| Mamaroneck Schools Foundation Enhancing educational excellence in the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Schools |
MSF GRANTS
2007 – 2008 ($276,767 )
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Classroom Library for Original Science Research High School
During the first year of this three-year program, students investigate possible topics of
interest for their research in areas such as biology, medicine, computer science and
psychology. This dedicated classroom library will enhance their search with up-to-date
texts on a wide variety of science and social science topics.
Trout in the Classroom Hommocks
This grant will fund the expansion to all seventh grade science classrooms of the very
successful “Trout in the Classroom” program piloted this year. Through hands-on
science activities, students not only learn about ecosystems, but also provide
stewardship for the local environment, discuss conservation ethics, and take personal
responsibility for their ecosystems. Their work will be shared via monitors in the science
atrium and on a website.
SMART-Enhanced Curriculum for Third-Graders Chatsworth
A SMART board, along with teacher training to use it, will be provided to a third-grade
classroom at Chatsworth. SMART boards connect a “blackboard” to a classroom
computer to allow work viewed on the board to be saved, manipulated and shared. It will
be used across a variety of curriculum areas.
Video Learning Center Murray Avenue
This grant will add a video-based learning center to the school library, providing for the
enhancement of an existing computer with a large-screen digital monitor and listening
center with wireless headsets. The learning center will be used by small groups of
students with a specific focus corresponding to a classroom lesson.
Sheldrake On-Site Laboratory District-wide
This grant funds an onsite laboratory and classroom at Sheldrake Environmental Central
to complement the fifth-grade Microworld unit. The award will include five compound
digital and five compound stereo microscopes to be used by instructors and students in
groups; a computer and monitor; as well as training time for Sheldrake educators.
Students will observe samples from the center’s pond in the microscopes, and these
images can then be saved onto the computer and sent to the classroom for further
analysis. The expectation is that this program will eventually be expanded for use with
other grades and Sheldrake programs.
Mobile Computers in the Physics Laboratory High School
This grant will enhance the use of the state-of-the-art PASCO Scientific 750 Interfaces,
which were funded by a 2005 MSF grant. This advanced technology requires suitable
computer hardware to run increasingly powerful software. Ten mobile computer carts
and four desktop computers and laser printers will provide an efficient way to offer
students computer resources on demand. Physics students will use these computers
for data acquisition and analysis, and the laser printers will allow them to print their
results.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Character Education Study Group and Curriculum Chatsworth
The goal of this project is to launch a school-wide enrichment program focused on
character and community. This grant will fund development time during the summer for
administrators, teachers and parents to research and develop a character education
curriculum.
Feeding a Running Stream District-wide
This grant will fund the third and final year of a program to enhance the professional
development of teachers, provided through a private directed donation. Annie Zimmer,
assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, will select a series of
conferences, workshops and speakers, as well as purchase materials for the district’s
library of professional literature.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Poetry Project High School
Students in special education English classes will learn about poets and poetry through
lessons and readings from a class library of poetry, funded by this grant. Students will
then work directly with poet-in-residence Zork Alan, who will share his experiences and
challenges in writing poetry.
W.O.W. (Words on Wheels) Reading Center Hommocks
This project is designed to enhance the reading experiences of special education
middle school students by providing a multi-level library of texts for independent reading,
as well as a collection of modified texts for the major novels commonly taught at each
grade level.
ATHLETICS
Kayaking for Middle and High School Students Hommocks
Fifteen whitewater kayaks, paddles and lifejackets will be purchased for use in the
physical education curriculum at the Hommocks pool. A kayaking club may also be
formed at the High School. This grant will allow for greater utilization of the pool, and
provide instruction in a lifelong sport, which is a key component of the modern physical
education curriculum.
ARTS
Electronic Drawing Tablets Hommocks
As part of their seventh grade curriculum in the art media lab, Hommocks students will
now have a new tool in their repertoire with the purchase of fifteen electronic drawing
tablets and styluses. The tablet and stylus offer more control and greater versatility as a
drawing tool than a computer mouse, allowing students to create original drawings and
cartoons directly on the computer or to convert conventional drawings into digital
images.
Collaborative Design of Creative Space High School
The art faculty plans to customize and redesign its art studios to make the storage space
within them more flexible and accessible to students. This grant covers the cost of
materials required.
“Sing a Song of Literacy” Central
This grant adds a musical component to the already successful CORE program at
Central. It seeks to increase reading comprehension and fluency as well as nurture
tolerance and respect through song. Appropriate songs will be taught to the children,
who will then record them, and CDs will be distributed to all the classrooms. Song flip
charts and songbooks will be produced and printed to accompany the music. This grant
includes digital recording software and equipment as well as the printing of the books
and charts.
Music Enrichment for Minority and Low-Income Students Hommocks
This program provides music enrichment to students who may not continue music
instruction once they reach the Hommocks, due to cultural or socioeconomic factors. It
extends the district-wide instrument rental program to the middle school grades, and
offers free music instruction at lunch and/or after school, as well as through the district’s
summer co-op camp. This award supports a third year of funding for a grant provided by
MSF last year, and is funded through donations pledged at the 2006 MSF Spring Gala.
FACILITIES
A Photographic Rendering of the Life of the MHS Community High School
Large photographs will be professionally shot, mounted, and hung in public areas of the
high school, giving a sense of the vibrancy of student life, and the breadth and diversity of
the curricular and extracurricular activities that take place there. Students and staff will
have input in choosing the photographs and the locations where they will be displayed.
Library Seating High School
These funds will provide additional tables and chairs for the reading area of the high
school library to accommodate more students. They will match the existing furniture in
the library. The district will match this grant with an additional $6,322.
Outdoor Seating High School
The MHS Student Council applied for this grant for outdoor tables and benches for the
Post Road side of the High School and the gazebo area outside the Student Café, which
students will use during lunch and free periods, greatly increasing the amount of outdoor
seating and enhancing student interaction and conversation.
LITERACY AND ENRICHMENT
Dinosaur, Trains and Mother Goose: Nurturing Our Youngest Readers
Mamaroneck Ave. Pre-K
The district’s preschool program for three-to-five-year-olds will receive much-needed
age-appropriate and culturally relevant books. This grant also provides funding for the
professional training of volunteers and staff who will work in a special section of the
Mamaroneck Avenue School library designed specifically for preschoolers.
First Grade P.A.L.S. Central
A wide variety of literacy materials will be purchased to meet the diverse needs of
students in Central School’s first-grade program, Promoting Academic Literacy Success.
The materials will support a multi-sensory approach to the teaching of reading and
writing.
Small Treasures Early Learning Program Preschool
This early childhood and parent education program, privately funded and offered by the
district, is designed to develop learning readiness in children from birth to three years of
age, and to help address the achievement gap by providing enriching experiences to our
youngest community members. This grant will provide books for the children as well as
establish a parent and staff resource library.
Expanding Horizons: Enrichment for Central School Flagship Program
This grant will help expand and enrich the curriculum in this successful after-school
program. The staff will plan and develop differentiated activities to complement existing
grade-level studies, and appropriate materials will be purchased to enhance learning
through hands-on experiences.
Guys Read Hommocks
In the world of young adolescent literacy, the gender gap between boys’ and girls’
reading is a hot topic of concern. This grant supports the purchase of book collections
geared toward the interests of boys for middle school English classrooms, as well as
the reading lab and library at Hommocks. A “Guys Read” Sharepoint website will also be
launched where boys can participate in an ongoing online conversation about books.
The Reading and Writing Lounge Hommocks
Students are more likely to develop a lifelong love of reading and writing when they have
a comfortable and welcoming space in which to work. This grant will be used to create
an inviting environment in three classrooms at the Hommocks, with stereo listening
centers for use with audio books; comfortable seating for reading, writing and small-
group discussion; storage to make classroom books and communal writing supplies
easily accessible; and appealing visual displays.
History Alive! Hommocks
History Alive! is a program designed to make history come alive for middle school
students. Sixth and seventh grade teachers will receive training and materials to employ
new instructional strategies in teaching the NY State social studies curriculum. Students
will be challenged to analyze historical events through a variety of lenses, grapple with
big ideas, problem-solve, and work cooperatively. Materials include supplemental
reading and background information, visuals, audio tracks, student worksheets and
assessments, and final projects.
Jump Start to the Twenty-First Century: Researchers are Readers District-wide
This grant will provide new core collections of science and technology books in each of
the district’s six school libraries. Recognizing that keeping current is crucial in this
curriculum area, each librarian will choose books based on the specific needs of their
schools.
MISCELLANEOUS
“Parents Night Out” Speaker Series District-wide
An evening speaker series will be created for parents throughout the district. Well-known
leaders in their fields will be invited to speak on topics related to parenting that are of
interest to a broad range of parents. Spanish translation will be offered and the speakers
will be televised on LMC-TV when possible.
An Evening of Entertainment for MHS Students High School
The high school and Student Council are always seeking safe, fun and appropriate
activities to engage students on weekend evenings. This grant will fund the first event,
featuring Tom De Luca, a nationally known hypnotist who regularly performs on college
campuses across the country. Admission fees will provide seed money to fund future
evening events.
Post-Secondary Access for Latino Middle-Grade Students (PALMS) Hommocks
In November, Hommocks was one of three middle schools in the U.S. to be awarded a
two-year grant of $10,000 by the Educational Development Center to participate in the
PALMS program. PALMS seeks to improve the life chances of Latino youth by opening
doors to postsecondary education. The specific outreach program for Hommocks will be
announced later this spring. This funding will help implement the program, and its
outcome will be shared with middle schools around the country. This grant is funded in
part by the Barbara Bennett-Rones Memorial Foundation.
Interactive Communication Center Mamaroneck Ave.
An interactive communication center will be piloted near the new entrance to
Mamaroneck Avenue School. It will consist of a wall-mounted plasma screen, speakers,
a computer, and a touchpad to navigate an on-screen menu. Its objective is to provide
media enrichment before, during, and after school and to provide students with
additional opportunities to learn about and use multimedia. Programming will include
streaming video clips, news broadcasts, and virtual tours of museums. Selections will
change on a regular basis according to the curricular units being studied in the school.
Grant Research and Development District-wide
This grant provides funding for the district to hire a consultant/grant writer with
experience in public education. This individual will identify and apply for funding
opportunities from private and corporate foundations to finance a variety of district
initiatives such as technology, narrowing achievement gaps, early literacy, and more.
Mamaroneck Schools Foundation Post Office Box 123 Larchmont, New York 10538
copyright 2007 Mamaroneck Schools Foundation
Privacy Statement
2007 – 2008 ($276,767 )
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Classroom Library for Original Science Research High School
During the first year of this three-year program, students investigate possible topics of
interest for their research in areas such as biology, medicine, computer science and
psychology. This dedicated classroom library will enhance their search with up-to-date
texts on a wide variety of science and social science topics.
Trout in the Classroom Hommocks
This grant will fund the expansion to all seventh grade science classrooms of the very
successful “Trout in the Classroom” program piloted this year. Through hands-on
science activities, students not only learn about ecosystems, but also provide
stewardship for the local environment, discuss conservation ethics, and take personal
responsibility for their ecosystems. Their work will be shared via monitors in the science
atrium and on a website.
SMART-Enhanced Curriculum for Third-Graders Chatsworth
A SMART board, along with teacher training to use it, will be provided to a third-grade
classroom at Chatsworth. SMART boards connect a “blackboard” to a classroom
computer to allow work viewed on the board to be saved, manipulated and shared. It will
be used across a variety of curriculum areas.
Video Learning Center Murray Avenue
This grant will add a video-based learning center to the school library, providing for the
enhancement of an existing computer with a large-screen digital monitor and listening
center with wireless headsets. The learning center will be used by small groups of
students with a specific focus corresponding to a classroom lesson.
Sheldrake On-Site Laboratory District-wide
This grant funds an onsite laboratory and classroom at Sheldrake Environmental Central
to complement the fifth-grade Microworld unit. The award will include five compound
digital and five compound stereo microscopes to be used by instructors and students in
groups; a computer and monitor; as well as training time for Sheldrake educators.
Students will observe samples from the center’s pond in the microscopes, and these
images can then be saved onto the computer and sent to the classroom for further
analysis. The expectation is that this program will eventually be expanded for use with
other grades and Sheldrake programs.
Mobile Computers in the Physics Laboratory High School
This grant will enhance the use of the state-of-the-art PASCO Scientific 750 Interfaces,
which were funded by a 2005 MSF grant. This advanced technology requires suitable
computer hardware to run increasingly powerful software. Ten mobile computer carts
and four desktop computers and laser printers will provide an efficient way to offer
students computer resources on demand. Physics students will use these computers
for data acquisition and analysis, and the laser printers will allow them to print their
results.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Character Education Study Group and Curriculum Chatsworth
The goal of this project is to launch a school-wide enrichment program focused on
character and community. This grant will fund development time during the summer for
administrators, teachers and parents to research and develop a character education
curriculum.
Feeding a Running Stream District-wide
This grant will fund the third and final year of a program to enhance the professional
development of teachers, provided through a private directed donation. Annie Zimmer,
assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, will select a series of
conferences, workshops and speakers, as well as purchase materials for the district’s
library of professional literature.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Poetry Project High School
Students in special education English classes will learn about poets and poetry through
lessons and readings from a class library of poetry, funded by this grant. Students will
then work directly with poet-in-residence Zork Alan, who will share his experiences and
challenges in writing poetry.
W.O.W. (Words on Wheels) Reading Center Hommocks
This project is designed to enhance the reading experiences of special education
middle school students by providing a multi-level library of texts for independent reading,
as well as a collection of modified texts for the major novels commonly taught at each
grade level.
ATHLETICS
Kayaking for Middle and High School Students Hommocks
Fifteen whitewater kayaks, paddles and lifejackets will be purchased for use in the
physical education curriculum at the Hommocks pool. A kayaking club may also be
formed at the High School. This grant will allow for greater utilization of the pool, and
provide instruction in a lifelong sport, which is a key component of the modern physical
education curriculum.
ARTS
Electronic Drawing Tablets Hommocks
As part of their seventh grade curriculum in the art media lab, Hommocks students will
now have a new tool in their repertoire with the purchase of fifteen electronic drawing
tablets and styluses. The tablet and stylus offer more control and greater versatility as a
drawing tool than a computer mouse, allowing students to create original drawings and
cartoons directly on the computer or to convert conventional drawings into digital
images.
Collaborative Design of Creative Space High School
The art faculty plans to customize and redesign its art studios to make the storage space
within them more flexible and accessible to students. This grant covers the cost of
materials required.
“Sing a Song of Literacy” Central
This grant adds a musical component to the already successful CORE program at
Central. It seeks to increase reading comprehension and fluency as well as nurture
tolerance and respect through song. Appropriate songs will be taught to the children,
who will then record them, and CDs will be distributed to all the classrooms. Song flip
charts and songbooks will be produced and printed to accompany the music. This grant
includes digital recording software and equipment as well as the printing of the books
and charts.
Music Enrichment for Minority and Low-Income Students Hommocks
This program provides music enrichment to students who may not continue music
instruction once they reach the Hommocks, due to cultural or socioeconomic factors. It
extends the district-wide instrument rental program to the middle school grades, and
offers free music instruction at lunch and/or after school, as well as through the district’s
summer co-op camp. This award supports a third year of funding for a grant provided by
MSF last year, and is funded through donations pledged at the 2006 MSF Spring Gala.
FACILITIES
A Photographic Rendering of the Life of the MHS Community High School
Large photographs will be professionally shot, mounted, and hung in public areas of the
high school, giving a sense of the vibrancy of student life, and the breadth and diversity of
the curricular and extracurricular activities that take place there. Students and staff will
have input in choosing the photographs and the locations where they will be displayed.
Library Seating High School
These funds will provide additional tables and chairs for the reading area of the high
school library to accommodate more students. They will match the existing furniture in
the library. The district will match this grant with an additional $6,322.
Outdoor Seating High School
The MHS Student Council applied for this grant for outdoor tables and benches for the
Post Road side of the High School and the gazebo area outside the Student Café, which
students will use during lunch and free periods, greatly increasing the amount of outdoor
seating and enhancing student interaction and conversation.
LITERACY AND ENRICHMENT
Dinosaur, Trains and Mother Goose: Nurturing Our Youngest Readers
Mamaroneck Ave. Pre-K
The district’s preschool program for three-to-five-year-olds will receive much-needed
age-appropriate and culturally relevant books. This grant also provides funding for the
professional training of volunteers and staff who will work in a special section of the
Mamaroneck Avenue School library designed specifically for preschoolers.
First Grade P.A.L.S. Central
A wide variety of literacy materials will be purchased to meet the diverse needs of
students in Central School’s first-grade program, Promoting Academic Literacy Success.
The materials will support a multi-sensory approach to the teaching of reading and
writing.
Small Treasures Early Learning Program Preschool
This early childhood and parent education program, privately funded and offered by the
district, is designed to develop learning readiness in children from birth to three years of
age, and to help address the achievement gap by providing enriching experiences to our
youngest community members. This grant will provide books for the children as well as
establish a parent and staff resource library.
Expanding Horizons: Enrichment for Central School Flagship Program
This grant will help expand and enrich the curriculum in this successful after-school
program. The staff will plan and develop differentiated activities to complement existing
grade-level studies, and appropriate materials will be purchased to enhance learning
through hands-on experiences.
Guys Read Hommocks
In the world of young adolescent literacy, the gender gap between boys’ and girls’
reading is a hot topic of concern. This grant supports the purchase of book collections
geared toward the interests of boys for middle school English classrooms, as well as
the reading lab and library at Hommocks. A “Guys Read” Sharepoint website will also be
launched where boys can participate in an ongoing online conversation about books.
The Reading and Writing Lounge Hommocks
Students are more likely to develop a lifelong love of reading and writing when they have
a comfortable and welcoming space in which to work. This grant will be used to create
an inviting environment in three classrooms at the Hommocks, with stereo listening
centers for use with audio books; comfortable seating for reading, writing and small-
group discussion; storage to make classroom books and communal writing supplies
easily accessible; and appealing visual displays.
History Alive! Hommocks
History Alive! is a program designed to make history come alive for middle school
students. Sixth and seventh grade teachers will receive training and materials to employ
new instructional strategies in teaching the NY State social studies curriculum. Students
will be challenged to analyze historical events through a variety of lenses, grapple with
big ideas, problem-solve, and work cooperatively. Materials include supplemental
reading and background information, visuals, audio tracks, student worksheets and
assessments, and final projects.
Jump Start to the Twenty-First Century: Researchers are Readers District-wide
This grant will provide new core collections of science and technology books in each of
the district’s six school libraries. Recognizing that keeping current is crucial in this
curriculum area, each librarian will choose books based on the specific needs of their
schools.
MISCELLANEOUS
“Parents Night Out” Speaker Series District-wide
An evening speaker series will be created for parents throughout the district. Well-known
leaders in their fields will be invited to speak on topics related to parenting that are of
interest to a broad range of parents. Spanish translation will be offered and the speakers
will be televised on LMC-TV when possible.
An Evening of Entertainment for MHS Students High School
The high school and Student Council are always seeking safe, fun and appropriate
activities to engage students on weekend evenings. This grant will fund the first event,
featuring Tom De Luca, a nationally known hypnotist who regularly performs on college
campuses across the country. Admission fees will provide seed money to fund future
evening events.
Post-Secondary Access for Latino Middle-Grade Students (PALMS) Hommocks
In November, Hommocks was one of three middle schools in the U.S. to be awarded a
two-year grant of $10,000 by the Educational Development Center to participate in the
PALMS program. PALMS seeks to improve the life chances of Latino youth by opening
doors to postsecondary education. The specific outreach program for Hommocks will be
announced later this spring. This funding will help implement the program, and its
outcome will be shared with middle schools around the country. This grant is funded in
part by the Barbara Bennett-Rones Memorial Foundation.
Interactive Communication Center Mamaroneck Ave.
An interactive communication center will be piloted near the new entrance to
Mamaroneck Avenue School. It will consist of a wall-mounted plasma screen, speakers,
a computer, and a touchpad to navigate an on-screen menu. Its objective is to provide
media enrichment before, during, and after school and to provide students with
additional opportunities to learn about and use multimedia. Programming will include
streaming video clips, news broadcasts, and virtual tours of museums. Selections will
change on a regular basis according to the curricular units being studied in the school.
Grant Research and Development District-wide
This grant provides funding for the district to hire a consultant/grant writer with
experience in public education. This individual will identify and apply for funding
opportunities from private and corporate foundations to finance a variety of district
initiatives such as technology, narrowing achievement gaps, early literacy, and more.
Mamaroneck Schools Foundation Post Office Box 123 Larchmont, New York 10538
copyright 2007 Mamaroneck Schools Foundation
Privacy Statement
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