Apex Public School Foundation

For this week’s APSF Shoutout, we recognize an extraordinary Instructional Facilitator and Literacy Coach from West Lake Elementary School: Christine Sales “Christine Sales truly deserves the APSF shoutout for her unwavering dedication to both teachers and students. She goes above and beyond to provide meaningful instructional support, coaching, and resources that directly impact student achievement. Christine’s passion for literacy is evident in the way she collaborates with staff, models best practices, and ensures that every student has the opportunity to grow as a reader. Her leadership, positivity, and commitment to fostering a strong learning environment make her an invaluable part of our school community. We are so grateful for all she does!” Thanks to FRESH Local Ice Cream and McDonald’s for helping celebrate APSF Shoutout honorees! #apex #apexnc #apsf #apsfshoutout #19WCPSSschoolsinApex #creativityinnovationcollaboration #apsfhealthwellness #apsfcommunityengagement

For this week’s APSF Shoutout, we recognize two extraordinary educators from Apex Friendship Middle School: Special Education Teacher Robert Johnson and Lead Secretary Chrystie Judy! “Shoutout to Mr. Johnson for his unwavering dedication and hard work! As Student Council leader, he goes above and beyond, planning events that bring our whole school together. He is devoted to building camaraderie and creating memories that will last a lifetime for our middle schoolers.” "Shoutout to Ms. Judy, our incredible lead secretary! She works tirelessly behind the scenes to support staff, ensure substitutes are always prepared, and selflessly helps wherever needed every day. Today we want to make sure she knows how much we appreciate her hard work, dedication, and kindness." Thanks to FRESH Local Ice Cream and McDonald’s for helping celebrate APSF Shoutout honorees! #apex #apexnc #apsf #apsfshoutout #19WCPSSschoolsinApex #creativityinnovationcollaboration #apsfhealthwellness #apsfcommunityengagement

We're excited to share our next grantee, Apex High School! Teacher Bryce Sneed will receive $2000 for an Apex Button Company Color Printer. As a school based enterprise, the Apex Button Company (ABC) prides itself on bridging the gap between the Occupational Course of Study (OCS) students and the rest of the school and community. The program provides hands-on experience, teaching essential skills for employability after high school. Through the button-making process, students learn about supply and demand, workplace procedures, and quality control standards. By following specific standards, such as OPrep 1.5.01 and OPrep 2.5.01, students understand the importance of adhering to procedures and maintaining high-quality work. This experiential learning helps students develop vital skills for future employment. This grant will fund a color printer to resolve printing limitations due to reliance on a shared school printer that frequently breaks or runs out of toner which restricts the number of buttons students can create and sell, hindering their production and customer satisfaction. Having a dedicated color printer will enable ABC to increase production, meet demand, and ensure accurate color representation for custom orders. This will also enhance the teaching of quality control principles. Congrats to Apex High! And remember, we want to be able to continue to award these grants for years to come, but we need volunteers! Anticipated vacancies for 2025-26 include VP (to then assume President position in 26-27), Treasurer, Secretary, and Grant Chair. Please apply at https://lnkd.in/eD7-wJx

We're excited to share our next grantee, Salem Middle School! Teacher Casey Duryea will receive $2500 for a practice tuba! This grant will fund a practice instrument for Salem Middle School band students. The band program expects students to practice at home, but this poses a challenge for tuba players due to the instrument's size, weight, and fragility. To address this issue, many band programs provide students with less expensive practice instruments to keep at home. This approach reduces the need for instrument repairs and allows students to practice without having to transport the heavier, more valuable instruments. Congrats to Salem Middle! And remember, we want to be able to continue to award these grants for years to come, but we need volunteers! Anticipated vacancies for 2025-26 include VP (to then assume President position in 26-27), Treasurer, Secretary, and Grant Chair. Please apply at https://lnkd.in/eD7-wJx

We're excited to share our next grantee, Middle Creek Elementary School! Teachers Alison Dreier and Taylor Beitler will receive $1,146.69 for the program “Engaging All Readers." This grant will fund books that provide hIgh interest books to fill this gap. Content appropriate and interesting to older students help to engage more reluctant readers. In addition, having access to books with more complex sentence structures help older readers feel less self conscious as they gain decoding skills that help them to become successful readers with literacy skills that will help them through a lifetime. This project aligns with LETRs teacher training program. Congrats to Middle Creek! And remember, we want to be able to continue to award these grants for years to come, but we need volunteers! Anticipated vacancies for 2025-26 include VP (to then assume President position in 26-27), Treasurer, Secretary, and Grant Chair. Please apply at https://lnkd.in/eD7-wJx

We're excited to share our next grantee, Middle Creek High School! Teachers Linda Dextre and Stephanie Carney will receive $2,269.53 for the program “Journaling Reading Journeys." Journaling Reading Journeys will provide our growing multilingual student population with access to books they want to and are able to read with access to books of interest and at comprehensible English reading levels. The book selections will be primarily visual, bilingual, high-interest, and reflect the multilingual community. Consistent journaling using the Read and WRAP Framework will help participants organize their thoughts while practicing English language development and share their ideas about reading in peer discussion groups. Congrats to Middle Creek! And remember, we want to be able to continue to award these grants for years to come, but we need volunteers! Anticipated vacancies for 2025-26 include VP (to then assume President position in 26-27), Treasurer, Secretary, and Grant Chair. Please apply at https://lnkd.in/eD7-wJx

For this week’s APSF Shoutout, we recognize two extraordinary teachers from Scotts Ridge Elementary School: Pre-K teacher Sharon Carlson and 3rd Grade teacher Stephanie Chase! “Sharon Carlson pours her heart into creating an engaging, nurturing, and inclusive learning environment that sets her students up for long-term success. Her instruction is not only effective, but also fun, capturing young learners’ attention and fostering a love of learning from the very start. Mrs. Carlson seamlessly collaborates with her instructional assistants and support professionals, ensuring that every child receives the individualized attention they need. Beyond the classroom, her compassion and empathy extend to families, as she works closely with parents to support students both at school and at home. Whether mapping out habits at home to identify behavioral triggers or providing thoughtful guidance in special education meetings, she gives every conversation her full attention, ensuring that all children receive the best possible support. Her impact reaches far beyond her own classroom walls. Mrs. Carlson can often be found taking calming walks with students who are having a tough day, offering them a moment of peace and connection. She sees challenges as opportunities, approaching each situation with patience and determination to find solutions that work for every child. Mrs. Carlson’s commitment to student engagement, creativity, and collaboration makes her an outstanding candidate for this honor. Her ability to build a supportive, enriching environment, both for her students and their families, reflects the very best of what Apex schools strive to achieve.” "As a third-grade teacher and team leader, Stephanie Chase goes above and beyond to create an inclusive, supportive, and engaging learning environment where every student feels valued and inspired to succeed. Ms. Chase treats each of her students as if they were her own, making every child feel like they are cared for. Her warmth, humor, and ability to connect with students foster a love of learning, while her commitment to high-quality instruction ensures academic excellence. She doesn’t just teach, she inspires, creating engaging lessons that bring learning to life. Beyond her classroom, Ms. Chase’s leadership strengthens the entire third-grade team. She is known for her tireless work ethic and dedication, ensuring that her colleagues have the resources and support they need to thrive. Whether organizing lesson materials or providing patient guidance, she makes her team stronger and more effective. As one colleague shared, “Steph makes me want to work harder at being a better teacher and teammate.” Ms. Chase’s impact extends far beyond her own students; she cultivates a culture of collaboration, creativity, and excellence that benefits the entire school community. Her leadership, passion, and dedication make her an outstanding candidate for this honor."

We're excited to share our next grantee, Baucom Elementary School! Teacher Nathan Stack will receive $2,440.26for the program "Coding Across the Curriculum" The purpose of this grant is to provide students with a real-life connection to math and science concepts in the classroom. Students will work in teams to learn fraction concepts through the use of the arduino circuit board. Students will build and code their circuit board to perform engineering projects that require the understanding of fractions to solve. Students will code their circuit boards to monitor soil conditions for the butterfly bushes, collect data, and program the Arduino board to water the plants when dry. Congrats to Baucom! And remember, we want to be able to continue to award these grants for years to come, but we need volunteers! Anticipated vacancies for 2025-26 include VP (to then assume President position in 26-27), Treasurer, Secretary, and Grant Chair. Please apply at https://lnkd.in/eD7-wJx

We're excited to share our next grantee, Laurel Park Elementary School! Teachers Crystal Killen, Sheri Allen, and Mary Berentes will receive $465.58 for their program "Social Emotional: I’ve got a book for that!" This grant will provide social-emotional books that align with social skills lessons to make learning engaging and meaningful. These books will integrate literacy into the social-emotional curriculum, teaching valuable lessons such as problem-solving, empathy, and perseverance. Students with special needs, including those on the autism spectrum and with ADHD, require targeted lessons on social skills like conversation, emotional regulation, and friendship. Additionally, students who have experienced childhood trauma need social skills support to improve their mental health and self-esteem. The requested grant will fund these essential resources, making a lasting impact on students' social skills, confidence, and future success. Congrats to Laurel Park! And remember, we want to be able to continue to award these grants for years to come, but we need volunteers! Anticipated vacancies for 2025-26 include VP (to then assume President position in 26-27), Treasurer, Secretary, and Grant Chair. Please apply at https://lnkd.in/eD7-wJx

We're excited to share our next grantee, Middle Creek High School! Teachers Luis Maldonado and Preston Williams will receive $2,496.71 to create NC’s First Dolby Atmos Classroom! This proposal seeks funding to establish the state’s first Dolby Atmos Classroom, providing Film, Television, and Video Production students with the unique opportunity to create and experience professional-grade audio productions. The proposed renovation of classroom 3224, which hasn’t been updated in two decades, will transform this outdated space into a cutting-edge learning environment equipped with a large theater screen, Dolby Atmos powered speakers, and the amplifier to power them. Congrats to Middle Creek! And remember, we want to be able to continue to award these grants for years to come, but we need volunteers! Anticipated vacancies for 2025-26 include VP (to then assume President position in 26-27), Treasurer, Secretary, and Grant Chair. Please apply at https://lnkd.in/eD7-wJx