Monday, January 18, could have been declared Courtney Day since both Ms. Kourtney Barber and Ms. Courtney Bell learned that their grant applications to the Montana Masonic Foundation Educational Grant Program had been funded. Turner School District also received funding through the Masonic Foundation. In a ceremony on February 4, the educators were presented with their awards by Grand Pursuivant Dave Sageser from the Grand Lodge and representatives of local Masonic Lodge #50.

Barber, who serves in the Special Education Department at Meadowlark Elementary School, plans to use her $5,848.45 grant award to purchase Sonday System reading program materials and a countertop dishwasher.

Barber explained that the multisensory language used in the Sonday instruction program helps to cement student learning into long-term memory. Regarding the dishwasher, she added: "I cook periodically with my students and get tired of hand washing dishes."

A scientifically based reading program designed to help students learn and recognize beginning letters and sounds, the Sonday System is a skill-based, multi-sensory instructional program that is systematic, sequential, cumulative, and in alignment with Common Core Standards. Specifically designed to help struggling readers, the system borrows teaching approaches from the Orton-Gillingham model, which focuses on what the National Reading Panel has identified as the "Big Five" essentials for building reading success: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary Development, and Reading Comprehension. Today, decades after it was introduced, reading programs like the Sonday System include Orton–Gillingham ideas which are widely used to teach students with dyslexia.

The Sonday System not only guides beginning reading, reading intervention, writing and spelling instruction, and instruction for English Language Learners (ELL) but is highly effective in the Response to Intervention (RtI) model.

According to Barber, the Sonday System furnishes a lesson template for instructors to teach the essential skills to their students in every lesson, every day. Regardless of their age or grade, a reader requires a firm foundation in areas that the Sonday System helps to build. Barber is eager to implement it with her student groups so that they can reach reading mastery. She expressed appreciation to the Masonic Foundation for providing the funding.

With her $1,000 in grant funds, Bell-who teaches in the Physical Education Department at Meadowlark Elementary-intends to purchase new equipment for use in her program. Although Bell eventually hopes to implement a music/fitness program called DrumFIT, its expense has her still looking and applying for more grant funding to make this happen.

"My students and I are drawn to DrumFIT because it combines drumming and physical movement. It's another tool I could use to get kids moving or to reach those that like music as well. This program could also help me with keeping kids safe and healthy in times like this.

PE has changed in the last year with COVID. Teachers like me are looking at how to do things differently while still giving kids movement and fun," Bell explained.

Referred to as "Next Generation P.E.," DrumFIT addresses students' physical, emotional, and intellectual needs. According to their website, DrumFIT is proven to benefit the body, the brain, and the student because it is adaptable to all physical ability levels, promotes social emotional learning, and maximizes engagement. It not only strengthens the heart and lungs but builds strong, healthy bones, improves flexibility and coordination, and increases endurance.

DrumFIT improves brain health by building brain connections, and increasing spatial awareness, focus, and attention. Because the program is non-competitive and inclusive, it builds confidence and self-expression while decreasing behavior issues and enhancing academic learning.

"I'm very grateful to the Masons for this funding. All the students at Meadowlark Elementary join me in thanking the Masons for getting us one step closer to our goal."

Finally, the library at Turner Public Schools was granted the amount of $1,069.95. According to Superintendent Tony Warren, the grant dollars will be spent on a mobile book cart and additional shelving for the library. "This grant allows our school library to more creatively organize and display our books," Warren reported.

Reading from a press release prior to presenting each award, Sageser stated that the Montana Masonic Foundation (MMF) "proudly supports public education in communities all over the great state of Montana; that support is a primary purpose of the Montana Masonic Foundation. These past three years we gave out over $150,000.00 to public schools-over $50k this year alone."

Sageser described the MMF as a charity with a strong commitment to funding grants for public schools. "It provides teachers, student aides, and/or principals in Montana's public schools an opportunity to apply for a grant to assist under-funded programs in the following areas: Music, Drama, Science, and Library, or areas of student enhancement or learning that have suffered cut-backs or are experiencing start-up concerns."

The MMF also sponsors the "Bikes for Books" and "Kindles for Kids" Reading Achievement Programs, which encourage grade school children to learn to enjoy reading. The MMF initially purchases Kindles, bikes, and helmets, and then outside donors-such as local Masonic Lodges-receive them at a matching half price (up to the program designated funding limit). These items are then awarded to students at the end of the program as a reward and encouragement for reading.

Sageser went on to share some history of the MMF. "Established in 1960, it is a 501(c)(3) that dispenses charity; encourages and promotes free public education and schools through endowments, grants, scholarships, and fellowships; as well as hosts a Masonic Library and Museum.

"The MMF's Museum houses a collection of artifacts mostly related to Freemasonry-one of the Marquis de Lafayette's Masonic jewels, for instance-and artifacts from Montana's territorial development through its statehood, such as the trowel that laid the cornerstone for the capitol building. The museum is especially known for displaying an object with a significant Montana legacy: the Masonic apron of Meriwether Lewis."

Finally, Sageser encouraged educators to apply for grants in their next funding cycle, which opens October 1, 2021 and closes December 31. Each school is sent a MMF Educational Grant Program application packet at the beginning of each academic year.

After the awards presentation, those in attendance were treated to frosted red velvet and chocolate cupcakes and coffee prepared by Patty Hall and Rita Surber.