Some Milton public school faculty received a pleasant surprise on May 17th when they were informed they had received grants from the Milton Foundation of Education ranging from $250 to $1,200 to fund a wide range of educational projects and initiatives.  In what is now a spring tradition, the MFE awarded 21 teacher grants totaling $14, 960.

Marilyn Decker, Director of Science K-12 for MPS, developed a grant request to purchase a video microscope and video camera for use in the high school chemistry and physics classes. Upon learning her grant had been awarded she said, “It’s terrific to have this project be selected for a grant from the MFE. Scientists are increasingly using real time images and visualization to help understand complex phenomena.  The ‘Visualizing Science’ project will enable Milton students to observe and record phenomenon in real time for analysis later.”

The MFE accepts proposals twice a year—in the fall and the spring— from Milton Public School teachers and staff. Leslie Collins, the 2011 Spring Grants Committee Chair was impressed with the proposals. “This spring we received 34 applications from all schools (pre-K through MHS) and encompassing almost every subject area, including phys ed.” Collins said. “The teachers are amazingly creative in their ideas for engaging all of their students and making learning fun and effective.”

Ms. Collins was joined on the committee by Mary Keohane, Yoshi Belash, Erika Donahue, Meg Kaster, Don Greene, and one teacher from each of Milton’s Public Schools.

The spring grant requests incuded:

• At Pierce: John O’Leary (Omnikin balls for cooperative physical education activities); Jeff Stoodt (binoculars for observing birds); Jenifer Gilbert (Roller coasters for designing and executing experiments); Elizabeth MacElhaney (Supplies and plants to expand the science curriculum; Robyn Thompson and Louisa McCarthy (Panels to create an art gallery in the library).
• In a shared grant for Pierce and the High School: Richard Guarino, Lisa Veldran, Marion Van Nostrand (Partial funding for a two-day presentation on bullying).
• At Tucker: Elizabeth Spitz (English, French and Spanish ebook subscription for the entire school); Debra Fidrocki (Electronic spelling and math flashcards); Amy Chew and Eileen Keaney (Materials to expand the adaptive book library to improve reading skills for students with learning disabilities).
• In a shared grant for Tucker and Glover: Soumela Amanatidis-Kotsalidis (Books to help ELL students master speaking and reading English).
• In Pre-K: Maureen Butler (Materials to help improve students’ fine motor skills).
• At Cunningham:  Janis Powell (Multi-media science programs and materials); Mary Rooney and Annemarie Calnan (Science learning center supplies for 1^st and 2^nd grade classes); Sherette Malloy (Science stories for use in 1^st and 2^nd grade science and language arts).
• In grants shared at Cunningham and Collicot: Josh Coben (High-interest library books to attract reluctant readers); Robert Williams (Additional levels of reading fluency software); Emmanuelle Segall, Margaret Sadock, Fatima Bourras-Elzein and Alicia Fessenden (Literacy materials for 1^st graders).
• In all four elementary schools: Martha Sherman (A student atlas set for each 2^nd grade). At Glover: Adina O’Neill (Leveled French reading books for 2^nd grade).
• At Milton High School: Mary McMullan (High-interest library books to attract reluctant readers); Marilyn Decker (Video microscope and video camera to be used in the high school chemistry and physics classes); Teachers and staff will be able to purchase their items over the summer and will have them in place when students return in the fall.