MASSENA -- Two area teachers recently received grants from the New York State Farm Teachers Assist program
Faith Gignac who teaches at Jefferson Elementary School in Massena, and Angela Weston who teaches at Grant C. Madill Elementary in Ogdensburg  were among 40 across the state who received $2,500 each to help their individual schools.
One of the goals of the grant is to recognize innovative teachers who are finding new and creative ways to teach and motivate their students during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Gignac application took a three-pronged approach to creatively teaching and motivating students.

She plans to us the fund to purchase attention boosting tools, sensor stimulation materials, and calming items for the classroom to help student focus at their seats each day. Items such as wobble stools, inflatable seat cushions, kick bands for chairs and desks, wiggle feet cushions, fidget and sensory toys, squishy pencil wraps, bubble timers, glitter wands, and moving sand frames would greatly benefit her first graders.
In addition Gignac also plans to purchase “Keep Books” for students. These are books students will be able to do daily reading practice, and then take them home.
The third purchase is for a variety of materials such as markets, scented stickers, bookmarks, fun erasers, and occasional special items for indoor recess such as kinetic sand, puzzles, games, and play-doh.
“These types of materials for motivating and exciting my students will help them experience the joy and fun of a pre-pandemic era childhood,” said Gignac.
Weston will be using her grant to purchase times materials to support a technology lab she had been creating over the past year. The technologies include: drones, robotics, #D printing, engineering and design, and circuitry.
The funding will provide materials to each student whether they are working at home or in-person at school.
A complete list of winners can be found at https://newsroom.statefarm.com/ny-teacher-assist/.