Teachers use grants to enhance learning

LONGMEADOW - A large group of teachers crowded into the Longmeadow High School library recently to receive their awards from the Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation.

Thirty-six grants, totaling $120,121, were presented to teachers across the school district to enhance education in their classrooms by providing learning tools and equipment not available through the town budget.

This year's grants bring the total amount awarded since the foundation's inception in 2003 to $681,000.

Joseph Aberdale, foundation board member and director of public relations, made the presentations to the 51 teachers.

"Today is an opportunity for us to show our gratitude to you, and to present you with these grant awards," he said. "You have accepted our challenge, risen to the occasion and submitted a variety of creative and wonderful ideas and plans."

Speakers at the presentation included two recipients from last year, Pamela Novak, of Glenbrook Middle School, and Kathleen Epaul, a high school teacher.

Novak's grant in 2008 provided materials for writing across the curriculum through the medium of book making. With this grant, writing became a part of every class and every discipline.

"My goal always is to get the students excited about learning," Novak said. "This grant had a big impact on my teaching and the other teachers at Glenbrook and of course the students."

French teacher Epaul purchased a laptop mimeo system with her 2008 grant award, allowing her to bring what she called the "explosion of information on the Internet" into her classroom.

For example, by being able to access television and radio from France, the grant, among other things, gave her students the opportunity to hear excellent French.

"It's had a major impact on my teaching and on the students, and made them better French speakers," she said.

Schools Superintendent Jahn Hart said the foundation has given teachers the ability to use 21st century tools in their classrooms providing what she termed "relevance, not just rigor." She went on to say, "(The foundation) not only provides funds, it shines a spotlight on excellence in teaching."

Kristina Gagne, of Wolf Swamp Elementary School, was among the new grant recipients. She and her committee received $10,000 to buy approximately 2,000 books for guided reading lessons. They will allow teachers to differentiate their instruction and let each child read and learn at his or her own level.

"It's very exciting," she said. "It changes the way we reach the kids."

Karen Rafferty and Margaret Auth, of Center Elementary School, were the recipients of a grant titled, "Extreme Weather: A Day with Thunderstorms and Tornadoes." It will allow all second-graders at the school to visit Talcott Mountain Science Center in Avon, Conn., where they will experience what it's like to be in the middle of a hurricane and see a tornado being made. Representatives of the science center have visited Longmeadow schools, but the field trip will be new, Rafferty said. "This will be the first time we travel there to experience extreme weather in the meteorology lab. It's very exciting."

On hand for the presentations were Daniel Grow, foundation president, Karen O'Keefe, vice president, and the co-chairs of the Grant Review Committee, Peg Landon and Mary Cieplik.

The foundation holds two major fund-raisers during the year: the gala, held every November, and the phonathon in the spring. This year's gala, under the chairmanship of Judy D'Angelo and Wendy Upson, will again feature food, music and an auction. It will be held Nov. 14 at the Longmeadow Country Club. For ticket information, log onto LongmeadowLEEF.org