Maries County R-2 School District

KISHA WOODRUFF, TEACHER AT MARIES CO. R-II, BELLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, RECEIVES MISSOURI RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION-FOUNDATION’S $500 PSRS GRANT

Missouri Retired Teachers Association is an association of retired educators whose purpose is to promote the welfare of all retired school employees with a constant interest in supporting those who are currently in the public schools. Missouri Retired Teachers Association-Foundation is a tax-exempt organization for raising funds to carry out certain charitable, educational, scientific, and literary purposes of the MRTA. This year MRTA-F in Region 7 is giving seven $500 classroom grants to teachers, and one grant for PEERS (This includes any support personnel on staff.). All fourteen MRTA regions of the state are giving out $500 grants across their region. In Region 7 alone, winners are receiving $4,000. And MRTA members proudly raise this money themselves to present to those currently in the classrooms or in service areas across the state.

Kisha Woodruff, of Maries Co. R-II, Belle Elementary, a Kindergarten Teacher, won one of the eight PSRS grants awarded in MRTA’s Region 7.

Kisha’s grant was entitled “Early Literacy Starts Here”. The purpose of the grant is “to strengthen foundational literacy skills by increasing student engagement in literacy, and build literacy confidence and readiness by providing differentiated literacy opportunities through libraries that encourage early reading tasks, recognizing high-frequency words, telling stories, and applying beginning phonics skills”.

Region 7 MRTA representatives traveled to Belle, MO, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, to present the grant to Kisha Woodruff. Those in attendance at the grant presentation were Georgia White, MRTA State Vice-President and Region 7 Vice-President, Linda Orscheln, Region 7’s representative on the Missouri Retired Teacher Association-Foundation Board, and Martin White, Region 7 Legislative Chair; Maries-Gasconade County Unit members in attendance were; President, Carla McKinney, LaDonna Heck, Dr. Basham, and Pattie Hohl.