DCSF gives $24,300, honors donors at annual banquet
Published 8:15 am Thursday, March 16, 2017
The Demopolis City Schools Foundation awarded four grants totaling over $24,000 through its “Big Give” program. Those representing the grant winners are, from left, Elizabeth Renner, Terri Speegle, Courtney Kerby (also representing Meggin Mayben and Amelia Mackey), and U.S. Jones Elementary Principal Leon Clark who accepted a grant for Amelia Mackey.
Also recognized at the celebration were last year’s winners of the Hugh Lloyd Excellence in Education Award. Pictured are DCSF Director Amanda Barnes with teachers Terri Speegle and Laura Holley.
The DSCF recognized its donors. Included above are representatives of those who gave at the Executive and Patron levels. PIctured are, from left, (front) Charles Singleton of Trustmark Bank, Parker Hallmark, Kris Mullins of Mullins State Farm; (second row) Karen Kerby (and husband Olen standing behind), Pete Reynolds of Robertson Bank; (third row) Olen Kerby, Joe Parr of Parr’s Chevron; (back) Dan Wilson and Claud Neilson.
Among those recognized as Sustainer Level donors are, from left, (front) John Northcutt, Billy Coplin, Nancy Northcutt, Parker Hallmark; (back) Bill and Catherine Meador and Gabby Rivas Lewis.
Among the Partner Level donors present are, from left, (front) Terri and Tony Speegle; (middle) Jan and Dick McDonald; and (back) Amanda and J.D. Barnes.
The Demopolis City Schools Foundation held its annual Donor Appreciation Celebration Tuesday, March 7, honoring those who give to the organization while also using it as an opportunity to award several grants.
The foundation awarded over $24,300 to advance and enhance classroom experiences for Demopolis students. The funds were made available through the foundation’s “The Big Give,” which DCSF Director Amanda Barnes described as a “shark tank” style competition to award larger $5,000 to $10,000 grants.
“In January, teachers were asked to submit a simple project description about how he or she would tackle an issue at their schools,” Barnes said. “The committee received 10 applications and selected four to present to the grants committee. The four selected included proposals for arts education, computer programing, broadcasting, and the Lego classroom experience.”
One of the grants awarded will benefit the award-winning broadcasting programs at U.S. Jones Elementary, Demopolis Middle School and Demopolis High School. The foundation awarded $9,900 that will be used to better align the broadcasting programs between the schools and to enhance the offerings for electives at the high school. This grant was awarded to broadcasting teachers Courtney Kerby, Meggin Mayben, and Amelia Mackey.
Also awarded was more than $7,000 for a “Let’s Go for Lego” education curriculum program. This two-part grant will immediately fund the language component of the Lego curriculum with the promise to fund the science portion this summer. The grant was awarded to Terri Speegle.
Another of the grants awarded was $5,400 to Amelia Mackey for Mission “Airborne,” which allows for the implementation of the next phase of coding and robotics at U.S. Jones Elementary. The project will provide students with programmable drones designed to teach students about computer coding. The first phase of the program was said to be very successful.
The final grant awarded was “Learning through Motion,” which will help incorporate art programs for students at Westside Elementary School. A grant of $2,000 was awarded for the program that is being coordinated by the Two Rivers Arts Council and Friends of the Library, which are also providing funds.
The celebration also provided DSCF officials and board members the opportunity to recognize those who have donated during the past year. For information on the various ways to support the foundation call 334-289-2226 or email to dcsf@westal.net.
Those recognized for giving at the Executive Level were Parr’s, WestRock, and Georgia-Pacific.
Patron donors are: Jackson-Newell Foundation, Luke and Sarah Chandler Hallmark, Olen and Karen Kerby, Jere Levy, Marengo Insurance Agency, Louise Webb Marzen, Claud and Cindy Neilson, Frank and Lucette Osborne, Robertson Banking Company, Roger and Carolyn Willis, Dan and Vickie Wilson, Rotary Club of Demopolis, State Farm Companies, Kris and Donna Mullins, Trustmark, and John Cox Webb IV.
Partner level donors are: Alabama Power, J.D. and Amanda Barnes, Holly Shepherd LaGrone, Dick and Jan McDonald, Freddie and Mary Rutledge, Tony and Terri Speegle, Danny and Faye Wasson, and Jane Watson.
Sustainer level donors are: Naomi and Edward Allen, Leah Rawls Atkins, Bill Barley, Thomas and Alice Boggs, Paula Bond, Doug and Jan Brooker, Junior and Jackie Brooker, Joey and Kim Browder, Frank Brown, Bryan Whitfield and Maxine Compton, Hunter and Lisa Compton, Larry and Peppi Cowart, Bob and Jessie Crawford, Patsy and Doug Cullum, Oliver Daniel, Vince and Kathryn Deas, Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce, Demopolis Lions Club, Jake and Jannalee Duke, Rick and Andrea Dunn, Cotton and Kitty Knight Eddins, Mark and Dana Freeman, Johnny and Reggie Galloway, Becky and Robert Gibson, Ginger Godwin, Maurice and Carolyn Goldsmith, John and Debbie Green, Ali and Blaine Hathcock, Bobby and Ann Jackson, Burnquetta Johnson, Cyd Johnston, Charles Jones Jr., Michael and Hannah Kennedy, Joyce Kerby, John and Gabby Lewis, Austin and Beth Lindsay, Gaston Joel Lipscomb III, Amelia Mackey, Robert Matthews, Gabrielle and Clayton McVay, David Mellown, Thomas and Kayte Melton, Paul and Jill Miller, David and Patricia Moore, Harris and Morgan Nelson, John and Nancy Northcutt, Traci and Rob Pearson, Cynthia Phillips, Bill and Katherine Poole, the Reading Club of Demopolis, Stan and Cindy Reeves, Aimee and Peter Michael Reynolds, Mabry and Jeanne Rogers, Ken and Shelby Sherwood, Charles and Ellen Singleton Montgomery and Elizabeth Smith, Tammy Spruell, Jim and Penny Stanford, Sweet Water State Bank, The Perfect Touch and Perfect Touch Home,Vicky Thorne, Terralance Thurman, Kim B. Townsend, Ken and Mary Tucker, Steve Tucker, Bill and Marjorie Waldrop, Angie S. Webb, Wells Fargo Foundation, Riley and Marta Wells, A.G. and Hazel Westbrook, and Cecil Williamson.
Member level donors are: Morgan Allen, Emi Aultman, Jennifer and Mark Bedsole, Jesse and Kim Bell, Jim Bird, Allen and Donna Bishop, Connie Boutwell, Alex and Braswell Braswell, Justin and Ashley Brock, Susan Browder, Terry and Connie Brown, Jean Burch, Sue Calloway, Tom and Terri Cameron, Leon Clark, Constance Cleveland, Allison Cobb, Colonial Book Club, Ashley and Will Coplin, Rebecca Culpepper, Brad and Brandy Daniels, Ray and Carrie Dauphin, Woody and Tammy Dinning, Mark and Nanette Dollar, Foster and Ginger Eich, Kendra Elmore, Adrienne Etheridge, Rachel Etheridge, Anne Freeman, Kelly and Trey Gandy, William Gantt, Leslie Gibbs, Nicole Greene, Mary and Herman Griffin, Valley and Julie Harrison, Pamela Hilton, Marianne Hitchcock, Becky Holley, Carrie Jackson, Evelyn James, Anne Johnson, Jessie and Andrea Johnson, Gina Johnston, Allene and Kevin Jones, Jennifer Jones, Martell Jones, Clarke and Courtney Kerby, Emily Low, Jan Luther, Helen Marshall, Mary Jo Martin, Julie and Clay Massey, Evelyn Maxey, Leslie May, Meggin Mayben, Myles Mayberry, Deborah McAfee, Rollie McCall, Jerry and Margaret McGhee, Dashiell McKay, Jim and Cynthia McKay, Dianne McNeill, Trish McVay, Amanda Meadows, Amie Miller, Gloria Mims, Will and Carolyn Moore, Sue Moore, Pam Morgan, Ernestine Mullen, Higley and Paula Parr, Tanya Patterson, Nicole Pettis, Rebecca Pipkins, Tony Pittman, Eddie and Stephanie Polk, Etta Pope, Jennifer Pruett, Andy and Elizabeth Renner, Trena and Jay Reynolds, Frances Roberts, Broughton Rogers, Butch and Betty Russell, Jay Russell, Don and Becky Scarborough, Adam Sealy, Jay and Rosemary Shows, Jeremy Silcox, Pat and Amanda Smith, Arletha Perry Sparks, Leslie and Traci Spiller, Eleanor Stegall, Kirk and Betsy Stephens, Chris and Tracy Stewart, Kristi Stokes, Ted and Mary Stuedeman, Jody Tartt, Sylvia Tate, Brooke Thorn, Gresha Thurmond, Amelia Traeger, Jill Tutt, Frankie and Cynthia Whitlock, and Emily and Tyler Windham.
(This article originally published in the Saturday, March 11, print edition of the Demopolis Times.)
