Foundation Grant Winners 2013-2014
Program Descriptions and Coordinating Teacher & Participating Teachers
NSSD 112
Nutrition and Wellness
Sue Sarmiento
The Nurture Elementary Nutrition & Wellness Program gives students the knowledge
and skills to make balanced, healthy food and fitness choices. Students learn about
progressively sophisticated wellness concepts and how to apply them in their daily lives.
Braeside
Roving Reporter
Jory Weissman
Roving Reporters will capture classroom news as it happens, “on the beat”. Each week,
a different student will be the designated reporter assigned to documenting news on an
iPad mini.
Bouncing into Guided Reading
Jory Weissman
Students will sit on exercise balls instead of chairs during guided reading groups. This
research supported philosophy allows students to get rid of excess energy through
controlled movement and clearly focus on school work.
Elm Place
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Students Julie Jacobson/Vanessa Dugo/Liz Morris
During extended advisory, students will study the ‘Seven Habits’ to increase students’
self-confidence, teamwork, initiative, creativity, leadership, problem-solving, and
communication.
Exploring Asia
Nick Filipowski
An interdisciplinary project that incorporates Art, Music, Band, Orchestra, Choir,
Communication Media Arts, and French classes as they explore various parts of culture
from Asian countries. The culmination of these learning experiences will be an evening
of performances, videos, and art presentations.
Edgewood
Feel the Beat
Christina Koza and Mike Larsen
Physical Education students will wear monitors that store data in the students’ personal
wellness portfolio. This portfolio will contain fitness tests, daily attendance, class
participation and student goals. The system will allow tracking of a student’s progress
from 6th through 8th grade.
SAIL Garden Club
Anthony Candela
A year-long SAIL classroom project, designing and creating an indoor/outdoor garden
that will combine team building and hit multiple interdisciplinary academic common
core standards.
SAIL Goal Tracking
Anthony Candela
Students will use a kid friendly iPad application to track progress on their
IEP/personal/school related goals, which will help inspire them to take ownership and
initiative in finding ways to enhance their performance.
CMA and Instrumental Mixing
Elaine Juarez
A pilot project where students in “survey” CMA class will record their instrument or
voice or utilize a piano, keyboard, or track recording to mix their own music to create
original scores for movies they film and produce in CMA.
Green Bay
SEMILLAS
Erika Moran
Parent outreach workshops where teachers and parents will discuss how to help
develop social emotional, preliteracy, mathematic, and critical thinking skills. Parents
will create a “make and take” take home in order to continue developing that skill.
Indian Trail
Science Olympiad
Elizabeth Belkind and Robin Leven
Students will participate in activities designed to spark the imagination and illuminate
the world of science. Projects will include building a vehicle to drop an egg without
breaking, lighting a bulb with just a paperclip and battery, building paper rockets, and
many more activities to promote problem solving and teamwork.
Task Masters
Kelly Combs
Students with special needs will have appropriate materials to use for structured tasks
in their classrooms. These materials should lead to gains in instructional effectiveness,
student independence, skill retention, and interest, due to the individualized and highly
motivating nature of these items.
Lincoln
Passports Ready
Janet Lubetkin
Students will explore drumming and dance from Brazil and West Africa, recognizing that
that these cultures have influenced much of our popular music. Students will also create
artwork to display and use as dance props for their all-school performance.
Northwood
Lost Boys of Sudan
Yolanda Saez & Linda Stickler
A “Lost Boy of Sudan” will provide a first-hand account of his experiences for 7th grade
social studies students. This will allow students make a powerful connection to the
curriculum of emigration, immigration, persecution and refugees.
Digital Diversity: Exploring Chicago’s Dynamic Neighborhoods
Jessica Marvin
The entire 7th grade class will get a first-hand experience in several different
neighborhoods of Chicago to learn about the exciting diversity of Chicago beyond
downtown. The sites visited will include: 1893 World’s Colombian Exposition, a Frank
Llyod Wright house, the University of Chicago, and a museum created by the man who
inspired Indiana Jones, Hyde Park, Bronzeville (African-American culture), Chinatown,
and Greektown.
Husky Family Game Night
Nancy Fell Cohen
A family fun game night for students, families and staff filled with educational, languagebased games under the guidance of the school’s speech and language pathologist. The
games will be retained as classroom tools to reinforce English and Spanish literacy and
language arts.
SPARK! Students Exploring DIY Electronics
Bill Steinbach
Students will have a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience creating electronic
projects and learning how electronics work. They will program, solder and build their
own circuits.
112 Goes Electric
Margaret Delligatti
Orchestral students will explore the creative and exciting world of electric string
instruments through performance and composition.
Oak Terrace
Cocinando con Matemáticas /Cooking With Math
Erica Brady
Interdisciplinary application of math, science, reading and writing skills to explore the
different elements of food, cooking, and nutrition. Project culminates with a published
cookbook and a Spanish-language cooking show DVD, written, performed and filmed by
students.
Exploring American Folk Music Through Ukulele
Susan Siciliano
Students will learn to play the ukulele as a means to study American folk music. The
three month unit will culminate with a performance at Fine Arts Night.
Ravinia
Hawaiian Ukulele Batik Program
Sharon Steckel & John Campbell
Interdisciplinary fine arts program exploring Hawaiian culture, art and music. The
program will culminate with a musical performance/art show in February.
They All Have Stories to Tell
Amy March
Kindergarten students will be engaged in a yearlong study of the art of storytelling.
They will learn how to express themselves creatively and speak effectively. An evening
program will allow students to showcase their new talents with parents and peers.
Red Oak
Fractured Folklore
Kate Hancock-Strong
Students write folklore/legends about puppet-inspired characters and then perform
skits.
Growing to Learn
Melinda Donelan
Students will maintain a tulip and butterfly garden with harvests sold in a retail store
setting. Also, students will care for woods on school property.
Literature With Laughter/Griffin's Tales
Valerie LaRiviere
Student written short stories will be performed by Northwestern performing arts group.
Student/Parent Workshops
Nadia deHaro Vega
Indepth student/parent workshops to improve efficacy of homework sessions.
Sherwood
A "M.A.G.I.C." Look at the Pacific Islands
Kathryn Polyack
Pacific Island music, dance and art unit including student ukulele performances.
A Poem in My Heart (and In My Pocket)
Helen Weiss
Students will celebrate “Poem in My Pocket Day” by bringing in their favorite poem
or an original poem, in English or Spanish, to be carried in their pockets. Students
and staff may ask anyone to share their poem with them throughout the day.
Wayne Thomas
Increasing Independence with iPads
Michelle Diversey
Students in the Extended Resource Program will use iPads to foster independence
and goal achievement.
Wisconsin Fast Plants
Katelyn Lorenz
Fast Growing Plants challenge students to predict patterns in changing life cycles.