SEF 2016 – 2017 Grants Awarded

These seventeen grants have been awarded for the 2016–2017 school year, totaling $11,576.85. We will consider 2017–2018 grants in Fall 2017.

“SHS Weather Station”
Shrewsbury High School (Paul Wood, Tech Ed Teacher & Zac Tashjian, Biology Teacher)
This grant will provide a wireless weather monitoring station for all high school students via an iPad application.

“New Perspectives on Seeing the Familiar”
Floral Street School (Robert Wilson, Art Teacher)
This grant will expose fourth grade students to the use of digital cameras as a new art tool using technology.

“Beyond the Looking Glass”
Walter J. Paton Elementary School (Camille Viscomi, Teacher, Grade 1 & Lisa Papazian, Instructional Coach)
ALICE BRENNAN FUND EARLY CHILDHOOD GRANT
This grant will provide hands on resources to kindergarten and first grade students to strengthen their understanding of science concepts as outlined in the new Massachusetts science technology and engineering standards.

“Going Far With Nearpod”
Walter J. Paton Elementary School (Nicole Cormier, Teacher, Grade 4 & Wendy Bell, Principal)
This grant will serve as a Pilot for the addition of the tool of Nearpod to the ipad initiative enabling teachers to collaborate with other teachers while making curriculum engaging for students with immediate feedback.

“Kindness Rocks at Oak Middle School”
Oak Middle School (Maura Egan, 8 White ELA; Zarina Madan, 8 White Mathematics; Jason Ponticelli, 8 White Social Studies; Jesse Shaw, 8 White Special Education Teacher and Jess Ternullo, 8 White Science)
The goal of this grant is to “spread inspiration and motivation for unsuspecting recipients through random inspirational rocks dropped along the way…” Students will develop empathy which is a vital skill. Ultimately, the team envisions this project expanding to the broader Shrewsbury Community.

“Helping Students Succeed When Faced with Anxiety”
Shrewsbury High School (Beth L. Neiman, Ph.D., School Psychologist)
The Goal of this project is to develop and maintain a minimum of two Mental Health Toolkits including adult coloring books, blank journals, scented eye pillows, aromatherapy scents, stress balls, etc. for students in need of emotional support and stress relief.

“Breakout EDU Spyder Heist”
Sherwood Middle School (Payson Hendrix, 6th Grade Math/Science Teacher & Laura Macchi, 6th Grade ELA/SS Teacher)
This program allows students to learn in an engaging way. The games teach teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking and troubleshooting. Students will learn effective communication and collaboration skills while using given clues to solve problems.

““What is the Fuss with Project Based Learning?””
Oak Middle School (Kelly Lawlor, 7 Blue ELA & Sinead Meaney, 7 Gold ELA)
This Grant will allow for the acquisition of “Career Cruising” program which will serve as a project based learning experience that will “bridge” school and the real world. This approach is in the form of a research paper that engages the students to become better critical thinkers, collaborators and communicators. This program shows the strong connection between school and real life.

“Students Helping Students: Coloring Pages as a Strategy for Anxiety”
All Schools (Noelle Freeman, Director of Nursing & Pam Leblanc, Director of Visual Arts)
The purpose of this Grant will provide a creative option for students who are struggling with anxiety. This project will reduce out of class time for students who are struggling by providing a strategy that can be used in the nurses’ and counselors’ offices. It is innovative because it utilizes the artistic talents off a group of students by creating a medium that will help other students. These students are then providing a community service for others.

“Mindful Garden Loom”
Sherwood Middle School (Deirdre Kunar, Art Teacher & Rob Dunn, Curriculum Coordinator, Social Studies)
ROBERT “CHIEF JOSEPH” TERKANIAN GRANT
This Grant will provide an alternative to quiet, calming, creative, mindful space for all students of Sherwood Middle School. It will provide an on-going piece of art equipment. Two permanent looms (equipped with materials) will be installed in the garden space of the recess area at Sherwood for students to actually use at recess time or when a student needs to “take a break.”

“Let’s Beat the Tar out of Tobacco Use!”
All Shrewsbury Elementary Schools – Grade 4 (Shirley LeMay, Health Teacher)
This Grant will bring to life the respiratory system for SPS 4th grade students. It will illustrate the differences between healthy and unhealthy lungs as well as focus on teaching students to make smarter life-long decisions about tobacco use.

“Game On! Improving Math Problem Solving Skills Through Interactive Board Games”
Walter J. Paton Elementary School (Kristine Gustafson & Ann Early, Grade Two Teachers)
ALICE BRENNAN FUND EARLY CHILDHOOD GRANT
This Grant will provide second grade students with curriculum based Math Problem Solving board games which are a unique addition to their educational resources and are user friendly for students reluctant to practice math skills.

“Technical Writing Made Concrete and Fun”
Shrewsbury High School (Dayna Brown-Dolan, English Teacher)
This Grant will be for the ELA classes to use linking blocks to develop and use technical writing skills by conceptualizing the importance of communicating ideas with clarity and precision. By making the activity tangible, it will appeal to students with varying learning styles, etc.

“Perspective”
Shrewsbury High School (Pam LeBlanc, Visual Arts Director & Liza Trombley, Director, English Department)
Students, using SEF-granted digital cameras, taking a one point perspective photo of a hallway. This Grant will provide a creative outlet through art and/or writing for all SHS students. The Black History Committee joins forces with the Art & English Departments to create work based on a theme. This year’s Theme, ‘Perspective’ will encourage students to respect each other’s feelings and/or beliefs by using puzzle pieces that represent differences.

“Stereoscopes”
Shrewsbury High School (Shari Fox, Art Teacher and Julia Naras, student)
CENTRAL ONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION GRANT
This Grant will facilitate the purchase of 6 stereoscopes and 2 digital cameras. This will significantly enhance the art program at SHS and heighten its prestige among other schools in the region. It will prepare the students for higher education. Specifically, students will study objects under a stereoscope, then take photographs that they can use for art and science projects, and create artwork inspired by the photographs in various artistic media science reports using the photographs for deeper investigation.

“Photography Materials and Cameras”
Shrewsbury High School (Sarah Williams, Visual Arts Teacher)
This Grant will enable the purchase of two cameras, the repair of 2-3 inoperable cameras in the school’s possession and film and materials for cyanotype prints (original forms of photographic imagery.) This grant enables the learning of old school film photography.

“From iPad to “I Can.””
Calvin Coolidge Elementary School (Amy Clouter, Coolidge School Principal & Erin Kendrick, Instructional Coach, Calvin Coolidge Elementary School)
This Grant will allow the purchase of one Swivl camera to provide opportunities for each Coolidge classroom to document what the students are learning whether it be solving math problems, performing in music class, observing frogs or compare their thinking with a school across town by capturing it in real time and easily sharing it on their iPads.