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| 2000 Grant Summaries |
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TJX Foundation Honor Grant
Kids on the Block Disability Awareness Program
All Elementary Schools
Barbara Singer, Bennett
Hemenway Elementary School Parent
‘Kids on the Block’ is an established puppet show program, complete with scripts and educational material, designed to increase disability awareness. Life-sized puppets are used to act out various scenarios that teach children to accept and respect differences among them. Community volunteers, including High School Students fulfilling their community service requirement, will be trained in the use of the puppets and bring them to every elementary school. |
Cognex Honor Grant
Schoolyard Habitat Project
Natick High School Science Department
Natasha Stevens, Elizabeth Wallman, Kathi Brown, NHS Teachers
A wildlife habitat, including a pond and native plants, will be created and maintained in a Natick High School courtyard thanks to the Schoolyard Habitat Project. This living classroom will give biology, ecology and zoology students an ongoing resource for the study of natural ecosystems and wildlife. |
Cognex Honor Grant
Expansion of Technology Offering Through Use of Microelectronics
Natick High School Science and Technology Departments
Debra Ommundsen, Kathi Brown, NHS Teachers
The Unilab Microelectronics Workstation and supporting LEGO materials purchased with this grant will be vital additions to the technology laboratory at Natick High School. The Unilab station will allow electronics students to work through series of problem-solving activities that mirror real life. Using a systems approach, students will be able to make decisions, reason out responses to problems, and test and evaluate solutions. |
Harriet F. Siegel Honor Grant
Traveling Treasures
Johnson School
Jennifer Gershon, MaryBeth Kinkead, Rachel Fier, Johnson School Teachers
“Traveling Treasures” will give third grade students hands-on experience with the history, geography and economics of other parts of the country. Six suitcases, each representing a different part of the US, will be decorated with bumper stickers from that area, and filled with regional ‘treasures’ such as soil samples, cultural and historical artifacts, maps, postcards, e-mail addresses, recipes, books and a variety of activities. Three sets of suitcases will be assembled: one set will stay at Johnson, one will be used for workshop presentations and teacher training, and another will be available for loan to other Natick schools. |
Foundation Grants
Natick High School Instrument Request
Gerald E. Ash, NHS Band Director
This grant will fund the acquisition of several intermediate-level musical instruments for Natick High School’s prizewinning Symphonic and Jazz bands. The new saxophones and trumpet will enhance the musical experience for players and audiences alike.
Lighting It Up
Natick High School English Department
Zach Galvin, NHS Teacher
Through the “Lighting it Up” grant, the Natick High School auditorium stage will be outfitted with basic theatrical lighting equipment. In the past, per-performance lighting equipment rentals were too brief to allow students thorough hands-on training. Now, however, students will have ample time with the equipment to be able to learn lighting design, and other lighting-related theatrical arts. In addition, performances and events, from musical theatre to Town Meeting, will benefit from adequate illumination.
Celebrate Mexico
Brown and Lilja Elementary Schools
Ann Horton and Kathy Furst, Brown and Lilja Art Teachers
“Celebrate Mexico” will be a multidisciplinary exploration of the culture, history and customs of our neighbors south of the border. The rich Mexican culture will inspire projects in all of Brown and Lilja’s special subject classes: art, music, reading and gym. This half-year focus will peak with a day of celebration with Mexican art, song and dance. |
Mini Grants
Wilson Students As Readers Book Club (Grades 5 & 6)
Wilson Middle School
Janet Fleming, Anne Malloy, Wilson Teachers
A lifelong love of literature will be given a healthy start in the students who join the Wilson “Students As Readers” Book Clubs. The clubs, for which NEF will purchase the paperbacks chosen for discussion, will be teacher-led after-school groups, and will introduce to middle-school readers the joy of talking about good books. .
Wilson Students As Readers Book Club (Grades 7 & 8)
Wilson Middle School
Kirstin Sokol, Andrea Taylor, Wilson Teachers
A lifelong love of literature will be given a healthy start in the students who join the Wilson “Students As Readers” Book Clubs. The clubs, for which NEF will purchase the paperbacks chosen for discussion, will be teacher-led after-school groups, and will introduce to middle-school readers the joy of talking about good books.
“Baggie Books:” A First Grade Read-at-Home Program
Lisa Char Smith, Susan Getty, Marcy Klay, Bennett-Hemenway First Grade Teachers; Kathleen Ryan, Bennett-Hemenway Reading Specialist
The “Baggie Books” program really brings literacy home – in little plastic bags. This already-successful Bennett-Hemenway program sends first graders home with paperbacks to read with their families, and enhances both reading skills and the school-home partnership by encouraging shared reading. By way of this year’s NEF mini-grant, the Baggie Books library will expand and include selections in the areas of math, social studies and science. |
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