Alexis Mendez applauded as she beamed at the students in her afternoon English class. The South Salem High School teacher learned Dec. 11 she’d be getting $1,000 to purchase more books, materials and tablets to aid in translation for the roughly 50 students she teaches who have recently arrived in the U.S. The Newcomer Program was added to South this year, and Mendez said the materials would help her students learn English. “It’s a really big deal — to open a program, to get a program off the ground, it’s more resources than I thought it would be,” she said. Mendez was among 50 local teachers awarded a total of $50,000 in grants this month through the Maps Community Foundation, the charitable arm of Maps Credit Union. About half of the grants are to teachers in the Salem-Keizer School District. Peter Schaefer, the credit union’s south Salem branch manager, surprised Mendez with a giant check during an afternoon class, alongside Kim Hanson, the foundation’s executive director. He said her proposal was a committee favorite. “It really spoke to kind of the heart of Salem,” he said. Tara Romine, South’s principal, said the school added a Newcomer program this year after realizing a large number of students enrolled in the program at North and McKay high schools lived within South’s attendance boundaries. “It always makes sense when people can go to their neighborhood school,” she said. Mendez’s students speak a mix of languages, including Arabic, Dari, Pashto, Russian, Ukranian, Sango and Kinyarwanda, according to her grant application. Some aren’t literate in their native languages when they arrive in high school, or have had schooling interrupted because of turmoil in their home countries. Employees at local branches select the winners in their area, and branch managers often head into classrooms to surprise teachers with the check. Winning teachers are notified just before winter break. Other winners of 2025 Teacher Grants include: Sydney Reed at Eagle Charter School, for a project to create escape rooms where students practice science, technology, engineering, and math skills by solving challenges and unlocking activities Gabriela Acevedo-Solis at Waldo Middle School, to purchase authentic cultural attire for the school’s Ballet Folklórico group, allowing students to learn discipline and collaboration and take pride in their heritage, regardless of family income Adam Williams at Early College High School, for a drum kit, sheet music, stands and other materials to start a school jazz band Colin Mace at Crossler Middle School, to purchase a cosmetology exploration curriculum so students can explore careers in hair, makeup and nails Claudia Kea at Hammond Elementary School for a field trip to take third grade students to Willamette Heritage Center to learn about Kalapuya history and culture Claudia Rios at McNary High School, to help fund the school’s Adopt-A-Celt program which provides gifts, food and other needs to struggling McNary families during the holidays Claudia Godoy at Stephens Middle School for a four-week financial literacy and budgeting program in her dual language math classes Emma Marquez at Hayesville Elementary for a popcorn machine that will allow the school to have weekly popcorn sales, giving fifth-graders the chance to manage a business while raising money for other school needs Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Teacher grants support 50 school projects, from jazz band to field trips appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less