Grant Success Stories
From GEF
A Grant That Made a Big Difference
Last year the Bill Memorial Library received a grant from the Groton Education Foundation to fund the purchase of a video camera, a color printer along with photo paper and other materials. This summer we received a nice thank you letter and report on this grant.
Mary Jane Carle, Director of Children's Services for the library wrote that photos are being incorporated into the library's web site, www.billmemorial.org, and are illustrating a new brochure about the library. Library staff has made displays of photographs of various programs and have handed out photos of children using the library to their parents. "We have been pleased with the many ways we can use this camera and printer to enhance our library programs and services," Mary Jane writes, "We once again express our appreciation for your support of this project."
SACRED HEART SCHOOL AMADEUS In ACTION
by Patricia J. Roxaore-Kindergarten teacher
I would like you to know that the grant which I received from you for the promotion of arts in the education, particularly involving the company Opera Providence who gave a performance of Amadeus In Action, here at school on February 28th, was an outstanding success.
Everyone from faculty to pre-schoolers totally enjoyed the in-school opera performance. It was delightful to observe how his musical presentation touched the hearts and minds of our entire school body.
Mozart was the rave that day and continues to this present moment to make an indelible impression on all of us who had the good fortune to savor the performance.
Again, my heartfelt thanks to each on of you for making it possible to realize this incredible and educationally enjoyable experience.
FITCH HIGH SCHOOL WALKING TOUR
Charmaine Mizak - Fitch Biology Teacher
The Grant allowed two of my students to complete a walking tour brochure of our school campus. The project was assigned and completed within one semester. The students, working together, surveyed the grounds, interviewed botanists, and researched local plant species in order to develop the brochure. The pamphlet leads the reader through the entire school campus, highlighting every aspect of vegetation located there. The grant money was used to purchase labels to identify each and every tree and shrub by genus and species name. The brochure itself includes a narration, a map of the grounds, description of all species and colored photographs of most tree species.
The students' final product far surpassed my expectations. These girls were able to produce a truly professional brochure and walking tour for the public to enjoy. This would not have been possible if not for the funding provided through the GEF grant. The project was such a success that the girls, both enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program, will be using this as their CAS requirement. I could not be prouder of these students and the dedication they demonstrated throughout this project.
PLEASANT VALLEY CAMCORDER
Pleasant Valley's teacher of the year, Carol Marsiglio is seen here using the camcorder to record her class while the students are doing a choral reading.
The reading will be played back to allow the students to evaluate their own oral reading.
Mrs. Marsiglio has used the camcorder to record a classroom mathematics activity.
Students used play money to purchase objects from a store that the children created in their classroom.
The teachers record their lessons to review and evaluate their own teaching and reflect on instructional practices.
by Audrey Daigneault
If any educator who has received a grant would like to enter a feature grant story, please email the story and pictures to: Marcia Greenhalgh - mail at grotoneducationfoundation.org
