Shari Gottlieb

The Foundation is pleased to announce that we awarded four Gripp grants this fall totaling $5,802.  Three grants were awarded to McKenzie school and one to the special education departments for Highcrest Middle School and Wilmette Junior High.

McKenzie School:

• Content Area Literacy and the Common Core Conference:
  Second grade teachers, Jennifer Weil and Erin Schroeder are excited to participate in a forward thinking conference at Teacher’s College in New York.  The Reading and Writing Project Conference is focused on innovative strategies for fully engaging students in the new English Language Arts curriculum under Common Core.  Content material will be shared district wide among all elementary ELA teachers.

• Makey Makeys:
  Funding from this grant enhances both the 4th grade science and technology curriculum, enabling Julie Garry and the technology to purchase 30 Makey Makeys. These innovative kits are sure to enrich the current 4th grade science unit on electricity.  Working together in small groups, the Makey Makey kits will allow students to make their own musical instruments they can program themselves.  Makey Makeys will combine their knowledge of electrical circuits with the coding there are learning in technology class.

• Marvel Focus Desks:
  Lauren Siegel and Teresa Alfaro, 4th grade teachers, will be piloting the use of a state-of-the-art adjustable desk in their classrooms. The Marvel Focus Desks, are designed to adapt to the individual child and their learning environment, especially helpful to those with unique learning needs.

 

Highcrest and Wilmette Junior High

• Adaptive Musical Instruments:
  The grant is a partnership between the music instructors and special education departments in grades 5 through 8. This grant will fund the purchase of seven types of musical instruments to be used by students with comprehensive learning needs and/or physical challenges.  Teachers are thrilled that this equipment will allow students within the comprehensive learning center to fully participate in the High Five Choir and their related arts classes. Teachers leading this initiative include Arlene Frost, Jana Martin, Maggie Sacksteder, Stephan Spellman, Zach Sundeman, Kellie Truppa, and Sarah Whitaker.