Stoffregen earns $500 MAC Grant for GMS classroom

Still surprised to be receiving a McDonald's MAC Grant, Greencastle Middle School science teacher Stacie Stoffregen gets a hug from Ronald McDonald as Greencastle McDonald's owner Paul Jedele (not pictured) moves the oversized $500 check into place.

Extra effort.

Those two words pretty well sum up why Greencastle Middle School teacher Stacie Stoffregen has been successful over the years at procuring grants and fellowships for her eighth-grade science classroom.

Twice honored with Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowships, including earlier this year, on Friday Stoffregen also became a two-time recipient of a McDonald's Making Activities Count Grant.

Asked the key to applying for and earning such grants, Stoffregen said it revolves around making time, something teachers don't have in abundance.

"I think taking the time to do it, and teachers just don't have a ton of time," Stoffregen said. "It takes extra effort. You have to have the passion for it."

That passion paid off Friday when Stoffregen was presented the check for the $500 grant.

She was a little surprised when GMS Principal Shawn Wooden called her to the front of the cafeteria, but her face lit up when she saw Greencastle McDonald's owner-operator Paul Jedele, general manager Lin Zhou and Ronald McDonald himself carrying in an oversized check, all to the cheers of her students and fellow staff members.

"I was very surprised," Stoffregen said.

Standing in front of a board asking "Are you a GMS superstar?" Greencastle Middle School Science Teacher Stacie Stoffregen (far right) can answer with a resounding yes on Friday as she receives a $500 MAC Grant from Greencastle McDonald's manager Lin Zhou, owner Paul Jedele and Ronald McDonald.

The grant will go toward what Stoffregen is calling "Picking up STEAM at GMS." The STEAM concept is an expansion of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) curriculum at the school, with an added element of art.

STEAM will be a part of Stoffregen's second-semester curriculum regarding renewable energy sources and will involve the purchase of a number of pieces of new equipment, including supplies to make a wind turbine and solar water heater -- another source of "steam."

It's all a part of treading new ground each year for the veteran teacher. Having taught for 23 years, Stoffregen says she plans to keep it up for a while longer, and innovations like those she plans to implement will help keep things fresh.

"I want to do new stuff. I want to use new materials to keep it fresh. Otherwise my kids would be bored and I'd be bored," she said.

McDonald's Restaurants of Central Indiana support activities that supplement regular classroom curriculum. The goal of the annual MAC Grants program is to provide funding for teachers to help them create interesting and educational projects.

More than 40 middle school teachers in 28 central Indiana counties will receive MAC Grants this year.