WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — The Washington Township Education Foundation (WTEF), with the approval of the Board of Education, has agreed to award 39 mini-grants that will finance a number of supplemental programs throughout the Washington Township Public Schools during the 2015-16 school year. The grants, which this year total $30,257.50, are awarded based on a committee recommendation following a review of...
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP -- The Washington Township Education Foundation (WTEF), with the approval of the Board of Education, has agreed to award 39 mini-grants that will finance a number of supplemental programs throughout the Washington Township Public Schools during the 2015-16 school year. The grants, which this year total $30,257.50, are awarded based on a committee recommendation following a review of all applications.
In its 14 years of awarding mini-grants, the WTEF has contributed more than $222,000 toward enhancing the educational experiences of the district's students. These monies have funded such worthwhile projects as a dance studio and an art gallery at Washington Township High School, the creation of a greenhouse at Bunker Hill Middle School and countless virtual field trips for District children.
The following schools and programs are the 2015-16 grant recipients:
Bells Elementary School:
Budding Book Buddies (Lead teachers: Suzie Brennan and Kelly DeLizza) -- Students in second and fourth grade will work collaboratively through the writing process to create two separate, published pieces based on the same theme on their grade level.
Fact Families in a Flash (Lead teachers: Rose Twardzik and Melissa Hermley) -- The "Minute Math Electronic Flash Card" is a game that looks like the familiar fact family triangle, but is reinterpreted in an appealing electronic format that is developed to actively engage students.
The Master Builder's Workshop (Lead teacher: Rich Herzog) -- This grant will allow for the purchase of building materials that groups of four students will work cooperatively to build into finished products.
Perfect Pairs (Lead teacher: Kelly DeLizza) -- Grants funds will allow for purchase fiction and non-fiction books that pair well together.
Reading with the Stars (Lead teacher: Sandra Paredes) -- With the endowment of this grant, students will be able to examine the work of noteworthy contemporary authors across multiple examples of their texts.
Time to Get Real (Lead teacher: Sandra Paredes) -- This project will benefit the high readers in grades 1 and 2, allowing for purchase of books whose topics support the growth of interest in the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
Birches Elementary School:
Art in History: 15th New World Basin (1484-1504) (Lead teacher: Mary Byatt) -- Students will learn about Christopher Columbus and the "discovery" of the New World, as grant money will fund the purchase of Art in History's replicas of Spanish Lusterware basins.
Jammin' in the Jungle (Lead teacher: Ruth Pelphrey) -- This project will take all second-grade students on a musical adventure into the jungle of a tropical rain forest.
Jazzing it up with the Harp (Lead teacher: Lisa Sebastiani) -- This musical assembly with a live harpist will help teach students the history of the harp, as well as the style of jazz music.
Light and Liberty in Old City Philadelphia (Lead teacher: Mary Byatt) -- Students will research and learn about the different patriotic sites in Old City, using a white paper bag to create a 3-dimensional picture "Bag Book." Pages in the "Bag Book" will include Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
New Student Welcome Packet (Lead teachers: Mary Jo Babiowski and Christine Frassenei) -- Funds will be used to purchase grade-level-appropriate books as a gift for new students, highlighting the value placed upon reading.
Remembering Our Veterans (Lead teachers: Angelina Nelson and Jennifer Scancella) -- Remembering our Veterans is a project where students will make and sell bracelets.
Bunker Hill Middle School:
BHMS Digital Yearbook (Lead teachers: Lori McEntee and Corinne Dowdell) -- Funds will be used to purchase software and equipment to create iMovie DVDs with photos taken for the yearbook and newspaper make it to the final printing.
Chestnut Ridge Middle School:
Authors and Artists Bring Literature to Life -- (Lead teacher: Linda Martins) -- Grant funds will allow students to meet and work with an author/illustrator, helping them understand how "ordinary" people can work to make a dream become reality, inspiring them to write their own stories, and validating reading and writing skills taught in the classroom.
Ever Wonder Why People Like You? (Lead teachers: Karen Defranco, Tom Woodson and Maryann Kwietkowski) -- Seventh-grade students will read the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio and, through class discussions, discover how we affect the people around us in positive and negative ways.
Grenloch Terrace Early Childhood Center:
Auricolae: Fairy Tales, Folklore and Fables (Lead teacher: Lisa Sebastiani) -- Funds will allow for professional musicians to visit the school for a live performance and music and dramatic reading of fairy tales from around the world.
Hurffville Elementary School:
Data Days (Lead teachers: Jeanne York, Liane Curtis, Denise DeLeo, Chris Redwanowski, Staci Wagner) -- Students will participate in a variety of number-gathering activities throughout the year.
First Graders Take the Author's Chair (Lead teachers: Jeanne York, Liane Curtis, Denise DeLeo, Chris Redwanowski, Staci Wagner) -- This project is an opportunity for students to incorporate all of the writing skills they have learned during the first half of the school year to create a writing piece similar to that of a "published" author.
Fractions are Fun (Lead teacher: Lynda Venuto) -- This project will enhance instruction by using manipulatives, which are crucial in developing students' understanding of fraction ideas.
I&RS and 504 (Lead teacher: Larissa Fanning) -- Students who are referred to the I&RS team have been identified with either academic or behavioral concerns; 504 students have a disability that substantially limits a major life function (one of which could be learning).
Read with Me (Lead teacher: Christina Seiler) -- "We Both Read" is an innovative program that will involve parents in reading with their children.
The Reading Race (Lead teachers: Jeanne York, Liane Curtis, Denise DeLeo, Chris Redwanowski, Staci Wagner) -- The Reading Race challenges first-graders to Read, Read, Read.
Tens Frames and Games (Lead teacher: Lynda Venuto) -- Understanding that numbers are composed of tens and ones is an important foundational concept for working with larger numbers
Ukes in the Music Class (Lead teacher: Nancy Leong) -- Ukes in Music Class will provide ukuleles to be used for music instruction in general music classes.
Writing Professionals (Lead teachers: Jeanne York, Liane Curtis, Denise DeLeo, Chris Redwanowski, Staci Wagner) -- The purpose of this project is for students to "Go to the Office" as writers each day, engaging in writing experiences.
Orchard Valley Middle School:
True Stories: People, Places (Lead teachers: Veronica Akhtar, Margaret Davis, Linda Wienckoski) -- This project is collaboration between the visual arts and language arts classes.
Arts of Asia in Reach (Lead teachers: Veronica Akhtar and Margaret Davis) -- The purpose of this project is to integrate the arts of Asia into the curriculum.
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School:
Choosing Good Seats for Our Learning (Lead teacher: Grace Ahn) -- In our classrooms, students engage in approximately 35 minutes of independent reading per day. Making special reading chairs available will allow students to be comfortable. This will translate to more time on task and more pages read.
Wedgwood Elementary School:
Multiplication Master (Lead teacher: Domenick Renzi) -- Multiplication Master allows for the purchase of handheld electronic flash-card games for third-grade classrooms.
Score with 24: The 24 Game (Lead teacher: Domenick Renzi) -- The 24 Game takes mental math to the next level as students use addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division to make given numbers on a game card equal various numbers.
Filling up on Filament: 3D Printing (Lead teacher: Kathi Kersznowski) -- Grant monies will be used to purchase filament for a newly acquired MakerBot Replicator 3D printer.
Washington Township High School:
Buzzing in Learning 2 (Lead teachers: Marian Carcel, Mary Howard) -- Grant monies will allow for the purchase of a second wireless classroom buzzer system that can be used as part of a dynamic classroom participation tool.
Bringing the Orchestra into the 21st Century: Electric Strings (Lead teacher: Judy Pagon) -- This grant will allow for the Orchestra to purchase an electric cello so more students can benefit, and the program can be further enhanced.
Careers in Music/The Working Musician (Lead teacher: Gregory Janicki) -- Funds will pay to have master guitarists from Professors, Performing Artists and Luthiers in the Tri-State area visit and give Master classes.
Digitally Photographing Wild Animals (Lead teachers: Lauren Jackson and Kirsten Smith) -- In order to fulfill the Animal Photography Unit in the Digital Photography curriculum, students will be photographing a selection of wild animals presented by the Philadelphia Zoo during a specified class period.
Improving Learning Through Movement (Lead teachers: Lauren Jackson and Kirsten Smith) -- Grant monies will allow the purchase of stability balls for students to sit on, improving the learning environment.
My Skull is Exploding! (Lead teachers: Marian Carcel, Mary Howard, Costa Tsoukalis, Shannon Hornibrook) -- Funds will allow for purchase of a take-apart, color-coded model of the skull to help students learn the bones and how the various bones fit together.
Student Assistance Program Psycho-Educational Support Groups (Lead teacher: Judy Pagon) -- Caron Treatment Center's Student Assistance Program staff will facilitate psycho-educational support groups during the school day in cycles for students that are identified by administrators, counselors, parents, or self-referrals.
Healthy Apps(Lead teachers: Jenny Hudock and Terry Cotton) -- Grant funds will be used to purchase iPads for the high school nurses, who strive to support the physical, emotional, mental and social health of students.