Gifts appreciated Students in the Port Aransas ISD have made use of the educational tools purchased with grant money from the Port Aransas Education Foundaiton. Friday night's Mardi Gras is the foundation's major fundraiser. Clockwise from left, Fallon Zollars, left, and John Amundsen, students of social studies teacher Kristi Longanecker, look over maps in their Brundrett Middle School classroom. Showing off quilts they made in Claudia Locher's class with sewing machines paid for by PAEF grants are, from left, seniors Kristi Hoffman, Macy Luker and Megan Park, junior Paige Porter and senior Becky McCall. H.G. Olsen Elementary School students Matt Groseclose, Hannah Waters and McKanzie Krott use the whiteboards in first grade teacher Ginny Shaw's class. Students of the Port Aransas ISD are letting their opinions be known as they speak out about the items bought by the Port Aransas Education Foundation.

The education foundation will hold its annual Mardi Gras in October tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 3. The event will help raise money for items requested by teachers throughout the school district. For the last two years, the education foundation has been working to provide the school district with additional means of educating students. The last batch of grants, awarded in April, included everything from field trips to books, and has given the students a wider range of opportunities to learn. All of these items have been requested by the teachers, paid for by the foundation, and discussed by outside sources, but it is the students who benefit from the work the foundation is doing.

STAFF PHOTOS BY CHLOE TUGWELL H.G. Olsen Elementary School was primarily after a technology boost as interactive whiteboards were installed in four classrooms.

"The combination of the whiteboard and the projector gives the effect of a huge monitor that the students can interact with," said first grade teacher Ginny Shaw.

Without this system, the class would have to use chart paper and markers, which are easily ruined and don't attract the attention of the first graders, Shaw said.

Using the whiteboard, the students become engaged with the lesson. The teacher can allow all the students to take part in the learning, and the screen can be printed for each of them to have a copy. Their enthusiasm was obvious as they were questioned on what they thought about the whiteboard.

"I want to smear my face on it!" said first grader Matt Groseclose in the excitement.

Chase Shelton said, "It's wonderful!"

Brundrett Middle School had a range of requests, including new library books and a field trip to the King Ranch. Especially interesting to students was world and U.S. history teacher Kristi Longanecker's request for a set of maps. The maps include current maps of the world and of Texas, as well as 19 historical maps that follow American history from 1610 to 1991.

"I can use each map that's significant for the time period that we're learning about," said Longanecker.

Before obtaining this group of maps, Longanecker used one map that was "not even worth pulling down."

The students have also found the maps beneficial.

"It makes it a lot more interesting and it's easier to learn," said eighthgrader Fallon Zollars.

Port Aransas High School was treated to many new additions that included a new set for the theatre and a weather station for the entire district. One request was for a new class that began last year: sewing.

This year, sewing teacher Claudia Locher put in an order for two new sewing machines. The machines are being used by her class to make several items including quilts that are being donated to the education foundation to be auctioned at Mardi Gras in October. The students are getting more excited about the projects as the year goes on.

"I've had to limit the size of the pillows because they keep getting bigger and bigger," said Locher.

The new sewing machines enable the students to use more complicated designs in their work, as they are able to monogram, complete more intricate stitches and also create buttonholes.

"With the new machines, everyone gets a chance to make something," said senior Becky McCall, who recently completed a hooded jacket using one of the new machines.

The education foundation has raised almost $70,000 in the last two years to benefit the education of students in the school district. The majority of this money has been raised through the Mardi Gras in October. The proceeds will help pay for the grants requested by teachers to make the students' experiences at school more fun, interesting and beneficial to their futures.