Bylsma, teachers seeking grants to help fund programs

As the RBHS community looks to deal with its financial struggles, teachers are finding creative ways to attain money for needed items throughout the school.

English teacher and yearbook sponsor Cherise Lopez heard about a grant for new media equipment from the Illinois First Amendment Center (IFAC) through an e-mail from Principal Pam Bylsma.  RBTV and our own Clarion also applied for equipment through the same grant.

Lopez said, “Mrs. Bylsma e-mailed those she thought would be interested in the grant.”

When applying for a grant, it is necessary to state what the grant is for and how any money received will be used.  The donors then decide if they will accept and issue you the grant.  The grant Lopez applied for was open to any public education institution.  In order for Lopez to receive the grant, she had to come to an agreement with IFAC, which was to make sure that the grant money would be used to help teach about the 1st amendment at RBHS.

Lopez said, “It’s a simple process of explaining how the money will be used and for what and also how the 1^st amendment ties into it.”

If she receives it, the grant Lopez applied for will be used for new equipment such as mac books for the yearbook.

Lopez said, “The designing program on these computers are old and outdated; the mac books will have newer designing programs which will be better for the yearbook and Clarion.”

Bylsma hears about grants through building relationships with people and through e-mails.

She said, “It’s a timely process and involves a lot of research.”

Bylsma believes that receiving grants does help a portion of the financial issues, but it is not going to fix the entire problem.  RB has received grant money in the past for the college readiness program which helps kids in C.A.P (An ACT prep class) who get a score below state standards.  The grant pays for the teachers to take time and teach those kids, and it also acts as an incentive to the kids.  The amount of time the kids put into going to class determines how much money they get in return.  The money the kids receive is held until they graduate where they then apply for a scholarship and receive money in return.

Bylsma said, “Part of companies missions are to give away some of their profits through grants.”

RB’s new sustainable garden has also been funded through grants.  A large grant from Granger helped to get the garden underway.

The school’s garden project was also offered grant dollars from Monsanto, a seed company.  The difficulty is that Monsanto also promotes conventional and genetically modified seeds, whereas Eco Club and the teachers involved with the garden had been intending an organic, sustainable garden.

Rouser starts new photo policy

In late May, one thing heard time and time again in just about every high school, is “why aren’t I in the yearbook, I’m hardly anywhere, why is this kid everywhere?” and numerous other complaints about not being in the yearbook. This year Rouser is hoping silence those complaints with its new photo policy.

The new innovative policy includes a website, where students can submit their own digital images, which will then be reviewed by Rouser photo editors and possibly included in the final product.  The policy is part of Herff Jones’ image share program. It’s a new idea, and few schools have experimented with it. RB remains one of the first to employ it.

In the past Rouser has tried to include everyone to a certain degree, but with this year’s new policy that number is anticipated to increase.

Rouser sponsor Cherise Lopez said “We’re hoping to put everyone in about three times each with this program.”  

Rouser Public Relations Manager Vicky Curtin said “with the new policy, we’re hoping to get more coverage of things we normally wouldn’t get.  The policy also brings in pictures from other students, rather than just Rouser kids.”

So far, few people have taken advantage of this new opportunity Rouser is providing, but the Rouser staff believes that this is simply because it is a new concept, and that the students are unaware of it.

“If more kids knew about it, more would do it” said Curtin. The policy has been displayed on the school’s website, and on flyers posted across the school. Rouser hopes the word gets out to more students soon and that more become involved with it.

Some students are worried about the details of the new Rouser policy. Freshman Caitlin Berek said, “I think that some kids will send in tons of pictures, and then they will be all over the year book. I think there should be a limit to how many someone can turn in.”

In direct response to this concern, necessary precautions have been taken. “We try and make sure everyone gets in there a number of times, but we also notice if someone has been in there a lot. If we see a particular student is in the year book too many times, we’ll limit their appearances,” said Lopez.

Curtin said “we’re hoping to counter complaints about not being in the yearbook.”

Most students that have heard about the new policy are excited about it. Senior Chris Verduzco said, “it is a good idea because it will allow people to share more personal photos, making the yearbook more their own”. Chris said he believes Rouser should “give students more choices on other stuff like this. In the past, Rouser seems to mostly just cover the more popular kids.” Chris is supportive of this policy because he thinks that allowing anyone to submit photos will solve this problem.

The website’s URL is www.hjeshare.com and can also be located on the school’s homepage. A school code is also required to access the site, that code is (7013834). This information is also found with the URL on the school’s website, as well as on flyers around the school. All photos must be submitted by February 15th.