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Foundation Funds Spring Grants at Elementary, Middle, and High Schools
In its spring cycle, the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation has agreed to fund nine grants and four mini-grants totaling nearly $60,000.
The grants were approved at the EGRSF board meeting Wednesday, March 19. Last fall, the EGRSF board approved another nearly $85,000 in classroom enhancement grants. Together with program support, professional development, student scholarships, and a $400,000 contribution to the high school transformation (part of a multi-million dollar commitment over six years), the Foundation has agreed to provide more than $700,000 to our schools this school year. (You can read more about the Foundation's historic commitment to the high school transformation on our website.)
Students at Breton Downs, Lakeside, and Wealthy Elementary, East Grand Rapids Middle School, and East Grand Rapids High School will all benefit from this spring’s grants. They include another year of funding for the wildly popular March Book Madness at all three elementary schools, ESports equipment at the middle school, and additional funding for the Gone Boarding class at the high school that the Foundation helped launch in 2018.
Here’s the full list of spring grants and mini-grants: - Interactive Dry Erase Tables (Elementary)
- Portable Sound System (Elementary)
- Choir Risers (Elementary)
- English Language Learner Technology (Elementary, Middle, and High School)
- March Madness Books (Elementary)
- Author Visit (Elementary)
- Gone Boarding Paddleboards (High School)
- Scholastic News Periodicals (Elementary)
- English Teacher Conference Attendance (Middle School)
- Science Olympiad (High School)
- ESports Equipment (Middle School)
- Cow Eyes for Dissection (Elementary)
- reMarkable Paper Pro Tablet (Elementary)
“Our grants meetings are some of the best parts of being a Foundation board member,” says East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation Executive Director Amy Stuursma. “Our teachers, students, and administrators come up with this wish list of ways they can enhance learning and we get to make them reality.”
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HURRAH! Tickets On Sale Now
On Saturday, April 26, the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation’s annual fundraising party, HURRAH!, will once again fill Wege Plaza with food, fun, friends, music, drinks and more.
Don't miss out! Get your tickets or be a sponsor now at egrsf.org/events/hurrah.html. This community-wide event is always a highlight on the East Grand Rapids social calendar. The past two years, HURRAH! was sold out well before the event.
This year’s HURRAH! will be a party spotlighting all the ways the Foundation and our friends in the community work together to provide opportunity for our students.
A full list of HURRAH! ticket options and sponsorship benefits is available on our website.
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Nominate a Teacher for an Award
Time is running out to nominate one or more of our outstanding teachers for the Foundation's Excellence in Teaching Awards or the James and Georgia Nicholas Endowed Award for a Teacher of Math, Science, or Technology.
Pictured above are last year's Excellence in Teaching Award recipients: Breton Downs Elementary teacher Christy Gast, Wealthy Elementary teacher Christen Sarjeant, and East Grand Rapids Middle School teacher Kristine DiVita, along with Lakeside Elementary teacher Kristen Lecours, who was honored with the James and Georgia Nicholas Endowed Award for a Teacher of Math, Science, or Technology.
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Foundation Annual Report Available Online
This year's EGRSF annual report provides a snapshot of everything we do for our students together.
It features schematics of the high school transformation project, grant highlights, EGRSF Student Board Member Audrey Krajewski's EGR Robotics diary, photos from alumni reunions, an interview with Kerry Eleveld from the class of '88, and lots more.
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Last Chance for Sophomores to Apply to Be an EGRSF Student Board MemberThe Foundation is governed by a 22-member volunteer Board of Directors that includes two East Grand Rapids High School students (this year's are Tanyon Sanders '26 and Audrey Krajewski '25, pictured at left at our Awards Dinner).
"It has been so rewarding to see the Foundation's work as a student,” says Krajewski. “Being able to both benefit from and administer educationally enhancing grants that connect me with EGR on a deeper level is a phenomenal experience!"
"The most valuable thing about being a student board member is the ability to see how the time and energy you put into the Foundation Board can truly affect your classmates,” Sanders says. “To be able to go to not only the high school, but all of the schools in the district and leave an impact is truly something special."
Until April 15, we're accepting applications from current sophomore students to join our board. Students are expected to serve on the board for their junior and senior years. Meetings are once a month during the school year, and often feature snacks. Application forms are available on our website.
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18-Hole Gerken Open Golf Outing Sold Out, Few Spots Left for Morning 9 at 9
Registration for sponsors, teams, and individual golfers is now open for the Gerken Open golf outing at Thousand Oaks Golf Club Wednesday, June 11, but there are only a few spots left for players. The afternoon 18-hole event is sold out, but there are a handful of openings for the nine-hole morning round.
The Gerken Open raises funds for athletics and co-curricular activities through the Foundation’s Gerken Fund and EGR Team Boosters. The event is named in honor of Jimmy Gerken, an East Grand Rapids resident and former staff member with special needs. One of his most memorable quotes is, “That’s okay, I’ll still be your friend,” spoken in response to someone who was bullying him. Jimmy’s enduring spirit and love for sports and co-curriculars are the inspiration for the event, as these were the activities he enjoyed most. The Gerken Fund and EGR Team Boosters help ensure these activities continue to be an integral part of our students’ education. The Gerken Fund also includes Jimmy's Friendship Fund for families in need.
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What's On the Horizon?- 4/4: Spring break begins with no school on Friday
- 4/14: School resumes after spring break
- 4/15-4-17: PSAT and SAT testing for high school students
- 4/21: Board of Education meeting
- 4/23: Breton Downs PTO meeting
- 4/26: Foundation's fundraiser of the year, HURRAH!
- 4/29: Kindergarten Information Night for families new to EGRPS
These dates are subject to change. For the latest, updated information, visit the East Horizon page on our website, egrsf.org/events/the-east-horizon.html.
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