"We can't thank these two organizations enough for their generosity," Maple Grove principal Jerry Collins said in response to learning the school had been awarded nearly $4,000 in grant money.

MAPLE GROVE-Officials with The Community Foundation of Tennessee (CFT) and the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC) recently awarded grants to Maple Grove School totaling nearly $4,000.

“We are excited about them both,” principal Jerry Collins said, “and we can’t thank these two organizations enough for their generosity.”

Collins said the TAC grant is part of the “Arts-Build-Communities” visual arts program and will be worth $1,475. The money will be used to paint a “four-seasons” mural in the school’s front hallway.

“Ms. Pat Ritter will be here in April to help us design and paint the mural,” Collins said. “It will be fully funded by the Arts Commission (TAC) and we want to thanks representative Kelly Keisling, senator Mae Beavers, and the general assembly for supporting the commission’s work.”

With the TAC grant in hand, CFT grants coordinator Laundrea Lewis then told Collins the school had been awarded an additional $2,500 from CFT to create a garden classroom “to enhance life science, hands-on learning opportunities.”

“She explained that our grant was selected from among hundreds of applications,” Collins said. “We are so proud and excited about this wonderful opportunity to give our students this life-science classroom while increasing the beauty of our school.”