Grants bring technology,
fun to Fort Fairfield schools
FORT FAIRFIELD SCHOOLS recently received more than $13,000 from the Maine Community Foundation in the form of Fast Track Grants, which are intended to encourage teachers to be educational innovators, committed to planning, risk taking and results. In total, SAD 20 schools received $13,474 to fund innovative projects to enhance student learning. Displaying some of the kindles, Lego robotic kits, iPads and digital cameras that were recently purchased are Fort Fairfield Elementary School students, from left: Ben Kinney, Dylan Burgess-Capps, Cameron Amato, Logan Edgecomb and Jared Harvey.
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD – Fort Fairfield schools recently received more than $13,000 from the Maine Community Foundation in the form of Fast Track Grants.
Each year, Fast Track Grants are offered on a competitive basis to a limited number of Maine school districts, with grant amounts typically ranging up to $3,000. The grants are intended to encourage teachers to be educational innovators, committed to planning, risk taking and results.
“Everybody’s really excited to receive the grant funding,” said Jacquie Martin, 21st Century after-school programs director. “We realize how significant a pool of money that is, and I think people here within the district are really excited that teachers took time to take advantage of this opportunity to apply for these grants.”
In total, SAD 20 schools received $13,474 to fund innovative projects to enhance student learning.
The projects funded this year include:
• Kindle the Reading Fire, led by fourth-grade teacher Pam Martin, in the amount of $945. Money will purchase five Kindles (electronic book readers), as well as books. Martin’s, Ashley Hull’s and Andrea Cole’s reading students who work in Martin’s room will benefit from the use of this technology. Martin hopes that the Kindles will be a medium in which the students in targeted reading groups become motivated to read. Students will have access to books of their choice through a medium of their generation. Students will be participating in research for the best reads for students at their levels and then reading and blogging about their chosen books.
• Lego Robotics ($2,000), led by Narda Plant, special education teacher. The grant will allow for the purchase of nine Lego robotics kits. The project will target fourth- and fifth-grade special education students in math class. The activities will be part of the student’s math program and will serve as an enrichment activity on a weekly basis. Activities will include building robots and programming robot computers to carry out desired functions.
• Classroom Memories ($800) with leader Raeleen Haley, Beginning Early for School Success/pre-K teacher. Funded materials such as a photo printer, software and photo paper will allow for the creation of photo books of field trips and activities that will be invaluable tools for learning. Pictures provide the children with vivid reminders of special events. The students are drawn to the books and take great pleasure in reading and re-reading them. Pictures of themselves, their friends, and family will ensure the high interest and constant use of the books.
• Experiencing Music Through the Use of Percussion Instruments and Ukuleles ($2,994), led by Mari-Jo Hedman, K-12 music teacher. Seventeen pieces of unique percussion equipment will be purchased for grade five students at the elementary school and will be used later on for the high school piano/percussion class. It is hoped that students will create their own modified drum line. A unique composition will be created and performed at the end-of-the-year elementary concert. A more traditional drum line with the percussion class will be featured at some of the boys’ and girls’ home games in the future.
In addition, 26 ukuleles will be purchased and used by only the fifth-graders. Students will learn how to play simply melodies, as well as learn 2-3 chords. The goal is for the students to be able to accompany themselves as a class for the final elementary concert.
• Succeed with iPad ($1,185) with leader Erin Cote, special education teacher. Through the purchase of one iPad, accessories and applications, this project will help students with autism develop their communication skills, fine motor skills, and create a visual schedule to help them with their daily activities. Most people often take simple daily activities such as writing, reading, and communication for granted; however, for some individuals it is a daily struggle. The iPad allows kids with limited verbal skills to think and communicate easily using pictures. With applications like DrawFree, children with fine motor deficits find the iPad much easier for them to run their finger over the touch screen than to use a pencil, pen, or even a crayon.
• Cross-Country Skiing for Fitness and Fun ($3,000), led by Erin Graves, K-12 physical education teacher. By purchasing cross-country ski packages (skis, boots and poles), funding will support a cross-country ski unit, which will be implemented from grades 6-8 at the Fort Fairfield Middle School where the middle school 21st Century Program will also have access to the cross-country skis after school. The Cross-Country Skiing for Fitness and Fun project will encourage and promote the importance of lifelong activities. Students will have the opportunity to enhance their overall fitness and knowledge of cross-country skiing.
• Tiger Publications ($920) with leader Kerri Alley, business technology teacher. By purchasing a badge printer and printing supplies, students will have the opportunity to experience management roles in a business while servicing customers through desktop publishing. The purpose of this grant is to fund a badge printer, which will give the students the ability to print their own student ID cards and offer this service to local business people. Students will learn customer interaction and satisfaction, proficiency in using multiple software programs, career choices and activities, as well as teamwork to begin and complete all assigned projects.
• Middle School Yearbook ($815), led by Melissa Saucier, middle school 21st Century instructor. Students in the middle school after-school program will create a yearbook for the entire middle school. They will take pictures, design and format a yearbook. Students will use software on their school laptops to design the individual pages. The final product will be printed and bound in the school’s computer business lab. Funds from this grant will cover the cost of two Olympus digital cameras and accessories to make this project possible. For the after-school program, this will be a unique way to offer a long-term academic enrichment project that will engage middle school students throughout the course of the school year and will also offer a final product that students can be proud of.
• After-school Yearbook ($815) with leader Jamie Selfridge, fifth-grade 21st Century instructor. Fifth-grade students in the 21st Century after-school program will create a yearbook for all students in the after-school program. Students will take pictures, design and format a basic yearbook using the school’s computer lab. Funds from this grant will cover the costs of two Olympus digital cameras and accessories to make this project possible. The project will be of value to the students as it provides time for them to practice skills such as photography, computer graphics and editing, and most importantly, proofreading skills.
This year, more than 100 Fast Track Grant applications were received, of which approximately half were awarded some or all of the requested funding. The schools funded are primarily in Aroostook, Somerset and Washington counties.
The Fast Track Grants are supported by the Perloff Family Foundation in conjunction with the Maine Community Foundation, at the recommendation of Dr. and Mrs. David Perloff.
