CalRTA awards grants to local teachers

FALLBROOK – The California Retired Teachers Association Division 81 have been awarding grants to individual teachers in the local schools for the past several years. Teachers are asked to submit proposals describing how they would spend extra funds to enrich or enhance their teaching programs.

Vallecitos teacher Carol Watson was awarded one of these grants so that she could purchase thesauruses for her fifth-grade students. She said she is eager to help her students improve their writing and speaking vocabularies by using different words for "good," "hard," "bad" and other overused cliches.

Vallecitos is a school district with one school that serves 222 students in preschool through eighth grade in Rainbow. Watson was presented her grant at the conclusion of a faculty meeting, Oct. 25. Her colleagues said they were supportive and were impressed with her teaching strategy.

The following other CalRTA grants have been awarded this year in local schools: Eddie Van Hoosear at Bonsall High School for Water Solutions products; Devon Alcorn at La Paloma for headphones; Christina Payne at Potter Junior High for Snap Circuit circuit boards and Melissa Ledri at Sullivan for art brayers and block cutters. There are four teachers at Fallbrook High School who will also be receiving grant funds. These funds are raised by the CalRTA within their own membership, but donations for this fund are welcomed.

Submitted by California Retired Teachers Association Division 81.