The Watauga Education Foundation’s annual Flapjack Flip is December 2nd and those of you who have had the pancakes in the past will know how great they are. But what’s the motivation behind those pancakes? Charles Crabbe, the Board Chair for WEF, answers the question with enthusiasm, “Our motivation? The teachers and students of Watauga County, of course!” All proceeds from the Flapjack Flip are directed back into the classrooms of Watauga County Schools.
The mission of the WEF is to support teachers and students in the Watauga County Public School System by funding classroom grants and scholarships for teachers and students. The money raised by the Flapjack Flip goes back into classrooms by funding projects that fall outside state and local budgets.
Crabbe hopes to see you on the 2nd. You will likely find him flipping pancakes. Look a little to the right and you’ll find event chair Denise Lovin spooning blueberry syrup over your stack of pancakes or refilling coffee cups. It’s one of Crabbe’s favorite days of the holiday season and he urges everyone to come eat some pancakes, “Flapjack Flip is a fun community event that has become a tradition in the county.”
Tickets are $6 in Advance (or 4 for $20) or $8 at the door. You can buy them from any WEF or Boone Service League member, or at any Watauga County School. You can also purchase them online at www.wataugaeducationfoundation.org. The event will take place at Watauga High School.
Our own Watauga High School students will send us into the holidays with live music, and the Boone Service League will host their holiday market during the Flapjack Flip. The WEF makes every effort to support our local farms and businesses as they plan the event and make those wonderful pancakes. The most important man in the world – the one in the red suit – will be there so plan to bring the children and their lists! You can even take a picture with Santa if you’d like.
What is on the breakfast menu at the Flapjack Flip? Sausage from North Fork Farms, Goodnight Brothers country ham, coffee from Bald Guy, and homemade blueberry syrup made with blueberries supplied from Old Orchard Creek Farm. Yes, it’s really homemade! Dan’l Boone Inn, Reid’s, US Food, Publix, and Innkeeper supplies are helping to supply products to make the delicious breakfast.
In October, Crabbe announced that the WEF was able to fund grants to the following teachers, “WEF is proud to share that a total of $19,332 will be distributed to 25 educators who are employed by Watauga County Schools. The grant funds will go directly into the classrooms.” WEF raises these funds through events like the Flapjack Flip and Shooting Stars.
The 2017 recipients are:
Sue Walker of Blowing Rock School received a grant that will allow her to purchase two breakout.edu lock kits for escape rooms and pre-made interactive lessons.
Jane Brown of Valle Crucis School received a grant to purchase new biographies for the Valle Crucis Media Center.
Sarah Cardwell, an educator at Green Valley School, will be able to purchase five virtual reality headsets and devices to experience historical events, science concepts, and writing.
Pace Cooper from Mabel Elementary was happy to receive a grant that will provide her students with ten binoculars, 2 spotting scopes with tripods, and 5 field guides for Birdwatching Basics.
Chelsie Eldreth, who teaches at Bethel and Valle Crucis schools, will purchase a Cricut Air 2 Bundle machine which will enable her students to design logos, print graphic designs, and iron-on shirts. She also received a grant to purchase an engineering design process that will allow her students to construct gingerbread houses.
Erin Ellington teaches at Mabel and Parkway schools. She received a grant to purchase 8 mobile instrument stands that will be shared between the schools.
Ashley Greene, who is an educator at Watauga High School, received grant funds that will benefit all students in the school system. The funds she requested will purchase First Aid kits for playgrounds and outdoors.
Donna Greene, a kindergarten teacher at Green Valley School, will use her grant money to purchase leveled readers (in partnership with another grant from the Watauga County Public Library.)
Angela Hicks of Cove Creek School received a grant that will allow her to purchase a mini trampoline, hula hoops, and other equipment to practice active speech therapy which is much more fun than relying on table activities.
Laurie Warren, from Cove Creek School, plans to purchase beekeeping suits and transport boxes for bees.
Kellia Kidda, an instructor at WHS will use her grant award to team up with Mountain Alliance for team building activities for at-risk students.
First grade teacher, Mitzi Ledford from Green Valley will purchase 12 STEM kits for her classroom. The kits will allow students the opportunity to engage in activities that will help develop problem solving skills, boost creativity, and allow collaboration with peers.
Grady McKinney will use the money he requested to purchase a parachute for his Parkway Elementary PE classes.
WHS teacher Dinah Miller will use the funds to purchase shirts for Technology Student Association competitive events – the shirts are considered uniforms and are required for the events.
Ann Miller from Bethel School will be able to purchase a leveled literacy intervention system which will help turn struggling readers into successful readers.
Parkway School’s Heather Miller will use the grant money to purchase STEM problem solving kits for her 3rd grade class. Miller believes that the kits will develop critical thinking, reasoning, investigative skills, teamwork and creative skills.
Lindsey Postlethwaite, who teaches at Valle Crucis and Bethel, will purchase art history books for a classroom art project.
Melanie Roaden is a media specialist at Bethel School. She will use the grant money to purchase building kits, puppets for the school’s media center.
Erin Selle’s kindergarten students at Hardin Park School will benefit from her purchase of read alouds that explain disabilities in terms a child can easily understand. It will promote all-inclusive learning in her classroom.
Parkway’s Sydney Sieviec received grant funds that will be used to purchase art supplies for the school.
Candice Trexler, media specialist at Hardin Park School, will use the grant funds she received to purchase titles on Battle of Books list. This award will benefit students in all K-8 Watauga County schools. Additionally, Trexler received funds for a Family Reading project which allowed her to buy 82 copies of Prisoner B-3087.
Amanda Young Ward, of Mabel School was awarded a grant that will allow her to buy 100 student and 10 teacher copies of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.
April Yandle, a teacher at WHS, will use the grant funds to pay for Occupational Course of Study students to participate in team building at Mountain Alliance Alpine Tower and ropes course.
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