POLSON — Linderman fourth grade teacher Brittany Simonich got a pleasant surprise Thursday, Oct. 28 when CenturyLink Market Development Manager John Bemis awarded her a $3,200 technology grant, the last presentation of 10 grants totaling $50,000 that were distributed statewide.

“I had started to wonder whether they would tell me yes or no,” Simonich said of the grant application, which she submitted in the summer. “It didn’t even cross my mind why people would be there.”

And while Simonich was visually surprised, her class was ecstatic, erupting in exuberant applause.

“When I told them what we were planning to do with the money, they were all pretty excited,” she said.

In her grant application, Simonich asked for money to purchase microscopes, iPads and multimedia equipment to create a biology and environmental studies program investigating mammals and insects in the local environment.

“We wanted to take advantage of the resources here in our local community,” Simonich said. “We thought [area wildlife biologists] could bring in pelts and skulls, just really trying to bridge the community with the school and use our local resources, and also show kids what jobs are out there.”

Simonich said she also has ideas for a repeat of the school’s successful “mystery night” event where students and their parents come to school to investigate a crime and solve a mystery.

“Last year, we did the scientific, forensics side of things, so this year, we wanted to do more from a wildlife biologist perspective,” she said. “We’re hoping to have this be a unit of study with all fourth grade.”

And one thing’s for sure, Linderman’s fourth graders are already squirming with excitement.