The Education Foundation announced two Public School Proud Grant winners at Memorial Middle School earlier this week. Sue Zueger received $6,929.78 for her proposal, “It’s a Muse Thing: Improving Literacy in the Makerspace Environment.” “It’s a Muse Thing” is a literary makerspace open to students as an after-school club. They will work on self-selected writing projects, although the club advisor will provide a creative writing prompt every meeting to inspire new ideas and new pieces. Projects such as ‘zines (hand-made magazines), film shorts, comic strips, and traditional genre-writing in poetry, microfiction, short stories, and memoir will be emphasized. The goal will be to produce and publish pieces that can be highlighted in a school-sponsored literary magazine linked to Memorial’s Blogspot.

Two to three student editors will be chosen to assist in selecting submissions that will be open to the entire student body (including students who cannot attend the club). ELA teachers will be asked to encourage students to submit their writing for publication. The handmade ‘zines could be read by other students in the Memorial Middle School library.

Gerrad LaBue, PE and health teacher, received the second Public School Proud Grant at Memorial. He will use $369.97 to start a pickleball club. In the application, LaBue wrote, “We need more afterschool activities. In the spring the only option is track, so this opens the door for many students who don’t like to run, but want to stay active and have fun with friends at the same time.  Pickleball gets students away from electronics, outdoors in the fresh air, active with their peers, and promotes a healthy lifestyle.  If we want students to be active, we need to provide them with more opportunities. This activity can reduce stress, help with social skills, and improve emotional well-being. It is also a lifelong skill.”