Thanks to our generous donors partnering with the Valle Catholic Schools Foundation, our Educator Grants have fueled a wave of innovation within the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) . Take a peek at the following three grants and how they are laying the foundational building blocks of learning excellence through play.
Engineering the Future
In Julie Herzog’s classroom, the work of childhood has been elevated through a suite of professional grade Lakeshore Learning materials. From Alphabet Rockets to Design and Build Engineering Centers, these hands on manipulatives have turned her room into an experiential laboratory. Students also are exploring physics with the Giant Tree House and building social-emotional empathy with “Pose and Play” families, while they develop the critical thinking skills required for the years ahead. These tools make abstract concepts tangible, ensuring every child has a front row seat to discovery.
The Glow of Sensory Learning
Walk into Brooke Helms’ classroom, and you’ll see the “glow” of intentional play. The addition of a new Light Table Sensory Center has become a focal point for student engagement. Students are practicing color recognition, shapes, sorting, and counting through a captivating, luminous experience. “The best part,” Brooke shared, “is that while they’re working on colors, counting, and fine motor skills, they think they are just having fun!” By providing this intriguing sensory experience, our youngest learners can now explore creative ways of learning that traditional tools simply cannot match.
Learning in Motion: A Classroom for Every Season
For Taylor Schilly, meaningful learning happens when math and literacy meet the real world. This Educator Grant focused on cultivating a library of themed materials ranging from produce stands and pumpkins to construction trucks and kinetic sand. These new resources allow Taylor to integrate academic concepts into dramatic play that changes with the seasons, holidays, and important events. As Taylor notes, “These experiences are crucial for fostering the cognitive, social, and emotional growth that prepares children for academic success and lifelong development.”
Your Impact Matters
These stories are a direct reflection of what happens when a community invests in its educators. When your generous gifts are given to the Valle Catholic Schools Foundation, you directly invest in quality resources that create learning excellence for our entire Valle community today and for future generations.