Congratulations to the 2024 grant winners
Congratulations to the 2023 grant winners
East High School will be home to a $20,000 state-of-the-art music studio thanks to a new round of grant funding from the Education Foundation of Wauwatosa. In addition, the EFW awarded seven other grants including $8,000 worth of graphing calculators and $14,000 for theater mic packs for a 2022 grant package totaling $71,612.
According to the proposal submitted by Wauwatosa East High School educators Jeff Krubsack, Jennifer Lato and Michael Hayden, the grant money they receive will be used for new computer hardware that will modernize the music production and music theory classrooms, transforming them into a real-world creative suite, they are calling Red Raider Studios.
“This year’s grant requests tell a story,” says LaShonda Hill, EFW president. “Our school district truly values the arts but needs additional support when it comes to keeping pace with updating and replacing old and obsolete technology. This is exactly where the EFW likes step in to enrich the learning experience,” she says.
In 2021, the EFW awarded its largest amount ever, $103,630, to the school district educators plus donated $30,000 to buy Chromebooks for students who needed them for online learning.
The EFW will also fund seven other projects:
Projects We Fund
Enriching the learning experience of students in the Wauwatosa School District is what the EFW has been doing since our first grants in 1992.
EFW grants help students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Over the years grants have been awarded in reading, writing, science, vocabulary, math, psychology, physics, geography, environment, technology, critical thinking, creative problem solving, physical education, life skills, journalism, art, team-building, world language, music, engineering, and career counseling.
Please take a look at the rubric, if you are interested in learning more about the criteria used to evaluate grant proposals.
A more detailed description of recent grants and recipients can be found below.
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the EFW has awarded 104,000 to educators who will bring innovative learning tools, opportunities to district students
WAUWATOSA — The Education Foundation of Wauwatosa has awarded $50,275, its largest single grant amount ever, to two school district educators who plan to bring Grey’s Anatomy-level technology to the classroom next fall.
Tom Schneider and Tina Koch collaborated to write a grant requesting an Anatomage Virtual Lab Table, placing the world’s most technologically advanced anatomy visualization system at students’ fingertips. Only a handful of other high schools in the country have this resource, usually found at the world’s leading medical schools and institutions.
The interactive, digital device allows students to gain a comprehensive understanding of anatomy, pathology and even surgical planning, provides life-size modeling of the body’s systems and offers hands-on dissectible human and animal cadavers in precise 3D digital imagery. Students throughout the district in several different classes will have the opportunity to use the table, which will be housed at West High School.
“Because we are celebrating 30 years as a grant-giving organization, our board voted to maximize our funding formula to the fullest amount allowed in our bylaws and bring this exclusive learning tool to Wauwatosa,” says LaShonda Hill, EFW president. “It fosters a mindset of advanced skill development, promotes innovation in the classroom and enhances the learning experience of students at all ability levels.”
In the grant application, Koch and Schneider describe the Anatomage Table as a game-changer for the district’s science program. “We recognize an urgent demand to draw future generations into science, technology, engineering and math fields…the need for foundational courses designed to engage more students, to spark the interests of our future leaders and to access and support new information is paramount,” it says.
The EFW has also voted to fund six other projects:
- Paddles Up – $5,698
East High School – Teri Kandel and Andrew Thompson
The school will receive four standing paddle boards, four sit-in kayaks and two sit-on-top kayaks to use in the newly constructed aquatic center. Students will have the opportunity to explore lifelong recreational water activities while being physically active. - Industrial Lasers Create Industrial Skills – $20,020
East High School – Craig Griffie. East Technical Education and FabLab will receive an industrial-grade laser which will complement equipment already in place and round out the production capabilities for students. Students will now be able to create authentic projects that are driven by industry needs. - Safety, Connection, Problem-Solving – $2,972
Lincoln and Underwood Elementary Schools – Chloe Barranco, Allyssa Merlo, Taylor Scoon and Rene Taugner
The Tosa Tots program at both Lincoln and Underwood will receive social-emotional curriculum materials that will help equip students with the communication skills needed to manage themselves, resolve conflict, and develop healthy behavior. - Unity Garden – $3,005
East High School – Ricki Tierney along with students Michela Miller, Margaret Kasdorf, Sienna Daniels, & Elizabeth Cady Tosa East’s courtyard will be transformed by various clubs, classes and grade levels that will produce benches, garden beds and artwork to will adorn the courtyard where students and staff can gather for learning and enjoyment. - Improving Students’ Ability to Learn Through Riding Bicycles – $6,660
Lincoln and Underwood Elementary Schools – Tanya Jahr. Early Childhood, Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten classes at both Underwood and Lincoln schools will be able to ride bikes individually or in groups while building strength, stamina, coordination and balance all while exercising the brain. Bike riding requires body and spatial awareness, motor planning, attention, and focus. - Student Affinity Groups – $15,000
Each and West High School – administrative leadership team. Students at both high schools along with facilitators will be able to question, innovate, problem solve and lead meaning change to ensure a culture where all students feel a sense of belonging. - To commemorate the 30th anniversary, the EFW also donated $30,000 to the school district in August 2020 to buy Chromebooks for students who needed them for online learning.
The EFW is proud to announce that the following 13 grants totaling $66,655.10 will impact students at all schools in the district during the 2020-2021 school year.
- Let the Beet Drop Mobile Kitchen Lab submitted by Bekki Crowley, Rebecca Kirchman, Dean Heus and Laura Sproul for use at Vel R. Phillips School.
- We Are Makers: Fostering Innovation Through Technology submitted by Jasmina Ruano and Natalie Sturomski for use at USTEM Underwood Elementary School.
- Not Fake News Project: Using Scholastic Journalism to Build Digital Media Literacy Skills submitted by Chris Lazarski for use a West High School.
- Mic Drop: Podcasting Preteens submitted by Beau Schur, Hannah Weinberg-Kinsey and Jennifer Engel for use at Longfellow Middle School.
- Aquaponics submitted by Michael Dahlquist and Michelle Miner for use at Lincoln Elementary School.
- Fitness Ninja submitted by Debra Sellers and Tanya Jahr for use at Underwood Elementary School.
- Lights, Camera, Action in the Classroom submitted by Shana Callahan for use Roosevelt Elementary School.
- Sensory Stories: Transforming Storytime to Meet the Needs of All Students submitted by Jennifer Kannass, Eleutera Gonzalez-Dobbe, Kelly Beardsley and Mary McElwee for use at Washington Elementary School.
- Play, Play, Play submitted by Kellie Christensen and Kathy Meinecke for use at Jefferson Elementary School.
- The Sensory Path submitted by Tanya Jahr and Natalie Froemming for use at Jefferson and Eisenhower Elementary Schools.
- Composer in Residence submitted by Lauren Roznowski Hayden and Mike Hayden for use at Longfellow Middle School and East High School.
- Seeing Ourselves in True Colors submitted by Carrie Streiff-Stuessy and Tracy Carus for use at every elementary school in the Wauwatosa School District.
- Do You See What I See submitted by Tracy Eccles, Jane Klaeser, Derek De Vinney and Sarrah Oliver for use at Whitman, Longfellow, East and West.
Congratulations to the 19-20 newest grant winners
The Education Foundation of Wauwatosa has awarded grants totaling $60,623 to fund 16 projects in 2019-2020. Funded grants include the following:
- Anatomy in Clay: The Mind Cannot Forget What the Hands Have Learnedsubmitted by Thomas Schneider and Patricia Koenen for use at East and West high schools.
- Timby Telecast – A Student News Broadcast submitted by Beth Kimmel, Jenny DiMeo and Andrew Pinn for use at Washington Elementary.
- Riding for Focus submitted by Rebecca Kirchman and Rob Kalpinski for use at the Vel R. Phillips School.
- Card Writing for Community Service submitted by Dean Heus and Dawn DiNicola at the Vel R. Phillips School.
- Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles submitted by Nancy Duff and John Summers for use at Whitman and Longfellow Middle schools.
- Mirrors for Musical Growth submitted by Kari Kraenzler for use at Whitman.
- Celebrating Diversity Through Literature submitted by Jennifer Quella and Tracy Carus at Jefferson Elementary School.
- Free Voluntary Reading in Spanish submitted by Jessica Talavera-Klabunde, Colleen Dardis, Emily Guse, and Anna Troy for use at Tosa East High School. at East
- Cycle to Success submitted by Lenka Wendland for use at McKinley Elementary.
- A new marimba requested by Peggy Paar for her classroom at Roosevelt Elementary.
- Ready, Set, Regulate submitted by Corinne Meyer for use at Underwood Elementary.
- Cultivating School Climate and Enhancing Learning Through the Magical
- World of Harry Potter submitted by Susan Walczak and Melissa Adams for use at Wilson/WSTEM.
- Engaging All Learners submitted by Sarah Myers for use at Longfellow.
- Spring Artist in Residence submitted by Molly Brennan for use this spring East High.
- Team Building STEM Integration submitted by Brian Kimmel and Joy Provan for use at Whitman.
- The World is Not A Rectangle: Reading to Inspire Vision into all Students’ Lives submitted by Carolyn Curley, Michael Brock, and Tracy Carus for use at Underwood Elementary.
Almost $71,000 in grant money awarded to Tosa teachers
The Education Foundation of Wauwatosa has awarded grants totaling $70,992.77 for the 2018-19 school year to fund the following 12 projects:
- Let’s Read! Lisons! Lesen wir! Leemos! – $5,700.00
Whitman and Longfellow Middle Schools – Cindy Anderson and Laura Nemetz
Currently the World Language Programs in both middle schools have a very limited number of books, often leading to teacher using their personal selections to enrich current curriculum. The Let’s Read grant gives all World Language students improved access to authentic and varied reading materials in the target languages. - Creating Equitable Learning Experiences by Engaging ALL Students in STEM Learning and Opportunities – $7,552.83
Jefferson Elementary School – Nadine Whalen and Jennifer Schultz
Using Google Cardboard, Coding Robots and Design Challenge Materials to provide all students with opportunities to practice and refine problem solving, collaboration, reflection and discourse skills while engaging in high-level STEM learning experiences. - Mindfulness Through Music – $1,700.00
Eisenhower and Underwood Elementary Schools – Shannon Pahlicek
To enhance the Mind Up curriculum provided by the Wauwatosa School District, the Mindful Music Moments program will utilize the current loudspeaker systems to broadcast the prompts and excerpts, allowing students to practice mindful behaviors in the classroom. Mindfulness practices have demonstrated increase in emotional regulation and academic performance, enriching the educational experience for all students in the schools. - Q-Ball – $2,820.30
McKinley Elementary School – Tracy Loechler and Paige Brown
Q-Ball, an interactive audio enhancement tool for the classroom setting, will provide teachers a fun and innovative way to capture student attention, spark curiosity and increase participation and student engagement. - 1,2,3 Math Exploration Through Purposeful Play – $2,900.00
Lincoln, Underwood, and McKinley – Sue Gaudynski and Elizabeth Poetsch
JK Classrooms in three Wauwatosa Elementary schools will receive tools to supplement the new math curriculum implemented this year, Engage New York. Measurement, equivalency, balance, special awareness, conservation, and logical classification concepts will all be taught using the new math materials provided by the EFW, including building materials, nesting dolls, geometric shapes, and coding games. - Light the Lights: Enhancing the Student Experience in the Theatre Classroom & Beyond – $24,242.90
Wauwatosa West High School – Adam Steffan
Eight LED wash lighting fixtures, cables and supplemental equipment will allow students to implement a small scale “light lab” and to experiment with a variety of design concepts. The LED fixtures allow students to work hands on with 21st century technology and put STEAM classroom concepts to use in a setting impacting thousands of people coming into the Tosa West Theatre for school functions and district events. - Jacob’s Ladder – $1,393.97
McKinley – Mary Pawasarat and Amy Duchac
Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension program will be used to supplement existing reading material. Advanced learners now will have the ability to enhance reading comprehension through rigorous texts and higher order thinking skills practice. - Bee Bop: Let’s Code – $6,610.82
McKinley – Elizabeth Mottet and Steve Sperl
Fundamentals of coding will be taught to kindergarten classes using Blue-Bot technology. Students will learn basic steps of how a computer and programming language work together by using code to navigate a basic robot over mats with number lines, colors, dice or other visuals. - Regulated and Ready to Learn – $2,995.61
Madison Elementary – Brittany Moen
All grade levels at Madison Elementary school will receive access to a variety of tools to aid in sensory, social/emotional, and self-regulation development, including weighted blankets, books, noise-canceling headphones and sensory relief equipment. - Math Counts Literacy Library – $4,378.23
Lincoln, Eisenhower, Jefferson, Wilson, Madison, McKinley, Roosevelt, Underwood, and Washington – Linda Landis and Janette Wenzel
Elementary schools in the district will have new math literacy books to supplement the current math curriculum. Picture books reinforcing skills and concepts taught in each lesson will both enhance math libraries across the district and also engage parents both in and outside the kindergarten classroom. - Cultivating Student Success Through Mind and Motor Learning Experience – $2,973.11
Washington Elementary – Beth Kimmel and Mary McElwee
JK, SK and 1st grade elementary students will have frequent access to Motor Labs within Washington Elementary School designed to develop the foundational motor skills critical to academic success. The Ready Body, Learning Minds set of lesson plans will be implemented using tools such as balance beams, fitness steps and resistance tunnels. - Changing the Face of Fitness – $7,725.00
Longfellow – Nancy Braidigan and Ed Raue
To enhance the Wisconsin educational goals of offering a variety of physical activities for maintaining a healthy active lifestyle and activities that can be pursued in the community, as well as the school, Longfellow Middle School will now have a TRX station. Twenty commercial suspension trainers will be available to students and teachers both within the physical education curriculum and outside of classroom instruction time.
More than $35,000 in Grants Awarded to District Schools
EFW Announces 2017-18 Grants
The EFW is proud to announce that it awarded seven grants totaling just over $35,000 for the 2017-18 school year.
“We are thrilled to be able to award next school year’s grants knowing that they money will impact so many students within the district,” said the Mary Phillips, foundation president.
Grants were given to the following projects:
- “IT’S A SMALL WORLD”- JK RETELLING BOXES USING SMALL FIGURES, ANIMALS, AND STORY SETTING PROPS – $3,970 – ALL JK CLASSROOMS IN THE DISTRICT: Sue Gaudynski and Elizabeth Poetsch along with all the Junior Kindergarten teachers in the district will now have the opportunity to offer their students tools to practice the retelling of stories through the use of small figures, animals and story setting props, building story comprehension and meeting district JK education goals.
- EQUITY THROUGH LITERACY – $7,988 – MADISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Nicole Welter and Angie Kolanko will purchase culturally relevant fiction and non-fiction texts to facilitate more in-depth conversations about race, culture, and language with students in third through fifth grades.
- GROWTH MINDSET RESOURCE ROUND-UP – $2,358 – LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Linda Landis and Janette Wenzel will create bins of materials designed to guide students from a fixed mindset to a “growth mindset”- the belief students can grow their intelligence.
- THE CYCLING CENTER – $9,920 – WAUWATOSA EAST HIGH SCHOOL: Teri Kandel and Matthew Kender will promote lifelong health by adding stationary bikes into the physical education curriculum as a cardiovascular training station. Additionally, bikes will be available to students and staff before and after the school day, offering a different physical health regimen as an option to students.
- WE CAN CODE, CODING CLUB – $1,154.62 – WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Beth Kimmel and Mary Johnston will offer second through fifth grade students the opportunity to increase technology skills, understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, and demonstrate the ability to troubleshoot current technologies – all during school lunch time!
- SOUND OFF! –STRENGTHENING THE PHONEMIC AWARENESS AND PHONICS SKILLS OF SENIOR KINDERGARTENERS – $2,847.29 – EISENHOWER AND ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: Michele Mushall and Hannah Duffy will have the opportunity to deepen literacy foundations through phonemic awareness by having students participate in daily whole group and small group instruction utilizing hands-on classroom resources designed specifically to support phonetic growth.
- GARDEN OF HOPE – $6,872 – VEL R. PHILLIPS JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER: Carleen Ranfranz and Mitch Siefert will now have the multidisciplinary resource of a courtyard garden and outdoor classroom to work toward district learning objectives including goal setting, decision making, advocacy and mental and emotional health.
2016-17 Grant Recipients Announced
Congratulations to the EFW 2016-2017 Grant Recipients
We are pleased to announce that the Education Foundation of Wauwatosa (EFW) has awarded $41,255 for 9 grants to be implemented during the 2016-2017 school year and will benefit more than 6,800 students the first year alone. Congratulations to the following educators:
- JOIN THE T.E.A.M – TOLERANCE, EMPATHY AND ACCEPTANCE MATTERS! $1,685 – UNDERWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Corinne Meyer and Joel Marinan at Underwood Elementary will buy books, banners, posters and games with the money they received from the EFW. These items will be shared with all Underwood staff and used to create an atmosphere that promotes a welcoming environment with messages of diversity for all students. - MIDDLE SCHOOL BATTLE OF THE BOOKS, PHASE II $3,600 – LONGFELLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL AND WHITMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Tracy Eccles and Jane Storts at Longfellow and Whitman will buy books with the money they received from the EFW. These books will be used to extend the Battle of the Books experience to the students at Whitman and provide a competitive academic experience between the two schools. - INDEPENDENCE PLACE: LIFE SKILLS LEARNING FOR YOUR FUTURE $2,000 – NEXT STEPS COMMUNITY TRANSITION SERVICES:
Chris Jackson at Next Steps Community Transition Services will buy storage units and household and hygiene items with the money she received from the EFW. These items will be used to teach young adults with disabilities how to make guided decisions to function safely and effectively within their living space. - LIBRARY MAKERSPACE $17,200 – ALL LIBRARIES IN THE WAUWATOSA SCHOOL DISTRICT:
Tracy Eccles and Jane Storts will buy materials to create a makerspace in each of the libraries in the Wauwatosa Public Schools with the money they received from the EFW. A makerspace is a learning environment where students can design and create together. While using items such as Legos, craft materials, tools and art supplies, the students will be able inquire, create, collaborate, tinker, mentor, experiment, invent and solve problems. - UKULELE IN THE ELEMENTARY GENERAL MUSIC CLASSROOM $770 – EISENHOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Shannon Pahl at Eisenhower Elementary will buy ukuleles, cases and tuners with the money she received from the EFW. While learning how to play the ukuleles, the students in the fifth grade general music classes will be able to apply music concepts in an authentic situation and be encouraged to become independent musicians. - EDUCATORS ENHANCING ENGAGEMENT $2,500 – LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Linda Landis and Janette Wenzel at Lincoln Elementary will buy wiggle chairs for the tables and wobble cushions and fidgets for the classroom carpets and floor areas with the money they received from the EFW. Through the use of these items, Lincoln teachers will be able to help their students stay engaged in the learning process, and the students will be able to move while simultaneously being able to focus, learn and complete work with their peers. - BRAIN, BODY, AND BEYOND: USING MOVEMENT TO ENSURE HIGH LEVELS OF LEARNING FOR ALL $6,500 – JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Aspen Verink and Linda Dusel at Jefferson Elementary will buy standing desks, rounded stools, ball chairs and hand and foot fidgets with the money they received from the EFW. Through the use of these items, Jefferson teachers will be able to proactively design instruction, and the students will be able to choose flexible seating, standing and movement options to increase their attention and promote active engagement in their own learning. - DYNAMIC CLASSROOM DESIGN: LEARNING MY WAY $2,500 – UNDERWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Mary Hahn and Sabine Desmore at Underwood Elementary will buy standing workstations, stools and chair bands with the money they received from the EFW. Through the use of these items, Underwood teachers will be able to provide more differentiated individual learning and work styles, and the students will have more choice in their learning style. - UNIVERSAL STRATEGIES FOR ALL LEARNERS $4,500 – EISENHOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Sarah Sallmann and Landa Evers at Eisenhower Elementary will buy flexible learning furniture and movement and sensory materials with the money they received from the EFW. Through the use of these items, Eisenhower teachers will have additional flexibility with how they allow movement in their classrooms, and students will increase their learning outcomes.
EFW Grants for 2015= $69,784
- 25th Anniversary Grant: Wisconsin School Music Association Music Project in Performance
Wendy Traeger and Jennifer Lato – Tosa East & Tosa West High Schools, Longfellow & Whitman Middle Schools: $25,000
This EFW grant is geared towards over 1,500 Wauwatosa music students in grades 6-12. The goal is to expose a wide and diverse body of repertoire to study, rehearse, and perform across all of their performance ensembles. By utilizing SmartMusic software, which identifies areas where students should focus their attention in practice, and FINALE music notation software, students will hone their music preparation, collaboration, teamwork, and small group performance skills. - Libro Detective: Promoting Literacy in the World Language Classroom
Gina Merino and Kristen Thimmesch – All District Elementary Spanish: $12,000
To promote literacy in Spanish language, this EFW grant allows elementary schools to offer books in Spanish to over 2,500 students in grades 1-5. This increased collection of books at each elementary school will help to develop skills in the areas of interpretation, reading comprehension, and independent reading. Increasing literacy skills in Spanish will have a positive effect on their English literacy skills. - Pathways to Fitness
Wendy Schmidt and Deb Sellers – All District Elementary Physical Education: $12,000
In an effort to address the ever increasing need to improve the fitness levels of the 3,300 Wauwatosa elementary students, this EFW grant would establish “fitness trails” at each elementary school. Fitness stations will be set up outdoors at each school so individuals can work on agility, coordination, reaction time, balance, speed, power, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, body composition, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. In addition two schools would serve as fitness hubs for the district and would have extra outdoor apparatus installed. While these fitness trails would be designed to support the established curriculum objectives for elementary school students, the trails could also provide staff, parents, and families in the community an opportunity to include physical fitness into their day. - Connected and Engaged with TI
Jeanine Berggruen – Tosa West High School: $7,590.00
This EFW grant will provide the Wauwatosa West math department with graphing calculators which could be used by 420 students in their math courses daily. Since not all students have access to this expensive technology, this assures all students equal access to this valuable tool which helps in solving problems, manipulating equations, and analyzing graphs and tables. Used in conjunction with the SmartBoard, these calculators aid teacher instruction and assessment as well as classroom discussion. - Wiz Kidz: Bringing Coding and Robotics to Middle School
Jae Henderson and Valerie Klika – Longfellow and Whitman Middle Schools: $6,000
Wiz Kidz promotes collaborative creativity utilizing technological tools to teach coding, computer programming, and robotic programming. This EFW grant will help this group of middle school students by enhancing the technology and software that is used in this program. The world of coding and robotics offers a wide variety of topics and appeals to diverse interests. The creativity, combined with technology, science, math, and the engineering design process are innately differentiated to expand learning for a diverse group of students. - Battle of the Books
Tracy Eccles – Longfellow Middle School: $2,600
Battle of the Books is a competitive reading program designed to motivate students to read books within and outside of their normal areas of interest. Using EFW grant funding, Longfellow Middle School will purchase books that range in reading levels and corresponding questions. They will encourage students of all reading abilities to take part as a way to improve literacy and to participate in group activities around reading. - My Learning Blog: Creating and Maintaining E-Portfolios in Kindergarten
Elizabeth Butryn & Jenny Odau – Madison Elementary: $2,412
Even the youngest of students need to establish the use of technology as part of the classroom routine. With this in mind, kindergarten students at Madison Elementary will maintain an electronic portfolio of their learning in an ongoing way. Using iPad minis, students will take photos of the work they complete in the classroom, post the photos of their work on the class blog, and write/record/post reflections about their work and learning. The e-portfolio will help students see their growth over time as well as challenge them to utilize high levels of metacognitive processing and critical thinking. - Text Talk in Kindergarten: Using Non-Fiction Picture Books to Read, Analyze, Ask, and Answer Questions
Hannah Wendlake & Michele Mushall – Eisenhower Elementary: $2,182.00
To supplement literacy, science, and social studies curriculums, this EFW grant will supply Eisenhower kindergarteners with a collection of picture books. Used in conjunction with an inquiry model, students will develop skills in making connections, making predictions, asking pertinent questions, investigating, drawing conclusions, expressing ideas, and reflecting on information.
EFW Grants for 2014= $36,620
- 100 Miles to a Healthier Student
Katherine Wilkes and Matt Schimenz – Eisenhower Elementary: $2,323
Funding will be used to provide Eisenhower Elementary students with an easy, fun, and safe way to add physical fitness into their daily lives. The “100 Mile Club” will allow participants to work toward their own goals of running or walking 100 miles during the school year with the use of pedometers. The grant writers will provide rewards and incentives along the way to help kids stay focused. - Backpack P.A.L.S. (Prompted Academic Learning Students)
Linda Landis – Lincoln Elementary: $1,452
Backpack P.A.L.S. is a way to encourage families to read together and allow students additional academic learning opportunities to write to a prompt while responding to a familiar story. Lincoln Elementary will use grant funding to put together backpacks for senior kindergarteners to take home, which include picture books with corresponding stuffed characters and writing prompts. Students will increase their academic skills and knowledge in writing and in literacy while reinforcing the home-school connection. - Library for Eclectic Literacy in Whitman Orchestra
Lyda Osinga – Whitman Middle School: $1,350
Whitman Middle School will provide students with more opportunities to explore 21st century music by using grant funding to expand and diversify the library collection of music resources. Books with play-along CDs to explore eclectic styles of fiddling, rock, jazz, world music, and blues have been favorites of students; and by now having multiple copies available, all students will be able to check out the music to explore and practice at home. - Ka-Boom, Crash, Wham, Pow! Creating Comic Books in the Classroom
Erin Gould – Tosa East High School: $1,749
Tosa East will be using grant funding to install the software program, Comic Life 3 on their computers. Tosa East High School students will be able to engage in cutting edge technology that will build and improve the common core reading and writing skills through digital graphic writing. Students will be able to create their own visual graphic or comic book related to the curriculum all while integrating technology, creating graphics, organizing a story, writing dialogue, and summarizing and identifying essential information. - Read to Learn: Informational Texts to Prompt Research and Inquiry
Angie Kolanko – Madison Elementary: $6,207
Madison Elementary School will invest in their students’ access to informational non-fiction texts with the use of grant funding. By increasing the quantity and quality of this type of text in classroom libraries throughout the school, students will have the opportunity to read to learn, build knowledge of topics, engage in the research and inquiry processes, and work on informative writing. - Social Studies Comes Alive Through Print and Play
Michele Mushall – Eisenhower Elementary and Joel Marinan – Underwood Elementary: $1,784
To enhance the Senior Kindergarten TCI Social Studies Alive! Curriculum, grant funding will be used to purchase materials at both Eisenhower and Underwood schools to promote literacy skills and meaningful play-based learning. Related picture books, a variety of Block Play People Families accompanied with Kids Around the World Block People, Lego Community Sets, and Multicultural – Skin-colored Crayola Crayons will be used to address topics that include: Who Am I?, How Do I Solve Problems with Others?, Where Am I in the World?, and How Do People Live Around the World?. By blending children’s literature, writing, and play-based learning into the social studies curriculum, students will gain a greater understanding of communication with others and a deeper appreciation of the world around them. - The Positive Playground
- Corrine Meyer – Underwood Elementary: $506
Playground supplies/games along with literature selections that promote positive social skills, friendship building, and manners will be purchased with grant funding at Underwood Elementary. These materials will provide students with opportunities and activities that create positive playground behaviors that are part of the school’s PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention System). Not only will students be able to participate with others in noncompetitive games and activities while emphasizing skills in leadership, taking turns, and learning how to use conflict resolution, but they will also use the selection of accompanying literature to learn how to make connections in classroom discussions. - Wonderful World of Early Learning
Betsy Heun and Nancy Lovelace – Underwood Elementary: $1,874
In an effort to facilitate parent participation and enhance their confidence, build a bridge between parent and teacher, and focus on increasing the achievement of children, Underwood Elementary will use grant funding to provide family learning kits and workshops. This project will center on language, concept development, social skills, background knowledge for reading, critical thinking, and gross and motor skills for the Early Childhood and Junior Kindergarten programs.
- 2014 SPECIAL ENDOWMENT GRANT WINNER:
Close Encounters
Whitman Middle School: $9,430
Informational literacy is needed for students to succeed in courses such as Social Studies and Science, but has not previously been a focus in these classes. Whitman Middle School will use the grant funds to teach informational literacy through a rich selection of books, which will motivate student learning. Once students have been taught some basic processes for working with informational texts, they will choose books from this nonfiction collection and work towards becoming more fluent at reading, identifying evidence to support a viewpoint or statement, and increasing their background knowledge on a variety of subjects. The expected result of this program is greater-than-typical reading growth for the age group. - 2014 SPECIAL ENDOWMENT GRANT WINNER:
Transforming Collaborative Learning Through Technology
Washington Elementary: $9,945
In order give students the opportunity to interact and manipulate content, Washington Elementary is going to use grant funding to purchase touchscreen Chromebooks and Smart amp collaborative software, which will be shared among the fifth grade classes. This innovative technology will help to increase the number of students directly participating in the lesson from a single student participating at one time to all-student participation. In addition, teachers will be able to share the lesson with the entire class, monitor student progress with their mobile device, and provide students with immediate feedback. The teacher can select and immediately project student work on the whiteboard in order to facilitate group discussions and deepen student understanding of content.
EFW Grants for 2013= $40,770
- Aim True
Teri Kandel & John Simon – Wauwatosa East High School: $3,376.00
Archery unit. Physical education curriculum in Wisconsin is shifting towards offering courses designed around lifetime adventure activities including rock climbing, indoor and outdoor high ropes courses, kayaking and snorkeling. The addition of archery to this program offers students instruction and exposure to a recreational sport that is gaining popularity. Archery is an activity for just about anyone as it does not require strength, speed, or a high level of athleticism. The practice of archery develops a student’s ability to concentrate and focus which are skills that can be translated into other areas of life such as study skills and test taking - Swimming in a Sea of Science Stories
Linda Landis – Lincoln Elementary: $910.00
To enhance the new Sangari science curriculum in the district, Lincoln Elementary will use grant funding to purchase books for their kindergarten classrooms. Picture books with science themes will not only help with literacy goals, but will reinforce science concepts. Upon completion of reading a book to the classroom, teachers can tie-in the concepts by conducting meaningful experiments, discussions, observations, and activities.
- Enhancing the Interpersonal Experience in the Elementary World Language Classroom
Kathryn Hartung & Hannah Wendlake – All Elementary Schools: $5,865.00
To enhance the Spanish curriculum for all elementary schools in the district, grant funding will be used to purchase DiscoveryPENS and coordinating recording labels. The DiscoveryPEN has a scanner at its ‘nib’ which detects the pattern on the recording label, thereby triggering a signal to play a pre-recorded MP3 file. These tools will aid in independent study, practicing conversation and fluency skills, clarifying sounds and pronunciation, and providing exposure to a variety of dialects. They also increase the quality of education by allowing teachers to differentiate instruction. - Guitar in the Elementary General Music Classroom
Susan Merriman – McKinley Elementary: $1,640.00
The guitar is a portable instrument that can be sized down for students to play successfully in an elementary setting. With this in mind, McKinley Elementary will use grant funding to purchase guitars giving students a hands-on opportunity to learn in a group situation. It will reinforce learning in three ways: sight, seeing the strings and music; sound, hearing the guitar and their voices; and touch, feeling their fingers move along and across the strings of the instrument. The guitars will fulfill an important component of elementary music education by exposing students to yet another instrument that they may not otherwise have an opportunity to play. - Connecting Nonfiction Reading, Analytical Thinking, and the Common Core
Carolyn Curley & Ann Anderson – Lincoln Elementary: $1,000.00
To supplement the teaching of nonfiction features, teachers at Lincoln Elementary will use grant funding to purchase a broad collection of nonfiction/informational books at a variety of reading levels. This collection will help students become higher-level analytical thinkers. Using written assignments during small group meetings, teachers will be able to assess progress and guide further instruction. - Marketing a Virtual Business – Restaurant
Jim Rumage – Wauwatosa East High School & Dan Prothero – Wauwatosa West High School: $2,990.00
In an effort to apply classroom concepts in a real world setting, Wauwatosa East and West high schools will use grant funding to purchase computer-based software simulation called Virtual Business-Restaurant. The breadth and depth of the game provides an eye-opening window into the world of restaurant ownership. The lessons stimulate higher order thinking as students learn about each phase of business including market research, location selection, financial statements, menu design, pricing, purchasing, layout, staffing, marketing, and turnaround. It is like a science experiment wrapped in a restaurant simulation.
- Ready, Set, Bloggie!
Erin Gould – Wauwatosa East High School: $1,250.00
One requirement of the Economics class at Wauwatosa East is for students to complete an interpersonal activity. Using grant funding, bloggie video devices will be purchased so students can use them to create radio and television commercials, personal blogs, and presentations. Recordings can be uploaded directly to the computer and content can be reviewed immediately. This technology gives many more students access to complete these assignments in a timely manner. - A Garden in Every Classroom
Shannon Kobinsky & Kristee Yardley – Wauwatosa Montessori: $2,160.00
The proximity to, study of, and appreciation for the natural world is a key component of the Montessori educational philosophy. To complement the botany and biology lessons, Wauwatosa Montessori will use grant funding to purchase materials that will allow students to create, sustain, and explore a complete cycle of food energy in each classroom through the use of gardens. Students will collect food waste, compost it, start seeds, and care for aquaponics systems of goldfish and edible plants. A major objective of this program is for students to communicate what they learn effectively through discussion, demonstration, data recording (charts, graphs, tables), drawing, creating journals of observations, methods, and outcomes. The learning objectives of this project are extensive including fine motor skill development, sensorial observation, identifying parts of food chains, differentiating living and nonliving components, understanding the necessity of food and water for living organisms, running chemical tests, calculating averages, using a microscope, measuring with rulers, thermometers, and timers, identifying cell structures, and understanding photosynthesis. Lessons will be created to match learning targets for each grade K-8th. This project creates a functioning, productive system that will give children the opportunity to do real, creative work; it also operates as a relatively simple model of much larger, more complex ecosystems for conceptualization, study, and experimentation. - Rhyme Time: Supporting Phonological Awareness in Junior Kindergarten
- Linda Forbord & Angie Kolanko – All Elementary Schools: $2,294.00
It has been identified that a critical subskill of phonological awareness and a foundational reading skill is rhyming. Elementary school junior kindergarten classes will use grant funding on materials that will support the teaching and learning of rhyming consistently across the district. Rhyming books, games, interactive nursery rhyme kits, and computer software will be used by teachers to model the skill of rhyming and be used by students in literacy centers to independently practice rhyming skills on a daily basis. This project improves the likelihood that students can achieve the objectives leading to proficiency through repeated practice andapplication of taught skills. - Nspire Navigator
Sara Cortichiato – Wauwatosa East High School: $13,255.00
In order to more effectively engage students and utilize instruction time, the Wauwatosa East MathDepartment will use grant funding to purchase two class sets of Nspire Navigator graphing calculator technology. The Nspire Navigator allows the teacher to give quick quizzes or formative assessments within each class. It sends questions to the students, which gives instructors immediate feedback to determine the class’ needs. The teacher can monitor quickly to see what needs to be re-taught and what needs to be expanded on. Research shows that students using this technology have demonstrated deeper understanding and greater abilities in drawing inferences. In addition it enhances student engagement, collaboration, and learning - Science Rocks and Shocks: Geology, Meterology and Electricty Investigation
Donna Koeble – Washington Elementary: $490.00
In order to differentiate in the classroom and offer opportunities for the struggling and accelerated learners, Washington Elementary will use grant funding to add materials to enhance the Sangari science curriculum for 4th graders. Instruments (barometer, weather station, wind vane, and Galileo Thermometer) will be used during whole and small group instruction to connect real life experiences with simulations and applications. Physical specimens (rock and fossil samples) will be used in whole group instruction so that more students can have hands-on discovery experiences. Games (Quizmo and bingo) will be used to reinforce content in science centers or small group/individual instruction. This plan directly correlates with the district’s goal of adding rigor. To put it in geological terms: the students will be like the Grand Canyon, they will learn with depth and complexity of a science area (canyon) rather than learning a breadth of science concepts (Colorado River). - Terrific Ten-Frames: Using Ten-Frames to Build Number Sense with Senior Kindergartners
Michele Mushall – Eisenhower Elementary: $905.00
As a way to explore and build number sense for senior kindergartners, Eisenhower Elementary will use grant funding to introduce Ten-Frame materials to enhance the math curriculum. Ten-Frames are highly visual and a developmentally appropriate way to teach number sense because children and adults have an inherent ability to subitize, to instantaneously recognize the number of objects in a small group. On a Ten-Frame, numbers are represented by filling in, from left to right, the top row and then the bottom row. Each number is then seen simultaneously in relationship to five and ten. Ten-Frames will help students to manipulate numbers, decompose numbers, and solve problems. Teachers will be better equipped to help students understand numbers 0-10 by providing a more hands-on meaningful activity. - Wellness on Wheels
Meri White & Debra Sellers – All Elementary Schools: $4,635.00
To enhance the quality physical education program for elementary students, grant funding will be used to purchase in-line skating equipment to be shared by each school in three week rotations. In-line skating provides opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to incorporate physical activity into daily routines and leisure activities in order to establish healthy lifestyles. In addition, in-line skating improves cardiovascular endurance, muscle tone, balance, and agility. Teaching the skills of in-line skating indirectly impacts students’ overall academic performance. According to a study by the American College of Sports Medicine, children who participate in vigorous physical activity perform better in school. The examination of activity and physical education compared to academic achievement shows the most active students have better grades. The students who performed better academically in this study were those who participated in a sport or other vigorous activity at least three times a week.
EFW Grants for 2012= $36,187
- What in the World Can Wauwatosa Students Discover?
Jennifer Engel and Cody Hedrick – Longfellow Middle School: $850.00
Grant will purchase games to be used in enrichment period. These games will allow our students a hands-on opportunity to explore geography and become more familiar with the world and capitals around them. Our goal with these games is for students to learn where countries are and how these countries can interact with each other. - Lovin’ Learning Laptops
Linda Landis – Lincoln Elementary: $725.00
Grant is to be utilized predominately during small group centers. Students would use the laptops for math and literacy. Games chosen for the laptop would supplement the kindergarten curriculum. - Get REAL (REading and Enrichment Activities for Learning) with Junior Great Books
Jeanne Paulus – All Elementary Schools: $1,625.00
Junior Great Books materials provide students with in-depth reading, critical thinking, writing and creative activities. Classroom teachers, Reading Specialists, District Teacher Leaders, and parents from all elementary schools will be able to access these materials in order to provide extension and enrichment opportunities in English Language Arts to small groups of fourth and fifth grade students. - Picture This: Using Visualizing Skills to Improve Reading Comprehension of Middle School Students
Peggy Hamby – Whitman Middle School: $551.00
This project will teach students a new skill that more closely matches an adolescent’s ability to “think” about their thinking as a way to improve their reading skills. Once it is taught, it is an easily transferable concept that will have great carryover into the regular education environment. - Creative Problem-solving Using Simple Machines
Michele Schmidt – Longfellow Middle School: $1,118.00
This grant will use Newton’s Laws of Motion, balance and unbalanced forces to demonstrate concepts and solve problems. Students will identify the simple machines that make up a compound machine. They will use simple and compound machines to solve differentiated problems. - Career Books
Lisa Rierdon – All Elementary School: $900.00
Through the use of career books the counseling staff will be able to differentiate lessons, connect with students while instructing them on career pathways and support the district literacy goal. - Mobile Microscope Cart with Cordless Microscopes
Sarah Lichey – Longfellow Middle School: $5,769.00
Having these microscopes will improve the quality of student’s learning by giving them greater mobility in labs. It will also allow a greater population of students access to microscopes. - Wauwatosa WILD Project
Michael Heun – Wauwatosa STEM: $2,700.00
This project improves teaching and learning as it pushes thinking and allows students to problem solve a real problem: a failing retention wall. The outcome is an outdoor learning environment that would be created in the area surrounding the rebuilt creek beds. The classroom would be zoned into 5 learning zones and allow for plant study, observation, scientific learning and pond study. - Portable Wind Tunnel, Part of the Discovery Lab
William Anderson and Jerry Merz – East/West High Schools and Longfellow/Whitman Middle Schools: $5,000.00
The wind tunnel will be equipped with a laptop and have embedded electronic sensors to collect real-time data. This information would be collected by students and used for analysis for their model designs. - Voracious Readers Dig Vocabulary!
Carrie Streiff-Stuessy and Donna Koeble – Washington Elementary School: $1,000.00
In elementary classrooms teachers use Literature Circles as a means of introducing students to literature that enriches their understanding of the world through new concepts. These additional books will enable teachers to implement new vocabulary, additional genres and multi-cultural themes. - Dramatic Writing Through Play Centers
Linda Forbord and Betsy Heun – Underwood Elementary: $1,213.00
Students in junior kindergarten will participate in integrated dramatic play centers in order to advance their writing skills. Through the use of motivating and fun prop boxes, students will increase their knowledge of the writing process and the letter/sound system comprising our language. - Changing Tosa Readers One Battle at a Time
Katherine Wilkes – Eisenhower Elementary School and Sandi Owens – Roosevelt Elementary School: $2,500.00
This grant will enable teachers at Eisenhower and Roosevelt to increase the titles used in their “Battle of the Books” competitions. - Kindergarten Word-builders; Giving Students the Tools to Develop their Vocabulary and Spelling Skills
Eleuteria Gonzales-Dobbe and Jennifer Kannass – Washington Elementary: $1,271.00
By using the Bear Primary Spelling Inventory the students will receive differentiated instruction based on their scores. The students will work in word work groups. - Apps for AP Psychology
Nicole Vitrano – East High School and Andy Zietlow – West High School: $2,828.00
These apps will allow all of our students to be actively engaged in the learning process. Many of the experiments we use in class involve a few students. The apps are interactive, so all students have the experience of being an active participant in class. Even the hesitant students can participate without feeling any embarrassment. - Treasure the Partnership Between School and Home: Strengthening Reading Comprehension Together
Angie Kolanko and Lynn Misirian – Madison Elementary School: $3,261.00
Opportunities for parents to learn about and reinforce reading comprehension skills and strategies at home through an informative literacy night and the creation of a parent take-home library collection, complete with a parent resource guide for each book. A matching set of leveled classroom library books will offer the opportunity for teachers to further differentiate the teaching of reading comprehension skills and strategies at school. - Collaboration Through “SMART” Interaction
Sarah Sallmann and Michele Mushall – Eisenhower Elementary School: $4,879.00
The SMART Table allows groups of up to 8 students to work collaboratively by interacting with the multi-touch surface at the same time. By using the SMART Table students will discuss and build consensus through digital lessons, educational games and interactive learning activities.
EFW Grants for 2011= $31,004
- Bountiful Book Fairy Books
Linda Landis-Wilson Elementary-$750.00
Parents will volunteer to visit the kindergarten classroom and a book fairy book will be pulled out of the special bag. The visiting parent will read the book to the class. The class will discuss the book and participate in projects, activities or games to reinforce the skill or content area associated with the book. Additional home backpacks will be designed to promote literacy, writing and comprehension at home. - Bringing Multimedia to the Classroom
Jamie Price-All elementary school buildings-$9000.00
This grant will supply each elementary building with a rolling mobile movie and multimedia studio. Equipment included in the cart includes: a Mac book Pro, Camcorder, digital camera, microphone, external hard drive and book. Students will be able to utilize the cart while in their classroom, on field trips and school wide events. The students will be able to participate in a variety of activities such as digital storytelling. - Contemporary World Issues: A Journalistic Approach
Christopher Lazarski-Wauwatosa West HS-$2,262.00
Students enrolled in Contemporary World Problems and Global Studies will be trained as journalists and participate in the Millennium Development Goals Reporting Lab project sponsored by iEARN. PBS Newshour and UNICEF. Students will use their training to investigate world problems. - Improving Listening and Speaking Proficiency in World Languages Through the Use of Digital
Technology
Margaret Patris-Wauwatosa West HS and Colleen Dardis-Wauwatosa East HS-$1,800.00
This grant will allow the schools to purchase Koss SB-45 communication stereo phones to be used in the school computer labs. Students will be able to hear and record their responses. This will allow students to listen to authentic audio sources and respond to the appropriately. - Kindergarten Pirates: Hunting Treasures Vocabulary through Dramatic Play
Jennifer Kannass and El Gonzalez-Dobbe-Washington Elementary-$1,003.00
The grant will build vocabulary and dramatic play skills of the junior and senior kindergarten students by providing classroom materials that enhance concepts and themes introduced through the Macmillan/
McGraw-Hill Treasure program. - Reading in a Digital Age
Joan Boyce and Jane Storts-Whitman MS- Terry Brennan- Longfellow MS -$5000.00
This grant will allow the purchase of digital readers to be used by struggling students at both middle schools. By using technology which fascinates the students and increases their time spent on independent reading. - Reaching for the Stars: Challenging Our Higher Level Readers
Jennifer Engel and Allison Urban-Longfellow MS-$2000.00
All students identified as higher level readers in the 6th grade will have opportunities to access higher level books in the classroom. Students will have time to do high level questioning strategies and book chats. - Student Managed Art Gallery
Jessica Belich-Wauwatosa West HS-$5000.00
Students in the National Art Honor Society will work in the gallery, which will be in the school library, as they plan the advertising, set-up and displays in the gallery. All students will be eligible to apply for gallery space. - Support “r” Reading (with rBook)
Peg Grafwallner-Wauwatosa West HS and Pat Gilbert Wauwatosa East and West HS-$2,308.00
The high interest materials provided through the rBook Teaching System will provide students an opportunity to increase comprehension skills, develop the ability to independently apply reading strategies to content area textbooks, enlarge their academic vocabulary, and as a result enhance their self-confidence in reading. Increased motivation to read classroom text as well as reading for enjoyment is an additional outcome for students participating in this grant. - Ukulele for General Music Class
Peggy Paar- Roosevelt Elementary-$1,881.00
Learning to play the ukulele will provide another tool in the elementary music curriculum. The students will learn theory as they master melodies and chords.
EFW Grants for 2010= $33,000
- Smarter Instruction Driven by Student Feedback
Jefferson Elementary
Matt Honigman and Mary Butkus
$1,631.19
Formative assessment is a critical component of any successful lesson. This grant will allow for the purchase of formative assessment tools, such as computer software, that will help teachers improve their performance and directly impact student learning. - Integrated Skills Support for Struggling Readers. The Scholastic Action Book Collection Lexile Library
Longfellow Middle School
Kelly Kolo and Dena Milard
$2,697.00
This program will provide students with a collection of high interest, level appropriate reading materials that will build interest and reading skills connected with content areas that are aligned with district curriculum. - PLATO Math Skills Intervention
Longfellow Middle School
Kelly Kolo and Dena Milard
$3,310.00
The goal of this program is to provide students with an individualized, data driven math intervention program that will build interest and math skills aligned with district curriculum and individualized to meet intervention needs for all students. - Books Are Fun
Wilson/Tosa School of Health Science and Technology
Emily Fernandez
$1,075.00
The Books Are Fun program’s goal is to encourage literacy development at an early age. The program will implement a group targeting early literacy and enthusiasm for reading, instill a passion for reading, promote listening skills and provide an opportunity for students to discuss stories in order to develop comprehension and verbal skills. - Reading Beyond: Jefferson’s Intermediate Grade Book Club
Mary Butkus and Carol Czajkowski
$512.00
This grant will help meet the needs of high ability and gifted readers with books that will keep them excited about reading and guide their excitement to their peers. The grant will tie into the Treasures program and support the district’s reading philosophy. - Reach for the Sky
East High School
Teri Kandel and John Simon
$10,000 will be installing an outdoor ropes course at East to add to the physical education offerings. The course will have removable challenge elements. Adding a high ropes outdoor challenge course to the physical education offerings falls directly in line with several of the Wauwatosa physical education standards and benchmarks. - Listen to This!
Lincoln Elementary
Tom Smith
$750.00
“Listen to This!” will provide digital voice recorders for use during reading instruction to help improve students’ reading fluency. The digital voice recorders will provide students with an ongoing ability to record themselves reading. After listening to the recording, students will be able to learn about their pace, expression, their use of punctuation and their voice inflection. The teacher can then coach toward improving students’ reading fluency. - Tapping the Treasure Troves – Making Connections with Collections That Enhance the Treasures Reading Program
Underwood Elementary
Corinne Meyer
$1,866.90
The funds from this grant will help develop a collection of literature and student materials that tap into the already established Treasures reading program curriculum. With this grant, the new collection of children’s literature and instructional materials will coordinate with weekly themes and units that are part of the district’s new elementary reading curriculum. - Art and Writing: A Masterpiece of an Idea
Washington Elementary
Donna Koeble and Jeanne Bril
$600.00
“Art and Writing: A Masterpiece of an Idea” program is designed to stimulate creative writing by using pieces of art. Artwork will be chosen based on specific multi-cultural stories from the Treasures reading program. The stories and artwork will be used as a springboard to create several different writing pieces incorporating different types of writing genre. - Differentiate Your Way to Improved Literacy
West High School
Stephanie Smith and Rebecca Kirchman
$1,100.00
Special education teachers experience the need for differentiated lessons both when they co-teach a class and within their own classes. Further training and materials will help teachers raise their students’ literacy achievement to new levels. This grant will help fund proper training and resources that will make a difference in the teacher’s abilities to implement differentiation and improve students’ literacy. - Let’s Play!
Washington Elementary
Suzanne Graber
$460.39
Using playground chants, jump rope rhymes, clapping, jumping, bouncing balls and moving to rhythms of chants and songs, students will learn music concepts such as how to echo and imitate rhythmic patterns, sing melodic patterns, identify and demonstrate a steady beat and experience the connection between music, other cultures and disciplines. - EVERYBODY’S DOING IT: Using Social Norms to Influence Risky Behavior
East High School
Sonja Nelson
$675.84
This program will provide a universal intervention to help students demonstrate effective decision-making, problem-solving and goal-setting skills, and help students understand and use safety and wellness skills. - FOX 6 SMART Weather Net Site
McKinley Elementary
Cathy Meyer and Mary Staples
$995.00
With funds from this grant, a Fox 6 Milwaukee SMART Weather Net station will be installed on the roof of McKinley Elementary. Once installed, McKinley will become a SMART Weather Net site which sends weather information directly to Fox 6 television and is displayed during Fox 6 weather reports. The data will also be available for viewing and use in the classroom via the Internet. - Jump Into Broadcast Journalism
East and West High Schools and Fisher Building
Christopher Lazarski and Elaina Meier
$4,440.00
This grant will help in the development of an extracurricular broadcast journalism program at each high school. The grant will fund the establishment of a 15-week introductory course to train students from East and West high schools with an introduction to all concepts related to producing broadcast journalism. The intensive instruction provided in this course will allow students to return to their schools with the training necessary to start an independent program. - Improving and Measuring Student Learning with SMART Response PE
Eisenhower Elementary
Sarah Sallmann and Michelle Muellen
$1,999.00
“Improving and Measuring Student Learning with SMART Response PE” will improve student learning in all subject areas, grades 1-5, by integrating state-of-the-art technology with current best practice in the classroom. The goal is to promote student participation, engagement and understanding of skills and concepts while simultaneously providing the teacher with immediate, accurate data about student learning by using SMART Response PE handheld wireless remotes in coordination with existing SMART technologies in the classroom. - Together Everyone Achieves More! Promoting Problem-Solving and Positive School Climate Through Teambuilding
Underwood Elementary
Emilie O’Connor and Jodi Viera
$1,832.06
This grant will help fund activities that will help students develop the knowledge and skills necessary for academic and personal success and thus, a positive school climate and culture.
Grants in Action
