Ten Wilkes County Schools were visited by members of the Stone Foundation on May 12, 2023, to find out they were chosen for funding by the organization. Through the Stone Foundation’s Wishing Well initiative, Wilkes County Schools can propose project ideas or “wishes” they need help funding. New playground equipment, media center upgrades, and facility improvements are just some of the projects that were funded in chosen schools.
Boomer-Ferguson Elementary School, Millers Creek Elementary School, Mount Pleasant Elementary School, and Mulberry Elementary School all received grants to install new commercial-grade playground equipment on their campuses. Each of these schools envisioned a new playground that could meet the needs and modalities of their entire student population and replace dated or unused equipment. Millers Creek Elementary School Principal Rebecca Mastin stated, “We are excited to receive the Stone Family Wishing Well grant at Millers Creek Elementary. Students participate in sharing, teamwork, creativity, communication and imagination through play. We are eager for our families to enjoy time together on our new playground in the future.” Belinda Marino, teacher at Mulberry Elementary School said that upgrading their current playground would provide students and community members with numerous ways to engage in play and thrive in physical fitness in a safe environment. Included in Mulberry Elementary School’s proposal was student ideas for a dream playground which included personal drawings for items such as new swings, monkey bars, and slides.
Central Wilkes Middle School will have their wish granted to purchase Desmos Math Curriculum. This highly interactive curriculum enhances student engagement by providing ready made and customizable digital materials that teachers can use for both direct instruction and exploration. The school has been using the instruction through a trial basis and seen major growth in student math scores since adopting. Assistant Principal Takiyah McCathern stated, “My heart leapt when I walked into a seventh-grade math class to see students excitedly working together in groups manipulating a screen to make scaled drawings. They were learning about equivalent ratios in a way that had students smiling, laughing, and discussing what they and their classmates were doing. Our dream is to see students excited to become mathematicians or see how it works in their daily lives.”
East Wilkes Middle School received funds to update the televisions throughout the school as well as outdoor banners. These equipment upgrades will help to keep students, staff, parents and community members connected both inside and outside of the school. East Wilkes Middle School Principal Jason Llewellyn stated, “We believe these upgrades will enhance the school climate and students will better enjoy the morning broadcasts and educational videos we share with the student body. Helping our school be more connected will make a more dynamic learning community.”
North Wilkesboro Elementary School, Mountain View Elementary School and C.C. Wright Elementary School all received grants to upgrade their media center. For North Wilkesboro Elementary School, that upgrade includes new walls and bookcases for their space. Media Specialist Barbara Wiebel said that the upgrades will help increase student engagement and improve literacy skills by enclosing the media center with walls and refurbishing it. Mountain View Elementary School will be purchasing new paint and flooring for their media center. Media Specialist Becky Vanderhide said that her dream is to have a media center that is warm, inviting, and modern as it serves as the hub of their school. C.C. Wright Elementary School will be purchasing items to makeover their media center. They hope to make the library more accessible to young learners and add large tables and a circulation desk. Media Specialist Jaimie Cooper stated, “I have big ideas for our media center and can’t wait to make it more welcoming and accessible for all of our students!”
Moravian Falls Elementary School will fulfill their wish of purchasing new books for their school media center. They plan to buy new picture books, fiction chapter books, and bi-lingual books. Media Specialist Paula Farmer stated, “Our students at Moravian Falls are in for a huge treat next year! This project will update our school library book collection, which will impact 250+ students annually for years to come. Currently, our collection has an average copyright year of 2006. Through the Stone Foundation, we will be able to purchase numerous books published within the last 5 years to give our readers current, accurate, and interesting books to read. I anticipate this will translate into increased reading throughout our school and know it will bring joy to our students.”
The Stone Foundation is comprised of members of the Stone Family; Larry Stone and wife Diane, and their two sons, Larry Jr. and Chris. This year the organization was excited to add newcomer William Stone, grandson of Larry and Diane as an associate board member as they begin to incorporate the next generation. Larry, Diane, and Larry Jr. presented each recipient with a giant custom check during their surprise visits on May 12, 2023. Their history of collaborating with Wilkes County Schools to provide an exceptional experience for students will positively impact our community for years to come.
Contact Information:
Morgan Mathis, Public Information Officer
Wilkes County Schools
613 Cherry Street
North Wilkesboro, NC, 28659
[email protected]