The start of the school year included a surprise for teachers at Greenwood Community Schools, a thank you card with a $100 bill tucked inside.

The gifts were the result of a $24,900 grant for 249 teachers across the district from the Greenwood Education Foundation, a grant-writing organization created in 2014 to financially assist families and staff at Greenwood schools, said Donna Jones, the foundations president.

Theres a lot of anxiety with teachers coming back to school and being around students. Theres a lot of extra work to prepare for not only in-class learning for Greenwood students, but remote learning for students coming back to school. To juggle both those things and also get ready for the start of school was immensely stressful, Jones said.

We wanted to do something to show our support and appreciation for them and for all they do for our children. We decided to give them each $100.

The bulk of the Greenwood Education Foundations fundraising efforts come from its annual Monte Carlo Night, which features gaming, such as blackjack and roulette, as well as live and silent auctions, a dinner and music. The event takes place each February.

This year, the foundation raised $50,000 from the event, weeks before the rise of the coronavirus pandemic would have rendered holding such an event impossible, Jones said.

The money, which teachers can spend however they please, was a welcome relief for teachers at the start of the school year, many of whom have reached into their own pockets to pay for school supplies, said Kent DeKoninck, Greenwood schools superintendent.

It means a lot for teachers that they feel supported, DeKoninck said. As much as our district looks to support teachers and provide supplies, its always a never-ending battle to keep up with the supplies and items teachers want. This is something that can help cushion their own pocketbook.

The gift was a welcome surprise, said Donald Kalugyer, band director at Greenwood Middle School.

"I was amazed," Kalugyer said. "People dont typically come up and give you a present like that. It was a really nice thank you."

Although the Greenwood Education Foundation was formed in 2014, it wrote its first grant in 2015. In the last five years, the foundation has raised $185,000, which it has used to help buy food and clothing for families in need, and pay for eyeglasses and sports participation fees for students who cant afford them, Jones said.

If a family is in need of food or even a place to live, or if a child needs eyeglasses or clothes, anything that impacts that childs ability to learn, they can come to us and ask us for support and we will fund that need, Jones said.

The foundation tries to stay around $15,000 in grants each grant cycle, which runs about six months. The money for the teacher grants was above that figure, but came from a delayed spring grant cycle due to the pandemic, Jones said.

The foundation recently hired its first executive director, Christina Sizemore. As executive director, shell be working on community outreach and engagement, Jones said.

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Greenwood Education Foundation gives every Greenwood teacher $100 - Daily Journal