El Dorado, Kan. - Partners In Education members took turns surprising district teachers with a monetary gift this week. PIE was presenting their Spring 2008 Teacher Grants. Among those receiving the grants were four Grandview Elementary teachers, who were presented with checks Thursday morning. “We are the prize patrol from Partners In Education Foundation and we’re here this morning to give out some money,” said Lou Clennan, board member. Teachers had to write a request, and those were judged on what the grants would be used for and the amount of money available. Grandview teachers who received grants were Zelly Walker and Judy George, who recieved $193.27 for their “Quality Kids” program; Sara Hollingsworth, who received $500 for “Rising Readers”; Judy George, who received $370.45 for her “Look At Me, I’m Reading” program at Grandview and Skelly; and Cindy George, who received $151 for a Butterfly Garden. “Rising Readers,” Clennan said, “that sounds like a good program for some rising readers.” The money is important to the teachers to help them do a little extra with the students. “For us it gives us more books to have in the library,” Judy said. “Quality-level books,” Hollingsworth added. Judy will be using her money for books for early readers. “I am working with kids and doing sight words,” she explained. For that, she will read a book to the students, then a student will read it after her. Hollingsworth is working to reach the older readers. “I am trying to get middle school and high school-level readers more books,” she said. Walker will be using her grant to do more on character education for all of the students. Cindy has a slightly different use for her money, although it is still aimed to educate students. She has plans to put in a butterfly garden at the school. “It will help students meet some of the requirements for state assessments,” she said. It will help them learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. Her special education resource room students will help put in the garden initially, then she will get some of the fifth graders involved in maintaining it. Stone Creek Nursery also is offering them a discount on the flowers, as well as suggest which flowers would best attract butterflies. Other grants went to: Jan Pippig, EMS, “Race to Finish Line,” $125.65; Miles Harvey, Lincoln, “March Madness,” $150; Falisa Calhoun, EHS, “Addressing Teen Issues Through Literature,” $827; Blake Vargas, EMS, “Killer Angels,” $177.60; James Shum, Lincoln, “The Whole Enchilada,” $347.71; Kelly Payé, EMS, “Life Choices,” $1,200; Luana Lewis, Lincoln, “Sharpest Tool in the Shed,” $489.67; Lewis, Jefferson, “Here Be Dear Dragon,” $223.20; Gina Meyer, EMS, “Freestyle Reading,” $699.19; Nancy Wagner, Washington, “Magic of Reading,” $537.80; Wagner, Washington, “High Adventure,” $82.40; Lewis, Lincoln, “Knights of the Reading Roundtable,” $214.64; Shum, Lincoln, “Our Marvelous Earth,” $128.65; Shelly Hill, Jefferson, “Money and Me,” $158.36; Deanna Robinson, EMS, “Hands-On Fun for Tested Indicators,” $167.60; Barbara Smith, Washington, “Soar Higher in Reading,” $700; Mary Martha Good, Skelly, “Let’s Watch It Grow,” $124.73; Jobi Wertenberger, Linocln, “iPod Library,” $298; Gina Johnson, Lincoln, “Shaping Up Our Math Skills,” $33.94; Johnson, Lincoln, “Making the Ends Meet,” $101.15; Lewis, Lincoln, “Freaky Facts,” $89.75; Tonya Cogan, Jefferson, “Earobics,” $130; Cogan, Jefferson, “Let’s Get Talking,” $120.95; and Cogan, Jefferson, “It’s Your Future Calling,” $500. In all, PIE gave away $8,842.41. Of that, $3,560.66 came from PIE endowed funds income, while $2,281.90 came from outside grants, including Ronald McDonald House Charities and State Farm Insurance. A total of $2,999.85 was given by private donors.