Decatur Education Foundation Awards Grants to DC Staff

Decatur Central Officer Paula Petty, choral teacher Mrs. Kelly Cassady, and drama teacher Ms. Anna Nickell have been awarded grant funds from the Decatur Township Education Foundation.  Officer Petty, Mrs. Cassady, and Ms. Nickell wrote grant proposals highlighting projects that will greatly benefit the students of Decatur Central, and the community of Decatur Township.

Ms. Nickell and Mrs. Cassidy plan to teach drama students about creating the illusion of "flying" on the drama stage, all while acting and singing at the same time.  An outside company, Flying by Troy, will bring in a single track flying system with harnesses and set it up.  Students involved in theater classes will learn how the flying system is put together, and all of the safety guidlines involved in using the device.  Some choral and drama students will learn how to properly sing and act all while harnessed in the device, up in the air! The students, with guidance from Mrs. Cassady and Mrs. Nickell, will apply their learning  when they produce and perform the Wizard of Oz utilizing the "flying" equipment.  This real world application will be a valuable learning experience for the students.  All are invited to attend and see the production! (Stay tuned for more information!)

Officer Paula Petty received grant funding to assist in starting the G.O.L.D Club.  The mission of the club is to "guide our gilrs on a positive path in their journey to becoming strong, confident women."  The club will strive to help young women better navigate their lives by building self-esteem and positive relationships while empowering them to pay it forward to their school, classmates, and community.  Officer Petty states that some of the goals of the club include creating a mentoring pathway between high school girls and middle school girls, increasing self-worth, and offering a safe platform for girls to tackle tough topics such as dating issues and the pros and cons of social media.  Guest speakers will be invited to talk to the girls about the challenging issues they face today and how to overcome the challenges connected to those issues.  Grant funds will help Officer Petty get the club up and running with things such as help with advertising, t-shirts, food, and support in club actities.

We are DecaturProud of these awardees and look forward to hearing more about their activities! Thank you to the Decatur Township Education Foundation for supporting the teachers and staff of MSD of Decatur Township!!