Call it a late Christmas present or a “Happy New Year” gift, but four local educators are celebrating their random selection as recipients of CalRTA Division 33’s $100 Teacher Grants. Division 33 of the California Retired Teachers Association conducts random drawings five times each year, awarding 3-4 $100 teacher grant checks to local teachers who complete the short application, no strings attached, via an online form they receive in their school email inbox or by accessing a link on the CalRTA Division 33 website or Facebook page. Chauntai Marchal, a TK (transitional kindergarten) teacher at Ramona Elementary School in Hemet, says, “My students love dramatic play.” She plans to purchase “more toys such as dress up clothes and a pretend cash register for them to play with.

We have been doing “Meet the Masters,” a program for teaching art history, and they are excited to recreate works from great artists. However, we do not have class supplies and so they have only been able to do two art pieces so far this year. I would love to do an art lesson each week with them!“ Kindergarten teacher, Elaine Parsley from Menifee’s Chester W. Morrison Elementary School, plans to use the $100 to buy “phonics and word building hands-on activity centers.”

This type of play really helps foster their communication skills, which in turn improves their reading and writing.” Hemet’s Tahquitz High School Special Education teacher, Shelly Hannah, says, “I will buy the students incentives, especially sensory items (designed specifically for emotionally disabled students) for our rewards program.” Ramona Elementary third grade teacher, Rachel Jones, says, “I will use it to buy art supplies for my students.

CalRTA Division 33’s popular Teacher Grant program is open to teachers in the Hemet, San Jacinto, Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula, Lake Elsinore, Romoland and Nuview school districts. Notices of upcoming drawings are sent to site principals, who then forward the information to their faculty. Teachers can also apply by accessing the Division 33 website, div33.calrta.org, or their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/calrtadivision33. Their next drawing will be held Tuesday, February 8, 2022.

Sue Breyer | CalRTA Division 33 Vice President

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