Westborough Education Foundation 2018-19 Grants Awarded
Total $23,878
Best Buddies Leadership Conference 2018
WHS: Troy Kanji, Angelina McCarthy $1050
This grant will allow 3 people from WHS’s Best Buddies Chapter to attend the 2018 Leadership Conference this summer. Through participation at this conference, WHS will bring back fresh ideas and improved leadership skills to expand and invigorate the Best Buddies club, which is one of the most active clubs.
African Drum Music of West Africa & The Diaspora
Mill Pond: Paul Tomashefsky $2132
This grant will fund the purchase of 30 West African Djembe drums. This program will be introduced during Black History Month as part of an African studies curriculum. Students will be introduced to the Music of Africa, while showing them a direct link to the music of our American culture.
Raising a Reader through Family and Community Engagement
Hastings: Cindy Hodgdon $600
Reading to children daily, vocabulary development, retelling stories and making predictions are important early literacy behaviors. The purpose of this family literacy initiative is to engage at-risk K-2 students and their families through a family book club. This grant will help fund books for each family.
Narrative Writing Residency for Third Graders
Armstrong: Kelly White $1700
Mr. Green of Potato Hill Poetry will work with students at Armstrong School teaching how to write a narrative essay. The purpose of this project is to enhance the existing 3rd grade narrative writing unit. Mr. Green’s love of words, detail, imagination and unique teaching are an inspiration. The goal is to get students more interested in writing and to try new strategies.
Ukuleles for Mill Pond School (grades 4-6)
Mill Pond: Theresa Cleary, Andrea Ehrenreich, Paul Tomashefsky $1500
Playing the ukulele is part of the music education curriuculum in K-3. This grant will fund the purchase of ukuleles to continue the curriculum at a higher level in grades 4-6 at Mill Pond. This will allow students to compose, learn new methods of reading music, learn new strumming patterns and rhythmic ideas.
You’ve Got a Friend in Me
Armstrong: Michelle Casciano $840
Armstrong students will partner with senior residents at the Highlands Retirement Independent Living Center, providing an opportunity for WPS and the Westborough community to collaborate, part of the district’s strategic plan. They will engage in activities that will foster intergenerational relationships, a sense of community and service to those in need. These activities, such as reading and playing games will promote literacy and interpersonal skills.
A STEM Initiative: Celebrating Science Day at WHS
WHS: Ritu Somayaji, Dr. Anu Deshpande $350
The WHS Science Club will host a Science Day at WHS. The objective of this program is to stimulate excitement about science and engineering (STEM) among students of all ages and hopefully encourage students to follow a career path in science, technology, engineering and math. The program will include a keynote speaker and workshops geared toward specific grade levels.
Teaching with Technology
Armstrong: Kristen Forsythe $535
The purpose of this grant is to fund Osmos coding kits and games to be used in Kindergarten classrooms. This age appropriate technology will become part of the technology curriculum and will be used during literacy centers, as well as math stations.
Enhancing Math Workshop Model in Kindergarten
Armstrong: Lindsay Moynihan $631
This grant will create a library of shared resources for Kindergarten teachers to implement the Math Workshop model in their classrooms. This will increase student engagement, provide for differentiated instruction and allow students to work collaboratively with their peers.
ECOH2O: Saving the Planet One Water Bottle at a Time
Mill Pond: Sheila Labriola $1176
This grant will fund the purchase of one Elkay EZH2O Bottle Filling Station at Mill Pond. This will support the Fourth Grade Green Squad’s mission of promoting reusable water bottles and eliminating the sale and use of single use water bottles at Mill Pond. These students are practicing standards in science to pose a problem that they can define in regards to their school and the environment.
WHS Stands Up Against Substance Abuse
WHS: Judy Papetti $ 500
Educational programming at WHS will provide information, open awareness, coping mechanisms and opportunities to discuss substance abuse issues without stigma. This grant will provide seed money to help start a Go Purple chapter at WHS. The Purple Project empowers youth (targeting grades 9-12) to stand up and make a difference in terms of education and awareness of substance abuse issues.
Family STEM Night
Mill Pond: Kristin Robertson $ 786
The purpose of this is to raise achievement of 5th graders in science by increasing family and community engagement in science, engineering, technology and math. Family STEM Night will engage families through hands on STEM activities. The theme will be environmental science and engineering which will connect to many 5th grade standards.
Learning Lab at the Sugar Shack
The Boro: Sherrie Stevens $2000
This grant will provide initial support for this new “in district” vocational program for our 18-22 year old student population. WEF will help fund “supplies” for the Sugar Shack, a candy shop that will provide an authentic learning environment for this adult student population.
The Outdoor Classroom
WHS: Lauren DeBoer $2000
The purpose of the project is to create an alternative learning environment for all students. This grant will help fund the creation of an outdoor classroom at WHS which will provide an alternative, healthy and inspiring environment for students and teachers.
Project Based Learning: Bringing Students into the Community
Mill Pond: Kristin Robertson $400
This grant will help fund a trip to the Westborough Sewer Treatment plant which is part of the 5th Grade students pilot Project Based Learning Classroom where students work on projects that involve learning in the Westborough community.
Growing Family Connections Through Children’s Literature
Hastings: Jacquelyn Taylor $1853
Providing the Westborough Public Preschool with a collection of early childhood literature focused on Social Emotional development will help in developing and training educators and families around supporting emotional growth as it pertains to relationships, behaviors and participation in activities with peers and adults.
Mindfulness in the Classroom
Mill Pond: Erin Yablonski $715
Flexible seating options and mindfulness practices will help students focus in class. Incorporating social-emotional learning and mindfulness practices and strategies into the curriculum will help students learn to cope and self-regulate.
One Team, One Book: Spreading Awesome!
Mill Pond: Vicki Walsh $1610
This grant will fund the purchase of a copy of The Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome for all students and teachers on the 5th grade Responsibility Row Team. Students will read the book, discuss how to make the world a better place and then ‘Book it Forward’ (pass on to another class). Teachers will tie in character education/wellness activities and discussion while reading the book.
Rangers on Track
WHS: $2500
Support of the Rangers on Track project to renovate the athletic complex at WHS.
WHS Robotics
WHS: $1000
Total $23,878
Best Buddies Leadership Conference 2018
WHS: Troy Kanji, Angelina McCarthy $1050
This grant will allow 3 people from WHS’s Best Buddies Chapter to attend the 2018 Leadership Conference this summer. Through participation at this conference, WHS will bring back fresh ideas and improved leadership skills to expand and invigorate the Best Buddies club, which is one of the most active clubs.
African Drum Music of West Africa & The Diaspora
Mill Pond: Paul Tomashefsky $2132
This grant will fund the purchase of 30 West African Djembe drums. This program will be introduced during Black History Month as part of an African studies curriculum. Students will be introduced to the Music of Africa, while showing them a direct link to the music of our American culture.
Raising a Reader through Family and Community Engagement
Hastings: Cindy Hodgdon $600
Reading to children daily, vocabulary development, retelling stories and making predictions are important early literacy behaviors. The purpose of this family literacy initiative is to engage at-risk K-2 students and their families through a family book club. This grant will help fund books for each family.
Narrative Writing Residency for Third Graders
Armstrong: Kelly White $1700
Mr. Green of Potato Hill Poetry will work with students at Armstrong School teaching how to write a narrative essay. The purpose of this project is to enhance the existing 3rd grade narrative writing unit. Mr. Green’s love of words, detail, imagination and unique teaching are an inspiration. The goal is to get students more interested in writing and to try new strategies.
Ukuleles for Mill Pond School (grades 4-6)
Mill Pond: Theresa Cleary, Andrea Ehrenreich, Paul Tomashefsky $1500
Playing the ukulele is part of the music education curriuculum in K-3. This grant will fund the purchase of ukuleles to continue the curriculum at a higher level in grades 4-6 at Mill Pond. This will allow students to compose, learn new methods of reading music, learn new strumming patterns and rhythmic ideas.
You’ve Got a Friend in Me
Armstrong: Michelle Casciano $840
Armstrong students will partner with senior residents at the Highlands Retirement Independent Living Center, providing an opportunity for WPS and the Westborough community to collaborate, part of the district’s strategic plan. They will engage in activities that will foster intergenerational relationships, a sense of community and service to those in need. These activities, such as reading and playing games will promote literacy and interpersonal skills.
A STEM Initiative: Celebrating Science Day at WHS
WHS: Ritu Somayaji, Dr. Anu Deshpande $350
The WHS Science Club will host a Science Day at WHS. The objective of this program is to stimulate excitement about science and engineering (STEM) among students of all ages and hopefully encourage students to follow a career path in science, technology, engineering and math. The program will include a keynote speaker and workshops geared toward specific grade levels.
Teaching with Technology
Armstrong: Kristen Forsythe $535
The purpose of this grant is to fund Osmos coding kits and games to be used in Kindergarten classrooms. This age appropriate technology will become part of the technology curriculum and will be used during literacy centers, as well as math stations.
Enhancing Math Workshop Model in Kindergarten
Armstrong: Lindsay Moynihan $631
This grant will create a library of shared resources for Kindergarten teachers to implement the Math Workshop model in their classrooms. This will increase student engagement, provide for differentiated instruction and allow students to work collaboratively with their peers.
ECOH2O: Saving the Planet One Water Bottle at a Time
Mill Pond: Sheila Labriola $1176
This grant will fund the purchase of one Elkay EZH2O Bottle Filling Station at Mill Pond. This will support the Fourth Grade Green Squad’s mission of promoting reusable water bottles and eliminating the sale and use of single use water bottles at Mill Pond. These students are practicing standards in science to pose a problem that they can define in regards to their school and the environment.
WHS Stands Up Against Substance Abuse
WHS: Judy Papetti $ 500
Educational programming at WHS will provide information, open awareness, coping mechanisms and opportunities to discuss substance abuse issues without stigma. This grant will provide seed money to help start a Go Purple chapter at WHS. The Purple Project empowers youth (targeting grades 9-12) to stand up and make a difference in terms of education and awareness of substance abuse issues.
Family STEM Night
Mill Pond: Kristin Robertson $ 786
The purpose of this is to raise achievement of 5th graders in science by increasing family and community engagement in science, engineering, technology and math. Family STEM Night will engage families through hands on STEM activities. The theme will be environmental science and engineering which will connect to many 5th grade standards.
Learning Lab at the Sugar Shack
The Boro: Sherrie Stevens $2000
This grant will provide initial support for this new “in district” vocational program for our 18-22 year old student population. WEF will help fund “supplies” for the Sugar Shack, a candy shop that will provide an authentic learning environment for this adult student population.
The Outdoor Classroom
WHS: Lauren DeBoer $2000
The purpose of the project is to create an alternative learning environment for all students. This grant will help fund the creation of an outdoor classroom at WHS which will provide an alternative, healthy and inspiring environment for students and teachers.
Project Based Learning: Bringing Students into the Community
Mill Pond: Kristin Robertson $400
This grant will help fund a trip to the Westborough Sewer Treatment plant which is part of the 5th Grade students pilot Project Based Learning Classroom where students work on projects that involve learning in the Westborough community.
Growing Family Connections Through Children’s Literature
Hastings: Jacquelyn Taylor $1853
Providing the Westborough Public Preschool with a collection of early childhood literature focused on Social Emotional development will help in developing and training educators and families around supporting emotional growth as it pertains to relationships, behaviors and participation in activities with peers and adults.
Mindfulness in the Classroom
Mill Pond: Erin Yablonski $715
Flexible seating options and mindfulness practices will help students focus in class. Incorporating social-emotional learning and mindfulness practices and strategies into the curriculum will help students learn to cope and self-regulate.
One Team, One Book: Spreading Awesome!
Mill Pond: Vicki Walsh $1610
This grant will fund the purchase of a copy of The Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome for all students and teachers on the 5th grade Responsibility Row Team. Students will read the book, discuss how to make the world a better place and then ‘Book it Forward’ (pass on to another class). Teachers will tie in character education/wellness activities and discussion while reading the book.
Rangers on Track
WHS: $2500
Support of the Rangers on Track project to renovate the athletic complex at WHS.
WHS Robotics
WHS: $1000