Grants awarded by MEF for the 2019-2020 school year include:
Beyond Walls
GWS
Applicants: Dawn Backlund and Mark Talacci
Amount Awarded: $7,669
This grant would create an Outdoor Classroom at the GWS, where there would be natural seating and tables, clipboards for writing, portable wifi for students to access the curriculum outside the building. Students can also access this space for quiet play during recess. The community may access this space outside of the school day.
Bacon Book Club
FBMS
Applicants: Caroline Bacon
Amount Awarded: $750
This grant would supplement the further development of a classroom library of free choice books to support the class assignment to build a love of reading via “The Bacon Book Club.”
Timeless Learning with Sundials
SRS
Applicants: Donna Brady, Bariyyah Lawrence, Kim Pollard, & Jennifer Love
Amount Awarded: $4,500
In order to address different types of learning and play on the SRS playground and garden, a large, permanent “human” sundial would offer students a hands-on opportunity to learn science, technology, and engineering as well as apply mathematical concepts to comprehensively explain the natural world around them.
Design and Construction
MHS Grades 10-12
Applicants: Tom Greland
Amount Awarded: $2,500
This grant will fund materials to be used for a student designed and fabricated modular shed that can be displayed (and sold) at the annual Tech Fair.
Ukuleles
GWS
Applicants: Anne Kelton
Amount Awarded: $2,155
Governor Winslow School students will discover that ukuleles can play harmonies/chords to accompany the melodies that they play and sing every day.
Education through Exploration: Immersion with Augmented and Virtual Reality
Elementary
Applicants: Christine Lusardi, John Cooke, Cheryl Gleason, Annie Violissi, Stacey Steinbergher, Katy White, Peter Van Buskirk, Jen Fiorentino, & Pam Habel
Amount Awarded: $41,990
AR/VR allows teachers to host virtual field trips in a variety of environments, sparking interest in subject matter and boosting overall engagement, therefore, improving scholastic performance.
Future Ready by Design: Makerspace yr2
MHS
Applicants: Aimee McAlpine, Bob Keuther, & Nancy Mullen
Amount Awarded: $4,538
A makerspace at MHS will support the mission of ensuring students develop and enhance communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity skills by employing the design process across all content areas and promoting a culture of “making” throughout the school.
We’ve Got a Book for You: Collaborative Literacy Resource!
DWS
Applicants: Marilyn McBride, Cynthia Bergamesca, Adrienne Robatzek, Christina Karis, Ali Mandile, Beth Farrell, Cindy Firth, & Nicole Mastrangelo
Amount Awarded: $11,650
As our district moves from implementing to sustaining the Reader’s Workshop Model for ELA and Social-Emotional Learning initiatives, this project provides ALL DWS Administrators, Teachers, Therapists, Specialists and Title One Tutors a collaborative area filled with necessary instructional resources that will provide engaging literacy experiences for our students.
Literary Resources for the English Language Learners (ELL)
MES
Applicants: Eileen Murphy, Mary Bradshaw, Amy Laputz
Amount Awarded: $869
As the English Language Learner (ELL) population continues to grow in the Marshfield Public schools, we seek to provide literacy-rich resources in the homes of ELLs. Our goal is to support students and families in acquiring English while maintaining their native language.
Full STEAM ahead with Robotics
Elementary
Applicants: Cheryl Gleason, John Cooke, & Blake Doyle
Amount Awarded: $16,028
Integrate coding and robotics into ALL elementary classes by piloting three different robotics/coding platforms.
Animal School: Differences, not Disabilities
K-EWS
Applicants: Annemarie Violissi, Jessica Egelstrom, Regina DiMascio, Erika Joyal, Carolyn Magowan, & Kathleen Nielsen
Amount Awarded: $1,511
Using the theme The Animal School by George H. Reavis, the EWS PTO staff will host a fair that will teach students about neuro-diversity (brain-based diagnosis and social-emotional disorders) and other physical disabilities, through interactive lessons that will inspire students to be mindful of diversity and for ALL students to develop positive views of themselves.
