At the Needham School Committee meeting on November 18, 2025, the Needham Education Foundation (NEF) announced the recipients of 6 grants totaling $34,051 in its Fall grant cycle.
Awarded grants include:
Rooting Elementary Students in Indigenous Knowledge – All Elementary
Third-grade students will experience hands-on workshops with Annawon Weeden, a presenter and performing artist affiliated with the Mashpee Wampanoag, Pequot, and Narragansett tribes. The workshops will provide an immersive introduction to the traditional ways of life and culture of the Wampanoag and surrounding tribes, while reinforcing the 3rd grade social studies and science curriculum.
— Awarded to Brooke Kessel, K-8 Social Studies Department Chair; Elise Morgan, Elementary Science Center Coordinator
VOX BOOK Listening Center to Support Kindergarten Literacy – Broadmeadow
Each Kindergarten classroom at Broadmeadow Elementary School will receive a collection of Vox Books, which are hardcover picture books with a full audio recording. The classroom collections will allow students to access the Kindergarten unit themes independently, enhancing literacy acquisition, and providing students with the option of a quiet reading activity. This is an Express grant of a Spring 2025 grant at Newman.
— Awarded to Claudine Shaby, Raymond Skyer, Deanna Scott, Rachel Lewis, Kindergarten teachers
VOX Books to Support Students’ Independent Reading Practices – Eliot
Each kindergarten and first grade classroom at Eliot Elementary School will receive a collection of VOX Books. These books will help support early elementary students build independence and stamina during independent reading as they learn and master phonics and early reading skills. This is an Express grant of a Spring 2025 grant at Newman.
— Awarded to Tonielise Tepfer, 1st Grade Teacher
Inspiring Storytellers: A Visit from Author Peter H. Reynolds – Mitchell
Author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds will visit Mitchell Elementary School for an all-school author visit, featuring a schoolwide presentation on storytelling and creativity, followed by a writing workshop for 5th grade students. His inspiring work will help students see themselves as storytellers, empowering them to use their words to express who they are and what matters to them.
— Awarded to Jennifer Guardino, Librarian; Colleen Soldato, 5th grade teacher
Origami Tales: Origamido – Newman
Each 4th grade classroom at Newman Elementary School will experience a hands-on presentation with Origamido. The presentations will introduce students to two ancient Japanese art forms: folktales and origami, and use both to explain the abstract mathematical concepts of geometry. The presentations will be customized to connect with Needham’s 4th grade geometry standards. This is an Express grant of a 2013 grant at Eliot.
— Awarded to Lindsey Sawyer, Math Coach
Developing PONG Competencies to Support LGBTQIA+ – All Elementary
All K-5 classrooms in the Needham Public Schools will receive five picture books, with each book exemplifying one of the Portrait of a Needham Graduate competencies. In addition, the collection will be intentionally curated to reflect diverse characters, family structures, and experiences, including those within the LGBTQIA+ community. The books will reinforce the competencies in a developmentally appropriate way, while the diverse characters will help students see both their own experiences reflected and gain new insights into the lives of others. The collection will be a valuable resource for fostering a sense of belonging, promoting empathy, and increasing understanding among all students in the Needham Public Schools.
— Awarded to Jennifer Potter, Librarian; Denise Domnarski, Director of Physical Education, Health, and Wellness; Jamie Singelais, Director of English Language Learner Education; Ray Skyer, Kindergarten Teacher, Broadmeadow; Joey Vespa, Instructional Assistant, Newman; Jennifer Collings, 5th Grade Teacher, Broadmeadow; Elizabeth Silva, Math Coach, Broadmeadow; Heidi Smith, 4th Grade Teacher, Broadmeadow