Five Teachers Receive Grants From Dearborn Co. Retired Teachers Foundation

The $500 grants were awarded with the help of sponsors.

Pictured are Jim Stock, DCRTF; Mike McLaughlin and Mary Beth Hedrick, the Betty McLaughlin Endowment; DCRTF Director Betty Bourquein; Jascia Robinson, DCRTF; Terri Schmeltzer, Principal at St. John Evangelical Lutheran; Becky Wilhelm, St. John Evangelical Lutheran; Krista Hutzel, East Central High School, and Hayley Miller, East Central Middle School. Not pictured are Susan Schmuelling and Jackie Stoecklin, St. Lawrence School, Jim Pierce, Knights of Columbus; and E. G. McLaughlin, CIVISTA and the Betty McLaughlin Foundation. Photo provided.

(Dearborn County, Ind.) – Five area teachers have received generous grants from the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation (DCRTF).

The foundation, with the help of its sponsors, were able to award $500 grants to active teachers in the county.

The grant recipients are Susan Schmuelling, Hayley Miller, Jackie Stoecklin, Krista Hutzel, and Rebecca Wilhelm.

Schmuelling, a teacher at St. Lawrence School, was awarded a grant from the Bright Knights of Columbus for its STEAM Lab, which includes filament for their 3-D printers, renewing of licenses for the designing of video games and Zspace, and materials for engineering projects.

St. Lawrence’s Jackie Stoecklin also received a $500 grant, sponsored by the Lawrenceburg Knights of Columbus. Stoecklin received money for her Taking Preschool Outside Project. Students at St. Lawrenc do not have a formal playground, and the money will be used to convert four parking spaces into an obstacle course with sensory paths for the children.

Hayley Miller teaches at East Central Middle School. She received funding provided by the DCRTF for a calming room to help with anxiety, social skills, and stress management. The room will allow for a quiet place for students to refocus and reset without having to be sent to the office for immediate disciplinary action.

Krista Hutzel was sponsored by CIVISTA and the Betty McLaughlin Endowment. With her grant she was able to purchase Finch Robots to help the students learn multiple programming languages. These robots provide tactile and kinesthetic students the opportunity to learn.

The Bright Knights of Columbus sponsored Rebecca Wilhelm, a teacher at St. John Evangelical Lutheran. Wilhelm will purchase Young Hoosier Book Award books for the school library. Students will get an opportunity to vote for the best book in each category in the spring.