News
April 17, 2018Schenectady Teachers Receive Grants
The Board of Directors of the Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 spring round of grants. There were 52 requests totaling $62,367 and the Board of Directors awarded grants to 18 applicants in 10 schools for a total of $10,083. Since 2006 the foundation has awarded 310 grants worth over $230,000.
Grants were awarded to teachers developing creative learning environments that allow them to address the needs of their students. Kathleen Wylie at Central Park Middle School is buying activity tables which allow students to work collaboratively in groups. Wobble chairs allow students some movement and comfort, which makes for a more flexible positive learning situation so Jessica Izzo at Lincoln is them for her students. Holly Whittel, another Lincoln teacher, is going to use Unique Learning to provide her students with hands on engaging material for reading and math. Lastly, Angelique Anderson is buying Q-ball Throwable Microphones to encourage class participation among her Oneida Social Inquiry students.
Students cannot be successful without basic literacy skills. The foundation is supporting two early literacy grants. Dina Allen will use the “When I feel..” series with stuffed animals to engage her kindergarten students at Howe and Cindy Christman’s Woodlawn Kindergarten students will have multi-sensory materials to help them become more involved with their reading. Kristin Graves and Stephan Balogh are at Mont Pleasant Middle School and they have found a very moving book entitle A Gift of Valor: A War Story by Michael Phillips. They will use the book for a unit on heroism.
STEM education is vital for students in the 21st century. Rick DeCarr’s Oneida students will learn how to use JAVA script to code robots. He and Nick Ronca will use the robots in their classes for years to come. Andrew Davis wants his high school students to learn how to create podcasts, so his English students and Literacy Club students will use recording equipment bought through the grant to do so. At Keane, Julie Scorzelli will bring in educators from the Children’s Museum to work with her third graders on fractions. Tricia Bennett’s Hamilton students will go on a field trip to the Emma Treadwell Nature Center in Thatcher Park, where they can hone their research skills and develop a greater appreciation for nature. The Oneida Team Hawks are involved in a multi-disciplinary study of food. JoAnne Germano, their teacher, will take them on a field trip to a local farm so they can learn in the field.
In addition to traditional academic learning, life skills are an important part of every child’s education. Christine Bernard works with autistic children at SCLA and she will use her grant to help them develop skills for the buying and preparation of healthy food. Kim Lencewicz at Mont Pleasant teaches special needs students and she will use her grant to help them learn about shopping and cooking. Martha Oldfield-Maser teaches at Mont Pleasant, where her students will create a garden in the courtyard. It will be developed and maintained during the school year and as part of the summer enrichment program.
Another part of the learning environment in any school is involvement in clubs that teach skills and enrich lives. Akili Duncan will create a chess club at Mont Pleasant, which will help students develop their critical thinking skills. Motif Café is a student group at the high school that sells coffee to raise money for charities. Under the guidance of Jennifer Edgar-Johnson, they will buy equipment and supplies that they need to get started. Michele Stewart-Marino will use her grant at Mont Please for the purchase of audio equipment for the drama club, which will allow students to be more effective in their presentations.
Again, congratulations to the winners and the other applicants for the grants. The foundation encourages staff members to submit proposals in the 2018-2019 cycle and thanks them for their dedication to our students and their support to the foundation through payroll deduction. Visit our web site http://www.scsdeducationfoundation.org/ for more information. Like us on Facebook. If anyone wishes to support learning activities such as these, they may do so by making a contribution to the Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation, Box 3956, Schenectady, N.Y. 12303.
