A Trip Around the World
All Second Grades | $3,449 |
| To create teaching kits that enhance the second grade geography curriculum. Amy Flax of Broadmeadow will develop materials to help second grade teachers throughout the system intoduce students to seven different countries and cultures using a rich, thematic approach that promises to meet the public schools' new curricular goals for social studies. |
Low Ropes Challenge
Pollard | $3,500 |
| The grant will cover the design and construction of a low ropes challenge course at the middle school and introduce some adventure into the physical education curriculum. Adventure experiences that challenge the expectations, self-imposed boundaries, problem-solving and leadership abilities of young people have been shown to improve everything from self-esteem to communication and team-building. |
Making Middle School Social Studies More Multicultural
Pollard | $3,500 |
| Will underwrite the efforts of three consultants to conduct teacher workshops on how to incorporate multicultural perspectives in the content they teach and how to use teaching techniques that bridge different cultural backgrounds. Each of the consultants will spend two days at Pollard, helping teachers develop units and lessons, as well as working with students. This grant will help the middle school comply with new state frameworks regarding the teaching of social studies. Superintendent will match funds. |
China 20/20 Vision
Pollard/High School | $3,500 |
| Will underwrite the purchase of primary materials and artifacts in the development of a China studies curriculum for grades 6-12. Other funders have already supported intensive teacher training and an upcoming study tour of mainland China by four teachers and principal Paul Madden. A repository of texts and artifacts would be catalogued for teachers seeking to integrate China studies into their teaching. The catalogue would be made available on the internet. |
Everybody Counts
Eliot | $2,650 |
| This grant targets two first-grade classes at Eliot. An interdisciplinary approach will integrate the math and science curriculum with reading and writing for emergent readers. Through the work of teacher/consultant Gwen Mann, students will each write and illustrate four books about mathematical and scientific concepts. |
Blacktop to Mountaintop
High School | $3,500 |
| An adolescent mental health initiative that offers at-risk high school students week-end and week-long Outward-Bound-like experiences in western Massachusetts. Students facing emotional problems or at risk of dropping out would be taken on supervised camping and hiking trips in groups of eight. The program, piloted this year, is designed as an intervention to enhance self-esteem, communication, self-confidence, respect for self and others. |
Story Bags
Mitchell | $3,500 |
| A take-home reading and language enrichment program for all kindergarten and grade-one students. Emergent readers will take home one bag a month to work on reading, writing and story-telling activities with parents. The program promises to strengthen the literacy curriculum and help parents and teachers identify students with reading and writing difficulties early. |
Native Trees and the Forest Community
Mitchell | $2,777 |
| A grade-two initiative integrating science, technology, art and language arts in the study of New England forests and trees. Irene Grandine will use CD Rom technology as well as field trips to the Eastman Conservation Center and the study of local artist N.C. Wyeth's landscape paintings to teach students about native forests, local habitats and the naturalist's art. Could be a prototype for expansion to all second-grade classrooms the following year. |
Watershed Ecology Field Study
High School | $800 |
| Funding to purchase a video camera and related equipment required to record images and data for a field study of the Charles River. Part of a large project, already partially funded by the Watershed Institute of Boston College, to study and bring the ecology of the river to high school classrooms. |
Multicultural Understanding
Eliot | $500 |
| To fund the purchase of books and materials that will augment a library and continue a dialogue and teacher-training initiative at Eliot school about how to increase multicultural understanding between students, teachers and parents. |
Writers' and Artists' Workshop
Broadmeadow | $2,785 |
| A writing program for all fourth-graders that will encourage creative expression with words and images. Teacher workshops, art and journal materials for students as well as a field trip to the MFA will be underwritten. |
Kindergarten Lap Reading
Broadmeadow and Newman | $1,680 |
| An early-intervention program targeting reluctant emerging readers. Trained tutors will work one-on-one with young students. Materials will be provided to families to encourage lap-reading at home. If successful, program could be used as a viable intervention to engage young students in reading before gaps emerge. |
World History Web Site
High School | $3,500 |
| The design and implementation of a website as a tool for teaching world history to ninth and tenth grade students. Maps, art and relevant imagery will supplement and reinforce the textual content of the world history curriculum. Students, teacher, parents will access the site from school or home. |
Choices, Decisions, Variables
Hillside | $3,500 |
| Funding will cover the purchase of simulation software to improve the decision-making and critical thinking skills of third, fourth and fifth-graders. The grant will also underwrite the training of teachers in how to use and integrate the software in the curriculum. |
Music Lab Expansion
High School | $3,500 |
| Monies will be used to add a controller and headsets to the new music lab at the high school. This equipment will increase the number of students who can use a workstation at one time and will allow students to hear their own musical compositions immediately and work collaboratively with other students or composers in their world music and music theory courses. |
Learning and the Brain
All Elementary | $3,500 |
| Funds will cover the fees for 15 teachers and staff to attend an important conference on learning and the brain sponsored by Harvard this fall. Attendees, representing every elementary school, will be introduced to the latest research and theories on neurodevelopment and the learning process. Information will be shared with colleagues and incorporated in classroom practice. |
Children's Kwanzza Celebration
Hillside | $1,430 |
| Grades 3, 4 and 5 will celebrate the African-American cultural holiday of Kwanzaa, learning the history, principles and language associated with this nonreligious holiday. Funds will underwrite the purchase of music, books, materials for crafts and costumes, and a performance by an African drummer. |
Texas Instrument Calculators
High School | $1,560 |
| To purchase 12 new TI-83 Plus calculators for high school math teachers to use in the classroom with viewscreens. Will replace and augment aging equipment. |
Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Present, Envisioning the Future
High School | $3,500 |
| Seed money to help fund a millennial celebration during a three-day intercession at the high school in March 2000. Guest speakers, theatrical presentations, musical performances, workshops and a host of other events will mark the once-in-a-millennium affair. |
Gallery on the Go
Eliot | $1,700 |
| A mobile exhibit sponsored by the DeCordova Museum will place museum-quality artwork on display at Eliot for seven weeks. The program will include visits by one of the artists showcased as well as by museum educators to work with students in their art classes and work with teachers to incorporate the exhibit into their curriculum. |
Writing and Image-making for K-12
System-wide | $3,500 |
| Funding to train 20 teachers throughout system in an art-based approach to teaching writing. |
MCAS Home Prep
Newman | $2987 |
| Workshops and home prep material designed to help parents prepare their fourth-graders to take the MCAS exam. Open to the parents of all fourth-grade students. |
MCAS-10: Creating Success
High School | $2,250 |
| An internet-based MCAS prep workshop targeting standard-level students at risk of failing the English portion of the tenth-grade MCAS exam. |
