2019 Grants Awarded
Windsor Education Foundation (WEF) has awarded a total of $12,241 in grants to fund 12 projects proposed by teachers in Windsor Public Schools, including a $1,080 science grant from The Christine Gasparino Memorial Fund. All Windsor Public Schools certified staff was eligible to apply for the grants.
Monica Brase will establish a mentoring program for students in the high school alternate education program. Adults from community organizations and businesses will support and encourage students to be successful in all areas of school life.
Field trips to college campuses and the Hartford National College Fair will be offered to high school students who participate in Michael Broxterman’s College Exposure Project.
Sheena Boyle, teacher at Windsor High, will conduct SWEAT summer workshops for seniors who are making postsecondary plans. Student Workshops Enabling Academic Transitions offer students information about the college admissions process and other postsecondary opportunities.
Middle school students will master fractions using a research-based online program that presents them with entertaining stories. Cay Freeman, math teacher, will Amplify Fractions to improve her students’ understanding of how fractions work.
Kyle Fusco will take members of PRISM, Sage Park’s Gay Straight Alliance, to the True Colors conference and then help them to complete a project or conduct a workshop.
Lauren Grimshaw’s high school students will have the opportunity to become familiar with forensics science in the EASTCONN mobile STEM Lab when it visits Windsor later this spring.
A group of 25 middle school students will have the benefit of participating in the Bridges program offered by the National Conference for Community and Justice. Jessica Hickey, Sage Park teacher, will support them as they apply their learning to individual projects and school-wide activities.
Melissa Johnston’s third graders at Kennedy School will “fuel their minds” by using flexible seating. Access to non-traditional seating options helps students to stay on task, be more physically active, and make decisions about their learning style.
Windsor High will keep up with the weather when Joseph Oblong’s students install a weather station that collects and reports data both for daily use and long term analysis. The data will be available to students and staff on wunderground.com, a Weather Channel website.
Seventh grade science students at Sage Park will contribute to class discussion using a Qball microphone awarded to Judy Radke. The wireless, interactive, and throwable mic encourages students to participate and brings new technology to the classroom.
Lights! Camera! Information! brings video equipment to Clover Street School that will allow for daily live-streamed morning broadcasts and support a partnership with WIN-TV. Lisa Thomas and Elizabeth Cichon will help students to create and produce videos for both school and community viewing.
Math teachers at Sage Park will have hands-on math games and activities for their seventh graders thanks to the work of Emily Vazquez. She will assemble a collection of both purchased and teacher made games that will engage and entertain students.
“We are pleased to provide funds for unique and innovative programs developed by passionate, creative and committed Windsor Educators,” said Cristina Santos, vice-president of Windsor Education Foundation. “The impact [of these programs] to our educational communities is thrilling, as through these initiatives we can develop curious minds, build students’ confidence, and engage students in irreplaceable learning opportunities. We thank the generous business and individual donors and those who participated in our fundraising programs for making these grants possible