Grants Overview
TODD SCHOOL:
Ongoing Grant for Optimal Choices in Alternative Seating: $10,000 (Dorene Tomaskovic: First Grade teacher) Repeat Grant-end of the second installment. The first grade team has been working together to plan for ergonomic furniture options. Their vision is to have a multi-sensory classroom that provides opportunities for students to have access to alternate seating that will allow for movement and increase collaboration throughout the school day.
STEM Related Indoor Recess (Alyson Tully and Bonnie Seligson Kindergarten teachers) $568.85 Repeat Grant: Was awarded half of what they asked for last year and this grant is for what items are left. This grant will now cover the whole grade. During indoor recess games, activities and arts and crafts will be used cold/inclement winter months when the students are unable to go outside for recess. Items such as building brick sets and magnatiles.
Chess and Critical Thinking (Kathleen Godleski: 4th Grade teacher) $224.85 15 chess sets were purchased. As obvious benefit of chess is its ability to help focus along with other educational and social interactions. A game such as chess means students need a level of creativity to solve problems. This is a pilot program for one classroom.
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
BMS Makerspace (Julie Gallagher-6th grade Science teacher) $5,758.02:
A Makerspace is a place where students can gather to collaborate and create, to design and invent, to tinker and engineer and to learn and discover using a variety of different tools and materials. The Grant provided materials to be used during the week of Maker Space-6th grade students look forward to this week throughout the year. One highlighted items are “the little bits”. These little bits help to promote all of the STEM core values including coding.
BMS/BHS Digital DSLR Camera lenses, bags and tripods: (John Brooks-Art Teacher MS/HS) $3,559.09 Repeat Grant: Was awarded half of and this grant completes the initial request. This grant is for Camera lenses, bags and tripods to expand the capabilities of the high school digital photo class, computer art design class and the Photo II class. As well as in the Middle School for the computer art classes.
Items include: 4 200 mm lens, 10 digital camera bags, 2 medium level tripods, 3 heavy duty tripods and one universal photography printing easel.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Fitness Center Upgrade BMS/BHS (Rob Higle-teacher Physical Education and Health) $15,989.69
This grant requests new Fitness Center equipment to better serve the physical Education students, Briarcliff student athletes and coaches. Big draw when prospective students tour the school. Equipment includes: two recumbent and five upright stationary bikes.
BHS Advancement of Sensor for Science and Technology (Ted Sandomenico-HS Science Teacher) $8,000.00
Past grants have funded the initial purchase of Vernier interfaces and sensors for the use in science labs and classrooms. The equipment has become an integral part of the Physics, Regents Physics, AP Physics and AP Physics 2 curriculums and will be used in Earth Science classes as well.
TODD SCHOOL:
States Books $2,079.48 (Jennifer Case-5th grade teacher and Tara Phethean-Todd Librarian): 52 Hardcover books plus interactive, multi-user eBooks directly needed for the 5th grade State Float Project but can be used by all students in Todd School interested in learning about the individual states.
Robotics Integration: $1799.99 (David Golod-Mathematics teacher Todd and MS and Duncan Wilson): Grant to integrate coding and robotics into the math curriculum. This is a pilot program using Sphero robots, whose goal is to allow students to use these skills in an interdisciplinary manner. Teachers can integrate elements of robotics in social studies, art, science, and mathematics.
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Wellness Kits for Teach Use in the Classroom $802.00 (Alicia Moraitis-7th grade English and Mary Yulo-teacher English, Special Education, HS English Department): The Wellness Kits will be available to teachers to check out from the Wellness Suite and they would include a 5 Zen artist boards, 50 activities for calm focus and other objects to facilitate wellness in their classrooms. There will be a total of five kits a teacher can check out.
Middle School World Language Project $8,024.85 (Jennifer Vogrincic-World language teacher 6th-8th grades):
72 Senheiser GSP-350 USB Headsets. These noise canceling headsets-with microphone will be used in all language classes on a daily basis in the Middle School Language departments will change how students learn a world language. Speaking and listening are very important components to mastering language and now students can all do this now at the same time without being interrupted by the person sitting next to them. Teachers can incorporate listening and speaking activities into their classes.
Modernized Microscopes with WIFI Cameras $1,946.48 (Jessica Loprieno-7th grade teacher Science): This grant will allow students to capture images they see on their microscope in real-time. This also aids in collaboration amongst students, as they can share what they see with their peers.
HIGH SCHOOL:
High School World Language Project $13,125.00 (Pamela Gordon-World Language teacher): Grant provides headphones 75 Senheiser GSP-350 USB Headsets. These noise canceling headsets-with microphone will be used in all language classes on a daily basis in the High School Language departments will change how students learn a world language. Speaking and listening are very important components to mastering language and now students can all do this now at the same time without being interrupted by the person sitting next to them. Teachers can incorporate listening and speaking activities into their classes and the teacher can listen in/record each student.
Precision Measurements on Electromagnetic Forces and on Newton’s Laws (Yiqing Shen-Science HS teacher ) $4,527: This grant allows physics students to study electromagnetic forces quantitatively at the precision of up to 0.01
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TODD SCHOOL:
Large-Format Inkjet Printer $10,253.00 (Paul Villanueva – Art teacher & Erica Beasley – Director of Technology): Canon Image PROGRAF TM-306 will serve the entire District for digital art, photos of studio art, artwork of the students around our halls, and for exhibits.
HIGH SCHOOL:
2 Peloton Treadmills & 1 Lifetime Fitness Rower $6,967.32 (Andrea Thau – Physical Education teacher): New and improved exercise equipment for newly renovated fitness center. Equipment will enhance the PE curriculum by enabling the PE staff to teach lifetime fitness and wellness throughout the school year.