Kristal Smith, a 7th-grade English Language Arts and Special Education teacher at Monte Vista Middle School in San Jacinto, plans to use her grant to create ecosystem dioramas with her students as part of their science curriculum. “This will be a great way for them to demonstrate their learning using a hands-on approach,” Smith shared, adding that students will present their work to classmates and families.

At Hemet Elementary School, Stephanie Brundige, who teaches Special Education for grades 3-5, will establish a class library and a “calm down corner.” Her vision includes a bean bag chair and leveled books to support students of varying reading abilities, offering a comfortable space where they can relax or take a break when needed. “Thank you so much for your support for us teachers!” Brundige said.

Michael Armstrong, a 6th and 7th-grade Social Studies teacher at Acacia Middle School in Hemet, intends to invest in basic classroom supplies, restock art materials for projects, and introduce new resources to facilitate discussions and debates using primary sources. “How exciting! Thank you!” Armstrong said upon receiving the grant.

Meanwhile, Miranda Houwaart, who teaches an intensive autism program at Mountain View High School in San Jacinto, plans to use her grant to purchase sensory items and cooking supplies for her students. The funds will help enhance engagement and provide valuable hands-on learning experiences. “Thank you so much!” Houwaart expressed.

The CalRTA Division 33 “no strings attached” $100 grants continue to make a difference in local classrooms, allowing teachers to fund their classroom needs and support their students’ learning journeys. Since its grant program’s inception in 2019, Division 33 has awarded $10,000 worth of grants to local classroom teachers.  CalRTA’s mission is to protect and advocate for retired and active educators’ pensions and other retirement benefits and to support public education in our communities.  Local CalRTA Division 33 offers fifteen $1000 scholarships to local seniors each year in addition to its sixteen $100 teacher grants.  For more information about CalRTA, you can access their website at calrta.org.

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Aimee Howman teaches English 10 and ERWC (Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum) at Nuview Bridge Early College High School in Nuview. She says she is “super excited to use this $100 grant to start building an awesome classroom library for my students.  I have been wanting to purchase new graphic novels and other young adult books for both my struggling students and avid readers.”

KrystalSimioli, who teaches Transitional Kindergarten at Menifee’s Callie Kirkpatrick Elementary School, has already planned how she will use the $100 grant.  “Thank you so much for the $100 special funding I received to help me add important resources to my classroom,” Simioli said. “I’m so excited to supply my students with much needed manipulatives for ELA and Math. My students learn a variety of ways, and the grant funds will help purchase tools for hands-on/play-based learning, such as Melissa and Doug See and Spell Wooden Educational Toys, Wooden Alphabet and Number Stamps, and blocks for STEM integration. Thank you again for this opportunity!”

Tawnee Wallace, 6^th grade math and science teacher at Monte Vista Middle School in San Jacinto, says she was “thrilled that I have been selected as one of the $100 winners! As a dedicated educator, I am deeply grateful for this opportunity. The funds will directly benefit my students by providing essential learning supplies—specifically, a full year’s supply of pencils and a new calculator for each student. These resources will support my students’ academic journey and help remove barriers to their learning. Thank you!”

Sara McLamb, a TK teacher at Hemet Elementary School, was grateful for “this wonderful opportunity! My TK students and I are very excited to have earned this grant for our classroom. We are going to be spending the $100 grant on outdoor toys for our recess and exploration time. Our learning through play will be enhanced with this grant and my students will have more opportunities to explore and have fun outdoors. We would like to purchase some fun outdoor items to use to develop our gross motor skills.”

Allison Yanez, a 2nd-grade teacher at Winchester Elementary School in Winchester, received her CalRTA State $100 Teacher Grant from Division 33 Co-President Sue Breyer during her school’s November staff meeting.  Breyer then surprised Ms. Yanez with a matching $100 bill from Division 33, for a total of $200to use in her classroom.  Allison was one of 95 recipients randomly selected from 10,000 applicants throughout the state.  Upon receiving her $200, Allison said, “Thank you so much for this grant! I’ll be using it to bring some wonderful new read-aloud books into our classroom. I’ll also be purchasing supplies to support smoother transitions between activities. Thank you, CalRTA, for helping make these additions possible!” 

The Teacher Grant program is one way in which the California Retired Teachers Association supports public education.  Each year, CalRTA Division 33 offers 13 $1000 scholarships to graduating seniors and presents 16 $100 teacher grants through its random drawings.  In addition to supporting California’s public education system, CalRTA is also an advocate for retirement security for public educators and for the repeal of the unfair Social Security penalties, WEP and GPO.  For more information about CalRTA, visit calrta.org or div33.calrta.org.

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Funds to be used for classroom supplies, incentives

Sue Breyer | CalRTA Div. 33 Vice President

Five local educators were the lucky recipients of the California Retired Teachers Association’s recent teacher grants. Teachers had two different opportunities to secure a $100 teacher grant – the state CalRTA office held its “no strings attached” grant drawing the end of October and awarded 35 $100 grants to teachers across the state.

Angela Mitchell, a first grade teacher from Abby Reinke Elementary School in Temecula, was one of the 35 state recipients. CalRTA Division 33 – which represents Hemet, San Jacinto, Menifee, Romoland, Nuview and surrounding districts – held its most recent teacher grant drawing at their December 5th holiday luncheon, randomly selecting four $100 teacher grant winners: Maria Villegas, Romoland Elementary School; Tim Kurdmisto, Tahquitz High School; Danielle Hearron, Cawston Elementary School; and Rachel Lee, Nuview Elementary School. Maria Villegas, who serves as school librarian for Romoland Elementary School in Romoland, used her $100 grant to “purchase bookmarks and bracelets for our Seuss event for our students.

Our students will be excited and happy to receive these items! Thank you very much.” Hemet’s Tahquitz High School biology teacher and swim and water polo coach, Tim Kurdmisto, says, “The funds are going to be used for lab supplies.

Thank you!” Danielle Hearron teaches third grade at Cawston Elementary School in Hemet. She says that she will put the $100 toward treasure box rewards for her students. When she was notified that she was a $100 teacher grant recipient, Nuview Elementary School 6th grade teacher Rachel Lee said, “I would love to purchase some flexible seating for my classroom and an easel to post my anchor charts on! I might even buy some supplies for our festive holiday stem activities.

Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!” Angela Mitchell, first grade teacher at Abby Reinke Elementary School in Temecula, received a $100 check from the CalRTA state teacher grant program but was pleasantly surprised when she was handed a matching $100 bill from Division 33 Board members Tim Mathos and Tom Green, for a total of $200. The CalRTA State office’s next round of teacher grants opens January 24, 2024, and it will randomly draw the names of 35 lucky winners in mid-February.

California public school teachers can access registration information by going to calrta.org/teacher-grants. CalRTA Division 33 will open its next round of teacher grant registrations on January 2, 2024 and will hold its next drawing on Tuesday, February 13th. Teachers in the Hemet, San Jacinto, Nuview, Menifee and Romoland School Districts may access the registration form at tinyurl.com/CalRTADiv33TeacherGrant or div33.calrta.org/scholarships-and-grants.

In addition to protecting teacher pensions and fighting for Social Security fairness, another of CalRTA’s missions is to support public education, and the state and local teacher grant programs provide that much-needed support in the form of “no strings attached” monetary awards to local teachers and classrooms throughout the state. For more information about the California Retired Teachers Association, you can access their website at calrta.org.

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CalRTA Teacher Grants

Sue Breyer, CalRTA Vice President

We’ve all witnessed the glimmer of excitement in the eye of a child as the winter holidays draw near and their hope for that special gift brings a sense of anticipation. But that feeling of excitement isn’t limited to young kids. Four local teachers experienced that same excitement when they recently learned that they were the lucky recipients of a $100 Teacher Grant from the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA).

Hemet High School’s Kim Blair, Hemet Elementary School’s Mekel Bromley, and Harvest Hill STEAM Academy’s Lindsey Button each received a check for $100 from CalRTA’s local Division 33 after being randomly selected from nearly 90 applicants. Kim Vannaman from Cawston Elementary School received $100 from the state CalRTA Teacher Grant program, but because she teaches at a school within the Division 33 area, she received not only the state $100 check but also a matching $100 bill from Division 33 President Gayle Mattson, for a total of $200.

Upon hearing that she had been chosen as one of Division 33’s $100 grant recipients, Hemet High School 9th and 10th grade social science teacher Kim Blair said, “Thank you very much for the funds! In 2015 my AP Human Geography students began an outreach club which engages in fundraising and then uses the money to help those without homes in our valley. Once a month students plan, purchase, prepare and serve a meal at Hemet’s Valley Restart Shelter. One Saturday a month the students plan, purchase and pack lunch bags for those on the streets of our town. This winter they also ran a blanket drive for homeless folks and the school gave generously! I hope you know how much this program, and the funds you’ve given, help our students to become good adults with compassion and care for those less fortunate.”

Mekel Bromley, a fourth grade teacher at Hemet Elementary School, plans to use the $100 to “purchase positive incentives for her students. We do a weekly raffle to reward students for completing assignments and for their positive behaviors. My weekly raffles typically include clay, slime, boxes of sour candy, small Lego kits, small stuffed animals, reusable water bottles, glow in the dark footballs, glow sticks/items, bubbles, coloring books, art supplies, popits and fidget toys. Thank you!”

Lindsey Button teaches math and science at Harvest Hill STEAM Academy in Menifee and was surprised and excited to hear she would receive one of the grants. “Thank you so much for selecting me for the grant this month! It was such a happy surprise. I will be using the grant money to plan an engaging hands-on science activity for my students. I taught summer school a couple years ago and we were given owl pellets to dissect as a class. It was one of the best activities I have ever done with my students. They were so excited to put together the bones of the prey they found. I love teaching science, and when the students are able to get their hands dirty, I can really see them light up. It’s the best feeling in the world to share their excitement in learning. Thank you again for your generosity,” Button said.

State CalRTA $100 Teacher Grant winner Kimberly Vannaman received her $100 check and crisp $100 bill from CalRTA Division 33 President Gayle Mattson at Cawston’s staff meeting right before winter break. Vannaman said, “I want to thank CalRTA for this wonderful opportunity. With the $100 from the state CalRTA I plan to buy solar robots for students to put together as table groups. My goal is to inspire my students to want to enter STEM related fields in the future. I am so excited about the extra $100 from CalRTA Division 33 and plan to use this money to replace some broken headphones that I have been using in my classroom for years. With any remaining funds I will invest in some more flexible seating options (like with wiggle cushions) to better meet the needs of students who just need to move around more. Thank you again CalRTA for these grant funds. The money is going to enrich my classroom so much!”

Round #3 of the State CalRTA Teacher Grant program will be open for registrations on January 25, 2023, and 35 California public school teachers will be randomly chosen on February 16th from the thousands of applicants. A grant application form can be accessed at calrta.org/teacher-grants. The next round of CalRTA Division 33 Teacher Grants will open on January 13th, and the names of 3 lucky winners will be drawn at their February 14th luncheon. Teachers in Hemet, San Jacinto, Menifee, Romoland and Nuview School Districts can access a Division 33 application form at div33.calrta.org/scholarships-and-grants. For more information about CalRTA, send an email to calrtadivision33@gmail.com.

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