WAYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GRANTS FOR 2009-2010

Thanks to the generosity of Wayland families and organizations, the Wayland Public Schools Foundation (WPSF) recently funded 22 teacher requests for new programs, curriculum and technology that would otherwise go unfunded with our current budget constraints. Funding criteria include numbers of students who will benefit, cost-effectiveness, support of school leaders and colleagues, degree of innovation and creativity and the likelihood of future sustainability of the program or innovation. A wide range of projects were funded in all subject areas.

Document Cameras for All Provides document cameras for all Middle School English classrooms, which helps teachers instantly share student writing and visual examples to enhance instruction.

Voting Eggs with Interactive Whiteboard Equips a 6th grade science classroom with a set of voting eggs to increase student participation and improve understanding of concepts.

Enhanced Technology for Language Classrooms Provides an interactive white board that can be shared by any of the Middle School World Language classrooms to make lessons more visual and dynamic.

Making Great Better: Updating the Promethean Board Enhances Smart Classroom technology for HS Latin and Classics classes. Offers state of the art collaboration and interaction with students.

Composer Commission, String Jamboree Funds the composition of an original piece of music for string players of all ages in Wayland to play in their annual String Jamboree concert. The composer will also work with Wayland's string players in a clinic to improve music skills.

Musical Instrument Availability for All Students Creates an "instrument bank" by purchasing a variety of musical instruments to be used by elementary students who cannot afford them and for students who would like to switch their instrument.

Pump Up the Bass! Enables proper bass amplification to allow appropriate balance and blend of performance pieces for High School jazz ensembles, orchestra, choral groups and theatre productions.

"Warrior Pride", a World Premier Composition Helps fund the composition of an original piece celebrating Wayland that can be used to generate school and town spirit. The composer, Wayland's Richard Sebring, taught master classes to High School students.

iPods for Reading Fluency Provides iPods for 3rd grade students enabling them to listen to audio books and record their own stories. Students will develop greater reading fluency and comprehension, and will also become better writers as they create podcasts of their stories in Writing Workshop.

Conferring with Amos and Boris: Using Picture Books to Lift the Quality of Student Writing Offers engaging model texts for Middle School teacher-student conferences to illustrate how to develop characters, build conflict, craft dialogue, and create a setting.

A Midsummer's Night Dream - by Shakespeare Now! Productions Hosts a performance for 9th grade students to enhance their understanding of Shakespeare by bringing the written word to life.

Francis Smith Presentation Enables Wayland's beloved retired Classics teacher, Francis Smith, to return for a repeat High School performance/lecture on the concept of the hero in Classical Greek and Roman Literature.

Professional Development Workshop for Math Institute Provides seed money to develop and implement the Wayland Public Schools Summer Mathematics Institute that would enhance differentiated teaching instruction for elementary school teachers.

Organic Garden Enhancement Provides tools and materials to maintain and enhance the organic gardens at Claypit Hill School and fulfill the mission of teaching and modeling environmentally sustainable practices.

21st Data Collection -- Vernier LabQuest Offers data collection devices to help Middle School students more accurately collect data. The new devices can connect to probes used in Physical Science, Life Science and Earth Science classes.

Discovering Psychology -- A Collection of DVD's Enhances High School students. understanding of the history of psychology and highlights major experiments and themes in psychology.

Video Podcasting To Build Student Literacy and Develop and Celebrate a School Community Offers a Flip camcorder to record Middle School student achievements, performances, field trips and House Days activities so they can be recognized and celebrated.

The Orange and Black: Middle School Newspaper Provides video cameras, digital cameras, MP3 players and flash drives to enable The Orange and Black to truly make the transition to a self-sufficient online newspaper.

Digital Cameras for the Library Media Center Enables High School students to complete multimedia assignments and staff to document various projects on and off campus.

WSPN -- Digital SLR Camera and National Scholastic Press Association Convention Allows WSPN staff and students to take good quality pictures in low light venues. Grant will also help cover educational workshops for journalism students.

Document Camera Allows large scale projection of student art and pieces from books and websites to engage entire Art class at one time at the High School.

On the Ball for Learning Success Supplies innovative seating options for kindergarten children allowing them some degree of movement while doing group listening and working sessions. "Ball Chairs" have proven effective in helping young students move and learn in an appropriate manner.