May 4, 2022

Granbury High School engineering students unveiled a new sensory wall for special education students at the STEAM Academy at Mambrino on May 4, 2022.

The initiative was funded through a $3,800 grant from the Granbury ISD Education Foundation through the Willie Crossland Memorial fund.

The Mambrino sensory wall is the first part of the project completed by the engineering practicum students led by GHS teacher Brad Eppler.  Students working on the initative are Reed Blevins, Parker Bradley, Alexander Funk, Miles Hopson, and Matthew Walters.

Work is ongoing for special education classrooms at Acton Middle School, Baccus Elementary School, Oak Woods School, and Roberson Early Learning Academy.

Other GISD teachers and staff collaborating for the grant were Janna Beth Calviño, Gaylene Carpenter, Pam Eudaley, Stacey Dudley, Todd Gibson, Sabrina Ivey, Rhonda Kelly, Leah McMasters, Tami Miller, Lindsay Moore, Patti Parsons, Kate Roberson, Sandie Sermarini, and Toni Solsbery.

According to the grant proposal, “We have a large population of special education students with maladaptive coping strategies for dealing with stress throughout their educational day and benefit from a variety of interventions to assist with sensory regulations to reduce their anxiety and have the opportunity to reset within their educational program. The goal of this room is to reduce negative sensory input and provide calming sensory input through visually, auditory, and tactical experiences to help students de-stress. This grant will be part of a cooperative partnership with the CTE program at the high school level for a project-based learning experience benefitting students in the special education program.”

Pictured are GHS engineering students Parker Bradley and Matthew Walters with Brad Eppler as well as Mambrino special education teachers Kate Roberson and Janna Beth Calviño.