PWEF Awards Grants for School Programs

At a time of spiraling educational costs and shrinking budget increases, teachers are still tasked with the challenge of keeping coursework varied and interesting, all the while meeting state requirements. And while there's no shortage of ideas to inspire students, funding innovative programs can be problematic. That's why so many in the community value the support from Port Washington Education Foundation (PWEF).

Since 2001, the the PWEF has supplied grants that supplied educational opportunities to students in the district. It held its 9th Grant Awards Ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 21, in the Slade Performing Arts Center at.

PWEF has awarded more than $475,000 for programs and projects throughout the last nine years, enhancing the learning experiences of all Port Washington public school students.  This year alone, PWEF granted nearly $60,000 toward 22 projects through generous donations, large and small.  These grants will fund programs ranging from technology to magic, and from the arts to history.  For more information about the Port Washington Education Foundation, visit pwef.org.

The following is a list of the grants awarded. 

1. In all five elementary schools, the library media specialists, Suzanne Mody, Janet Moser, Maryellen Noone, Melissa Jacobs, and Joanne Koukoulas whose program, Visual Literacy through Digital Books will enhance students' learning experience by bringing books to life, and help children process both words and pictures.  This grant will reach more than 2,000 students.  
2. In all five elementary schools, Elise May was awarded two grants.  Through the Storytime Theatre program, Elise will use stories to enhance language arts for students in kindergarten though second grade.  In addition, thanks to Dr. Stirling's help and support, Expressive Elocution, which brings Elise into fifth grade classrooms for workshops on public speaking, language, and performing arts, will continue in its entirety.
3. Chris Natale, Heather O'Shea and Lori Garcia each asked for a SMART board for their math resource rooms.  PWEF did not have funds for all three, so the teachers decided, based on the number of students served, to put this year's SMART board in the math resource room at .  
4. Regina McLean is receiving a grant for Enriching Student Learning through Interactive SMART Board Technology in the PEP (Port Enrichment Program) Room.  This will enable her to address the various learning styles of her students and enhance lessons.
5. Speaking Up A Storm at Daly and Guggenheim is a program that Erica Goldsmith, Lisa Carus, Marian Dragunas and Stacy Kanellis  will implement to improve their English as a Second Language students' overall English through written and oral storytelling, including a one-day residency with professional storyteller Heather Forrest.  They also plan to use the video conferencing capabilities at and to work collaboratively and perform for each other. 
6. From Salem, reading specialists Jill Corwin and Eva Mininberg's grant is for SMART Learning:  Developing and Promoting Literacy for the 21st Century Student.   This technology will be used to develop English Language Arts lessons that promote literacy development.
7. At Sousa, Joanne Miles and Sara Shaw received a grant for ESL Parents as Literacy Models and Reading Partners. This program will assist and enable parents of ESL students in kindergarten through second grade  to become better equipped to work with their children through the collaboration of the ESL and reading resource areas.
8. Elizabeth Brehm and Heather Schneider's program, Scholastic kids Are Authors Contest, will encourage their fourth grade students at Salem to work in groups to write and illustrate their own fiction and non-fiction picture books.  The books created will be submitted to an annual nationwide contest.  
9. At , Jeff Moss has been awarded a grant for his program, The Blues, which, again, will reach every eighth grader, enabling them to read, listen to, discuss and compose poetry and music while learning about how the blues impacts society. The program will culminate with a workshop and performance with Toby Walker. This program is in its ninth year, and this is the sixth year it is being funded by PWEF.
10. Tom Barbara, Linda Sims, Holly Gober and Jeff Moss are receiving a grant for Yee-Haw! Saddling up with Cowboy Ernie.    The eight graders from the Red and Yellow houses at Weber will work with Cowboy Ernie to enhance an English and social studies unit focusing on westward expansion, utilizing workshops and performance.  
11. Also at Weber, Laurie Silverman has been awarded a grant for her program, Click, I Mean Quick Feedback.  This program provides her eight grade classes with clickers to be used with the SMART board, providing immediate interaction and feedback to better assess how students are learning and understanding the material.  This program has received very positive feedback from parents, students, and teachers.
12. At Weber, Paul Kosiba received a grant for Incorporating Interactive Technology into the Tech Ed Curriculum, intended to serve every sixth and eighth grader in the school, increasing the level of student engagement in both the architecture and packaging units.  The program will also provide a SMART board in a computer lab when it is not otherwise being used.  
13. At Weber, another grant awarded was to Carrie Lindstadt Lurka and Serena Cavallo, for Gadgets and Gizmos Galore, which will deliver online interactive stimulus to help all sixth grade math and science students with conceptual understanding.  
14. Also at Weber, Kim Rosenbaum, Patricia Barnett and Dana Strajenekova have been awarded a grant for an LCD Projector to Enrich the Family and Consumer Sciences Curriculum, to be used in all foods classes, reaching almost all Weber students.
15. Francine Clark has received funding for the Weber School-Wide Fitness and Wellness Center, which will create both the facility and program to help develop a healthy and active lifestyle.  Students, athletes and faculty will all have the opportunity to take part in these programs
16. At Weber, Susan McAuliffe has received funding for Hocus Pocus, a program that will actively involve her sixth grade academic intervention services and ELA students in the reading, writing and performing of magic tricks.  This will help to differentiate instruction and keep it fun.  
17. Laura Schrauth and Patricia Wright are getting LCD projectors for their Multimedia Art and Art History Presentations.  This will benefit every Weber student, giving them exposure to arts of other cultures.
18. Schreiber High School student, Jonathan Janis, has been awarded a grant for the Jeff Coffin Mu'tet Master Class.  The saxophonist for The Dave Matthews Band will work with students in the jazz band and tri-music honor society to perform in a master class.  
19. At Schreiber, Joan Lisecki was awarded a grant for a SMART Board in the English and Reading Department.
20. Also at Schreiber, the already successful Student Leadership and Motivation program, run by Mark Brenner, Anthony Pinelli, John Speizio, Carol Gorafalo, John Meyer Jr, Trish Burr, Maria Giamanco, and Stephanie Joannon, has been funded again. In this program, Ronald Sutherland led the students of the music department performing ensembles, the Student Council and the Athletic Leaders club in a leadership workshop that was well attended and thought provoking.   
21. And at Schreiber and Daily, the last and featured grant was awarded to  Kris Murphy and Marissa DeMarco, for their program, Cada Caveza Es Mundo: Each Head is One World. Students in the Bridging the Gap and the Photography clubs at Schreiber, along with students from Daly Elementary School, are learning about the story of Ruby Bridges, who, in November 1960, became the first black child to attend the William Frantz Public School in New Orleans. DeMarco summed up this project saying, "Kris Murphy and I cannot thank the Port Washington Education Foundation enough for awarding us with this incredible grant.  Due to the Foundation's incredible grant, our club members, the students and faculty of Schreiber and Daily, along with Kris and myself, will forever be changed being in Ruby Bidges' presence.  We will learn from her message and it's our hope that she will inspire us all to gain strength when celebrating each other's similarities and accepting each other's differences."