Standardized Testing Breakfast
Sharyn Fisher – Taylor Mills School
($341 approved)
During the past 6 years, the Taylor Mills School staff has aimed to offer a light breakfast to students in grades 3-5 on each day of the standardized testing. Students are taken from the buses and offered a simple breakfast in the cafeteria. The students will learn that they are valuable and that they do have a chance… not just to test well, but to build dreams, work hard, and succeed. We can make sure that our students go into the testing process equipped as well as they can be, and that includes eating a good breakfast in the morning. We also know that the social component – time spent with peers, staff, and volunteer parents – helps the students begin the testing day with confidence.
Coop’s Creators
Jill Cooperman – Lafayette Mils School
($499 approved)
The Grant will be used in the classroom by the students to develop a class published book using Student Treasures, a publishing company, and each student will receive a final book of publication. The book will include 2 to 3 writing pieces to display how the students have grown as writers throughout the year. It will enhance the current curriculum to improve student writing performance.
OSMO
Nicole Inskeep – Wemrock Brook
($668 approved)
OSMO is a gaming accessory for the iPad that is “crafted with reflective artificial intelligence that bridges the real and digital realms.” OSMO is a way for children to interact with technology through tangible play, strategic thinking, and rigorous activities. OSMO provides the students with digital activities and real-time visual and auditory feedback to assist students with self-correction. The use of OSMO in the classroom will provide data to increase student achievement and decrease achievement gaps. With the district’s goal of implementing new math and science programs and a program to increase reading Lexile levels, OSMO will provide both a rigorous and a relevant addition to the areas of science and math, as well as technology, language arts and engineering through strategic thinking and authentic applications through tangible play.
Ron Clark Academy
Greg Jusinski – Milford Brook
($895 approved)
The grant will be used for one teacher to attend a professional development workshop for the music department. Information, concepts, and ideas brought back from the workshop will be used throughout the entire year and indefinitely. Students will benefit from this program as the teacher will be better equipped with strategies for integrating music into the classroom, increasing student engagement, teaching creatively, implementing games that promote student engagement, promoting academic rigor while meeting the needs of all learners, and creating a climate and culture that promote student success.
Storyworks
Christine Schneiweiss – Clark Mills
($953 approved)
Storyworks is an online resource that includes a variety of magazine genres to cover all areas of the language arts curriculum. Storyworks builds proficiency in essential skills and allows teachers to access a diversity of online support materials for each issue. The grant will benefit all students in the classroom by increasing motivation, reinforcing skills, and encouraging students to become active participants in their reading development. The use of Storyworks in the classroom will help increase student achievement and close the achievement gap between high-performing and low-performing readers.
Flexible Seating in the Classroom
Sharyn Fisher and Jen Walker – Taylor Mills
($1,085 approved)
This grant will be used to purchase alternative seating which will promote movement to meet the various needs of students. It will allow students to choose the type of seating that works best for them. This in turn may improve their independent working stamina and engagement with the curriculum. The grant will benefit all the students in the classroom due to their young age and maturity level. The most significant impact will be on the students who have a diagnosis of ADHD and those who have a difficult time remaining in their seats.
High Noon Books
Heidi Lombardo and Pam Kleschinsky – Clark Mills
($1,435 approved)
High Noon books are high interest low level stories that help struggling readers decode and comprehend readings. These books enhance reading lessons and provide special education students with the opportunity to read chapter books that interest them.
Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention
Jenna Widener and Marie Zofrea – Clark Mills
($5,767 approved)
Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) is a supplementary intervention system proven to improve literacy achievement of readers with engaging leveled books and designed lessons that target accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. LLI promotes effective small-group instruction with trade books in a range of genres and topics. The use of LLI will examine effective ways to create a classroom learning culture that advances skills needed to interpret and synthesize information. The system provides techniques for using learning progression to develop targeted learning goals for students.
ManalaPANS
David Geltch – Lafayette Mills / Taylor Mills / Pine Brook
($9,395 approved)
The grant fund will be used to purchase high quality Steel Pan instruments to add to the group. The ManalaPANS are becoming well-known at the NJMEA Music Teacher’s Convention and in school and community performances. The grant allows more students to be a part of the ensemble.
