Islanders donate to help Coupeville schools

The lagging economy isn’t stopping people from donating to Coupeville schools.

The Community Foundation for Coupeville Public Schools recently doled out approximately $10,000 to 19 different projects in the elementary, middle and high schools along with the Cedar Program.

Chic Merwine, board member for the foundation, said projects chosen are ones that help enrich education through school trips. They fund a lot of field trips. This year field trips were made to Seattle, the Port Townsend Marine Center and the Idaho Jazz Festival.

The foundation received 27 other requests for a cost of $18,000.

“We have to go through and decide which ones we funded,” Merwine said. “A lot of projects are getting funding from more than one source.”

The projects awarded and the teachers involved are as follows:

Coupeville Elementary School

• $1,200, Tacy Bigelow, Whidbey Island History using art.

• $270, Randy Dickson, Roller Racers for PE.

• $400, Lana Dillard, fourth-grade field trip to Olympia.

• $433, Jack Gribble, zoo trip for Life Skills class.

Cedar Program

• $125, Mendy McClean-Stone, digital camera.

• $299, Mendy McClean-Stone, library resources.

Coupeville Middle School

• $600, Jon Gabelein, Cutty Sark trip support.

• $800, Liz Sherman, Washington State History field trip to Seattle.

• $170, Teresa Welch, materials for demonstration prairie project.

• $539, Teresa Welch, solar car kits.

Coupeville High School

• $358, Colleen Fox, trip to Port Townsend Marine Center.

• $900, Colleen Fox, fuel cell car kits.

• $500, Sandy Moore, mini-camcorder.

• $600, Kim McWilliams, Okeefe/Adams Natural World Art Project.

• $950, Jessica Barker, Idaho Jazz Festival.

• $850, Peg Tennant, materials for “The Fantastiks.”

• $991, Marci Ameluzen, Washington Vocational Services Curriculum.

The Community Foundation for Coupeville Public Schools raises money to help local students through its mailing list of donors.

Merwine highlighted the donation of Muriel Pickard, who donates $5,000 a year to fund projects associated with arts and sciences.

Donations for the mini-grants can be sent to The Community Foundation for Coupeville Public Schools, P.O. Box 1500, Coupeville, WA 98239. For more information, go to www.4coupevilleschools.org.

Whidbey News Times Reporter Nathan Whalen can be reached at nwhalen@whidbeynewstimes.com or 360.675.6611.

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