without
having to erase important information.
The Bottom Line:
I know that others would
greatly benefit from this, but our students need to know that they
have partners in education in the community who are concerned with
their success. We need caring people to walk along side and
encourage these young adults to dream bigger, work harder, and
achieve more.
Elementary | Middle School | High School | College/University
Temple College -
Room 523
Nominated by Talma Botts
Who
uses the space:
Classes and
orientations/training are held in this room.
Why it doesn't
work:
The room has individual students all-in-one desks. Many of the
students do not fit comfortably in the desks. Some of the paint on
the rim of the desk is rubbing off on the students clothes because
the desks are older.
The Bottom Line:
Students would be able to
concentrate more completely on the lectures and discussions if they
were not wedged into the desks.
Central Texas
College - Project PASS
Nominated by Barbara Merlo
Who
uses the space:
Project PASS is available for all CTC students for free,
individualized and small group tutoring, and approximately 250-300
students use this space every semester.
Why it doesn't
work:
It is a small, dark room
with dark furniture that was "handed down" from other departments.
What
would work better:
Modular-style tables would
allow more flexibility with the room setup for specific tutoring
circumstances, and modular storage would allow tutors easy access to
materials.
The Bottom Line:
Project PASS is definitely
a furnishings FAIL! Tutoring is key to creating academic confidence
in these students, and a comfortable, welcoming environment is key
to attracting and keeping students in our tutoring program!
Texas A&M Central
Texas - Pre-Service Teacher Workroom
Nominated by Dorleen Hooten
Who
uses the space:
This room is used by
students who are preparing to become public school teachers.
What doesn’t work:
The space is a former
middle school classroom and is set up to service middle school
students, not university students. Among other activities, this
space is set up to allow students to practice teaching and work on
group projects. Students have to access or check out the materials
from several locations across town as some materials are housed in
professors' offices, and others are in the library which is housed
at CTC.
What would work
better:
Along with allowing a space
where students could practice perfecting their teaching strategies,
they would also be able to practice using the tools of the trade as
well as be able to stay current on education topics by having all
relevant materials in one place for easy access by the students.
The Bottom Line:
This overhaul would be of
great benefit to our education students in preparing them for all
aspects of their future jobs.
Elementary | Middle School | High School | College/University
VOTING HAS ENDED.
Winners will be announced on May 3.