IRON MOUNTAIN — The Dickinson County chapter of the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel, or MARSP, recently awarded three mini-grants of $250 each to local educators for the purchase of materials. Recipients include Andrea Celello, Norway High School; Cassandra Gustafson, Norway-Vulcan Schools; and Sommer Spencer, North Elementary School.

Celello, English teacher at Norway High School, will use the mini-grant to purchase a classroom set of the novel “Speak” for 12th grade students to enhance student engagement, literacy and critical thinking. Contemporary novels such as “Speak” tend to be more engaging and accessible than traditional classics. The novel also addresses social issues, personal growth, and the importance of finding one’s voice. All three are relatable themes for high school students.

Gustafson, eighth and 10th grade English language arts teacher at Norway, will use the mini-grant to purchase materials for a student-run podcasting program. Students will produce short, engaging audio reviews of books they have read. Each episode will feature students summarizing, critiquing, and recommending titles from the school library. Students will then generate QR codes linked to each episode and will affix them to the corresponding books in the library.

Spencer, third grade teacher in Iron Mountain Public Schools, will use the mini-grant to purchase materials for hands-on investigations of plants, soil and pollinators that sustain local habitats. Students will maintain classroom terrariums, grow plants under controlled conditions, and observe insect and plant relationships through magnifiers and digital microscopes. They will record data, model life cycles, and construct explanations about how living things depend on one another to survive.

MARSP, which is an organization comprised of retired school personnel, is proud to provide these grants to area educators to help them purchase materials which, due to budgetary restraints, might not otherwise be available to their students. For further information concerning MARSP, go to https://www.MARSP.org.