News

The District 39 Educational Foundation is thrilled to announce its Spring 2016 Gripp Grants and proud to distribute $12,502 to 3 D39 schools and the District’s Office of Curriculum and Instruction.

• Mobile learning in the Learning Commons (Harper):  This grant will purchase two items to help with innovative learning in the new Harper Learning Commons.  Teachers, Beth Cummo, Muffy Pinney, Sue Flachsbart, and principal Dr. Sue Kick requested the purchase of hanging whiteboards and 25 Google Expeditions View-Masters.  The whiteboards will be utilized for group instruction and can be pulled down from the walls by the students when working on their own or in small groups.  The Google Expeditions View-Masters are virtual reality tools that will transport learners to different learning platforms including space and foreign countries.
• Professional Development and Parent Training with Dr. Jo Boalar and Dr. Cathy Williams (District office of Curriculum and Instruction):  The Educational Foundation is partnering with District 39 to bring Stanford University Professors, Dr. Jo Boaler and Dr. Cathy Williams to our Wilmette schools.  Dr. Boaler and Dr. Williams are research leaders in the field of mathematics instruction and are coming to share their findings on applying a growth mindset to math.  This cutting edge research is applicable across all disciplines and leads to students seeing their abilities as expandable and improvable, resulting in a decrease in classroom anxiety.  In addition to working with the District 39 staff, the professors will conduct a parent education event.  The events are scheduled for September 29-30, 2016.
• Lego Learning Walls (Central):  Central School’s Differentiation Specialist, Bonny Skutch, and a group of  dedicated 4^th grade students submitted this grant to fund a Lego Learning Wall in their Learning Commons and two mobile Lego learning units that can be moved to classrooms.  TheLego Learning Wall will be used in math instruction and in story development for language arts classes.
• Stride track for Mileage Club (Central): Several years ago Central school PE teacher Kathleen Peth started Mileage Club, an extremely popular recess activity.  The Mileage Club is a wonderful activity for individuals or groups that encourages kids to stay active, and to set goals for their own physical fitness.  The Stride track will allow Ms. Peth to automate the tracking of each child’s accomplishments.  In addition, each child will have access to their individual data to track their goals and physical fitness.  Ms. Peth has partnered with the Central School PTA to continue the ongoing success of this program following its pilot year.
• Ancient Greeks at the Field Museum (Highcrest):  Alexandra Vastardis and her her 80 6^th grade Latin students will attend the Field Museum to visit the special exhibit on ancient Greece, Agamemnon to Alexander the Great.  This showcase event is a joint exhibit with the national Hellenic Museum showcasing over 500 ancient artifacts, many shown for the first time in North America.  The students will each research an artifact and upon returning to school will create a virtual museum to share with 5^th grade Latin students.  The virtual museum will be available for future Latin students and for thee 6^th grade social studies teachers to aide their study of ancient Greece.  This grant was funded in partnership with the Highcrest PTO.

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.